4/29/05

Collins and Pinch want you to approach issues about technology in a sophisticated way
don't expect technology to be perfect
don't accept at face value what the experts say--make your own evaluation
keep in mind that it is always changing, you don't get a fixed right answer
just because a technology works a few times or in a demonstration doesn't mean it will always work
distinction between experimental and operational
public perception of risk is different from scientific risk analysis
if we look at technology only objectively and scientifically we miss some of the important issues

how has technology changed:
technologies are smaller and more complex--harder to understand and fix yourself
we get more improvements on existing products, fewer radically new products
who is developing new technology--people with practical knowledge to inventors to government and corporate sponsored research labs hiring mostly scientists
technology is more and more tied in with science
big corporations increasingly drive what technology gets invented and developed
has technology given us more freedom or less freedom?
technology reduces privacy
we have much more access to information
we are becoming increasingly dependent on technology
what changes have an impact on us?