The article addresses the issue of dynamics of science, in particular of new sciences born in twentieth century and developed after the Second World War (information science, materials science, life science). The article develops the notion of search regime as an abstract characterization of dynamic patterns, based on three dimensions: the rate of growth, the degree of internal diversity of science and the associated dynamics (convergent vs. proliferating), and the nature of complementarity. The article offers a conceptual discussion for the (...) argument that new sciences follow a different pattern than established sciences and presents preliminary evidence drawn from original data in particle physics, computer science and nanoscience. (shrink)

As more and more companies adopt artificial intelligence to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their products and services, they expose themselves to ethical crises and potentially damaging public controversy associated with its use. Despite the prevalence of AI ethical problems, most companies are strategically unprepared to respond effectively to the public. This paper aims to advance our empirical understanding of company responses to AI ethical crises by focusing on the rise and fall of facial recognition technology. Specifically, through a (...) comparative case study of how four big technology companies responded to public outcry over their facial recognition programs, we not only demonstrated the unfolding and consequences of public controversies over this new technology, but also identified and described four major types of company responses—Deflection, Improvement, Validation, and Pre-emption. These findings pave the way for future research on the management of controversial technology and the ethics of AI. (shrink)

Science and technology are so intertwined that technoscience has been argued to more accurately reflect the progress of science and its impact on society, and most socioscientific issues require technoscientific reasoning. Education policy documents have long noted that the general public lacks sufficient understanding of science and technology necessary for informed decision-making regarding socioscientific/technological issues. The science–technology–society movement and scholarship addressing socioscientific issues in science education reflect efforts in the science education community to promote more informed decision-making regarding such issues. (...) Now Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics education has emerged as a major reform movement impacting science education. STEM education efforts emphasize literacy across the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but with rare exceptions, treat issues of technology superficially and uncritically. Informed decision-making regarding many personal and societal issues requires technological literacy beyond merely becoming an enthusiastic designer or skilled user of technology, but the science education community has given little attention to what such literacy entails. Here, we present results of an extensive review of the literature regarding the nature of technology in order to identify key issues among scholars who study technology. We then provide predominant perspectives among those scholars and suggest which identified NOT issues are most essential to address as part of STEM education efforts that seek to promote informed personal and societal decision-making. (shrink)

For three hundred years two conflicting views of the world (1) have provided the overall frameworks for thought in western culture. The present paper shows neither view is sufficient for human understanding of many important systems and behaviors. A third view which appears sufficient is presented. Illustrations of the third view show increased understanding is obtained in many problems. The sufficiency of the historic views and the route to the third view are provided through discussion of the issue of multi-disciplinarity, (...) the question of whether it is possible to base everything we know on one discipline, or, on the contrary, if there is a logical necessity for using principles and concepts from many disciplines to achieve human understanding of the world. The present article provides three distinct proofs of the logical necessity of multi-disciplinarity. The proofs proceed via study of: (1) the hierarchical structure of proto-typical systems in various areas of human concern; (2) the use of “integrated-control-information” by life forms and human artifacts; and (3) an extension of the theory of dimensions. The three proofs interlock, confirm, and extend each other. (shrink)

For three hundred years two conflicting views of the world (1) have provided the overall frameworks for thought in western culture. The present paper shows neither view is sufficient for human understanding of many important systems and behaviors. A third view which appears sufficient is presented. Illustrations of the third view show increased understanding is obtained in many problems. The sufficiency of the historic views and the route to the third view are provided through discussion of the issue of multi-disciplinarity, (...) the question of whether it is possible to base everything we know on one discipline, or, on the contrary, if there is a logical necessity for using principles and concepts from many disciplines to achieve human understanding of the world. The present article provides three distinct proofs of the logical necessity of multi-disciplinarity. The proofs proceed via study of: (1) the hierarchical structure of proto-typical systems in various areas of human concern; (2) the use of "integrated-control-information" by life forms and human artifacts; and (3) an extension of the theory of dimensions. The three proofs interlock, confirm, and extend each other. (shrink)

This paper clarifies and answers the following question: is technology morally neutral? It is argued that the debate between proponents and opponents of the Neutrality Thesis depends on different underlying assumptions about the nature of technological artifacts. My central argument centres around the claim that a mere physicalistic vocabulary does not suffice in characterizing technological artifacts as artifacts, and that the concepts of function and intention are necessary to describe technological artifacts at the right level of description. Once this has (...) been established, I demystify talk about the possible value-ladenness of technological artifacts by showing how these values can be empirically identified. I draw from examples in biology and the social sciences to show that there is a non-mysterious sense in which functions and values can be empirically identified. I conclude from this that technology can be value-laden and that its value-ladenness can both derive from the intended functions as well as the harmful non-intended functions of technological artifacts. (shrink)

Is technology neutral, a neutral means to whatever ends we have in mind, or is it, instead, somehow imbued with moral and political value, a kind of autonomous force which brings about its own ends? How should we think about the moral dimension of mundane technology, in particular, what is the right way to use it?