Subject: Re: Comments to Ania Lian
From: tom abeles (tabeles@tmn.com)
Date: Mon 08 May 2000 - 15:31:14 MEST
Date: Mon, 08 May 2000 08:31:14 -0500 From: tom abeles <tabeles@tmn.com> Subject: Re: Comments to Ania Lian
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Arun-Kumar Tripathi wrote:
> Dear Prof. Scheidlinger Zygmunt, et. al.,
>
>
> > a blessing, it depends for what purpose it is used. There are no bad
> > tools there are only fanatical, rascist, nationalist, orthodox people
> > who use the tools for murderous purposes. Every invention and every
> > scientific discovery could be a blessing.
>
> Yes, your above thoughts remind me about an *Unabomber* --who has
> terrorized the many computer scientists years ago. That fellow, could have
> almost killed the computer researcher, Prof. David Gelernter --few days
> ago Bill Joy has raised this issue in WIRED Mag..and after that many
> techies are pursuing this issue in urgency..
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Technology is not an external "instrument" apart from humans. It is an extension
of our being from our creative minds and hands. It is a manifestation of what
makes us human and IS NOT neutral to be used for "good or evil" by whomever picks
it up and puts it into motion. Every technology has its effects which may be
instantaneously seen or which may not be seen for generations to come. Good and
evil is a judgment call and may or may not be based on the intent of the
individual. a person's hands are tools.
What will happen when we have to make a decision as to whether a cybernetically
enhanced body/mind is a cyborg, human, technology and what rights and privileges
it should have. better yet, maybe it will decide what to do with unenhanced
humans as the developed world now decides for developing countries-
This is an interesting question, particularly in relation to some of the issues
raised previously by Muhammed Betz. social technology or social engineering is as
much a product of the human mind as technology made from steel, silicon and
plastic. this presents an interesting set of questions for this list given the
large part of the world which has been laid waste by both socio/economic and
bio/physical engineering
One of the key issues here is that "engineers" and "scientists" can not remove
themselves from the socio/cultural environment and separate themselves from their
technological creations. to set the technology outside and apart by claiming that
it is neutral and depends on who uses it for what purpose is an attempt to
divorce the scientist from the responsibility and, in the long run, in a post
modern, world will be doomed to catastrophic failure.
thoughts?
tom abeles
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