February 11 - Rapid Technological Innovation

In The Future of Technological Civilization, Woodhouse mentions engineering commentator Edward Wenk's opinion on the rate of technological innovation: "The swift pace of technological change no longer matches the response time of human affairs; technical prowess may exceed the pace of social skills, especially our ability to anticipate second-order consequences and take crisis-avoidance measures". It would appear that technological innovation has become a runaway train - sometimes racing past social and political issues and rarely slowing down enough to address them. Tracing my steps back to literature covered earlier in the semester, it would appear that society has fallen prey to legacy thinking with the concept of technocratic progress at its heart. Progress for the sake of progress has been adopted as both the motivation and the goal propelling the rate of technological innovation. Speedy innovation can positively effect society, like in the case of developing medicine for complex diseases, however the repercussions to ignorant and premature advancements in technology seem to significantly outweigh the benefits, like in the case of developments in nuclear technology. Methods to monitor the rates at which technology develops seem feasible yet complicated to organize and assemble.

In some aspects a fast rate of innovation is helpful, such as the significant developments made in the effectiveness of AIDS medication. According to the FDA, the first drug to treat AIDS was released in 1981. "By the end of 2012, some 9.7 million people in poorer and middle-income countries had access to such AIDS drugs, an increase of nearly 20 percent in a year" (Kelland). This is an excellent example of rapid technological innovation supporting global issues where human lives are at stake. However, a significant contender to the positive aspects of fast development would be the world-wide race to develop nuclear technologies. The United States was in such a hurry to order large-scale reactors that they were designed without attaining significant knowledge from experimenting with small reactors first (Woodhouse). This nation is still suffering from the ignorant rush into producing nuclear wastes, as is detailed in an article by Ron Meador. In fact, this example sheds some perspective on how technological development can move too fast and too slow at the same time: Government officials during the US/USSR nuclear debacle poured tens of thousands of dollars within two decades to develop the technology, however fifty years later, the country is still trying to formulate effective methods to dispose of the waste created. What's particularly alarming about Meador's article is the suggestion that the complexity of disposal technology is proving to be too much of an investment for both government and private corporations, therefore stunting progress in this effort.

In an effort to monitor the rate at which certain technologies are developed, Woodhouse suggests a number of possible solutions such as imposing tax penalties for especially destructive or anti-social innovations. This seems like a feasible yet difficult option as this would necessitate the development of some kind of advisory board/association to review and analyze each innovation for destructive qualities. There exists such an expansive range of expertise for various technologies that the council would also have to be broken down into technology type (biological, nanotechnology, environmental). Additionally the members of this council would have to prove that they are significantly concerned with the interests of the society they are governing. Another complication in this board would be determining the anti-social consequences of a technology. Trends in social declines or hindrances can only be seen over a period of time, which could be costly and cause sponsors of the development to lose interest. An educated conjecture could be used to predict the social impact of a technology, however one doesn't really know how something could effect the people until it is implemented.

Though there are certainly benefits to rapid technological innovation, as evidenced by the speedy development of significant AIDS medication, there can also be detrimental aftereffects when technology progresses beyond the control/capability of mankind's knowledge. This is illustrated in the difficulties our nation is facing in regards to proper nuclear waste disposal. Though there are options to mitigate or regulate the rate at which technology advances, they require a significant range and depth of knowledge and can result in expensive and/or vague decisions based on conjecture. It would appear that the people will simply have to trust those that have the power and resources to advance their innovations so quickly to also think far enough ahead to consider detrimental and dangerous consequences.

Works Cited

Kelland, Kate. "Global Rate of HIV Infection, AIDS-Related Deaths Dramatically Reduced: UN."  Huffington Post. 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 February 2014

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/23/global-rate-of-hiv-infection_n_3974248.html>

Meador, Ron. "Two nuclear-waste-disposal reports raise doubts this problem can be solved." MinnPost. 03 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 February 2014

<http://www.minnpost.com/earth-journal/2013/12/two-nuclear-waste-disposal-reports-raise-doubts-problem-can-be-solved>

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. "HIV/AIDS Activities: Timeline/History". U.S. Food and Drugs Association. 2012. Web. 11 February 2014 

February 7 - Technology vs. Society: Who is Hindering Who?

Previously discussed in an earlier blog was what kind of impact the development of the internet had on the way human beings think - in other words, how has technology affected society? In this entry, I'll be reversing that question and investigating how society has affected the development of technology. As Woodhouse puts it, "just because people have needs, and just because techno-scientists have the techniques to help meet those needs, does not mean that economic, political, cultural, and other barriers will not interfere". Perhaps its society's own lack of action and hesitance to initiate change that makes the world seem as if it's at a standstill.

In an article regarding the cover-up of the hybrid car, Brad Berman discusses Victor Wouk's struggle to convince the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support his emission-reducing invention. Though Berman seems to pinpoint Stork as the 'bad guy' who put a halt to the Federal Clean Car Incentive Program, perhaps the mass commercialization of hybrid cars wasn't a realistic goal for the time to begin with. At 28 cents a gallon, one could hardly blame car companies for lacking significant interest in supporting the development of vehicles that ran on alternative sources. American car companies held tight to their powerful engines and unique body designs to maintain a specific image as the Europeans and Japanese decided to focus more on fuel efficiency.With the development of the Toyota Production System and the concept of lean manufacturing, it was clear that the Japanese were ahead of the game in terms of efficiently and effectively producing reliable and fuel efficient automobiles. At the time, it was much more cost effective to invest in imported cars from companies with an effective business model than develop new, unfamiliar, expensive, and currently unnecessary alternative fuel vehicles.

Although there existed the capability to fully develop and commercialize hybrid technologies within the United States in the 70s, the market and the need was not there to support it. Whatever seems to satisfy the most people most of the time is the standard that generally stays. Unless there's a significant catalyst to make a push for change, like the national average price of gas remaining around $2.60 (Berman), society and technology's inertia proves to be too large to overcome.

Works Cited

Berman, Brad. "Victor Wouk and The Great Hybrid Car Cover-up of 1974." HybridCars 28 March 2006. Web. 13 February 2014 <http://www.hybridcars.com/the-great-hybrid-car-cover-up-of-74/>

Woodhouse, Edward. The Future of Technological Civilization. University Readers, 2013. Print.

February 4 - The Unearned Advantage

In an affluent country such as America, it is almost too easy to take for granted comforts such as clean drinking water and safe sanitation. It's likely that the only exposure I have had to lacking these physiological needs would be camping for extended periods of time in isolated locations - although I could hardly consider myself without access to drinking water or safe sanitation, since many state and national parks make such comforts available to the public. What I'm trying to say is that it's easy to slip under the veil of ignorance and forget about those born into more challenging living conditions.

A few weeks ago, a student in my section discussion raised the question of how one can blame a person for believing in stereotypes when that person has only ever had negative experiences towards that specific class/race/gender/sexual preference which reinforce the stereotype. As a minority at RPI in both race and gender, I have frequently entered this discussion with other multicultural students on campus. My own personal conclusion and answer to this student on this issue would be to interact with as diverse a network of people as possible. Knowledge is a critical component to understanding - only through exposure to different styles of life and personalities can an individual learn about the different perceptions of the world and expand their points of view.

A personal memory of exhibiting such ignorance was from my childhood. Whenever I encountered large insects, my initial reaction was always to flinch and move away from it. My parents would often tease me and then proceed to tell gruesome stories of nights in the Philippines when they would wake up to find cockroaches crawling up the walls or over a siblings face. When I was a child, I didn't understand the point that they were trying to make, however as I've matured I see that they were trying to explain how they came from and grew up in a world significantly different from my own. In a third world country like the Philippines, there is such a severe gap in the standard of living between the rich and poor, which is evident just by walking down the streets of Manila. How is it fair that the affluent and less fortunate can live in such proximity to one another without any extension of help or support? How does the distribution of science and technology come into play in such environments?

In section discussion, it was relatively clear to me that there was a divide between those that choose to be cynical towards the idea of providing clean water and sanitation to less fortunate countries and those that remain optimistic. In my opinion, helping those in need isn't a question of whether or not it's feasible because those in poverty rarely need resources more complicated than potable water and a safe place to use the bathroom. These technologies are fully within the scientific capabilities of more affluent nations - the only thing that's stopping us is our own lack of interest.

Works Cited

Woodhouse, Edward. The Future of Technological Civilization. University Readers, 2013. Print.

January 31 - Consequences: Inadvertent, Accidental, Unplanned and Otherwise

The Future of Technological Civilization - Chapter 2: Unintended Consequences
"Is Google Making Us Stupid" by Nicholas Carr
"Response to Nicholas Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid" by Trent Batson
"The Critics Need a Reboot. The Internet Hasn't Led Us Into a New Dark Age" by David Wolman

The theme of the week seems be what "unintended consequences" have resulted from the development of technology. I am particularly intrigued by the ideas presented in Carr's article which suggests that with each new development in the methods human beings choose to transfer information, there is a resultant effect on the way we think and interpret information. In Carr's article, he presents testimonies of friends stating that they have been influenced by the precise, concise, high-paced, condensed nature of the resources available on the internet and that their constant exposure to such writing has thus hindered their ability to decipher long texts.

This is a topic I had pondered over winter break since I had the time and freedom to read books that I normally wouldn't look at during the semester. As a lover of literature and classic fiction, I primarily focus on works one would likely read in an English AP course. In my searches for other works to read, I stumbled upon Marcel Proust, the author of Remembrance of Things Past. This is a seven volume series, each novel ranging from 600-1000 pages. Upon discovering this colossal collection of text, I began to think to myself how a person in this day and time would ever come up with the time to successfully read all seven of these densely descriptive, prose-filled pages. If I were to try to estimate how many people actually do make it through these mammoths of books, based solely off of reviewers on Amazon (which I acknowledge is limiting), it would appear that the maximum amount of reviewers for one volume is 120. To make a relatively ignorant observation, this appears me to that about 120 reviewers successfully read Swann's Way since the creation of the Amazon website and cared enough to say something about it. Now let's switch to a more modern example of an illustrious and substantial text: Game of Thrones. These novels (so far six installments have been published), also range from 600-1000 pages however there are at least 2,000 reviewers per book! Clearly the public has not suffered from a diminishing attention span as some critics of the internet and modern technology like to comment. If that's the case, what is the fundamental reason for the criticisms on the influence of technology on our ability to comprehend long text? I would say the reason for the criticisms is due to the inability to interpret certain kinds of prose.

Take this excerpt from Game of Thrones: A Song of Fire and Ice (Book 1) 1996 
    "Until tonight. Something was different tonight. There was an edge to this darkness that made his hackles rise. Nine days they had been riding, north and northwest and then north again, farther and farther from the Wall, hard on the track of a band of wilding raiders".

Compare to this excerpt from Remembrance of Thing's Past: Swann's Way (Volume 1) 1913
     "When a man is asleep, he has in a circle round him the chain of the hours, the sequence of the years, the order of the heavenly bodies. Instinctively he consults them when he awakes, and in an instant reads off his own position on the earth's surface and the time that has elapsed during his slumbers; but this ordered procession is apt to grow confused, and to break its ranks".

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to compare books of similar genres, in which case I would choose J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, however we all know how dense that text is. In any case, Game of Thrones, in my opinion, seems to be an adequate estimate of the reading level that the majority of the literate population are capable of comprehending. I personally have to agree that something has significantly changed in the way that human beings these days interpret and recite information - the evidence is both in the things we chose to read as well as the way we chose to write. About a month ago, I watched an episode of Portlandia, a TV show that is meant to present Portland, Oregon in a satirical manner (but is actually quite accurate, from what I hear). The show emphasizes the liberal and trendy (otherwise known as "hipster") behaviors of the people living there. In this episode, there was a skit featuring the Portland Tribune, a local newspaper, and the companies push to appeal to the fast-paced style of the internet and create a webpage of links. In essence, the new owners of the paper explain that people only read every fifth word in a paragraph, therefore they don't need articles. As a result, all "articles" should be reduced to only the most important words. Now, the "Iceberg Theory" was introduced by Ernest Hemingway around the 1920s, which adopted a minimalistic approach to writing - cutting out superfluous and "flowery" writing. However, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen (actors on the show) bring it to a whole new level when they celebrate accomplishment of the editor, who creates a link that sets the sites record for 70 million hits - "Charlize Theron NSFW". Embarrassed and ashamed, the editor retaliates at an old friend stating that this type of writing was the future.

While this is a rather exaggerated scenario (and one I severely hope isn't actually our future), it was the kind of humorous skit that hit home on another level as soon as I read Carr's article. Yes - the internet has allowed human kind to connect despite geographical location and has given us the ability to take advantage of innumerable resources. However, how much of the general public actually take advantage of these resources to learn and develop their intelligence? If they do, in what capacity? 

The landscape of performing research has certainly changed - like Carr stated, "Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes." In fact, to find this very quote, I spent approximately 1 minute flipping through my printed out copy of the article before I decided to switch to the website to utilize the "search" function. Personally, I'm so busy with my coursework and other responsibilities that any time I can shave off an assignment is put towards doing something else. Is that a product of my lack of time management, or have I just accumulated so many things to do that I don't physically have time to spare? Do other students have this problem? My friends frequently agree that they do experience this problem where time seems to disappear before their eyes. Is this because all of my friends equally like to overload themselves? If so, what has pushed us to do so? Societal expectations, Rensselaer Polytechnic, our professors, our peers, ourselves? Has the accelerated nature of the internet caused us to adopt equally concise, rapid, and compressed personalities? Will I ever have the time (or patience) to sit down and read Swann's Way? Only time will tell.