The Politics of Technology

Baase discusses freedom of speech and censorship in light of the modern digital landscape, especially given the dubious ways in which technology can sometimes be utilized. Superior expertise about how technologies work does not guarantee superior judgment about how they should be used, regulated, or governed. As technology becomes more sophisticated, how can citizens and political leaders judge and understand whether a given technology offers great perils or great promises? When great technological projects, such as venturing farther into the galaxy or developing new life-extending medicines, are proposed, how should government officials make decisions about how tax dollars should be spent?

Week 6

What Is Reality? (graded)
Why do we pursue technologies, such as those associated with virtual reality? Going back to one of our definitions of technology, what problem are we trying to solve? What are the risks associated with these technologies?

Week 7

The Energy Crisis (graded)
Given the current state of energy use, which continues to grow exponentially in such countries as China and India, what measures can the United States and other Western countries take to produce more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly fuels? What other sources of energy could be developed to solve the energy crisis? What can the individual do to alleviate this crisis?

The process of delegation has been referred to as “legal dynamite.” Please share an example of delegation that was not appropriate. Where did it go wrong and why?

Post 3

Science and Technology (graded)
If the scientific test of a scientific theory is accepted by the community of men and women who are called scientists, does that mean that anything is acceptable as long as enough of the right people agree with it? Does that mean there is no such thing as scientific truth? How, if at all, does science differ from politics, art, or religion, in that case?

Technological Revolutions (graded)
Baase states that it is not just technology that changes so quickly, but also the impacts which they have upon society. Do you agree? How does that align with the assertion in the lecture that we are now living in a third great technological transformation called the Knowledge Revolution? Have computers truly changed our lives so much that we can call this a revolution like the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century?

Technology and Social Change (graded)
In what way (or ways) is the current Knowledge Revolution a child of the Industrial Revolution? Is this a new revolution or simply an extension of the 18th-century revolution? Given the history, is it perhaps more appropriate to call the current revolution a Communications Revolution?

Technology and Determinism (graded)
Why do the soft technologies open more opportunities for women? To what extent have these technologies impacted the perceptions of men’s and women’s roles in the economy, within marriage, and in society as a whole?