This book could have written itself! It has its own bot but Denisa Kera got there first! Although this blurb has largely been authored by the Book’s Bot, we still feel the need for a human hand. You can find the Bot, and engage with it, here: anonette.net/denisaBot/ Algorithms and Automation: Governance over Rituals, Machines, and Prototypes, from Sundial to Blockchain is a critical examination of the history and impact of automation on society. It provides thought-provoking perspectives on the history of automation and its relationship with power, emphasizing the importance of considering the social context in which automation is developed and used. The book argues that automation has always been a political and social force that shapes our lives and futures, rather than a neutral tool. The author provides a genealogy of automation, tracing its development from ancient rituals to modern-day prototypes, and highlights the challenges posed by new technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence. The volume argues that we need more democratic and accountable governance over technological innovation to ensure that it respects human rights, political pluralism, legitimacy, and other values we hold dear in our institutions and political processes. An engaging read on a fascinating topic, this book will be indispensable for scholars, students and researchers of science and technology studies, digital humanities, politics and governance, public policy, social policy, system design and automation, and history and philosophy of science and technology. It will also be of interest to readers interested in the interactions of the sciences and the social sciences and humanities.

This book could have written itself! It has its own bot but Denisa Kera got there first! Although this blurb has largely been authored by the Book’s Bot, we still feel the need for a human hand. You can find the Bot, and engage with it, here: anonette.net/denisaBot/ Algorithms and Automation: Governance over Rituals, Machines, and Prototypes, from Sundial to Blockchain is a critical examination of the history and impact of automation on society. It provides thought-provoking perspectives on the history of automation and its relationship with power, emphasizing the importance of considering the social context in which automation is developed and used. The book argues that automation has always been a political and social force that shapes our lives and futures, rather than a neutral tool. The author provides a genealogy of automation, tracing its development from ancient rituals to modern-day prototypes, and highlights the challenges posed by new technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence. The volume argues that we need more democratic and accountable governance over technological innovation to ensure that it respects human rights, political pluralism, legitimacy, and other values we hold dear in our institutions and political processes. An engaging read on a fascinating topic, this book will be indispensable for scholars, students and researchers of science and technology studies, digital humanities, politics and governance, public policy, social policy, system design and automation, and history and philosophy of science and technology. It will also be of interest to readers interested in the interactions of the sciences and the social sciences and humanities.

Un element cle de la comprehension du contexte structural, technique, culturel et de politique publique de la science accessible dans l'hemisphere sud est la reconnaissance de la pluralite et de la diversite du cadre et de la signification du terme " accessible ". Ce volume propose des textes issus de douze projets qui ensemble forment le reseau Open and Collaborative Science in Development Network (OCSDN). Il est structure en fonction de quatre thematiques : Definir la science accessible dans le domaine du developpement ; Gouvernance et science accessible ; Negocier la science accessible ; et Accroitre la science accessible a l'appui de la transformation sociale. Ce volume sert a mettre en valeur des exemples et des reflexions qui illustrent la facon dont des occasions et des defis poses par le libre acces varient d'une region a l'autre, et d'identifier les principales differences entre les acteurs, les etablissements, les infrastructures et la gouvernance des ressources fondees sur le savoir, dans differents contextes. Ce volume contribuera a la litterature sur le libre acces, qui a principalement ete ecrite en fonction du contexte de l'hemisphere nord. La remise en question de la production asymetrique du savoir mondial est au coeur d'une meilleure comprehension du mouvement vers la science accessible et ce que celle-ci pourrait representer pour la reflexion et la pratique du developpement. Publie en anglais.