How dangerous is technology?
Such dangers are predictable, unlike natural phenomena such as sunspot
● BY PETER TOWNSEND FEBRUARY 13TH 2017
Technological advances have provided immense improvements in our lives,
but often with a hidden cost. Even the historic skills of bronze and iron
working were driven by a desire not only for ploughs and tools, but for
better weapons of war. This is still the case for much of modern science.
Technical knowledge has helped to combat diseases, improve health,
provide more food, offer faster travel, or ease hardship, and this is progress.
We like novelty and innovation, but forget they happen at the limits of our
understanding. We rarely see, or cannot predict, potential dangers.
Innovation and knowledge are expanding at unprecedented rates, but we
individually understand an ever-smaller percentage of the total.
The numbers of our daily exchanges of emails, phone calls, texts,
photographs, and blogs was unimaginable just a few years ago. We receive
them but ignore, delete, or forget them far faster than we did with hand-
written letters and photographs. Technological progress means the life
expectancy of stored data is rapidly shortening as our computer systems
evolve and old data are incompatible with the modern storage and software
technologies. We have photos of grandparents but do not expect electronic
pictures to survive for our grandchildren. Stone carvings did not say much,
but they exist.
Unexpected dangers lie in our reliance on computers and communications
that are dependent on electrical power, optical fibre links, and satellites.
Satellites are crucial for communications yet they have a finite life
expectancy, and can fragment into thousands of high speed components
that will destroy other satellites. This is a runaway situation, and current
plans to improve data rates by doubling the number may mean satellite-
based technology is doomed within a few decades. Failed satellites already
contribute to a myriad of orbiting fragments, so further collisions are
inevitable. Chunks as small as a mobile phone, at orbital speeds, can have
kinetic energy 500 times greater than a military tank shell. Impacts are
spectacular. Satellite technology may self-destruct; only the time scale is
uncertain. Political, or terrorist, acts could rapidly remove satellites.
emissions which strike the Earth. They make beautiful aurora in the night
sky, but have destroyed power networks. We are vulnerable as we are
totally dependent on electrical power, electronics, and satellites. Major solar
emissions that intersect our Earth’s orbit are inevitable, and they can cause
a total loss of power in advanced societies, including the destruction of
satellites. The consequences are so horrendous that few people wish to
consider them.
The tangible benefits of technological progress are wonderful, but are
matched by irreversible damage to our global resources. To support almost
eight billion people, our attempts to provide sufficient food are made with
limited regard to the land or other creatures, and we have destroyed cultures
and hundreds of languages. Crop yields and health care have advanced with
the aid of drugs and chemicals but they are not, and cannot be, confined to
their original locations. Food and water supplies are seriously contaminated
with a cocktail of chemicals and drugs which no earlier civilization has ever
experienced. Despite warnings and research, the potential for allergies, ill
health, and mutagenic and fertility changes are ignored by the majority.
Humans have always been concerned with the present, self-interest, and
profit. This is why we have advanced. The difference now is that we have
outgrown our potential resources.
Technologies isolate many people from society, especially the poor or
elderly. Our dependence on computers offers an obvious example as the
changing systems are expensive or too complex for such people. Instead of
benefiting them, they are side-lined. Further, the technologies are invariably
designed by, and for, the young, who cannot appreciate how age has
reduced sight, sensitivity to pale colours in display contrast, or manual
dexterity. Lack of understanding can equally increase vulnerability to
computer scams on their data and money. Technology is spawning an
exponential growth in cyber-crime. This is globally running at many
billions of dollars per year, and steeply rising.
I am highlighting dangers of new technologies that are often unexpected
and unforeseen. They are hidden by very positive aspects of new science,
but are placing advanced civilizations in danger of a sudden and total
collapse. My comments are not anti-technology, but are intended to raise
awareness of our vulnerability to the dangers that exist. It is absolutely
essential that we recognise this and actively make contingency planning to
minimise undesirable consequences. There is urgency, otherwise advanced
civilizations will crash within decades. Over exploitation of resources can
be addressed if we have the political will. It needs governments with
intelligence to recognise that there are natural disasters, such as the sunspot
emissions, that are inevitable. These can strike at any time, and we must
have contingency measures in place.
SOURCE: https://blog.oup.com/2017/02/how-dangerous-is-technology/
1. Answer the following questions based on the text
a. What is the risk of receiving such a huge number of emails and messages?
- We ignore, delete, or forget them far faster than we did with
hand-written letters and photographs, also the life expectancy of
stored data is rapidly shortening and do not expect electronic
pictures to survive for our grandchildren.
b. How can material we store now electronically be lost as a result of
technological advances?
- Our computer systems evolve and old data are incompatible with
the modern storage and software technologies.
c. Why does the author believe satellite based communication is doomed
within a few decades?
- Because the satellite have a finite life expectancy, and can
fragment into thousands of high speed components that will
destroy other satellites.
d. What natural phenomena can affect electrical power and satelites?
- Sunspot emissions
e. What does the author mean by, ”Crop yields and healthcare have
advanced with the aid of drugs and chemicals but they are not, and
cannot be, confined to their original locations…?”
- That not only affected the land, where the drug and chemicals where
was produced but all around the world.
f. What has technological progress brought with it as the population has
increased?
- Food and water supplies are seriously contaminated with a
cocktail of chemicals and drugs
g. Why have health warnings and warnings on the environment been
ignored?
- Because humans have always been concerned with the present,
self-interest, and profit
h. How can technology isolate people from society? Why does this happen?
- The changing systems are expensive or too complex for such
people (older people).
i. What does the author ask governments to do?
- recognise that there are natural disasters, make contingency ( back
up) planning to minimise undesirable consequences. To address his
exploitation
2. List all the positive effects also highlighted in the article. (6)
- Combat disease
- Improve health
- Provide more food
- Ease hardship
- Offer faster travel

3. Find the words in the text that mean the same or similar.
(i) to progress (paragraph 2)
(ii) unsuited (paragraph 2) incompatible
(iii) limited (paragraph 3) finite
(iv) pieces (paragraph 3) component
(v) crashes (paragraph 3) collisions
(vi) unavoidable (paragraph 4) inevitable
(vii) permanent (paragraph 5) irreversible
(viii) excluded (paragraph 6) isolated