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"Written for undergraduate students and readers interested in learning about science, technology, and society (STS). The questions are ones that are examined in several fields including Science, Technology, and Society Studies, History of Science, Communications, Sociology and others. Students are encouraged to take a stand in ongoing debates"--
List of contents
Introduction; 1. Which disciplines are concerned with the intersections of science, technology, and society? What are some of their core contributions?; 2. Do science and technology shape society or does society shape science and technology?; 3. Where do scientific and technological innovation come from? Can innovation be deliberately promoted or do we just have to wait for the light bulbs to go off?; 4. When and how do new technologies spread through society? Why do some die on the vine?; 5. What can we learn by comparing the combination of science, technology, and society in different parts of the world and at different times in history?; 6. Can technology be inherently good or bad for society, or is that a matter of what we do with it?; 7. How can one be a savvy consumer of increasingly complex scientific research?; 8. Do children develop differently in a digitally saturated world? Is digital technology helping children thrive-or stunting them?; 9. What is 'big data' and why does it make such a big difference?; 10. Do algorithms make wise and fair decisions?; 11. Are new technologies beneficial to liberal democracy and good governance-or wreaking havoc on them?; 12. Does technological progress make people happier?; 13. What has the relationship between sex and gender and science and technology been-and what might it be?; 14. What are digital divides and why do they matter?; 15. How do science and technology impact international development, and how might they lead to a more sustainable global community?; 16. Will AI be conscious?; 17. Will the AI robot economy be a golden age or a dystopian era?; 18. Will AI create great art? Appendix: A note on format.
About the author
Todd L. Pittinsky is a Professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Stony Brook University (SUNY). He is the author, co-author, or editor of nine books, and his research has been profiled in leading outlets including the Economist and National Public Radio.
Summary
Written for undergraduate students and readers interested in learning about science, technology, and society (STS). The questions are ones that are examined in several fields including Science, Technology, and Society Studies, History of Science, Communications, Sociology and others. Students are encouraged to take a stand in ongoing debates.
Foreword
Poses and answers 18 big questions, inviting students and general readers to explore topics in science, technology, and society studies.
