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Project Abstract:
We have
chosen to do our project on the dangers inherent in the unbounded quest for
scientific knowledge and the machinery it produces. The inspiration for this
topic was derived from Wired Magazine’s April 2000 cover story by Bill
Joy. In his essay, Joy argues that technology is advancing at a pace that
does not afford any time to analyze its potential costs and benefits. At a
time when computers are approaching the same degree of complexity as that of
the human brain, we must pause and reflect on our fundamental motivation, on
the practical goals we set for ourselves, and on the possible side effects of
attaining those goals. Our project is meant to provide three early steps
towards a thorough analysis of this issue. One step will be backwards: a
quick overview of technological progress, with emphasis on extracting the
human values that drive it. One step will be a step in place, a study of the
status quo-the research that is currently being pursued and where it is
leading. Finally, the last step will be a step forward - a comparison of the
options available to us, accompanied by some criteria for choosing among
these options. |