Impacts of Invention &

Innovation

Technology can have positive and

negative impacts on individuals,
society and the environment.

Humans have the capability and

responsibility to constrain or promote
technological development.

Technology, by itself, is neither

good or bad, but decisions about
the use of products or systems
can result in desirable or
undesirable consequences.

Technological Literacy
Is not only what students should know and be
able to do, but what all citizens in a
technology driven society need to know and
be able to do.
Basic technological literacy is necessary to
make informed decisions about technology
and its impacts.
Technological literacy is the ability to use,
manage, assess, and understand technology.

Technological Literacy has been defined many

ways, but all of them include similar
characteristics:
Abilities to make decisions about technology
Possession of basic literacy skills required to
solve technology problems
Ability to make wise decisions about uses of
technology
Ability to apply knowledge, tools, and skills for
the benefit of society
Ability to describe the basic technology systems
of society.

Impacts of Technology
The impact of technology is viewed as the

solutions to problems and the new

problems created by the solutions
Optimization is the process of seeking or
developing the best solution to a problem
The best solution for a problem is not
likely to be found the first time. This makes
it possible for future developments to
improve or optimize the product.

 Every new technological advance or

solution has some hidden and known
negative effects.
These negative effects or compromises
are called: TRADE-OFFS.
Negative aspects of a product could affect
people and the environment in ways that
are sometimes more harmful than the
solution.

 When new technology is developed,

decisions are made regarding the amount
of risk that is acceptable in attaining a
solution.
Many of these risks were not considered
as carefully as they should have been and
we are now just starting to see their
effects.

Technological Change
The evolution of technology has been a
series of progressive improvements to
products to fulfill a need or provide a
convenience.

 In the beginning of our technological

evolution, more emphasis was placed on
development of a solution and less on the
implications it may have on society or the
environment.
Early technological development, because
of a smaller knowledge base and lack of
communication, was very slow and
sometimes took hundreds of years.

 As we progressed through time and

developed more ideas and solutions, it
became easier and faster.
Increased knowledge, communication and
writing, and the ability to improve current
products played an important role in the
change process.
Ex: Computers, televisions, phones, etc.

Implications
The choices we make can have long
lasting positive or negative effects to our
future.
Even if we make good choices, the results
of those choices will affect individuals,
society, environment, and future
technology.

Ex: Internal Combustion Engine

It was one of the greatest inventions in
history.
The use in the automobile created a
change in work and leisure activities.
It influenced the economy, changed the
way we built cities, and shortened travel
time.

 Unfortunately, it also had a drastic impact

on our environment.
Pollution
Accidents
Erosion
Reduction in agricultural and forested land
have had dramatic impact on our
environment.
As a result of increased paved areas and
pollutants in the air, the average global
temperature is rising in what scientists call
Global Warming.

How does the Internal Combustion

Engine Work?
http://www.howstuffworks.com

Societal Problems
In recent years, advanced technology
solutions have often reduced the need for
human workers in various professions.
Ex: Robots have replaced human workers in
the manufacturing industry. They do not get
tired, injured or need breaks, and can perform
jobs that are hazardous to people.

Environmental Problems:
Most of the current environmental

problems are a result of technology

created over the past 30 to 40 years.
This is due mainly to the development of
materials used in products that are not
biodegradable or recyclable.
If they are not recycled, disposal is still
necessary and creates landfill and run off
problems.

Environmental Problems Cont.

Materials used to grow food and other
agricultural products can also have
damaging effects on the environment.
Ex: Fertilizers

When technology is developed to help

improve life, it often can disrupt the
balance of nature and cause irreversible
damage.

 Environmental problems are not only

about waste products, but deal with raw
materials and resources.
Conservation of materials in many
circumstances is not a priority when
developing new technology.
Ex: Trees, fossil fuels, and different types of
minerals.

Technology Assessment
Technology Assessment: think before you
act! (Kranzberg, 1979)
When taken to the next level, its not only
think before you act.
Any technology has obvious sought after
effects called first order effects.
However, there are unintended effects as
well called second and third order effects.

Dimensions of Consequences
Planned

Desired

Unintended

Technological
Decision

Intended

Undesired

Unplanned

 The automobile is fast, cheap

transportation for the driver and provides

profits for the manufacturer.
These are the first order effects that are
obvious to most consumers.

However, there are second and third order

effects.

Decline of the railroads, urban decline, the

interstate highway system, the decline in
environmental quality, etc.
The moving assembly line: drew women into
the workforce

The difficulty of forecasting technological

developments and the resulting side
effects is one reason that criticism is ever
present.

History of Technology Assessment

Technology assessment dates back to the
creation of the Regulatory Agency in the
1850s which was created after more than
2,500 deaths related to the shipping
industry.
Regulation spread to other areas as well,
but in the early 20th century focus was
shifted to technology.

National Environmental Policy Act

of 1972
This act required environmental impact
statements for all federal actions significantly
affecting the environment.
The Technology Assessment Act of 1972 was
enacted by Congress to establish an Office of
Technology Assessment (OTA) as an aid in the
identification and consideration of existing and
probable impacts of technological application; to
amend the National Science Foundation Act of
1950; and for other purposes.

The basic function of the OTA was

to:
1. Identify existing or probable impacts of
2.
3.
4.

technology or technological problems

Where possible, ascertain cause-andeffect relationships
Identify alternative technological
methods of implementing specific
programs
Identify alternative programs for
achieving requisite goals

5. Make estimates and comparisons of the

6.
7.

8.

impacts of alternative methods and

programs
Present findings of completed analyses
to the appropriate legislative authorities
Identify areas where additional research
or data collection is required to provide
adequate support for the assessments
and estimates.
Undertake such additional associated
activities as specified by the appropriate
authorities.

Office of Technology Assessment

(OTA)
Topics studied by OTA have ranged widely

from nuclear proliferation to pollution

control, industrial competitiveness,
computer security and privacy, and
medical technology.
The OTA was extremely successful and
widely acclaimed.
The OTA published over 100,000 pages of
the best available analysis of policy issues.

 For 23 years the Office of Technology

Assessment (OTA) provided Congress
and other committees with an objective
analysis of various technological and
scientific issues that faced America.
The Congressional Office of Technology
Assessment closed on September 29,
1995. It was small and fell victim to
political downsizing in the 90s in an
attempt to streamline the budget.

The complete collection of publications by

the office as well as other materials about
its history are available online at:
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/~ota/ns20/legacy_n.html

Biotechnology and Assessment

When dealing with living things, a whole
host of ethical issues arise, that may not
have surfaced with other forms of
technological development.
Generally, morals, values, and religious
beliefs surface when determining the
positive and negative aspects of bio
related technology.

The large-scale introduction of biomedical and

other technologies in the second half of the 20 th
century has raised new ethical issues such as:
The definition of death
Withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment
Prenatal diagnosis and abortion
Storage of frozen human embryos
The use of humans, animals, or fetal tissue for
scientific research
The screening of persons for the AIDS virus or other
infections
The disposition of toxic wastes
The expansion of genetic engineering

 The awareness of bioethics and other moral

issues has caused us to pay more attention to

practical problems of biological research and
deal with the moral and social concerns of
human behavior.
Modern Biotechnology is a collection of
technologies that are all targeted for a specific
purpose.
These biotechnologies all have a common
factor, which is the use of cells and biological
molecules.
Biotechnology is a very large and growing area
of study.

Some common areas of research in Biotechnology

include:

Monoclonal Antibody Technology

Cell Culture Technology
Biosensor Technologies
Genetic Modification Technology
Antisense Technology
Protein Engineering Technology

These are only a fraction of the Biotechnology

career areas that are currently being studied.

Monoclonal Antibody Technology

Uses a type of immune system cell that
makes proteins called antibodies. These
antibodies are used to:

Distinguish cancer cells from normal cells

Locate environmental pollutants
Detect harmful microorganisms in food
Diagnose infectious diseases in humans,
animals and plants quicker and more
accurately than ever before.

Cell Culture Technology

Includes plant cells, mammalian cells and
insect cells to produce bio-related
insecticides, medical procedures, and
pharmaceuticals.

Biosensor Technologies
They are detection devices that rely on the
specificity of cells and molecules to
identify and measure substances at
extremely low concentrations.

 Biosensors can:
Measure the nutritional value, freshness and
safety of food.
Provide emergency room physicians with
bedside measure of vital blood components.
Locate and measure environmental
pollutants.
Measure blood glucose levels more rapidly
and precisely than existing methods.

Genetic Modification Technology

Often referred to as recombinant DNA
technology.
Humans make recombinant DNA, both in
nature, and by combining genetic material
from 2 different sources.

 Genetic Modification is used to:

Produce new and safer vaccines

Treat some genetic diseases
Provide new and better medicines
Enhance bio-control agents in agriculture
Increase crop yields and decrease production costs
Decrease allergy-producing characteristics of some
foods
Improve food nutritional value
Increase livestock productivity
Develop biodegradable plastics
Decrease water and air pollution

Antisense Technology
Decreases the production of specific proteins by
using small nucleic acids to block the genes the
responsible for making these proteins.
Currently, researchers are investigating how to
use this technology to:

Slow food spoilage

Control viral diseases
Inhibit inflammation
Treat diseases such as asthma, cancers, and a kind
of anemia called thalassemia

Protein Engineering Technology

Will often be used in conjunction with
genetic modification to improve existing
proteins, usually enzymes, and to create
proteins not found in nature.