Andrew Maynard

Cady Coleman

A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow

Future Rising

Jack Stilgoe

Nanotechnology, clean technology, and geoengineering span the scale of human ingenuity, from the imperceptibly small to the unimaginably large. Yet they are united by a commonality of ethics that permeates how and why they are developed, and how the resulting consequences are managed. The articles in this volume provide a comprehensive account of current thinking around the ethics of development and use within each of the technological domains, and addresses challenges and opportunities that cut across all three. In particular, the collection provides unique insights into the ethics of ’noumenal’ technologies - technologies that are impossible to see or detect or conceive of with human senses or conventional tools. This collection will be of relevance to anyone who is actively involved with ensuring the responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnology, geoengineering or clean technology.

The Ethics of Nanotechnology, Geoengineering, and Clean Energy

A scientist offers compelling visions and potential pitfalls of the future—in “a journey through time, space, and the human experience” (Dr. Tanya Harrison, coauthor of For All Humankind). Humanity has gained the ability not only to imagine the future, but to design and engineer it. At times entertaining, and at others profound, Future Rising provides an original perspective on our relationship with the future. As a species, we’ve become talented architects of our future—yet we often struggle to come to terms with what this means. As innovation and rapidly shifting norms and expectations drive our world at breakneck speed, we sometimes need to find a still, quiet place to pause and think. Future Rising creates such a place, where we can take advantage of our species’ knowledge of world history and the importance of science to piece together a positive future. To create a good future, we must rediscover the past. Our relationship with the future is inextricably intertwined with where we’ve come from, who we are, and what we aspire to. Future Rising starts at the beginning of all things with the Big Bang and traces a pathway along the emergence of intelligent life, through what makes humans uniquely capable of imagining and creating different futures. In a series of sixty short reflections, Andrew Maynard, a former physicist and nationally recognized expert in technology and society, will take you on a journey into: What “the future” actually is How it molds and guides our lives How we can use the history of the world to change our future “A thoughtful and thought-provoking response to the moment we’re in, chronicling how we got here, where we’re going, and what role we have in that journey.” ?Ramona Pringle, Director of Creative Innovation Studio and Associate Professor, Ryerson University

Hard Science Fiction Films that Predict the Future “As the breakneck advance of technology takes us into a world that is both exciting and menacing, sci-fi films give us an inkling of what is to come, and what we should avoid.” —Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, and host of Big Picture Science #1 Best Seller in Nanotechnology and Computers & Technology Dr. Andrew Maynard, physicist and leading expert on socially responsible development of emerging and converging technologies, examines science fiction movies and brings them to life. Advances in science and technology are radically changing our world.Films from the Future is an essential guide to navigating a future dominated by complex and powerful new technologies. The jump from room-filling processors to pocket-size super computers is just the beginning. Artificial intelligence, gene manipulation, cloning, and inter-planet travel are all ideas that seemed like fairy tales but a few years ago. And now their possibility is very much here. But are we ready to handle these advances? As Maynard explains, “Viewed in the right way?and with a good dose of critical thinking?science fiction movies can help us think about and prepare for the social consequences of technologies we don’t yet have, but that are coming faster than we imagine.” Films from the Future looks at twelve movies that take readers on a journey through the worlds of biological and genetic manipulation, human enhancement, cyber technologies, and nanotechnology. Gain a broader understanding of the complex relationship between science and society. The movies include old and new, and the familiar and unfamiliar, to provide a unique, entertaining, and ultimately transformative take on the power and responsibilities of emerging technologies. If you have read books such as The Book of Why, The Science of Interstellar, or The Future of Humanity, you will love Films from the Future.

Andrew Maynard

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