Technology and Society Gateway Seminar

The Spring 2008 offering of the Technology & Society Seminar Series addresses the theme of technology and politics. We will explore topics such as the use of technology in political campaigns and advocacy, public policies regarding the regulation or use of technology, and technology as the product of politics.

As always in this series, graduate students from all departments are invited. New and previous attendees are equally encouraged to attend. The agenda of the seminar will be set by students’ interests. The content of the seminar is driven by student presentations on their research or topics of interest, followed by round-table discussion. The seminar typically includes participation by several faculty from diverse backgrounds. Some of the questions we may cover are:

1. How is technology affecting US politics? Global politics?
2. Are MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites meaningful contributors to democracy? What about virtual worlds?
3. In what ways does new technology amplify or enhance existing patterns of political power, and in what ways does it disrupt patterns? How do new winners and losers created by technology respond to their changing status?
4. What is the future of privacy? What can be done about it?
5. How can potentially harmful effects of emerging technologies such as nanoparticles best be anticipated? How should they be regulated?
6. Can computer scientists, engineers, and other technologists incorporate considerations about social implications into their work? Should they?