The Technological Fix

The Technological Fix PDF Author: Lisa Rosner
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135938504
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
The term "technological fix" should mean a fix provided by technology--a solution for all of our problems, from medicine and food production to the environment and business. Instead, technological fix has come to mean a cheap, quick fix using inappropriate technology that usually creates more problems than it solves. This collection sets out the distinction between a technological fix and a true technological solution. Bringing together scholars from a variety of disciplines, the essays trace the technological fix as it has appeared throughout the twentieth century. Addressing such "fixes" as artificial hearts, industrial agriculture and climate engineering, these essays examine our need to turn to technology for solutions to all of our problems.

The Technological Fix

The Technological Fix PDF Author: Lisa Rosner
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135938504
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book Here

Book Description
The term "technological fix" should mean a fix provided by technology--a solution for all of our problems, from medicine and food production to the environment and business. Instead, technological fix has come to mean a cheap, quick fix using inappropriate technology that usually creates more problems than it solves. This collection sets out the distinction between a technological fix and a true technological solution. Bringing together scholars from a variety of disciplines, the essays trace the technological fix as it has appeared throughout the twentieth century. Addressing such "fixes" as artificial hearts, industrial agriculture and climate engineering, these essays examine our need to turn to technology for solutions to all of our problems.

Techno-Fix

Techno-Fix PDF Author: Michael Huesemann
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 155092494X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 465

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Book Description
Nanotechnology! Genetic engineering! Miracle Drugs! We are promised that new technological developments will magically save us from the dire consequences of the 300-year fossil-fueled binge known as modern industrial civilization, without demanding any fundamental changes in our behavior. There is a pervasive belief that technological innovation will enable us to continue our current lifestyle indefinitely and will prevent social, economic and environmental collapse. Techno-Fix shows that negative unintended consequences of technology are inherently predictable and unavoidable, techno-optimism is completely unjustified, and modern technology, in the presence of continued economic growth, does not promote sustainability, but hastens collapse. The authors demonstrate that most technological solutions to social and technology-created problems are ineffective. They explore the reasons for the uncritical acceptance of new technologies, show who really controls the direction of technological change, and then advocate extensive reform. This comprehensive exposé is a powerful argument for why we can and should put the genie back in the bottle. An insightful and powerful critique, it is required reading for anyone who is concerned about blind techno-optimism and believes that the time has come to make science and technology more socially and environmentally responsible. For more information, please visit technofix.org .

Techno-Fixers

Techno-Fixers PDF Author: Sean F. Johnston
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0228002052
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
This is the story of a seductive idea. Over the past century, the potential of new technology to solve social dilemmas has captivated modern culture. From apps that encourage physical activity to airport scanners meant to prevent terrorism, the concept that clever innovation can improve society is irresistible, but faith in such technological fixes is seldom questioned. Where did this idea come from, what makes it so appealing, and how does it endanger our future? Techno-Fixers traces the source of modern confidence in technology to engineering hubris, radical utopian movements, science fiction fanzines, policy-makers' soundbites, corporate marketing, and optimistic consumer culture from the turn of the twentieth century until today. Sean Johnston demonstrates that, through the promotion of prominent government scientists, technocrats, entrepreneurs, and popular media, modern invention became the favourite tool for addressing human problems and society's ills. Nonetheless, when it comes to assessing the success of cigarette filters as the solution to safe smoking, or DDT as the answer for agricultural productivity, the evidence is sobering. Cautioning that the rhetoric of technological fixes seldom matches reality, Johnston examines how employing innovation to bypass traditional methods can foster as many problems as it solves. A critical examination of modern faith in technology, Techno-Fixers evaluates past mistakes, present implications, and future opportunities for innovating societies.

To Save Everything, Click Here

To Save Everything, Click Here PDF Author: Evgeny Morozov
Publisher:
ISBN: 1610391381
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
The award-winning author of The Net Delusion shows how the radical transparency we've become accustomed to online may threaten the spirit of real-life democracy

Feminism and the Technological Fix

Feminism and the Technological Fix PDF Author: Carol A. Stabile
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
The quantum leaps in technology in the twentieth century have provoked a profound shift in the way we think about our bodies. Genetic engineering, reproductive technology, the advent of virtual reality all fundamentally affect basic categories of 'self' and 'gender'. The future can look bright or apocalyptic, depending on where you stand - and, crucially, who is selling that vision to you. Carol A. Stabile argues that the two traditional responses of technophobia or technomania are simply inadequate for the choices facing us today. She charts the development of these two responses across a wide cultural terrain: from ecofeminism's uncritical celebration of women and nature to foetal imaging, struggles over women and the military, and the advent of cyborg politics.

Ten Technologies to Save the Planet

Ten Technologies to Save the Planet PDF Author: Chris Goodall
Publisher: Greystone Books Ltd
ISBN: 1553655257
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
"We face the dual crises of peak oil and climate change. How will we meet future global energy demands? Goodall combines cutting-edge analysis and fascinating stories of the inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs developing real-world technologies."--Back cover.

The Technical Fix

The Technical Fix PDF Author: Kevin Robins
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312031114
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description


The Technology Fallacy

The Technology Fallacy PDF Author: Gerald C. Kane
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026254511X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Why an organization's response to digital disruption should focus on people and processes and not necessarily on technology. Digital technologies are disrupting organizations of every size and shape, leaving managers scrambling to find a technology fix that will help their organizations compete. This book offers managers and business leaders a guide for surviving digital disruptions—but it is not a book about technology. It is about the organizational changes required to harness the power of technology. The authors argue that digital disruption is primarily about people and that effective digital transformation involves changes to organizational dynamics and how work gets done. A focus only on selecting and implementing the right digital technologies is not likely to lead to success. The best way to respond to digital disruption is by changing the company culture to be more agile, risk tolerant, and experimental. The authors draw on four years of research, conducted in partnership with MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte, surveying more than 16,000 people and conducting interviews with managers at such companies as Walmart, Google, and Salesforce. They introduce the concept of digital maturity—the ability to take advantage of opportunities offered by the new technology—and address the specifics of digital transformation, including cultivating a digital environment, enabling intentional collaboration, and fostering an experimental mindset. Every organization needs to understand its “digital DNA” in order to stop “doing digital” and start “being digital.” Digital disruption won't end anytime soon; the average worker will probably experience numerous waves of disruption during the course of a career. The insights offered by The Technology Fallacy will hold true through them all. A book in the Management on the Cutting Edge series, published in cooperation with MIT Sloan Management Review.

The Technology Fix

The Technology Fix PDF Author: William D. Pflaum
Publisher: ASCD
ISBN: 0871208423
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
An inside look at how schools throughout the United States are incorporating education technology in daily instruction.

The Technology Pork Barrel

The Technology Pork Barrel PDF Author: Linda R. Cohen
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 9780815723684
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
American public policy has had a long history of technological optimism. The success of the United States in research and development contributes to this optimism and leads many to assume that there is a technological fix for significant national problems. Since World War II the federal government has been the major supporter of commercial research and development efforts in a wide variety of industries. But how successful are these projects? And equally important, how do economic and policy factors influence performance and are these influences predictable and controllable? Linda Cohen, Roger Noll, and three other economists address these questions while focusing on the importance of R&D to the national economy. They examine the codependency between technological progress and economic growth and explain such matters as why the private sector often fails to fund commercially applicable research adequately and why the government should focus support on some industries and not others. They also analyze political incentives facing officials who enact and implement programs and the subsequent forces affecting decisions to continue, terminate, or redirect them. The central part of this book presents detailed case histories of six programs: the supersonic transport, communications satellites, the space shuttle, the breeder reactor, photovoltaics, and synthetic fuels. The authors conclude with recommendations for program restructuring to minimize the conflict between economic objectives and political constraints.