Science and Technlogy Content Notes [ Lecture Notes ]

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Introduction
Positive impact:
[1] Today, science has a profound effect on the way we live, largely through technology—the
use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The first automobile, dating from the 1880s,
made use of many advances in physics and engineering, including reliable ways of generating
high-voltage sparks, while the first computers emerged in the 1940s from simultaneous advances
in electronics and mathematics.

[2] Alongside these achievements, science has also brought about technology that helps save
human life. The kidney dialysis machine enables many people to survive kidney diseases that
would once have proved fatal, and artificial valves allow sufferers of coronary heart disease to
return to active living. Biochemical research is responsible for the antibiotics and vaccinations
that protect us from infectious diseases, and for a wide range of other drugs used to combat
specific health problems. As a result, the majority of people on the planet now live longer and
healthier lives than ever before.

[3] Indeed, technological research and development continue to introduce new products and
services to society. Many of these innovations come about as a response to society’s changing
needs, providing solutions to the problems faced in modern society, improving our standard of
living and increasing our efficiency.

Negative impact:
[4] However, scientific discoveries can also have a negative impact in human affairs. Over the
last hundred years, some of the technological advances that make life easier or more enjoyable
have proved to have unwanted and often unexpected long-term effects.

[5] Industrial and agricultural chemicals pollute the global environment, even in places as remote
as Antarctica, and city air is contaminated by toxic gases from vehicle exhausts. The increasing
pace of innovation means that products become rapidly obsolete, adding to a rising tide of waste.
Most significantly of all, the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas releases into
the atmosphere carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. These gases have altered the composition
of the entire atmosphere, producing global warming and the prospect of major climate change in
years to come.

[6] Science has also been used to develop technology that raises complex ethical questions. This
is particularly true in the fields of biology and medicine. Research involving genetic engineering,
cloning, and in vitro fertilization gives scientists the unprecedented power to bring about new
life, or to devise new forms of living things. At the other extreme, science can also generate
technology that is deliberately designed to harm or to kill. The fruits of this research include
chemical and biological warfare, and also nuclear weapons, by far the most destructive weapons
that the world has ever known.

[7] Now, more than ever, technology – a product of science – has become an important part of
peoples’ lives. Not only does technology have a direct impact on our physical lives but it also
affects our social relationships and values.

(1)Social Impacts & Implications

<!--[if !supportLists]-->a. <!--[endif]-->Effect on Work & Employments
<!--[if !supportLists]-->i. <!--[endif]-->Creation of new jobs
The advance of science and technology has led to the creation of new jobs in the pharmaceutical,
medical, research and biotechnological fields.
Singapore:
In 2000, Singapore declared biotechnology as the fourth pillar of its economy. Due to increased
international competition, Singapore has gradually moved its emphasis from manufacturing
technology to the biomedical sciences. In an effort to become an integrated biotechnology hub,
Singapore has pumped in $2.3 billion in investments, grants and incentives.
The government is also trying to create domestic talent. The Agency for Science, Technology
and Research is offering $286 million in scholarships for students to pursue Ph.D.'s in
biomedical sciences at home and abroad, in exchange for their promise to work in Singapore for
up to eight years.
Adapted from (“Singapore Goes Biotech”, New York Times, 2003)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->ii. <!--[endif]-->Displacement of jobs
At work, certain jobs, especially low skilled jobs have become obsolete. Even jobs that require
training and skill have been displaced. For example, shorthand, typewriting, and
draughtsmanship have been replaced by word-processing, voice-recognition and computer-aided
design and manufacturing systems.
Large companies which used to be structured in a multi-layered hierarchical way in order to
facilitate control and reporting are stripping away layers of middle management. The company in
the IT age adopts a flatter structure, decentralises and gives more autonomy to its operating units.
The company becomes more efficient, but middle managers need to redefine or retrain
themselves in order to remain relevant to the job market.
iii.Telecommuting
Science & technology allows an interconnected working arena that spans across continents.
Employees can work in the comfort of their own homes as they are able to access the necessary
information that they require. The virtual office connects companies to customers and fellow
workers to each other.
However, working from home would mean they will miss out on social interactions available in
the office. Another drawback of working from home is that the lines between work and home are
blurred.
Question:
(a)When the lines between home and work are blurred, what are the implications on the
employee?
<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->The employee may be expected to be on call/
working 24 hours a day regardless of where he may be.
<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->Difficult to have work-life balance because there is
no such distinction.
<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->This may increase stress on the family, as the parent
brings work-related stress back home.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b. <!--[endif]-->Effect on Relationships
<!--[if !supportLists]-->i. <!--[endif]-->Social Glue
Gone are the days of snail mail and expensive trunk calls. With Information Communication
Technology (ICT), communication between individuals within a family, company, or country
can be made with ease. When the Internet was first introduced, it was used to disseminate
information within a company and between companies.
Background:
Prior to the global communications network we understand the internet to be today, it is
theorized that the internet started out with military computers in the Pentagon called Arpanet in
1969. The Arpanet gave birth to the internet protocols in the 1970s.
Today, the Internet has become a common form of communication capable of disseminating
information across time and space. Where a country has the skills and access to ICT, society will
be able to find, foster and develop relationships through online social networks like Facebook,
Twitter and MySpace.
The rapid adoption of such social network sites by members of a society reveal how ICT has
transformed from once a private space between companies/organisations to a public space
between members from various societies.
In the past, it has been suggested that the Internet and e-mail could diminish real relationships.
But the report, entitled The Strength of Internet Ties done by the US-based Pew Internet think-
tank, found that e-mail supplements rather than replaces offline communications.
ICT has created a new basis for community. Instead of relying on a single community for social
support, individuals often actively seek out a variety of appropriate people and resources across
continents for different situations. This has resulted in the rise of networked individualism where
users of modern technology are less tied to local groups and increasingly part of more
geographically scattered networks.
Adapted from Internet serves as ‘social glue’
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4644666.stm)
Question
(a) Does the emphasis on online communication necessarily lead to social isolation?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->c. <!--[endif]-->Social problems and cyber crimes
 <!--[if !supportLists]-->i. <!--[endif]-->Piracy
Music theft can take various forms: individuals who illegally upload or download music online,
online companies who build businesses based on theft and encourage users to break the law, or
criminals manufacturing mass numbers of counterfeit CDs for sale on street corners, in flea
markets or at retail stores. Across the board, this theft has hurt the music community, with
thousands of layoffs, songwriters out of work and new artists having a harder time getting signed
and breaking into the business.
One credible analysis by the Institute for Policy Innovation concludes that global music piracy
causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year, 71,060 U.S. jobs lost, a loss of $2.7 billion in
workers' earnings, and a loss of $422 million in tax revenues, $291 million in personal income
tax and $131 million in lost corporate income and production taxes.
Taken from RIAA--Piracy (http://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php)

However recently, after years of futile efforts to stop digital pirates from copying its music, the
music business has started to copy the pirates.
Online and mobile services offering listeners unlimited, "free" access to millions of songs are
proliferating.
Taken from the Intl Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/18/technology/midem.4-410564.php)

ii. Private or Public Opinion

Online blogs or diaries, similar to online social networks, can be created to provide a private
space for individuals on the public spaces of the Internet. While such blogs may function as a
private diary, the readership is not limited to the author.
Under Section 298 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, anyone with deliberate intention of
wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person, causes any matter however represented
to be seen or heard by that person, can be jailed up to three years, or fine, or both, if convicted.
Deputy Commander of Central Police Div HQ, Superintendent Lee Ping Yue, said that the police
take a serious view of irresponsible blog postings in a multi-racial society like Singapore and
'will expend all efforts in tracking the perpetrators'.
Taken from ST Online (http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest
%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_239545.html)
iii.Internet Addiction (Social Isolation)
Youth internet addiction has become a serious social problem. To curb and alleviate this
problem, the Chinese authorities have called for tighter enforcement of the rules banning under-
18s from internet cafes and for a rating system for games.
Adapted from China’s clinic for its Internet junkies
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1545382/Chinas-clinic-for-its-internet-
junkies.html)
The potential to be absorbed by the wonders/capabilities of ICT is real and continues to pervade
societies. In extreme cases, individuals who do not exercise discipline or control when dealing
with ICT may become socially isolated from the physical world, from reality.
iv. Predators
The goal of a predator is to get a child to consent to sexual activities. Predators contact teens
(online and offline) to start a conversation. Just as most teens know to say no to strange men who
approach them on the street, most know to ignore strange men who approach them online. When
teenagers receive solicitations from adults on MySpace, most report deleting them without
question. The media often reference a Crimes Against Children Report
(http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/jvq/CV38.pdf) that states one in five children receive a sexual
solicitation online.
Although the media has covered the potential risk extensively, few actual cases have emerged.
While youth are at minimal risk, predators are regularly being lured out by law enforcement
patrolling the site. The fear of predators has regularly been touted as a reason to restrict youth
from both physical and digital publics.
Taken from Danah Boyd’s Discussion Forum (http://www.danah.org/papers/MySpaceDOPA.html)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->v. <!--[endif]-->Identity Theft

Having more than one e-mail address can be useful in the battle against online fraud and spam. It
is also a good way to keep personal and professional lives separate.
Adapted from Web users keeping multiple emails (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7374540.stm)

Identity theft is costing the UK economy over £1.7bn a year, according to figures "calculated by
the Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC) in co-operation with both public and
private sector organisations".
Adapted from Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2006/feb/02/identityfraud)
Question
(a) What is your opinion on the blame placed on ICT in the creation of social problems? Is it
appropriate/fair?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->d. <!--[endif]-->Effect on Identity
i. Multiple Identities
Individuals can create a private space within the public space of the Internet. In creating that
private space, they may reveal their personalities and express their opinions without any qualms
(subjective to whether their private space remains private or is open to public viewing).
According to Sally M. Cohen, author of Email, IM, And Social Network Strategists: Help Teens
Manage Multiple IDs While Preserving Privacy, multiple identities allow teens to create
boundaries in online social networks. However, are such boundaries created to express
themselves freely or free themselves from the watchful eyes of parents?
ii. The Invisible Cloak
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia said “The very purpose of anonymity is to facilitate wrong by
eliminating accountability” (quoted in [Framkin 1995]).
Under the cloak of an online identity, which is easily created, edited and deleted, individuals may
feel protected being anonymous. However there is an obvious risk of misuse of anonymity. To
eliminate such a risk, a United Nations agency is quietly drafting technical standards, proposed
by the Chinese government, to define methods of tracing the original source of Internet
communications and potentially curbing the ability of users to remain anonymous. Adapted from
CNET News (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10040152-38.html)
Question
(a) How different is having multiple personalities from having multiple online identities?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->e. <!--[endif]-->Education
<!--[if !supportLists]-->i. <!--[endif]-->Accessibility of Information
With the help of new media, information is now easily available. The teacher no longer holds
absolute authority over knowledge. Both the teachers and students can take part in knowledge
acquisition and creation.
Question
(a)With increasing access to information, how has the role of teachers changed?
(b)Are teachers redundant?
(linked to how we define education? Also the need for a teacher to help teach skills to process
the abundant information)
In addition, new media has provided the platform for distance learning which has transformed
the global education landscape.
Technology "will allow you to control the information you want, and to get it where you want it
and when you want it" - Randy Bennett (responsible for electronic-media initiatives at the
Newspaper Association of America)
ii.Digital Divide
ICTs are expected to improve efficiency and increase access to knowledge and expertise. Thus it
would appear that an inclusive information society will strengthen democracy, increase social
participation, remove barriers to modernization, and empower populations who might have been
left out of the development process. Thus ICT brings us one step closer to eradicating poverty.
Where a country has high levels of ICT skills and expertise, society will be better placed to
combat social exclusion and the information divide, as well as to identify opportunities for
economic growth. From the individual standpoint, access to certain forms of ICTs may increase
the choices available to individuals. With increased access to information, individuals are able to
make more informed decisions. This is the very essence of empowerment.
Example:
In 1995, more than 2.2 million people in developing countries educated themselves through on-
line courses. At the same time, initiatives, such as the Health Internetwork, open up
communication lines and provide physicians and patients with up-to-the-minute medical
information and access to resources.
While some countries and people have benefitted from information communications technology
(ICT), more than 95% of the world still do not have electronic access. This gap between
information-haves and information-have nots, that exists both between countries and between
communities within countries, is known as the "digital divide" or "information poverty."
Evidence of the digital divide:
<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->A computer costs one month's salary for the average
American, compared with eight years' income for the average Bangladeshi.
 <!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->A quarter of the world’s countries still do not have
one telephone per 100 people.
<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->The United States has more computers than the rest
of the world combined, and Thailand has more cellular phones than the whole of Africa.
Adapted from ICTs and Education indicators (Communication Statistics unit, UNESCO Institute for Statistics)

http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/partnership/material/ICT_Education_Paper_Nov_2006.pdf

and

UN cyberschoolbus (http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/technology/index.htm)

<!--[if !supportLists]-->f. <!--[endif]-->Healthcare

<!--[if !supportLists]-->i. <!--[endif]-->Playing God
Scientists have now successfully cloned several kinds of animals and Craig Venter is well on the
way to creating the first functional artificial life form, Synthia: so-called synthetic biology. These
advances place the power of God in science’s hands. The prospect of radical biological
modification of life on this planet is real. This raises the profoundest ethical issues.

The potential to improve the human condition using this kind of technology is an irresistible
fruit. But with it comes the dark side of supertechnology: the possibility of annihilation of life on
this planet. Synthetic biology and creating novel life forms by creating new DNA sequences
could be used to create organisms never before encountered on earth.

This kind of science will not and should not be stopped. The potential benefits are too great. But
with it, we require the most profound and overarching programme of radical moral enhancement
of human beings, using not just traditional methods of education but looking at how we can alter
our own biology to ensure that we become the kinds of beings fit to develop and use
supertechnology.

If we develop supertechnologies that will profoundly change the nature of life on this planet, we
need to become the gods fit to wield this power.

Craig Venter:
J. Craig Venter is an American biologist and businessman. He founded the Institute of Genome
Research and was instrumental in mapping the human genome.
Adapted from Changing the Building Blocks of Life: Playing God and Being gods

http://www.practicalethicsnews.com/practicalethics/2008/02/changing-the-bu.html

Question
(a)What is your opinion on the use of science to ‘alter our biology’ so as to make us morally
upright?
(b)Are there differences in our understanding of morality across cultures and time? If so, who
decides which morality to abide to?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->ii. <!--[endif]-->Producing Designer Children
Some people view the deliberate intervention in the natural process of procreation as an unethical
interference with the process of nature.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
Preimplantation genetic testing is a technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created
through in vitro fertilization (IVF) before pregnancy. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
refers specifically to when one or both genetic parents have a known genetic abnormality and
testing is performed on an embryo to see if it also carries a genetic abnormality.
Because only unaffected embryos are transferred to the uterus for implantation, preimplantation
genetic testing provides an alternative to current postconception diagnostic procedures, which are
frequently followed by the difficult decision of pregnancy termination if results are unfavorable.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/273415-overview

As with all medical interventions associated with human reproduction, PGD gives rise to strong
and often conflicting views about the social acceptability of the procedure. For example, in
Germany the use of PGD is prohibited by law. In the UK, PGD is permitted in law but its
operation is controlled by the state.
Reasons against PGD
Diagnosis of late-onset diseases and predisposition syndromes
A more recent application of PGD is to diagnose late-onset diseases and (cancer) predisposition
syndromes. It can be argued that PGD for late-onset diseases is unethical since the individuals
remain healthy until the onset of the disease, usually in the fourth decade of life. On the other
hand, the high probability or certainty of developing some disorders, and their incurable nature,
can lead to a stressful life, waiting for the first symptoms to occur and to an early death. In the
case of predisposition syndromes, such as BRCA1 mutations predisposing to breast cancer, it can
be argued that there is no certainty of getting the disease and that the disease can usually be
treated.
PGD used for sex selection for non-medical reasons.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->g. <!--[endif]-->Blurring the boundaries between man and machine
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that
can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent. The ability to create intelligent
machines has intrigued humans since ancient times, and today with the advent of the computer
and 50 years of research into AI programming techniques, the dream of smart machines is
becoming a reality. Researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought,
understand speech, beat the best human chessplayer, and countless other feats never before
possible.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->h. <!--[endif]-->Environment
Industrialization, deforestation, agricultural intensification, overfishing etc. have brought about
many environmental problems.
i.Impact on the rich and the poor
The environmental damage caused by rich nations disproportionately impacts poor nations and
costs them more than their combined foreign debt, according to a first-ever global accounting of
the dollar costs of countries' ecological footprints. (Science Daily, Jan 23, 2008)

The study makes clear, for example, that while deforestation and agricultural intensification
primarily impact the host country, the impacts from climate change and ozone depletion are
spread widely over all nations.

"Low-income countries will bear significant burdens from climate change and ozone depletion.
But these environmental problems have been overwhelmingly driven by emission of greenhouse
gases and ozone-depleting chemicals by the rest of the world," Srinivasan said.

Climate change is expected to increase the severity of storms and extreme weather, including
prolonged droughts and flooding, with an increase in infectious diseases. Ozone depletion mostly
impacts health, with increases expected in cancer rates, cataracts and blindness All of these will
affect vulnerable low-income countries disproportionately.

In addition to climate change and ozone depletion, overfishing and conversion of mangrove
swamps to shrimp farming are areas in which rich nations burden poor countries.

"Seafood derived from depleted fish stocks in low-income country waters ultimately ends up on
the plates of consumers in middle-income and rich countries," Srinivasan said. "The situation is
similar for farmed shrimp. For such a small, rare habitat, mangroves, when cut down, exact a
surprisingly large cost borne primarily by the poor- and middle-income countries."

The primary cost is loss of storm protection, which some say was a major factor in the huge loss
of life from 2005's tsunami in Southeast Asia.

Deforestation, on the other hand, can exacerbate flooding and soil erosion, affect the water cycle
and offshore fisheries and lead to the loss of recreation and of non-timber products such as latex
and food sources. Agricultural intensification can lead to drinking water contamination by
pesticides and fertilizers, pollution of streams, salinization of croplands and biodiversity loss,
among other impacts.

When all these impacts are added up, the portion of the footprint of high-income nations that is
falling on the low-income countries is greater than the financial debt recognized for low income
countries, which has a net present value of 1.8 trillion in 2005 international dollars, Srinivasan
said. (International dollars are U.S. dollars adjusted to account for the different purchasing power
of different currencies.) "The ecological debt could more than offset the financial debt of low-
income nations," she said.

Adapted from

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121181408.htm

(2)Political Impact
i. A Surveillance Society
=> Cameras everywhere
=> Tracking on the use of the internet
This results in increased power/ authority by the state over its people and it can potentially create
fear and paranoia amongst the masses. We can draw parallels with the panopticon.

The Panopticon is a type of prison building designed by English philosopher and social theorist
Jeremy Bentham in 1785. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe prisoners
without the prisoners being able to tell whether they are being watched, thereby conveying what
one architect has called the "sentiment of an invisible omniscience."

Bentham himself described the Panopticon as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over
mind, in a quantity hitherto without example."

Parallel with the Novel: 1984 by George Orwell

Big Brother is a fictional character in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the
enigmatic dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state taken to its utmost logical consequence - where
the ruling elite ('the Party') wield total power for its own sake over the inhabitants.

In the society that Orwell describes, everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities,
mainly by telescreens. The people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase "Big Brother is
watching you", which is the core "truth" of the propaganda system in this state.

Question:
(a)How does the use of technology for surveillance infringe on our privacy? Does it matter?
ii. People Power
Technology has allowed the lateralization of communication systems, as mentioned in
Friedman’s “The World is Flat.”
Governments seem powerless to stop the propagation of ideas: you can ban someone from the
country but you can’t ban them from the internet. People are empowered by the new media.
Blogosphere
E.g 1.
Vietnamese dissidents opposed to the one-party rule have been communicating through Skype
and recruiting via test message and voice-over-Internet chat rooms. Exiled Vietnamese advocacy
groups have been sending bulk email messages to accounts with Vietnamese sounding names.
These emails typically decry government corruption and urge ordinary citizens to rise up and
demand multi-party elections.
The country is increasingly wired. Like China, Vietnam uses a firewall to block access to
pornography and political websites and is talking about censoring blogs – although that is more
difficult because most are posted on foreign-based websites.
(A Vietnamese “War” in the Blogosphere, TIME, 17 Aug, 2007)
E.g 2
Wikileaks is a website for whistle-blowers to post allegations of corporate or government
misconduct, while attempting to preserve the anonymity of its contributors. Within one year of
its December 2006 launch, its database had grown to more than 1.2 million documents.
Notable leaks:
An ex-employee at a Zurich-based bank, Julius Baer posted materials detailing money
laundering and tax evasion at the Julius Baer’s Cayman Islands branch.
A copy of Standard Operating Procedures for Camp Delta – the protocol of the U.S. Army at
the Guantánamo Bay detention camp – dated March 2003 was released on the Wikileaks website
on 7 November 2007. Its release revealed some of the restrictions placed over detainees at the
camp, including the designation of some prisoners as off-limits to the International Committee of
the Red Cross, something that the U.S. military had in the past repeatedly denied.
Website: http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Wikileaks

iii.Misuse of the Internet

E.g
Omar Mohammed Bakri – founder of infamous al-Muhajiroun group – fled Britain in 2006 and
was barred from returning. In September 2008, he was addressing a meeting of around 100
young Muslims in Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, via live webcam link to his home in Lebanon.
(Guardian, 29 Oct, 2008)
(3)Economic
Technology has changed the face of retail, manufacturing and services
<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->Shift to e-services
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->Within 1 year of the creation of Expedia, the internet
 travel-agency, 13% of traditional travel agency locations in the US closed down.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->eBAY and Amazon’s success are built on the deaths
of numerous traditional antique stores and book shops.
Benefits:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->Convenience for consumers
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->The internet serves as another platform for the
industries to innovate and make profits
Disadvantages:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->Traditional stores close down
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->Jobs are displaced
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- <!--[endif]-->Decreased interaction and socialization amongst
people
(4)Science and Science fiction
Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or
future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films, games,
theatre, and other media.
While science fiction provides criticism of developing and future technology, it also produces
innovation and new technology. Science fiction can be said to fire the technological imagination.
According to Michio Kaku, one of the world’s most prominent physicists and co-founder of
string field theory, “many people don’t realize that science fiction has been an inspiration for the
world’s leading scientists.”
Criticism of future technology
E.g: Gattaca
The tale of a repressive nation which genetically-engineers its ruling classes, Gattaca makes it
seem that the logical outcome of genetic tampering is fascism. In reality, history has shown that
fascism can exist in the absence of modern science, and that genetic engineering is merely a tool
that can be put to good or bad uses. And yet the myth of genetic engineering existing on a
slippery slope toward social breakdown is a difficult one for experimental biologists to
overcome.
E.g Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's classic novel of biomedical horror and scientists "playing God," this novel has
probably done more to scare people away from biotech than almost any other science fiction
story. This novel suggests that monstrosity and murder are the only possible outcome of science
aimed at enhancing humans, or reusing human parts to create new kinds of life.
E.g Terminator
The field of robotics became popular when people started obsessing over the well-known and
ever-expanding set of Terminator tales about an evil A.I. named Skynet who destroys humanity
with nukes and an army of nasty cyborg soldiers. In Terminator, it seems inevitable that A.I. will
lead to human destruction — except in the few, rare cases when the cyborgs are forcibly
reprogrammed
Inspiration for future technology
E.g Look to Windward
One of Ian M. Banks novels about a post-human Culture where enhanced humans live alongside
A.I.s in an anarchic, trans-galactic society, Look to Windward explores the way humans can
maintain their basic identities and ethical values no matter how much they tamper with their
genes or modify their morphology. For Banks, synthetic biology is simply a logical way that
humans extend their capabilities, but it does not turn them into monsters or make them
authoritarian overlords.
E.g Michaelmas
A novel published by Algis Budrys in 1977 described a worldwide web of telecommunications
and computer data, not unlike what we see today.
More information about the novel:
The eponymous protagonist, Laurent Michaelmas, is an ex-hacker who had early in the computer
era left "back doors" in many key pieces of software which run vital government and commercial
computers. As a result, by the turn of the millennium, he has become one of the most powerful
men on earth, because of his ability to spy and influence through the worldwide computer
network.

By the time of the novel, Laurent Michaelmas has successfully used his power to create and
sustain a powerful version of the United Nations to ensure world peace. He stays in the
background, however, as a journalist, albeit a highly influential and respected one whose words
and opinions can still influence public opinion. However, as the novel progresses, Michaelmas
slowly learns that a possible extraterrestrial presence may be interfering with the new world he
has worked so hard to create.

The novel is remarkable for its prescience, because it appeared less than a decade into the
Internet era, long before its current prominence and ubiquity.

Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelmas_(novel)

E.g Star Wars

Most prominent areas of research inspired by the film are ‘hyper-drive’ and robotics research
inspired by Luke Skywalker’s ever reliable R2D2 and C3PO.
Question:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->(a) <!--[endif]-->Can you think of any other works of science fiction
which criticize or inspire future technology?
Past year exam questions:
Year Science & Technology: Advancements and impact Source

2008 Science has been a scapegoat for the ills of modern society.’ Comment. DH

2008 It is more important to educate young Singaporeans in Science than NYJC

Arts.

2008 Scientific research and applications which are exploitative should not be SAJC
allowed.

2008 Can spending on space research ever be justified when it has little SAJC
practical use?

2008 Effective communication in the technological age requires the written SAJC
word more than the spoken one. Comment.

2007 The computer has done more harm than good to society. Is this true? AJC

2007 Do you agree with the view, eventually technology will always solve HCI
the problems it creates?

2006 How technology changed the way we do business? CJC

Year Science & Technology: Advancements and impact Source

2005 We are losing more than we gain through our advances in Science.’ NYJC
Discuss.

2003 Advances that make life more comfortable also make it more JJC
dangerous.’ How far is this true?

2003 To what extent have science and technology solved problems for the JJC
poor?

2002 Science gives us the illusion of being in control. Discuss. AJC

2000 Modern technology has given us many time-saving devices, and yet we TPJC
often complain that we have no time. Why?

2000 Big Brother is watching.’ The computer, instead of being Man’s friend, TPJC
is his most insidious enemy. To what extent do you agree with this
view?

2000 The advancements in Science and Technology today have both NYJC
empowered and weakened Man. Discuss.