Technology: Two Sides of the Same Coin

     The definition of technology is, “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.”  By that standard it could include everything from the wheel to quantum technology and nanotechnology.  I love technology, and it has made major impacts on my life.  But, lately, I have felt like Captain America being pulled from the ice after 70 years of suspended animation, surrounded by technology that I do not fully comprehend the purposes or applications of.  Unfortunately, society is usually about as slow in reacting to the dangers of new breakthroughs, while very quickly and optimistically embracing the potential upsides.  It seems that much of this is due to the pace of technological innovation in addition to the degree of impact it has on society.   Is the human mind capable of surveying the field and preparing for the inevitable impacts before it is too late? 

     “Necessity is the mother of all invention.”  Some attribute the origins of this proverb to Plato’s Republic (“Our need will be the real creator”), and I suppose it depends on your definition of necessity,  but there are any number of examples of our need to have an answer to a problem leading to some new innovation, usually in the name of progress.  New innovations help us to create, so that society can improve. It doesn’t take long for us to find a way to monetize it, and soon after that, how to weaponize it.  And it does not alway happen in that order.

     When creating a mental timeline of human innovation, the wheel very often comes up first.  But, it actually was predated by a number of other inventions.  According to Smithsonian Magazine, the wheel came after such things as the sewing needle, woven cloth, rope, basket weaving, boats, and the flute.  Yet, the wheel sticks out for its vast array of uses throughout time.  First appearing in Mesopotamia in 3500 BC as a potter’s wheel, it would take 300 years for them to be used for chariots, which led to endless uses in factory machines, automobiles, clocks (wheels of time), gambling (roulette) and even a form of death penalty.  Breaking by the wheel was a Middle Ages procedure where a wooden wheel was used to break each and every bone in a person’s body.  If the executioner wanted to be merciful, they would start at the neck and get it over with.  If they wanted to be particularly cruel, they would start with the toes or fingers and work their way in. Clearly the wheel has been at the forefront of our abilities to create commerce, war, and social interaction. It is also clear that the net rewards far outweigh the negatives.

     How important has timely communication been to the progress of humanity?  You can look back to the first known form of the written word (cuneiform, Mesopotamia, 3400 BC).  Then the invention of paper, which can be traced (no pun intended) to China in AD 105 (Brittanica.com).  Woodblock printing in China in the 9th century, led to Korean book printing using movable metal type, which led to the printing press by a German named Johannes Guttenberg around 1436 (History.com). This allowed for mass printings for books like the Bible, which was much easier and quicker than monks rewriting them by hand.  But, these written documents still had to be transported to their readers, by foot, horse, wagon (using wheels), boats, or trains could still take quite a while (months in some cases). The telegraph, arguably one of the biggest changes in communication, allowed for messages to move across large areas in seconds instead of months. Which led to the telephone, using voices instead of dots and dashes.  This led to the next evolution of email, text, Facetime, and every mode of social media available.  Of course, being able to communicate quickly can be the difference between life and death, as in the case of emergency medical care, where minutes could make a difference.  And again, the rewards far outweigh the problems.

     But, in this case, the evolution of communication has created some problems that are more than just problematic. The widespread use of the typed word has also spread misinformation by anonymous sources (even Thomas Jefferson was guilty of doing this).  Now, social media has helped create an environment of mistrust in our government and democratic process (Facebook and Twitter) that could eventually dismantle it, and Tik Tok has taken a massive toll on the mental health of the younger generation, especially girls.  These could have massive long term effects on our society going forward. 

       We can make a similar ladder of progress regarding energy.  Fire led to the burning of wood, the burning of coal (allowing for steam engines), the burning of oil and gas (allowing for the internal combustion engine), which led to, arguably, the most important power source; electricity.  Electricity allowed for an endless number of new inventions, not the least of which are lightbulbs, washers and dryers, heat, televisions (my favorite), computers, and cars.  I don’t know what your house is like, but if the electricity goes out on West Street, we are immediately back in the dark ages.  No water, no heat, no air conditioning, no communication, no refrigeration, no cooking, no internet, and (welp) no television. But, the generating of electricity requires the burning of coal and natural gas, which are finite, polluting resources.  This led to one of the few times that an innovation in weaponry led to a possible progressive reform.  Einstein’s E=mc2 showed that energy and mass were interchangeable, leading to atomic weapons.  But, this also allowed for nuclear power to create a cheap, and (first thought) safe form of electricity.  Fears of climate change have led to the options of solar, wind, and biothermal forms of energy.  Each form of energy has come with a collection of promises, accomplishments, and problems varying in severity.

      But, what threats did nuclear power bring?  The partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979, and the massive steam explosion and fire at Chernobyl in 1986 (from which we are still getting radiation readings in Europe) have given pause to its safe use, and in some cases the shut down of nuclear power plants nearby, such as Pilgrim in Plymouth, MA.  The claim of wanting nuclear power for the good of their societies has also been used by countries like Iran and North Korea to justify having access to nuclear materials that would eventually be made into nuclear bombs.  The threat of mutually assured destruction by nuclear holocaust has changed the global society dramatically, maybe for the better (since land wars have become much smaller), but in the hands of the wrong people, could end the world forever. 

      Change is inevitable, and usually very necessary, but when I look at our most recent accomplishments, I do wonder at our capabilities to understand and keep control over them.  Whether it is the speed at which we drive, the way we communicate over social media, or the question over who should have the rights to nuclear capabilities, human society does not seem to have the capability, the will, or a combination of the two to control technology for the best protection of its people.   And, this is the tip of the iceberg.  Artificial intelligence,  nanotechnology, and quantum technology are in their infant stages, showing amazing promise for great things.  But, as we have seen, they also have equal promise of catastrophic capabilities.  It is also human nature and the way of society to only react to problems after they have had traumatic consequences (We’ll worry about the chemicals in the water we drink after a large number of people die of cancer), and even then, sometimes we drop the ball.  The faster technology changes, the larger the gap in our ability to regulate and control it.  I sincerely hope that the gap does not grow to the point of no return.