Klein, J. D. (2012, June), Do We Control Technology or Does Technology Control Us?  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21234

\bibitem{asee_peer_21234}
  Klein, J. D. (2012, June), \emph{Do We Control Technology or Does Technology Control Us?}
  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas.
  10.18260/1-2--21234

J. Douglass Klein.  "Do We Control Technology or Does Technology Control Us?".  2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2012.  https://peer.asee.org/21234 Internet.  15 Dec, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_21234}
  J. Douglass Klein.
  "Do We Control Technology or Does Technology Control Us?".
  \emph{2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2012.
  https://peer.asee.org/21234 Internet.  15 Dec, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_21234
author = "J. Douglass Klein"
title = "Do We Control Technology or Does Technology Control Us?"
booktitle = "2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2012"
month = "June"
address = "San Antonio, Texas"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/21234}
number = {10.18260/1-2--21234}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -            Do We Control Technology, or Does Technology Control Us?ABSTRACT: William Wulf, former President of the National Academy of Engineering, hassuggested that the use of tools is what defines us as human. Might technology also be a geniethat once released, humans are powerless to return to its bottle? In short, is technologydeterministic and now evolving on its own?This paper describes a course for a mixed group of first-year engineering and liberal artsstudents, designed to explore the history and future of the human-technology relationship. It willintroduce students to the social context in which technology operates, will illustrate ethicalconsiderations related to technology, and will entail intensive practice in developing criticalreading and writing skills.From the classical myth of Prometheus to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to IBM’s Watsoncomputer and beyond, the course explores the relationship between technology and progress,technology and happiness, and technology and human freedom. This paper (and the course)offers contrasting views of what drives technology forward and toward what end.In 1959, C.P. Snow lamented the breakdown in communication between the Two Cultures:humanities and science/technology. Before and since then, philosophers, artists, and socialscientists have frequently expressed views about technology, but often in reactive ways, whilescientists and engineers continue to discover, design and deploy new technologies. The coursedescribed promotes a proactive dialog.Today it may often seem as though we have lost control of technology, but today’s students maywell live to see the time when technology actually begins to create itself and take control – in theprocess, reshaping what it means to be human. The question, especially important for today’sstudents, is will we control technology, or will technology control us?
AU  - J. Douglass Klein
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Do We Control Technology or Does Technology Control Us?
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/21234
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--21234
ER  -