ECS 188: Ethics in Technology - Handout on Technological Change and Its Impact - Prof. Phi, Study notes of Computer Science

Download ECS 188: Ethics in Technology - Handout on Technological Change and Its Impact - Prof. Phi and more Study notes Computer Science in PDF only on Docsity! ECS 188: Ethics in an Age of Technology Handout SG UC Davis — Phil Rogaway April 9, 2009 Small-Group Discussions Names of those in your group: ———————————————— Section (circle one): Section 2 (TR 1:40–3:00) Section 1 (TR 4:40–6:00) Neil Postman identifies five aspects of technological change that he wants us to be aware of: 1. Trade-off. Any new technology gives something and also takes something away. 2. Distribution. The costs and benefits of technologies are not equally shared. 3. Powerful idea. Each technology contains within it a philosophy and a prejudice. 4. Ecological. Technological change is not additive, but ecological. 5. Mythic. Technollgy gets viewed as part of the natural-order of things. Each group will be assigned one of the following technologies to focus on. Discuss among yourselves how the introduction and use of the technology you are looking at illustrates—or refutes—each of Postman’s five claims. Produce a page of notes and be prepared to present orally to the class. Not all technologies are as relevant to each claim as all others: focus on those of the five claims that seem most interesting and relevant in your case. 1. Lecture-format classroom instruction (∼ 5th century AD?) 2. Sunscreen (∼ 1928) 3. Mobile phones (∼ 1983) 4. iPod (∼ 2001)