May 17 2011: Personal opinion is that the disconnect is not so fundamental as the extract suggests, but rather is a function of a more complex interaction between the apparent increase in the gap between bleeding edge technology and the facility of the general public to understand it, the apparent increasing mistrust of science and the influence of the mainstream media on this - see news stories about the LHC and mini blackholes, the impact of sensationalist novels etc. - and a raft of other influences from the decline in the Western world of a powerful monotheistic church based state, the increase in the prevalence of conspiracy theories, poor PR from the science community and a nebulous sense of foreboding that seems to pervade society.
I'm thinking here of examples such as GMO, here in the UK the perception is that GM crops are being introduced through the back door, and this causes a concern reaction. Similar situation with cloning and stem cell research, dis-information in the mainstream media coupled with a lack of strong and valid PR from the scientific community.
I don't see necessarily a trust in nature either, particularly given the increased coverage of natural disasters and their consequences. I think people are general just scared, and will be resistant to any change as a consequence.
TEDCred score: 0.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.
A reply on Conversation: Do you have a story where yours or someone's smile totally changed the outcome of an unpleasant situation?
A comment on Conversation: Is resistance to technology use in society based on our evolution history tied to the land rather than the machine?
I'm thinking here of examples such as GMO, here in the UK the perception is that GM crops are being introduced through the back door, and this causes a concern reaction. Similar situation with cloning and stem cell research, dis-information in the mainstream media coupled with a lack of strong and valid PR from the scientific community.
I don't see necessarily a trust in nature either, particularly given the increased coverage of natural disasters and their consequences. I think people are general just scared, and will be resistant to any change as a consequence.
Interesting topic, thank you