Impact of science and technology on society Books

Book SynopsisContrary to optimistic visions of a free internet for all, the problem of the ‘digital divide’ – the disparity between those with access to internet technology and those without – has persisted for close to twenty-five years.In this textbook, Jan van Dijk considers the state of digital inequality and what we can do to tackle it. Through an accessible framework based on empirical research, he explores the motivations and challenges of seeking access and the development of requisite digital skills. He addresses key questions such as: Does digital inequality reduce or reinforce existing, traditional inequalities? Does it create new, previously unknown social inequalities? While digital inequality affects all aspects of society and the problem is here to stay, Van Dijk outlines policies we can put in place to mitigate it.The Digital Divide is required reading for students and scholars of media, communication, sociology, and related disciplines, as well as for policymakers.Trade Review“Van Dijk continues his twenty-five-year leadership in digital divide research, from motivations and attitudes, access to adoption, use and skills, through to outcomes and solutions. His integrative model organizes these issues into a thoughtful, critical and readable story.”Ronald Rice, University of California, Santa Barbara “Jan van Dijk can be considered the godfather of digital divide theory. In this book, he brings his earlier work forward into a world that has changed beyond what even he could imagine. Building on existing research and new theoretical developments, he shows that digital divides are changing shape and are likely getting worse. Anyone interested in why, what and who we should be worried about in increasingly digital societies has to read this book.”Ellen J. Helsper, author of The Digital Disconnect: Social Causes and Consequences of Digital Inequalities“The book is rich conceptually and provides frameworks and categorisations to explain every step of the digital media appropriation process... a welcome resource for students and academics as a reference on the evolution of research on the digital divide since the mid-nineties.”Information, Communication & Society“The Digital Divide is an excellent reference for those being introduced to the subject and for those who have long been interested in the issue. I recommend it as a tool and look forward to using it myself in this strange, terrible and awe-inspiring year, and in many years to come.”PrometheusTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 1 What is the Digital Divide? 2 Research and Theory of the Digital Divide 3 Motivation and Attitude 4 Physical Access 5 Digital and 21st-Century Skills 6 Usage Inequality 7 Outcomes 8 Social and Digital Inequality 9 Solutions to Soften the Digital Divide ReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe first philosophy of technology, constructing humans as technological and technology as an underpinning of all culture Ernst Kapp was a foundational scholar in the fields of media theory and philosophy of technology. His 1877 Elements of a Philosophy of Technology is a visionary study of the human body and its relationship with the world that surrounds it. At the book’s core is the concept of “organ projection”: the notion that humans use technology in an effort to project their organs to the outside, to be understood as “the soul apparently stepping out of the body in the form of a sending-out of mental qualities” into the world of artifacts.Kapp applies this theory of organ projection to various areas of the material world—the axe externalizes the arm, the lens the eye, the telegraphic system the neural network. From the first tools to acoustic instruments, from architecture to the steam engine and the mechanic routes of the railway, Kapp’s analysis shifts from “simple” tools to more complex network technologies to examine the projection of relations. What emerges from Kapp’s prophetic work is nothing less than the emergence of early elements of a cybernetic paradigm.Trade Review"I am convinced that, with this newly available translation, Kapp's ideas and concepts—like organ projection or the state as disciplinary machine comprised of parts functioning in circular full-closure—will enter and fortify the international field of media studies as well as, and more so, the more comprehensive field concerned with thinking the relationship of technology and civilization."—Siegfried Zielinski, from the Afterword"Ernst Kapp's book is long overdue in translation. This edition masterfully introduces the English speaking world to a text that is essential to both the history and the future of media theory. Elements of a Philosophy of Technology is required reading for anyone interested in the study of media and technology."—Bernhard Siegert, Bauhaus-University Weimar"With its Hegelian inflection, Ernst Kapp’s Elements of a Philosophy of Technology tells us of the spirit of a techno-philosophy that anticipates the centrality of the modern question of technology in the reconfiguration of the human and the meaning of civilization. He invites us not to overcome but to re-invent the human condition through an expanded techno-philosophical enquiry into the possibilities of the projection of techne today."—Luciana Parisi, Goldsmiths University of London"Elements of a Philosophy of Technology lays out a theory of culture and technology rooted in humans’ instinctual drive to make tools, a faculty that is called “organ projection.”" —LA Review of BooksTable of ContentsIntroductionJeffrey West Kirkwood and Leif WeatherbyPreface1. The Anthropological Scale2. Organ Projection3. The First Tools4. Limbs and Measure5. Apparatuses and Instruments6. The Inner Architecture of the Bones 7. Steam Engines and Rail Lines8. The Electromagnetic Telegraph 9. The Unconscious 10. Machine Technology 11. The Fundamental Morphological Law12. Language 13. The StateAfterword: A Media-Archaeological Postscript to the Translation of Ernst Kapp’s Elements of a Philosophy of Technology (1877)Siegfried Zielinski

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Book SynopsisA diverse, enriching volume of media analysis from a pioneering thinker in the field Expanding on Siegfried Zielinski’s groundbreaking inquiry into “deep time” of the media, the essays in Variations on Media Thinking further the eminent media theorist’s unique method of expanded hermeneutics, which means for him interpreting technical artifacts as essential parts of our cultural lives. Covering such topics as the televisualized “Holocaust,” the ubiquity of media today, the Internet, the genealogy of sound art, and history’s first hacker movement, these essays further diversify Zielinski’s insight into the hidden layers of media development, which he first articulated in his pioneering work Deep Time of the Media.Including many previously untranslated and scarce essays, these “written time machines” open new lines of investigation for cultural scholars. From the automata of the Arabic-Islamic Renaissance (800–1200) to the largest and loudest techno-event ever, known as The Symphony of Sirens—which transformed Baku in 1922 into an immense music box of modern noise—Variations on Media Thinking covers Zielinski’s inquiries since 1975. Richly illustrated and full of provocation, brilliant insight, and fascinating research, this volume is perfect for students of media archaeology, philosophy, and technology, as well as any adventurous, rigorous thinkers engaged with culture and media.Trade Review"Historians of technology know that any tool is also an instrument of exploration, experiment, and simulation. Siegfried Zielinski reminds us that any technology is also a generator of wonder. In fact, Zielinski does not write media history, he writes world history through the generative lens of media as machines of speculation and imagination. This is a material history of dissent, heretical hermeneutics, and electrified alchemic curiosity."—Matteo Pasquinelli, Karlsruhe University of Art and Design

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Book SynopsisIn a work that defies caregory, the remarkable John Lukacs has combined science and philosophy to open our eyes to accept our need to know, our purpose for knowing, our response to the world. Here is his opening statement: WE ARE AT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. We ought to recognize this now, at what seems to be the beginning of a new age, for which postmodern is an inadequate word. A great change after about 500 years. There are two (and for some of us, three) reasons why we should acknowledge our centrality. They have inspired and compelled me, after considerable hesitation, to write these words. WITH THIS RECOGNITION I KNOW THAT, although I remain in a small minority, I am no longer entirely alone. I am speaking of the uneasy realization that the so-called scientific view of the universe is insufficient. It is not enough to make this argument on moral or religious or metaphysical convictions alone. There are ample evidences that the scientific or materialistic or deterministic explanations for the world that we know are at best incomplete or at worst insubstantial. The achievements of science during recent centuries have been immense, of course. But in the past 200 years, more and more people, including scientists, have come to the conclusion that the science pertaining to the subjects of their knowledge is imperfect, and probably inevitably so. (Note, too, that the word science has narrowed to mean the science of nature; the word scientist became current in English only after about 1840.) We ought to recognize that one of the main applications of material science, technology, depends on a single limited function of causality, what we call mechanical causality, which Aristotle called efficient cause and defined as but one of four causalities. (The other three are material cause, formal cause, and final cause.) Mechanical causality means that the same causes must necessarily result in the same effects. That is the inevitable condition of machines—while at the same time it is incomplete, because it excludes the presence or participation of any kind of nonmaterial or nonmechanical element. A recent statement by the poet Wendell Berry is most appropriate here: he wrote that in the near future the great division of mankind may be between people who think of themselves as machines and people who think of themselves as creatures. His statement brings me to my argument that the earth is at the center of the universe.

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Book SynopsisAsks hard questions about partnerships between big business and universitiesTrade Review"A landmark study of the continuing corporatization of higher education. It is unique: no other work has its depth and thoroughness regarding one particular (and particularly important) university-industry relationship." Christopher Newfield, author of Ivy and Industry: Business and the Making of the American University, 1880-1980 (Duke University Press) "The book provides fascinating details of the deal, the players and the controversy, and does an admirable job of empirically and qualitatively measuring the effects of the agreement on scientific research. It succeeds in its aim of analyzing the UCB-N deal...In short, Universities in the Age of Corporate Science is a compelling and detailed description of the events surrounding the UCB-N deal. It should be enjoyed by all those who follow the evolution of university-industry relations, offering as it does a unique look at how the collaboration was made." Nature "The book does deliver on its promote of a thorough review of how the UCB-Novartis agreement emerged, justifications for moving it forward, and its ultimate impact." NCURA Newsletter "The book explores the uproar surrounding the Berkeley-Novartis agreement...Although no misconduct was uncovered by the study, the deal's scrutiny calls for a multilevel and ongoing dialogue on the future of land grant and research universities, the authors note." August 2007 University Business "Universities in the Age of Corporate Science would be of interest to students and faculty in a variety of disciplines and degree levels. Agricultural science students and faculty should be most encouraged to read this study, as it contains much information on where these fields have been and in what directions the research is going. This would also be good reading for those in the social sciences studying the conflicts that arise from the interaction of private interests and public good." Agriculture and Human ValuesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1: Theoretical Framework 2: The Changing World of Universities 3: Land Grant Universities, Agricultural Science and UC Berkeley 4: A Chronology of Events 5: Points of Contention 6: Overview and Analysis of the Agreement 7: The Agreement and the Public Stage 8: The Scientific Enterprise 9: Intellectual Property Rights 10: Impact and significance of UCB-N on UCB and CNR 11: Rethinking the Role of Public and Land Grant Universities 12: Constructing the Future: Revisioning Universities

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Book SynopsisThe experiences in families, communities, and peer-groups that help young African American women "swim against the tide" of the white, male science education systemTrade Review"Swimming Against the Tide addresses a crucial lacunae in the body of literature on women in science, particularly women of color. This is a ‘new’ and innovative approach, since very few book publications on women in science have addressed the subject of African American women in science and from an age specific and culturally relevant perspective. Theoretically and methodologically strong, this is an example of feminist scholarship at its best." —Josephine Beoku-Betts, Professor of Women’s Studies and Sociology, Florida Atlantic University"Swimming Against the Tide addresses important research issues, with implications for the cultivation and retention of scientific talent and for practice and policy in science education. It also has implications for understanding the 'culture of science’ and the factors that encourage/discourage participation. Hanson’s statistical data and analyses are significant in the strength of findings, [in the] power of inference for young women's interest in and perceptions about science, and for the ways in which race and gender do/do not operate together in affecting outcomes for young women"— Mary Frank Fox, Advance Professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology"[A]n excellent resource for those who are not familiar with this body of literature about race and science.... This book, overall, is an important contribution to our understanding of the gender, race, and class dynamics that influence the career decision-making of young women...Hanson's synthesis of previous studies on the subject makes this a valuable resource for those hoping to expand and deepen an understanding about how our educational system and science culture itself should be transformed to be a welcoming place for all who have an interest in exploring nature and the world in which we live." —Teachers College RecordTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Understanding Young African American Women's Experiences in Science 2. The Conceptual Framework: A Critical-Feminist Approach 3. Young African American Women's Experiences in Science: "Science Is Like Opening A Present from Your Favorite Aunt. You Just Can't Wait to Open It Because You Know There Is Something Wonderful and Unique Inside." 4. Influences—Teachers and Schools: "They Looked at Us Like We Weren't Supposed to Be Scientists." 5. Influences—Family and Community: "My Mother Never Minded Me Using Her Kitchen Utensils to Dig Up Insects and Worms to Explore." 6. Influences—Peers: "I Know Plenty of Girls at My School [Who] Love Science." 7. Conclusions: "Science Is Not About Which Race Likes It Better, It Is About Doing What You Like." Appendix A: Tables Appendix B: Detail on Knowledge Networks Sampling Appendix C: Test for Vignettes Appendix D: Selected Questions from Knowledge Networks Survey Appendix E: Detail on NELS Sampling and Data Notes Reference Index

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Book Synopsis Technology is changing all the time, but does it also have the ability to change us and the way we approach religion and spirituality? In Technology and Religion: Remaining Human in a Co-created World, Noreen Herzfeld examines this and other provocative questions as she provides an accessible and fascinating overview of the relationship between religion and the ever-broadening world of technology. In order to consider fully a topic as wide as technology, Herzfeld approaches the field from three different angles: technologies of the human body—such as genetic engineering, stem cells, cloning, pharmaceutical technologies, mechanical enhancement and cyborgs; technologies of the human mind—like human and artificial intelligence, virtual reality and cyberspace; and technologies of the external environment—such as nanotechnology, genetically modified crops and new agricultural technologies, and energy technology. She takes a similarly broad approach to the field of religion, focusing on how these issues interface with the three Abrahamic traditions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Throughout, readers will find nuanced examinations of the moral and ethical issues surrounding new technologies from the perspectives of these faith traditions. The result is a multifaceted look at the ongoing dialogue between these two subjects that are not commonly associated with one another. This volume is the third title published in the new Templeton Science and Religion Series.

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Book SynopsisThis book draws from previously unpublished letters and interviews with physicists, theologians, and Sir John’s close associates and family to present Sir John’s ideas on pure unlimited love. Post, who was in dialogue with Sir John for fifteen years on this topic and who had founded the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (www.unlimitedloveinstitute.com), addresses how John Templeton arrived at his philosophy as a youth growing up in Tennessee. Post also shares how classical Presbyterian ideas came to synergize in his mind with the more Eastern influences of American transcendentalism and the Unity School of Christianity and ponders if Sir John truly believed that science and spirituality might fully converge on the same view of Ultimate Reality with their very different ways of knowing. Is Ultimate Reality Unlimited Love? presents Sir John’s hope for spiritual progress with the eventual convergence of ultimate reality and unlimited love.Table of ContentsForeword Preface Part 1: Why This Idea Meant So Much to John Templeton: An Analysis Based on His Writings and Intellectual History since Youth Chapter 1: Sir John’s Biggest Question: An Introduction Chapter 2: The Spiritual and Intellectual Roots of Sir John’s Biggest Question Chapter 3: Sir John’s Humble Approach to Ultimate Reality Chapter 4: A Disciplined Rational Mind and the Power of Love Affirmations in Everyday Life Chapter 5: The Spiritual Mind That Can Experience an Absorbing Field of Pure Unlimited Love That Far Transcends Ordinary Human Love and the Rational Mind Chapter 6: Why Are We Created? Life as an Opportunity to Overcome Hardships, to Win with Love, and to Achieve Joy in God for Eternity Chapter 7: The Healing Power of Unlimited Love in Mind and Body, and in Eliminating the Arrogant Conflict between Religions That Gravely Threatens the Human Future Part 2: Three Primary Evidences of Sir John’s Thesis Consistent with His Core Ideas and Statements Focusing on Their Current Scientific Plausibility Introduction to Part 2: Three Evidences for Sir John’s Thesis Chapter 8: Unlimited Love as Ultimate Reality in Sir John’s Writings Chapter 9: Three Points of Evidence for Unlimited Love as Ultimate Reality Part 3: Statements from Family Members, Associates, and Scholarly Friends Introduction to Part 3 Chapter 10: What Do You Think Sir John Meant by “Unlimited Love as Ultimate Reality”? Chapter 11: How Did You Experience Sir John as a Person Who Tried to Live a Life of Love? A Brief Epilogue: Some Quotations for Reflection Appendix: Sir John’s Letters to Stephen G. Post Regarding Unlimited Love Research Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWe watch television for hours at a time, but the television set is never itself the object of our attention. We forget the tv is in our room as we engage with images from afar. How do we account for such an everyday piece of furniture? This book focuses on the tv set's contradictory presence both as a material object and as a receiver of images. Chris Horrocks traces the prehistory of television as a fantastic vision in nineteenth-century culture, and charts its emergence through the fears and desires that society projected onto this alien presence in the living room. He follows television's journey from its strange roots in spiritualism, imperialism and Victorian experiments with electromagnetism, through its contested 'invention' by heroic figures such as Baird and Farnsworth, to its arrival as an essential consumer product. Along the way the tv acquired a significance and role that advertising, literature and cinema amplified. The tv appears in culture as a sinister object capable of controlling thought, monitoring its audience and causing mental and physical harm.The design of the television console and cabinet imbued it with signs of status and good taste, and more radical designs drew on the space race and avant-garde design. The set has even become a radical medium in the work of artists Wolf Vostell and Nam June Paik. Yet the television as a classic object began to disappear once the cathode ray tube became obsolete and flat-screen versions merged with the wall. The Joy of Sets brings this most elusive object into critical and historical focus for the first time.

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Book Synopsis What if we could prove that love heals mental illness and is vital to successful therapeutic outcomes in all areas of health care? What if we could prove that people who live more for others than for self have greater psychological well-being? In Unlimited Love, Post examines the question of what we mean by "unlimited love"; his focus is not on "falling" into love, which is "altogether natural, easy, and delusional." Rather, he focuses on the difficult learned ascent that "begins with insight into the need for tolerance of ubiquitous imperfection, and matures into unselfish concern, gratitude, and compassion." He considers social scientific and evolutionary perspectives on human altruistic motivations, and he analyzes these perspectives in a wide interdisciplinary context at the interface of science, ethics, and religion. In Unlimited Love, Stephen Post presents an argument for the creation of a new interdisciplinary field for the study of love and unlimited love, "engaging great minds and hoping to shape the human future away from endless acrimony, hatred, and violence."

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Book SynopsisPeace dealings in Early Modern times resembled more business transactions than anything else, peopled by actors being influenced by their country's specific circumstances or sometimes by chance alone. The danger of misunderstandings, whether precipitated through false translations or false interpretations, was imminent in all such proccedings. But ignorance too played an active role in both the political and legal background of Early Modern times. This collection of articles is concerned with both the temporal and the thematic contexts of the phenomena of "misunderstanding" and "ignorance." It provides many insights into the architecture of premodern communication.

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