Here be dragons : science, technology and the future of humanity / Olle Häggström.
By: Häggström, Olle [author.].
Publisher: Oxford, United Kingdom ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2016Edition: First edition.Description: ix, 278 pages ; 24 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9780198723547.Other title: Science, technology and the future of humanity.Subject(s): Technology and civilization | Technological innovations -- Social aspects | Technological innovations -- Social aspects | Technology and civilizationGenre/Form: Print books.| Current location | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Shelf | CB478 .H338 2016 (Browse shelf) | Available | AU0000000009240 |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-273) and index.
Science for good and science for bad -- Our planet and its biosphere -- Engineering better humans? -- Computer revolution -- Going nano -- What is science? -- The fallacious Doomsday Argument -- Doomsday nevertheless? -- Space colonization and the Fermi Paradox -- What do we want and what should we do?
The 21st century will most likely see even more revolutionary changes than the 20th, due to advances in science, technology and medicine. Particular areas where extraordinary and perhaps disruptive advances can be expected include biotechnology, nanotechnology, and machine intelligence. We may also expect various ways to enhance human cognitive and other abilities using, e.g., pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering or machine-brain interfaces - perhaps to the extent of changing human nature beyond what we currently think of as human. The potential benefits of all these technologies are enormous, but so are the risks, including the possibility of human extinction.--