L21 East Versus West - quest for tech supremacy

Question 1

1974 Gierek

Answer 1

secret nuclear project - Dr. Kalisik - try to make Poland sole from Soviet Union

Question 2

Dr. Kalisik

Answer 2

achieved first nuclear fusion/ignition without nuclear explosion

Question 3

The ‘N’ neutron Bomb

Answer 3

fusion/neuron bomb - astronomic quantities of energy (from neutrons releases by fusion reaction) - much stronger than plutonium bomb

Question 4

The wonder weapon - the ‘clean
bomb’

Answer 4

The ‘N’ neutron Bomb

Question 5

Technological Determinism

Answer 5

Samuel Florman

Question 6

Technological Determinism

Answer 6

Against critics of technology
“Technological progress is the true measure of human development”
Made the argument that “engineers are independent from external factors”

Question 7

Wernher Von Braun’s argument

Answer 7

“Science does not have a moral dimension…once the rockets
are up who cares where they come down. That is not my department”

Question 8

Ray Kurzweil

Answer 8

Promotor of singularity - Believes AI/technological systems should/will become autonomous from people

Question 9

Brian Arthur

Answer 9

Believes technology is autopoietic
Technology is defined by him as an evolving system that will become self-creating (autopoietic) with obsolete external agents (human intervention) removed

Question 10

Lewis Mumford

Answer 10

Author of “The Myth of the Machine”

Question 11

Lewis Mumford’s argument

Answer 11

Argued that the belief that “unlimited technological progress will eliminate humanity” is false
Supports technology
Technology shows biological progression, limited by biological determinism

Question 12

Luddite movement (1811)

Answer 12

Important to note that Luddites were NOT against technology
This is despite portrayal in the media/on the internet (commonly portrayed as being opposed to technology) - Truly were against social changes that were brought upon by the factory system

Question 13

Struggle between 2 systems

Answer 13

1. Factory system profits - Factory owners now had control over government - Had hands in law system/parliament/army
2. Domestic system way of life, social/cultural change
   - Cottage industry was destroyed

Question 14

1812 - 200 Luddites took to streets to protest and fight factory system

Answer 14

Luddites were murdered by 14000 troops

Question 15

New law was put in place

Answer 15

Punishable by death to destroy a machine
- First time machines were given similar rights as humans

Question 16

Jacques Ellul

Answer 16

Argued that we are controlled by technology - Technology should not be used for political/economic ends - Agued we don’t know we are controlled because we are ‘sleepers’ integrated into the system - Relates to Plato’s allegory of the cave - Our reality is controlled by the technology we created

Question 17

Neil Postman

Answer 17

“what we have lost” - Postman’s 3 main points - 4 signs of ignorance of the past/history

Question 18

Postman’s 3 main points

Answer 18

1. Technology is a trade-off:
   Gain, but also lose. NOT a one-way relation
2. Technology transforms societies
   It always has an impact
3. We are obedient to technology
   “Tools of our tools”

Question 19

4 signs of ignorance of the past/history

Answer 19

• mass media
• New is better/old is obsolete
• Away with the past…
• “Future is friendly”

Question 20

Technoscience

Answer 20

1. Focused on using technology for warfare and money
2. Scientism justifies technoscience - Scientism is “to accept unchallenged from science the answers to such questions as how to feel, live, or behave is scientism”
3. Scientism led to technopoly
4. Technopoly - based on 4 principles

Question 21

Technopoly - based on 4 principles

Answer 21

1. Obedience to technology (both devices and systems)
2. Ignorance of what new technologies are doing to lives/human relations
3. acceptance of social/mass media/internet as the source of knowledge - transmitted though oral information
4. ignorant of the past/history