November 2, 2005
With in-class input

Why Technology "Bites Back":

Reading:

• Tenner: Why Things Bite Back (course text) - Chapter 1 -3, pages 3 - 90
• Rusch, Kristine K. 2000 Results. Asimov's Science Fiction 24(3):35-40. (Blackboard E-Reading)

Session Objectives:

• Examine why we as humans typically embrace change without looking to see.
• Learn categories of "revenge effects"
• See as an example how human health has been impacted by "unintended consequences.
• Learn how to use the technology you will need to succeed in the course
• Begin thinking about your course technology project

Summary and Index of "Lecture"

• Welcome and Course Overview
• Current Technology Trends
• Technology "tales" in literature
• Why do things bite back?
• An Example: How has human health been impacted by "unintended consequences"
• Project topic work assignment.

Introduction to each other - before and in class introductions

If you have not already done so, please go to the Discussion Board link at left and locate the Class Lounge & Introduction Forum. Tell us a little about yourself and share with us some of your perspectives on and experience with technology. As others put up their "stories" please read and converse as you might in a face-to-face (f2f) conversation in a classroom during the first class period.

Introduction to the Course

Please read through the Course Syllabus linked from the Blackboard menu at left. Read carefully through the Course Description so that you get a feel for the concept of the course. Note that the name of the course has a double meaning or could be considered an oxymoron, as we will examine both how technology has transformed not only our lives as individuals, but also our society and culture, and even the very fabric of the natural creation, and also will examine how we can in turn begin to think about technology more deliberately, to transform technology to something more in keeping with both our hopes and also perhaps our Creator's hopes as well.

Note carefully the two sets of course objectives, or learner outcomes.  The first set are institutional objectives for all courses that address the interface of science and technology in our university general education or foundational studies curriculum. This first set largely focuses on understanding, analyzing, and evaluating the science and technology in the world around us and in our everyday lives.  The second set are course specific outcomes that focus more on the concepts of transforming technology, tools for critiquing technology that we often simply take for granted, and ways to make technology more appropriate and socially and ethically responsible.

Next are the course requirements, which in summary are three:

• Your active participation in the course, both in the f2f component in class and in the asynchronous online components in Blackboard and on the course Web site. One major component of this latter online component is your two days per week contribution of some idea, concept, reference, neat web site or article or news  item, etc to our online Techo-Talk Discussion.  The other component of course is attending the four class sessions that will be held in RC228 of the Bethel University campus in Arden Hills on November 2, 9, 16 and Dec 7 as well as "attending" the online course session on November 30. . This component will comprise 30% of your course grade.
  
  
• Reading forms the backbone of the course and includes 4 books that I think you will enjoy as we explore technology. Major reading assignments are listed in the course Schedule. Some are more difficult to read than others, but you should find some that resonate with you as a learner and should then plan to spend more time with those that seem to be more difficult for you as a reader and learner. You will be writing a weekly focus response learning essay with a purpose of clearly showing that you have read and thought about the reading materials.  To help you get started I pose one or more "focus" questions each week around which you can frame your learning essay each week as you see fit.  I strongly recommend that you get in the habit of referring to specific components and examples from the reading as you build your learning essay as this strengthens your writing to "back yourself up" by referring to the ideas of others and then showing how those relate with your experience or modify your way of thinking—of how they have helped you to learn.  This component will comprise 30% of your course grade and must be done for every week of the course. You will post your learning essays in the Blackboard Discussion area for the week.     More information about your learning essays can be found via the Focus Learning Essay link in Blackboard.
  
  
• A course project in which you examine a specific technology or technology related concept will make up the rest of the work that you will do for the course.  In this project you will apply what you learn in the course to an example that you will present to the class on the last class day on December 7. You can find more details about the project via the Course Project Info link in the course Blackboard. In the past, students have focused on everything from washing machines and other home appliances to work technologies like the creation and ordering of checks, to medical technologies like pacemakers and other health technologies, or even leisure and life technologies like the car or sports. I recommend you use the project as a way to critically examine a technology that either you wonder about (future technology) or that you wonder how it has transformed us or how it might be better transformed. The course project presentation makes up 40% of your course grade.

The course schedule is available via  the *Schedule link in Blackboard.  Please note that this is an online schedule and as we go through the course, links to course materials and readings will be added, so check the schedule frequently each week.

The course Assignments link in Blackboard provides a summary of the main course assignments and due dates. Please try to follow the due dates as closely as possible because in these accelerated courses, getting behind is not a good place to be.

Questions?:   If you have any questions at this point in the class, please feel free to ask these in the Class Lounge, Questions, & Introduction Forum in the Blackboard Discussion area. blog

Setting for today - Perceptual Change

Concept # 1 Current Technology Trends

CASE 1:  Can Humans Live Forever

CASE 2: Flu Pandemic

CASE 3: Wired News

As we get started examining transforming technology, I would like you to open up a search engine like Google and search for new technologies that interest you.

Search the Internet

What did you find?  Are there any "morals" to our discoveries?

• medical technology - shorter recovery
• bluetooth
• biometrics
• voip
• bioethics
• pacemakers
• smartboard
• fuel cells
• soyfuels
• windturbines
• ipods
• miniminimini
• household tech
• rfid
• gps
• nanotech
• defibrillators
• pain management
• cloning
• stem cells
• transdermal drug delivery
• neural regeneration
• spinal regeneration
• prosthetics and organ replacement

Example 1: Of Frog and Toad: Chapter 2 of Kenneth Grahame's "children's" book, Wind in the Willows.
Example 2: The Sorcerer's Apprentice, from Fantasia Video clip available in the E-Readings area in Blackboard.
Example 3: If you haven't previously, read the short story by Kristine Rusch, Results. Technology, Jess always adds, that most people don't understand......This morning she thought it irresponsible to have a child without knowing the risks. But she hadn't known the greatest risk of all. The risk of believing the statistics, reading too much into the numbers. Perfection is not possible.

Why do we seem to have such a "precautionary" relationship with technology?  What are these stories telling us about ourselves?

Concept # 3 : Why do things bite back?  The revenge effects of Edward Tenner

Edward Tenner in one of the texts for the course, Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unitended Consequences says that "The safer and better off we are, the more threatened we feel....Wherever we turn we face the ironic unintended consequences of mechanical, chemical, biogical, and medical ingenuity—revenge effects". Below I have listed these revenge effects.

Revenge effect
Rearranging effect - shifts problems
Repeating effect - more time required
Recomplicating effect- more complex
Regenerating effect - more small impacts
Recongesting effect - more crowded
Reversed effect - unexpected good

All of the above effects are proximate reasons why technology bites back. I think we also need to contemplate more deeply why we see such a plethora of examples of revenge effects and see if there is not an underlying ultimate cause as well.

Several other concepts of Tenner might also help us to come closer to an answer. Investigate futher these concepts.

• systems - The lost concept of "system" (Note: links open in new window)
• bugs "Anything can break, only a system can have a bug."
• tool "We cease to be tool users and begin to be tool managers."
• Luddite vs
• Extropian
• Murphy's law

What are the ultimate reasons why Science and Technology bite back? What are your thoughts on the revenge effect concept in the Revenge Effect Thread?

Concept # 4: How has human health been impacted by "unintended consequences"

Inn Chapters 2 - 3 Tenner uses the human health arena as a first example of how technology both has transformed and could be transformed.  I have asked some questions for you to contemplate and also linked some data about human populations and health data below for you to examine.

Once you have completed all of the reading and have digested our first class session so that you feel you have a better understanding of "transforming technology", revenge effects, proximate and ultimate causes, and finally of health care as an example of "transforming technology" you are ready to write your first Learning Essay Focus Response. Be sure to look over the expectations and the grading rubric and then sit down at your keyboard, open up your word processing program (or use a piece of paper it that is your technology), and then write your essay.  There is no right answer and the purpose is to share your experiences and how this week's readings, discussion, and "lectures" have confirmed or modified your way of looking at not only technology, but your and our relationship(s) with transforming technology.  Then when you have your essay (300 - 500 words is a good target) written, copy it from your word processing program and paste it into the message box as a reply to my "The revenge of technology?" thread in the Focus Response 1 forum in the Blackboard discussion area.

Concept # 5: Applying what you have learned to selecting your course project topic.

Finally, for this week I want you to begin thinking about potential topics for your course project.

• Review the Course Project Info  linked from the menu in Blackboard.
• Make a list of several topics that interest you and begin looking for some resources that can help you decide if that topic would make a good project on transforming technology to meet all of the expectations.  I would recommend that you not only do a web search using something like Google, but that you also use one of our excellent full text databases available from the Bethel University Library web site.  One good database is the Ebsco Megafile which searches a large number of our Ebsco databases. You might also want to consider setting up an appointment (or dropping by) with one of our reference librarians in the Bethel University Library as they are wonderful in helping you both find information and also at helping you think through exactly what topic you are trying to really address. The guides to research and using the library can also help you get started.
• Bring your topic and at least one reference paper with you to class next week on November 9 to share with the class.

Then of course when you have completed all of your work for week 1, you can begin on the reading for next week as we will attempt to define technology and look for ways to evaluate technology more effectively than we seem to normally do in our everyday technology filled (but overlooked and accepted) lives. See you in class in RC228 on November 9 at 5:30p.m.

©Dr. Bob Kistler (WebMail)
Updated:  November 6, 2005