THEETHICS OFINVENTION Technology andthe HumanFuture SheilaJasanoff W.W.NORTON&COMPANY IndependentPublishersSince1923 NEWYORK*LONDON
Copyright©2016bySheilaJasanoff Allrightsreserved PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica FirstEdition Forinformationaboutpermissiontoreproduceselectionsfromthisbook, writetoPermissions,W.W.Norton&Company,Inc., 500FifthAvenue,NewYork,NY10110 Forinformationaboutspecialdiscountsforbulkpurchases,pleasecontact W.W.NortonSpecialSalesat[email protected]or800-233-4830 ManufacturingbyQjxadGraphicsFairfield Productionmanager:JuliaDruskin LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Names:Jasanoff,Sheila,author. Title:Theethicsofinvention:technologyandthehumanfuture/ SheilaJasanoff. Description:Firstedition.|NewYork:W.W.Norton8tCompany,[2016]| Series:TheNortonglobalethicsseries|Includesbibliographical referencesandindex. Identifiers:LCCN2016014456|ISBN9780393078992(hardcover) Subjects:LCSH:Inventions—Moralandethicalaspects.]Technology—Moral andethicalaspects. Classification:LCCT14J342016|DDC174/.96—dc23LCrecordavailableat W.W.Norton&Company,Inc. 500FifthAvenue,NewYork,N.Y.10110 W.W.Norton&CompanyLtd. CastleHouse,75/76WellsStreet,LondonWIT3Q7 1234567890
CONTENTS Chapter1 ThePowerofTechnology 1 Chapter2 RiskandResponsibility 31 Chapter3 TheEthicalAnatomyofDisasters 59 Chapter4 RemakingNature 87 Chapter5 TinkeringwithHumans 116 Chapter6 Information’sWildFrontiers 147 Chapter7 WhoseKnowledge,WhoseProperty? 177
Contents Chapter8 ReclaimingtheFuture 211 Chapter9 InventionforthePeople 246 Acknowledgments 269 Notes 271 Index 287
Chapter1 THEPOWER OFTECHNOLOGY O urinventionschangetheworld,andthereinvented worldchangesus.HumanlifeonEarthtodaylooks radicallydifferentfromjustacenturyago,thanksin goodparttotechnologiesinventedintheinterveningyears. Oncefirmlyearthbound,withonlylegsandwheelstocarry usonlandandshipstocrossthewaters,wehavenowtakento flightindroves,withmorethaneightmillionpassengerscriss- crossingcontinentseachdayinafewairbornehours.IfRich- ardBranson,founderofVirginGalactic,achieveshisdream ofbuildingtheworld’sfirstcommercial“spaceline,”ordinary peoplemaysoonbecomeastronauts.Communication,too,has brokenfreefromshacklesoftimeanddistance.WhenIleft Indiainthemid-1950s,ittookthreeweeksforletterstogo backandforthfromKolkata,whereIwasborn,toScarsdale, NewYork,wheremyfamilyfirstsettled.Mailwouldnotarrive reliably.Stampswouldbestolenandpackagesnotdelivered. Today,anelectronicmessagesentatnightfromtheeastern UnitedStatesbringsaninstantreplyfromafriendinEurope orAsiawhosedayisjustbeginning.Facebookconnectsmore thanabillionusersworldwidewithasinglemouseclickor two.^Lastbutnotleast,wehavecrackedthesecretsofliving 1
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