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Jennifer Cottes
Joined: Jan 14, 2002
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Palm pilots, laptops, cellphones, OH, MY!!
Jan 25, 2002
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http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/tech/article.jsp?id=22614700&sub=GadgetsandIn
ventions
In New Scientist Magazine, an article entitled “Your Everything” describes the future of
cell-phones. Soon, if not already, cell-phones will do everything your desk-top computer can do.
It suggests people will stop carrying bulky laptops, and even soon to be ‘less convenient’ palm
pilots! “On your mobile you'll be able to watch colour video, download CD-quality music from your
collection at home, buy a plane ticket, send e-mail, browse the Web, use positioning services-and
make old-fashioned phone calls, too.” Technology is changes so fast, how do we keep up? Will
families start gathering around their cell-phones to watch Walt-Disney classics?
OR….hmmmm….Futurama?
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Alice Z
Joined: Oct 9, 2001
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and what about the fact that society is becoming increasingly complacent *due* to these
inventions!
Complacent, and increasingly content to be alone.
soon, families won't be watching walt disney on cell phones, they'll be struggling to get a hold of
each other- or tear their kin away from computer chat rooms to have a family tv dinner.
maybe scinetists should stop focussing on improving mobile telephone add-ons, and start working on
ways to reduce radiation emmission. Or better still- work on creating cures for diseases that
they've been ignoring for the past decade... because there's more money in gadgets and toys.
This is where the social responsibility of scientist ties in, and where i stop my reply before it
goes off on a tangent.
BUT just a question- what *is* the social responsibility of scientist in your opinions?
a.
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Robert Margolis
Joined: Nov 15, 2000
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Big Question
Jan 29, 2002
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Alice -
That is one of THE big questions. Should scientists and engineers NOT pursue either a discovery or
invention because of how it may be mis-applied?
The ideal would be the technical community working with the public to see what are the best research
avenues to pursue. I think it will be easier to design a process for ethical understanding and
consideration, rather than some hard rulebook that will always give us the best inventions while
preventing misuse.
As an aside, radiation (all types) effects on humans is one of the best understood areas of
research. Would you believe that coal burning is a relatively large human-made source of radiation?
When we burn coal it releases various natural elements such as radium, thorium, and uranium.
Somehow, we don't mind coal plants putting out radiation, however cell phone radiation causes more
concern. Neither is probably a big public health problem, but the public reacts differently
depending upon their expectations for the given technology.
Now I'll go away having gone off on my own tangent. ;-)
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