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Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Impact of science & technology on society
How are the new electronic technologies transforming business here and abroad -- indeed, the entire world economy -- and what new strategies must business develop to meet the challenges of this transformation? Economist, writer, and communications executive Maurice Estabrooks provides a readable, comprehensive survey of how businesses are using microchips, computers, and telecommunications to reshape the entire world of work -- its cultures, organization, and economic systems. With insight and impeccable scholarship he provides concrete evidence of the emergence of artificially intelligent, cybernetic, network-based entities that are creating new linkages between businesses, markets, and technology itself -- linkages that will profoundly affect the way businesses create and implement their corporate survival and growth strategies in the future. Drawing on the work of economic theorist Joseph Schumpeter, Estabrooks shows how Schumpeterian dynamics have played a key role in the breakup of AT&T and the Bell System, and in the deregulation of telecommunications, broadcasting, banking, finance, and other economically critical industries. What has emerged, he maintains, is an increasingly integrated, global information- and software-based services economy. Optical fibers, satellites, and wireless communications systems have already made possible the development of electronic superhighways, but in doing so they have also initiated a massive redistribution of economic power and wealth throughout the world, the implications of which are only now being understood. Historical, analytical, descriptive, Estabrooks' book will speak not only to academics and others who observe world transformations from relatively theoretical perspectives, but also to corporate and other executives whose organizations, and certainly their personal work lives, will be changed dramatically by the developments he describes in practical day-to-day situations.
The advent of the Information Society is marked by the explosive penetration of information technologies in all aspects of life and by a related fundamental transofmation in every form of the organization. Researchers, business people and policy makers have recognized the importance of addressing technological, economic and social impacts in conjunction. For example, the rise and fall of the dot-com hype depended a lot on the strenght of the business model, on the technological capabilities avalable to firms and on the readiness of the socity and economy at large sustain a new breed of business activity. However, it is notoriously difficult to examine the cross-impacts of social, economic and technological aspects of the Information Socity. This kind of work requires multidisciplinary work and collaboration on a wide range of skills. Social and Economic Transformation in the Digital Era addresses this challenge by assembling the latest thinking of leading researchers and policy makers. The book covers all key subject areas of the Information Society an presents innovative business models, case studies, normative theories and social explanations.
This book explores the absent and missing in debates about science and security. Through varied case studies, including biological and chemical weapons control, science journalism, nanotechnology research and neuroethics, the contributors explore how matters become absent, ignored or forgotten and the implications for ethics, policy and society.The chapter 'Sensing Absence: How to See What Isn't There in the Study of Science and Security' is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via link.springer.com.
Despite the undeniable importance of anti-evolutionism in American cultural history, and the plethora of publications since the 1980s, few libraries have collected more than the occasional book or pamphlet on creationism and early creationist periodicals are almost impossible to find. This collection makes available works on creationism by such stalwarts as Arthur I. Brown, William Bell Riley, Harry Rimmer, Byron C. Nelson, George McCready Price, Harold W. Clark and Frank Lewis Marsh. It also reprints three of the earliest and rarest creationist journals in America: the Creationist, the Bulletin of Deluge Geology and the Forum for the Correlation of Science and the Bible. The collection as a whole plays an important part in the continuing debate in America over science and religion. There is a new preface to all volumes by the series editor Ronald L. Numbers.
Digital technology covers digital information in every form. The world lives in an information age in which massive amounts of data are being produced to improve our daily lives. This intelligent digital network incorporates interconnected people, robots, gadgets, content, and services all determined by digital transformation. The role of digital technologies in children's, adolescent's, and young adult's lives is significantly increasing across the world. New and emerging devices and services promise to make their lives easier as they create new ways of connecting, creating, and relaxing. They also promise to support learning at home and school by enabling ready access to information and new and exciting pathways for young people to follow their interests. Yet, alongside these conveniences come trade-offs with implications for privacy, safety, health, and well-being. Impact and Role of Digital Technologies in Adolescent Lives provides a deeper understanding of how digital technologies impact the lives of children, adolescents, and young adults; this includes the navigation of developmental tasks and the issues faced when utilizing these technologies. Covering topics such as adolescent stress, cyberbullying, intellectual disabilities, mental health, obesity, social media, and mindfulness practices, this text is essential for sociologists, psychologists, media analysts, technologists, academicians, researchers, students, non-government and government organizations, and professors.
This book focuses on a key issue today: the role of values in technology, with special emphasis on ethical values. This topic involves the analysis of internal values in technology (as they affect objectives, processes, and outcomes) and the study of external values in technology (social, cultural, economic, ecological, etc.). These values - internal and external - are crucial to the decision making of engineers. In addition, they have increasing relevance for citizens concerned with the present and future state of technology, which gives society a leading position in technological issues. The book follows three main lines of research: 1) new perspectives on technology, values, and ethics; 2) rationality and responsibility in technology; and 3) technology and risks. This volume analyzes the two main sides involved here: the theoretical basis for the role of values in technology and a practical discussion on how to implement them in our society. Thus, the book is of interest for philosophers, engineers, academics of different fields and policy-makers. The style used lends itself to broad audience.
As e-government policies and procedures become widely practiced and implemented, it is apparent that the success of technology in e-government hangs on its consistentency with human practices. Human-Centered System Design for Electronic Governance provides special attention to the most successful practices for implementing e-government technologies. This highly regarded publication highlights the benefits of well designed systems in this field, while investigating the implications of poor practices and designs. This book is beneficial for academics, researchers, government officials, and graduate students interested and involved in design of information systems within the context of e-government.
Christoph Laucht offers the first investigation into the roles played by two German-born emigre atomic scientists, Klaus Fuchs and Rudolf Peierls, in the development of British nuclear culture, especially the practice of nuclear science and the political implications of the atomic scientists' work, from the start of the Second World War until 1959.
This book attempts to rethink the concept of technological literacy in a modern context, not only in terms of a subject area taught in schools, but also as an important general concept that all citizens should engage with. As this book will illustrate, the concept of technological literacy has no universally agreed definition.
Few ethical issues create as much controversy as invasive
experiments on animals. Some scientists claim they are essential
for combating major human disease, or detecting human toxins.
Others claim the contrary, backed by thousands of patients harmed
by pharmaceuticals developed using animal tests. Some claim all
experiments are conducted humanely, to high scientific standards.
Yet, a wealth of studies have recently revealed that laboratory
animals suffer significant stress, which may distort experimental
results.
In today's globalized world, modern society is characterized by rapid transitions in space that are in part the result of technological developments of previous decades. This unique book deals with the complex issues raised by these transformations, focusing particularly on the impacts on regional development, technological innovation, and the flows and mobility of ideas, knowledge, people and firms. Societies in Motion examines the dynamic forces of technological and institutional change that are affecting the design of society, the economy and the environment, and provides a base for policy makers to develop new systems for a better, more sustainable future. The leading contributors adopt a systems approach to mobility exploring knowledge, ideas, flows of information and creativity, human capital and transportation. Authoritative and detailed, this book is an ideal source of analysis and debate for research scholars and students of regional science, economics and geography. Policy makers will also find plenty of invaluable information in this original volume. Contributors include: P. Aroca, H. Aviram, G. Avnimelech, D. Banister, R. Bar-El Hillel Bar-Gera, D. Boyce, D. Constantin, J. Corcoran, H.L.F. de Groot, A. Faggian, D. Felsenstein, A. Frenkel, M. Givoni, Z. Goschin, D.A. Griffith, S. Hazam, G.J.D. Hewings, J. Knoben, M. Malul, P. McCann, P. Monkkonen, P. Nijkamp, R. Patuelli, P.H. Pellenbarg, J.M. Quigley, M.M. Ridhwan, P. Rietveld, D. Schwartz, D. Shefer, Y. Shiftan, M. Sonis, M. Tiefelsdorf
As technology advances, mobile devices have become more affordable and useful to countries around the world. As a result, mobile evolution has become an essential part of economic and social advancement. Mobile Technologies and Socio-Economic Development in Emerging Nations provides emerging research on the role of mobile devices as an important aspect of social and economic growth in developing countries. While highlighting topics, such as device authentication, mobile data management, and sensor services, this book explores how mobile devices have evolved to become an extremely useful tool. This book is a vital resource for academicians, researchers, students, practitioners, politicians, and professionals seeking current research on the uses, applications, and advantages of mobile services in increasing economic growth.
Discusses crucial moments in the historical development of natural theology in England from the time of Francis Bacon to that of Charles Darwin. While the argument from design remains the rhetorical method of choice for natural theologians throughout the three centuries in question, the locus and object of design undergo a change.
THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A SPECTATOR AND FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022 'If you read just one book about how the modern world is driving us crazy, read this one' TELEGRAPH 'This book is exactly what the world needs right now' OPRAH WINFREY 'A beautifully researched and argued exploration of the breakdown of humankind's ability to pay attention' STEPHEN FRY 'A really important book . . . Everyone should read it' PHILIPPA PERRY Why have we lost our ability to focus? What are the causes? And, most importantly, how do we get it back? For Stolen Focus, internationally bestselling author Johann Hari went on a three-year journey to uncover the reasons behind our shortening attention spans. He interviewed the leading experts in the world on attention, and learned that everything we think about this subject is wrong. We think our inability to focus is a personal failing - a flaw in each one of us. It is not. This has been done to all of us by powerful external forces. Our focus has been stolen. Johann discovered there are twelve deep causes of this crisis, all of which have robbed some of our attention. He shows us how in a thrilling journey that ranges from Silicon Valley dissidents, to a favela in Rio where attention vanished, to an office in New Zealand that found a remarkable way to restore our attention. Crucially, he learned how - as individuals, and as a society - we can get our focus back, if we are determined to fight for it.
This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book defines 'nanowares' as the ideas and products arising out of nanotechnology. Koepsell argues that these rapidly developing new technologies demand a new approach to scientific discovery and innovation in our society. He takes established ideas from social philosophy and applies them to the nanoparticle world. In doing so he breaks down the subject into its elemental form and from there we are better able to understand how these elements fit into the construction of a more complex system of products, rules and regulations about these products. Where existing research in the field has tended to focus on potential social harm, Koepsell takes a different approach by looking at ways in which developments in distributed design and fabrication can be harnessed to enable wealth creation by those with good ideas but no access to capital. He argues that the key challenge facing us is the error implicit in current intellectual property regimes and presents new modes of relating inventors to artifacts in this new context. In conclusion he offers contractual models which he believes encourage innovation in nano-media by embracing open source and alternative means of protection for innovators.
"This book unites research in philosophy and cognitive science with cultural history to re-examine memory in early modern religious practices. Offering an ecological approach to memory and culture, it argues that models derived from Extended Mind and Distributed Cognition can bridge the gap between individual and social models of memory"--
The God Delusion caused a sensation when it was published in 2006. Within weeks it became the most hotly debated topic, with Dawkins himself branded as either saint or sinner for presenting his hard-hitting, impassioned rebuttal of religion of all types. His argument could hardly be more topical. While Europe is becoming increasingly secularized, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East or Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world. In America, and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute between 'intelligent design' and Darwinism is seriously undermining and restricting the teaching of science. In many countries religious dogma from medieval times still serves to abuse basic human rights such as women's and gay rights. And all from a belief in a God whose existence lacks evidence of any kind. Dawkins attacks God in all his forms. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children. The God Delusion is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic that will be required reading for anyone interested in this most emotional and important subject.
The purpose of this book is to initiate a new discussion on liberty focusing on the infinite realms of space. The discussion of the nature of liberty and what it means for a human to be free has occupied the minds of thinkers since the Enlightenment. However, without exception, every one of these discussions has focused on the character of liberty on the Earth. The emergence of human space exploration programs in the last 40-50 years raise a fundamental and new question: what will be the future of liberty in space? This book takes the discussion of liberty into the extraterrestrial environment. In this book, new questions will be addressed such as: Can a person be free when the oxygen the individual breathes is the result of a manufacturing process controlled by someone else? Will the interdependence required to survive in the extremities of the extraterrestrial environment destroy individualism? What are the obligations of the individual to the extraterrestrial state? How can we talk of extraterrestrial liberty when everyone is dependent on survival systems? |
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