Future Hype

Future Hype PDF Author: Bob Seidensticker
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1609943473
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 355

Get Book Here

Book Description
This fascinating look at innovations past and present—and our sometimes mistaken beliefs about them—“puts technological change into historical perspective” (Henry Petroski, author of The Evolution of Useful Things). Everyone knows that today’s rate of technological change is unprecedented. With breakthroughs from the Internet to cell phones to digital music and pictures, everyone knows that the social impact of technology has never been as profound or overwhelming. But how much is truth and how much is hype? Future Hype surveys the past few hundred years to show that many of the technologies we now take for granted transformed society in far more dramatic ways than more recent developments so often touted as unparalleled and historic. In this thoughtful book, Bob Seidensticker exposes the hidden costs of technology—and helps both consumers and businesses take a shrewder position when the next “essential” innovation is trotted out.

Future Hype

Future Hype PDF Author: Bob Seidensticker
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1609943473
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 355

Get Book Here

Book Description
This fascinating look at innovations past and present—and our sometimes mistaken beliefs about them—“puts technological change into historical perspective” (Henry Petroski, author of The Evolution of Useful Things). Everyone knows that today’s rate of technological change is unprecedented. With breakthroughs from the Internet to cell phones to digital music and pictures, everyone knows that the social impact of technology has never been as profound or overwhelming. But how much is truth and how much is hype? Future Hype surveys the past few hundred years to show that many of the technologies we now take for granted transformed society in far more dramatic ways than more recent developments so often touted as unparalleled and historic. In this thoughtful book, Bob Seidensticker exposes the hidden costs of technology—and helps both consumers and businesses take a shrewder position when the next “essential” innovation is trotted out.

Futurehype

Futurehype PDF Author: Bob Seidensticker
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1442963115
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 398

Get Book Here

Book Description
Most people feel certain that the pace of technological change increases exponentially. They think that the Internet and personal computers are only the most prominent of the many innovations that surge around us and that new ones arrive ever faster. They're certain that never before has the social impact of technological change been as profound or as pervasive as it is today. But they are wrong. The Internet isn't that big a deal. Neither is the PC. Abandon all technology and live in the woods for a week and see if it's your laptop you miss most. In fact, the technologies most important to us are the older ones - the car and telephone, electricity and concrete, textiles and agriculture, to name just a few. The popular perception of modern technology is inflated and out of step with reality. We overestimate the importance of new and exciting inventions, and we underestimate those we've grown up with. Change is not increasing exponentially. In fact, technology has disoriented and delighted for centuries. This book will attempt to recalibrate your thinking by looking at how technological change really happens....If people see technology more clearly, we would have a shrewder citizenry that would demand practical and constructive, rather than expedient or convenient, decisions from their politicians. They would be more able to analyze and discuss the relevant technology issues of the day - from the digital divide, to government support for space and other science programs, to national defense, to the value of computers in schools - and weigh more knowledgeably the pros and cons of what is being offered....Over three decades ago, Future Shock by Alvin Toffler created a sensation by portraying technology spinning out of society's control. Future Hype approaches the same topic but reaches a very different conclusion: that the popular view of technological change is wrong and the future won't be so shocking. We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.

Futurehype (EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition)

Futurehype (EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition) PDF Author:
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1442963123
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 554

Get Book Here

Book Description


Futurehype (Volume 1 of 2) (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition)

Futurehype (Volume 1 of 2) (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition) PDF Author:
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1442963131
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 398

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Hype About Hydrogen

The Hype About Hydrogen PDF Author: Joseph J. Romm
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1597266078
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Get Book Here

Book Description
Lately it has become a matter of conventional wisdom that hydrogen will solve many of our energy and environmental problems. Nearly everyone -- environmentalists, mainstream media commentators, industry analysts, General Motors, and even President Bush -- seems to expect emission-free hydrogen fuel cells to ride to the rescue in a matter of years, or at most a decade or two. Not so fast, says Joseph Romm. In The Hype about Hydrogen, he explains why hydrogen isn't the quick technological fix it's cracked up to be, and why cheering for fuel cells to sweep the market is not a viable strategy for combating climate change. Buildings and factories powered by fuel cells may indeed become common after 2010, Joseph Romm argues, but when it comes to transportation, the biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, hydrogen is unlikely to have a significant impact before 2050. The Hype about Hydrogen offers a hype-free explanation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, takes a hard look at the practical difficulties of transitioning to a hydrogen economy, and reveals why, given increasingly strong evidence of the gravity of climate change, neither government policy nor business investment should be based on the belief that hydrogen cars will have meaningful commercial success in the near or medium term. Romm, who helped run the federal government's program on hydrogen and fuel cells during the Clinton administration, provides a provocative primer on the politics, business, and technology of hydrogen and climate protection.

Making Sense of AI

Making Sense of AI PDF Author: Anthony Elliott
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1509548912
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137

Get Book Here

Book Description
Industrial robots, self-driving cars, customer-service chatbots and Google’s algorithmic predictions have brought the topic of artificial intelligence into public debate. Why is AI the source of such intense controversy and what are its economic, political, social and cultural consequences? Tracing the changing fortunes of artificial intelligence, Elliott develops a systematic account of how automated intelligent machines impact different spheres and aspects of public and private life. Among the issues discussed are the automation of workforces, surveillance capitalism, warfare and lethal autonomous weapons, the spread of racist robots and the automation of social inequalities. Elliott also considers the decisive role of AI in confronting global risks and social futures, including global pandemics such as COVID-19, and how smart algorithms are impacting the search for energy security and combating climate change. Making Sense of AI provides a judiciously comprehensive account of artificial intelligence for those with little or no previous knowledge of the topic. It will be an invaluable book both for students in the social sciences and humanities and for general readers.

digitalSTS

digitalSTS PDF Author: Janet Vertesi
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691190607
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 569

Get Book Here

Book Description
New perspectives on digital scholarship that speak to today's computational realities Scholars across the humanities, social sciences, and information sciences are grappling with how best to study virtual environments, use computational tools in their research, and engage audiences with their results. Classic work in science and technology studies (STS) has played a central role in how these fields analyze digital technologies, but many of its key examples do not speak to today’s computational realities. This groundbreaking collection brings together a world-class group of contributors to refresh the canon for contemporary digital scholarship. In twenty-five pioneering and incisive essays, this unique digital field guide offers innovative new approaches to digital scholarship, the design of digital tools and objects, and the deployment of critically grounded technologies for analysis and discovery. Contributors cover a broad range of topics, including software development, hackathons, digitized objects, diversity in the tech sector, and distributed scientific collaborations. They discuss methodological considerations of social networks and data analysis, design projects that can translate STS concepts into durable scientific work, and much more. Featuring a concise introduction by Janet Vertesi and David Ribes and accompanied by an interactive microsite, this book provides new perspectives on digital scholarship that will shape the agenda for tomorrow’s generation of STS researchers and practitioners.

Anarcho-primitivism

Anarcho-primitivism PDF Author:
Publisher: PediaPress
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 785

Get Book Here

Book Description


Science and its Publics

Science and its Publics PDF Author: Alice R. Bell. Sarah R. Davies
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1527565505
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Get Book Here

Book Description
The relationship between science and its publics has concerned commentators since science itself began. Yet in recent years, questions of how—and how should—science and society interact have come to particular prominence. A field of practice, initially dubbed ‘public understanding of science’ and later rebranded as ‘public engagement with science and technology’, has blossomed. But although academic studies have informed the development of this practical field, to date there has been little opportunity to take stock of the full breadth and variety of academic analyses of science communication. In an attempt to reveal the richness of the nascent field of science communication studies, this volume presents critical interdisciplinary analyses of some of the many ways in which science intersects with its publics. From children’s science books to computer advertising, news media to lab talk, public engagement to science fiction—the sites, modes and meanings of public science are explored. Contributions draw on historical, cultural, science and media studies. All, however, follow science through popular culture, taking critical science studies out of the lab and into society.

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors PDF Author: Gemma Milne
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 9781472143662
Category : TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Get Book Here

Book Description
'Stop following the news until you've read Gemma Milne's persuasive analysis of the hype and bullshit that distort our understanding of emerging science. As she shows, the starting point to grasping the genuine opportunities of AI, life sciences and climate tech is a healthy dose of critical thinking' David Rowan, founding editor of WIRED UK and author of Non-Bullshit Innovation: Radical Ideas from the World's Smartest Minds 'Couldn't be more timely. Fascinating and vitally important' Jamie Bartlett, author of The People Vs Tech 'A much-needed blast of fresh air! Gemma Milne expertly shows us how to separate the truth from the hype surrounding the emerging techs of today, and those of the near-tomorrow' Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins: How the Earth Made Us 'I loved this book! This is exactly the sort of sceptical, cut-through-the crap-but-still-excited-about-what's-emerging book around tech innovation that's sorely needed, yet is so hard to find . . . essential reading for anyone who's serious about how real-world advances might be effectively harnessed to build a better future' Dr Andrew Maynard, scientist and author of Films from the Future and Future Rising '[A] vital contribution in a world where technological progress promises so much, but too often disappoints. If, like me, you believe that advances in science and technology are our best hope for solving the grand challenges of our times, this book is the indispensable guide to avoiding the mirages and the charlatans along the way' Matt Clifford, co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First 'A refreshingly grown-up, clear-headed look at the interaction between science, technology and the media - readable without being dumbed down, acknowledging complexities without being heavy' Tom Chivers, author of The AI Does Not Hate You 'ROBOTS WILL STEAL YOUR JOB!' 'AI WILL REVOLUTIONISE FARMING!' 'GENETIC EDITING WILL CURE CANCER!' Bombastic headlines about science and technology are nothing new. To cut through the constant stream of information and misinformation on social media, or grab the attention of investors, or convince governments to take notice, strident headlines or bold claims seem necessary to give complex, nuanced information some wow factor. But hype has a dark side, too. It can mislead. It can distract. It can blinker us from seeing what is actually going on. From AI, quantum computing and brain implants, to cancer drugs, future foods and fusion energy, science and technology journalist Gemma Milne reveals hype to be responsible for fundamentally misdirecting or even derailing crucial progress. Hype can be combated and discounted, though, if you're able to see exactly where, how and why it is being deployed. This book is your guide to doing just that.