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STIR Workshop 4February 16, 2011
Seamless Integration of Technology & SocietyTechnology & Societyfor a Sustainable Future
Introduction Major challenges facing humanity & a
sustainable future IMECE Panel Nov 2010 Vancouver IMECE Panel Nov 2010, Vancouver
o Relevant questions
A winning strategy for a sustainable future
Roop L. Mahajan
Tucker Chair Professor Director, ICTAS
Innovationo Incremental & Black Swano Seamless integration of T &S
Director, ICTASInstitute for Critical Technology
and Applied Science [email protected]
Concluding remarks
A few Nuggets
• Innovation‐ a key to solving humanity’s major problems
• Major problems –energy, water, .. are complex, require multiple perspectives
• IDR or integration of the sciences –physical, life, social‐‐ key to solving these problems
B d f i i bl h i i Buds of creativity bloom at the intersections Bringing natural and social scientists together promotes self‐reflection
necessary for generating solutions for a sustainable future Integration needs to be seamless not adhoc Integration needs to be seamless –not adhoc
• My experience Education and researchEducation and research Rewarding, for me, for my students, for my institution, and for society
• Through seamless integration, we can build a SUSTAINBLE future
“The supreme reality of our
time is the vulnerability oftime is the vulnerability of
the planet.”J h F K d J 28 1963‐ John F. Kennedy, June 28, 1963
President’s address before a Joint Session
of the Dail and Seanad, Dublin, Ireland.
More true today than
ever beforeever before.
What are our vulnerabilities?
Looking aheadg
Top Ten problems of H i f 50Humanity for next 50 years
1. Energy2. Water3 F d These problems3. Food4. Environment5. Poverty6. Terrorism & War7 Di
These problems are complex are challenging are interconnected i lti l7. Disease
8. Education9. Democracy10. Population
require multiple perspectives
Richard E. Smalley , noted scientist and Nobel prize winner
Source: Energy and NanotechnologySource: Energy and Nanotechnology Conference, Rice University, May 3, 2003
Demographics
6
8
10
mill
ions
)
OceaniaN. AmericaS. AmericaE
40% of the world’s
l ti i
2
4
6
Popu
latio
n (m Europe
AsiaAfrica
population is
in the fast developing
regions01750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050
AfricaOceana
N. America AfricaOceana
N. America Africa
OceanaN. America Africa
OceanaN. America
regions.
2005
S. America
Europe
20052005
S. America
Europe
2050
S. America
Europe
2050
S. America
Europe
6.5 Billion6.5 Billion6.5 Billion2050
8.9 Billion
20508.9 Billion
AsiaAsia AsiaAsia
Source: msd-energy-croatia.ppt
Prosperity, Energy Demand
)
Energy demand and GDP per capita (1980‐2002)
apita
(GJ)
As GDP increases,
rgy
per c
a
so does the demand for energy
mar
y en
er energy
Prim
GDP per capita (purchasing power parity)( g y)
2100: 40-50 TW 2050: 25-30 TW2000: 13 TW
20 00
25.00
World Energy Demandtotal
Energy Gap 15.00
20.00
TW
d lgy p
2050: 14 TW
2100: 34 TW 5.00
10.00 industrial
developing
US
ee/fsu
1 TW= 1,000 GW
EIA Intl Energy Outlook 2004http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/index.html
0.00
1970 1990 2010 2030
ee/fsu
How do we meet this gap? By building new power plants?
Hoffert et al Nature 395, 883,1998; msd‐energy‐croatia.ppt
Building one 1‐GW power plant/day will take 38 years !!
What is the impact on environment?
Environmental
380 1.5
340
360
(ppm
v) Tem0.5
1.0-- CO2-- Global Mean Temp
280
300
320m
osph
eric
CO
2
perature (°C)- 0.5
0
240
260
Atm
- 1.5
- 1.0
12001000 1400 1600 1800 2000Year AD
Tipping points on temperature and CO2 level indicate urgency
Climate Change 2001: T he Scientific Basis, Fig 2.22
J. R. Petit et al, Nature 399, 429, 1999 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001
http://www.ipcc.chN. Oreskes, Science 306, 1686, 2004
D. A. Stainforth et al, Nature 433, 403, 2005
2010 Cancun Climate Summit29 Nov-Dec 10
Cancun Climate Change Conferenceagrees plan to cut carbon emissions
CLIMATE CHANGEHIGH HOPES, SLOW PROGRESS
However…
• Developing countries want to alleviate poverty and aspire to be Developed
– To sustain a >10% growth rate/yr, China is adding ~1 coal‐fired power plant/week and has overtaken the US as the largest polluter
– India cannot sustain its ~8% growth rate/yr without an order of magnitude increase in power generation and industrial output and hence, Green House Gas (GHG) emissions
• Developed countries do not want to reduce GHG emissions fast enough as it will impact their already troubled economies
Bottom Line
Clearly, we need new solutions• Economic growth
• Preserve our environment
Perhaps game changer technologies Perhaps game changer technologies
Why not ?
We have a pretty good record
Looking back
Imagine life at the dawn of the 20th century
• Radio, TV, computers, and the Internet did not exist
• No Facebook, Twitter
• No texting………
Th t t l t ifi d• The country was not electrified
• The first airplane flight was 3 years away
• The average life span was 46.3 (males), 48.3 (females) ‐‐mostly due to unclean water and poor sanitation.
The progress is nothing short of STUNNING!!
Looking Forward
• A question:
h h l i h h lAre there new technologies that can help us meet humanity’s major problems? y j p
YES
Technology MixLow cost, high efficiency PV’s **
BatteriesBio‐fuels—3rd gen, algae, heliocultureStealth turbine for wind power
• Next industrial revolution• New phenomena, materials• Environmental issues
Smarter gridTraveling wave nuclear reactorHydrogen economyClean coal technologies
Nano
Advanced EnergyT h l i
• High performance computing • Computer design tools for
• Cellular & molecular biology
Technologies
Co pute des g too s obuildings –complex system
biology
HPC
**Game‐changer TechnologiesStrategic Foresight: Navigating UncertaintyDr. Alexander Van de Putte; IE Business SchoolMadrid, March 2010
However
Another question:
Has the technology story been anHas the technology story been an unqualified success?
Perhaps the correct answer is “ qualified yes”.
Qualified success
Gallop survey
“Using a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being ‘extremely displeased’ to 10 being ‘extremely pleased,’
if your son or daughter or other family member said y g yhe/she wanted to be an engineer/scientist,
how pleased would you be?”p y
9However, There is a perception that technology is “out of control” and p p gythat, too often, societies don’t have the ability to orchestrate a responsible development of powerful technologies that have the potential for huge economic developmentpotential for huge economic development.Swierstra, T. and Rip, A., “Nano‐ethics as NEST‐ethics: patterns of moral argumentation about new and emerging science and technology”,
Nanoethics (2007) 1:3–20; Published online: 5; April 2007, Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2007.
• This skepticism arises from a series of errors and resulting disasters DDTDDT Genetically modified crops Chernobyl
The confidence of people in the power of technologies to solveThe confidence of people in the power of technologies to solve problems and improve their quality of life has been undermined.
• On top of all this, public is not technically well-informed (NAE, NRC survey)
S tibl t i i f ti Susceptible to misinformation A fear of the unknown
Rose, L., and W. E. Dugger, Jr. 2002. ITEA/Gallup Poll Reveals What Americans Think About Technology. Reston, VA: International Technology Education Association.
Emerging technologiesWarning bells
“Discovering the secrets of the Universe is one thing; ensuring that those secrets are used wisely and appropriately is quite another”
Warning bells
those secrets are used wisely and appropriately is quite another.”
“What exactly are the risks attached to each of the techniques under discussion, who will bear them, and who will be liable if and
BBC News, July 11, 2004 Prince Charles on Nanotechnology
when real life fails to follow the rose‐tinted script?”
“Grey Goo”
Emerging technologiesWarning bellsWarning bells
Our most powerful 21st‐century technologies ‐ robotics, geneticengineering, and nanotech ‐ are threatening to make humans anendangered species. ‐‐Bill Joy,Wired Apr 2000
“Failing to understand the consequences of our inventions while we arein the rapture of discovery and innovation seems to be a common faultp yof scientists and technologists; we have long been driven by theoverarching desire to know that is the nature of science’s quest, notstopping to notice that the progress to newer and more powerfultechnologies can take on a life of its own ”technologies can take on a life of its own.”
Another view
Among some enthusiasts, however, attempts to halt the development of these technologies, until all the unanswered questions about the socio-ethical impact g q pare unanswered, are considered unethical.
“Given nanotechnology’s extraordinary economic and social potential, it would be unethical,in my view to attempt to halt scientific and technological progress in nanotechnologyin my view, to attempt to halt scientific and technological progress in nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology offers the potential for improving people’s standard of living, healthcare, andnutrition; reducing or even eliminating pollution through clean production technologies; …….…….even extending the length and quality of life through the repair or replacement of failingorgans.
Given this fantastic potential, how can our attempt to harness nanotechnology’s power at theGiven this fantastic potential, how can our attempt to harness nanotechnology s power at theearliest opportunity—to alleviate many earthly ills– be anything other than ethical?’’
Philip J. Bond, US Under-Secretary of Commerce“R ibl t h l d l t” S i W k h D 2004 7“Responsible nanotechnology development”, Swiss Workshop Dec 2004, p.7
Introduction
Recap The problems facing humanity –Complex, multi‐dimensional, The problems facing humanity Complex, multi dimensional,
interconnected and have a degree of uncertainty
A set of powerful technologies available
However, there are challenges—Technological & Societal
Need a winning strategy
i i & I i (I & I) l i d h innovative & Integrative (I & I)solutions and approaches
O i l d d I & I li ll Our survival depends on I & I —literally.
Winning Strategy Innovation
Human Spark
• Neanderthals and modern humans evolved from the same ancestors.
•Neanderthals left Africa and spread to Europe where they lived for about 200 000 b f th b ti t200, 000 years before they became extinct.
• Those left behind successfully evolved to modern humans and occupied theplanet.p
The difference: InnovationThe difference: Innovation
On Innovation
• Sources Inventor(s) –driven
End- User –Driven Need-based Increasingly assuming more importance Increasingly assuming more importance
• Linear vs game-changer Linear– cost reduction, incremental
Game changer– paradigm shift, perhaps A Black SwanGame changer paradigm shift, perhaps A Black Swan
Black Swan
A Black Swan is an event that has three characteristics;characteristics; it is an outlier it carries an extreme impact it h t ti di t bilit it has retrospective predictability.
"The Black Swan",Nassim Nicholas TalebNassim Nicholas Taleb
On Innovation (cont’d)
• Recent research suggests that the most successfulRecent research suggests that the most successful innovation occurs at the boundaries/interfaces
“Buds of creativity bloom at the intersections”mahajanmahajan
Wh ?Why?
My experience
• AT&T Bell Labs: 1976‐1991 Interdisciplinary research the norm C d ti ld i Condensation soldering
IDR Team: Chemists, engineers, material scientists
My experience
• CU‐Boulder: 1991‐2006 2 IDR Centers CAMP d CAMPmode
o NSF I/UCRCo Engineers, scientists (physics, chemistry)o Highly successfulo Many patents, 2 companies spun off.
MEDICAo Engineers and doctors
Very creative solutionso Very creative solutionso A company spun off
My experience
• Virginia Tech: 2006‐present ICTAS
o A major IDR instituteo A major IDR instituteo Innovation is its creedo Black Swan Seminar Series
No power point presentations No power point presentations Café X Philosophers, engineers, scientists, Open to public but no systematic effort to reach out p p y Cygnets
o Large impact researcho Highly successful
E di d A d
60000000
80000000
100000000
120000000
Expenditures and Awards
Expenditures
0
20000000
40000000
FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010
Awards
Societal considerations
Recap again We need a healthy dose of innovation to solve humanity’s
major problemsmajor problems.
IDR an engine for innovation
Linear/incremental
Disruptive/game changer/black swan
Societal considerations
So far, I have talked about centers and my efforts on integrating engineering and the sciences physical and lifeengineering and the sciences--physical and life.
How about integrating societal considerations? Many questions
The imperative of integrating ethical and societal impactin NSF Funding Proposals
Panel SessionIMECE November 16, 2010
Societal considerations
Q1 Why are ethical dimensions, especially societal impact, important for technological discoveries?
Q2 Wh t th f i l di thi d i t l i tQ2. What are the consequences of including ethics and societal impact vs. excluding them from any research endeavor?
Q3 Why is public perception important to scientific research?Q3. Why is public perception important to scientific research?
Q4. How does this inclusion of ethics and societal impact reflect on educational practices?practices?
Q5. When is the appropriate time to integrate societal impact and ethics in research and technology innovation?gy
Q6. How do researchers go about integrating ethics and societal impact?
Societal considerations
Fi b k d i f iFirst, some background information
Engineers and Humanists: stereotype perceptionsEngineers and Humanists: stereotype perceptions
“ …engineering discourse to be the product of Gradgrinds, constituted solely of facts andconstituted solely of facts and devoid of imagination and creativity.”
‐ humanists (not all)
“… humanistic discourse to be a form of endless babble thata form of endless babble that never answers the questions it poses..”
‐ engineers (some)
• Traditional engineering
These perceptions don’t hold water on examination.
Creation and innovation Engineers harness the laws of nature to do something useful for society(different mission than of basic science)
• Humanistic tradition Deep reflection, ethical management of knowledge, interpretation, and judgment for enrichment of human lifefor enrichment of human life
A Common Objective: j Contribute to the development and progress of the human being
Different forms of human intelligence but complimentary
Societal C id i
Q5. When is the appropriate time to integrate societal impact and ethics in research and technology innovation?
Considerations
ethics in research and technology innovation?
• From post‐conception (or in some cases from conception itself ) through development to implementationdevelopment to implementation
• Seamless integration; many benefits Acceptance vs Resistance p Sustainable vs possibly limited life Avoid “valley of death” Generally higher degree of innovation with inclusion
Multiple public perspectives can provide “out‐of‐the box “ questions‐‐critical to innovation
Non‐linear / game changer vs linear/ incremental innovation ll h l k fé Recall The Black Swan Seminar in Café X
Societal considerations
Q6. How do researchers go about integrating ethics and societal impact?
• To Lab Directors : Embed a “humanist” in your lab. Have a humanist as a member of your research team right from early stages;
co‐P.I. on proposals—not downstream; not even mid‐stream but all along . Will insure seamless integration Very rewarding
• My personal experience Erik Fisher, the embedded humanist in my NT and Thermal Engineering Lab Enriching experience for my students including Erik and me Enriching experience for my students including Erik, and me
Led to the concept of Humanistic Engineering
Union of these two disciplines, two culturesA f l f i– A powerful way to transform society.
A Humanistic Engineer
“ A 21st century engineer who is able to adopt multiple perspectives and A 21 century engineer who is able to adopt multiple perspectives and perform their own socio‐humanistic critiques in the absence of qualified humanistic interlocutors”
‐‐ Fisher and Mahajan*
• Technically competent and socially integrative
• Innovative and producer and yet reflective, p y ,deliberate and in tune with the social ethical aspects of his/her product
*International Conference on Engineering Education, Valencia, Spain, July 2003
Societal considerations
My personal experience (cont’d)
• M interest in HE or Technolog & Societ e panded• My interest in HE or Technology & Society expanded beyond research to Curriculum Initiatives:
CU‐Boulder: NSF Grant—Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) ME UG curriculum modified to include societal and ethical
considerations‐ addition of modulesconsiderations addition of modules
VT: NUE Grant: A spiral Curriculum Approacho Ishwar Puri, ESM, P.I.o Vinod Lohani, Engineering Educationo J. Pitt, Philosophy/ethicso Richard Wokutch, Businesso Steve Culver, Academic Assessment Programo Roop L. Mahajan, ICTAS, ME, ESM
Societal considerations
• My interest in HE or Technology & Society expanded beyond research to Curriculum Initiatives (cont’d):
CU‐Boulder: NSF Grant—Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) ME UG curriculum modified to include societal and ethical
id ti dditi f d lconsiderations‐ addition of modules
VT: NUE Grant: A spiral Curriculum Approach
Expansion to graduate curriculum
Graduate Interdisciplinary Liberal Engineering Ethics Curriculum (GILEE)G aduate te d sc p a y be a g ee g t cs Cu cu u (G )
Curriculum Initiative
NSF/EESE Grant (#0832852): 2008‐2011• The GILEE curriculum addresses how issues of engineering ethics and g g
cultural identities are intertwined within a globalized workplace , and eliminates an important disconnect between contemporary ethical issues in technology and engineering practice.
Ethics Day (Panel discussions; 2009 and 2010) Ethics Summer Workshop (June 2009) Developed and taught a graduate class on ethics – spring 2010 Developed and taught a graduate class on ethics spring 2010
Co-taught by professors Puri, Lohani, Pitt, Wokutch, Culver & Mahajan
Comprehensive survey of both graduate and undergraduate p y g gstudents to get their perspectives on ethics education
Offered again in Spring 2011Offered again in Spring 2011.
Concluding Remarks
Ch ll i d l bl f i h it
Seamless Integration of Technology & Society for a Sustainable Future
• Challenging and complex problems facing humanity
• A sustainable future requires solving these problems
• Remarkable developments in human technological ability
• The large scale application of technical solutions all too often brings unintended consequences of similar magnitude and consequence to the solutions
• Engineers and scientists therefore can no longer be content to function within the comfortable limits of analytical tools and initially defined objectives and specifications
• Must include socio‐humanistic considerations
Concluding Remarks
• The responsibility cannot be shifted exclusively onto policy makers, lawyers, social scientists, professional ethicists and the like
• Add the rushed tempo of technological development‐Schumpeterian pace
• Need to build reflection in the design process‐What are the long‐term impacts of following short‐term marketing trends?
‐What is the value of this product?
• Parameters may be indeterminate and answers uncertain: Need a humanistic perspective N d I i l Need Integration—seamless Barriers exist but we must overcome these Need to start
TODAY, NOWTo build a bridge to the sustainable future
STIR Workshop 4February 16, 2011
Seamless Integration of Technology & SocietyTechnology & Societyfor a Sustainable Future
THANK YOU !!THANK YOU !!
Mahajan
Chair Professor , ICTASe for Critical Technology and Applied Science [email protected]