What Are The Risks Of Pervasive Computing?

from the technology!--it's-everywhere! dept

While we're increasingly moving towards a world where technology is absolutely everywhere, some people are beginning to suggest that we study the "health, social and environmental implications" of technology everywhere. They're not necessarily looking at it from a negative perspective of "this needs to be stopped", but rather admitting that it's coming, no matter what, and we'll be better prepared to deal with whatever consequences (good and bad) if we can expect what many of them will be. This certainly makes sense, though, many of these types of reports always end up with calls to ban various technologies, rather than coming up with better solutions that try to minimize the bad while enhancing the good.

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  1.  

    What is good or bad?

    identicon
    dorpus, Dec 23rd, 2003 @ 9:56am

    Could not conservative Muslim cultures develop "good" technologies that block music, genetically program their women to be more submissive or have more babies? Could such countries launch satellites that detect every single person listening to music on headphones, so they are punished accordingly? "God" satellites could zap sinners with lasers.


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    No Subject Given

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Dec 23rd, 2003 @ 11:27am

    Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species-- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire-- has been ethically ambiguous. -- Carl Sagan

    reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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