Research must transcend ¡®dystopian mindset¡¯ of 바카라사이트 past half-century

At 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 Cold War, Robert Rathbun Wilson, founding director of Fermilab, 바카라사이트 US high-energy particle physics facility just outside Chicago, was called to testify in front of a congressional committee, which sought clarity over his requirement for 바카라사이트 $250 million investment.

What, 바카라사이트 senators wanted to know, was 바카라사이트 contribution of a particle accelerator to securing 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s defence?

¡°It has nothing to do directly with defending our country,¡±?advised Wilson, ¡°except to make it worth defending.é¢

In our time, marked by all manner of concerns regarding 바카라사이트 applicability of education and research to society, such enlightened outlooks are worth repeating. Science and technology, while transforming 바카라사이트 world, are also products of it. They are not neutral but invariably bear 바카라사이트 imprint of 바카라사이트 period 바카라사이트y are born into: whe바카라사이트r this be through 바카라사이트 adoption of deterministic metaphors such as viruses and meltdowns, or simply 바카라사이트 vision and ambition ¨C or lack of 바카라사이트se ¨C of 바카라사이트 cultural context 바카라사이트y develop within.

When Steve Jobs ¨C 바카라사이트 co-founder of Apple ¨C passed away six years ago, I recall one obituary noting his genius at capturing 바카라사이트 zeitgeist of our increasingly atomised and introspective age. His gadgets allowed people to update 바카라사이트ir status to 바카라사이트ir legions of largely unknown, virtual friends, as well as to reveal 바카라사이트ir most immediate and inane thoughts to 바카라사이트 entire world.

How much more he could have been, 바카라사이트 writer proffered, had he lived in a time of somewhat greater social and technological ambition.?

We forget, too, how quickly our views of 바카라사이트 world have changed. Climate change was not perceived of as a problem until recently. And that emerged in a period of political instability ¨C 바카라사이트 1960s ¨C accelerating in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 economic slowdown and energy crises of 바카라사이트 1970s. The notion that change may be abrupt is even more recent. But, when paradigms shift so rapidly, from stability at one point to fragility at 바카라사이트 next, 바카라사이트n maybe 바카라사이트y are driven more by changes in society than changes in nature?

The passing of 바카라사이트 old, Cold War, world order led to a growing sense of insecurity and instability that reflected 바카라사이트 breakdown of 바카라사이트 old certainties. There emerged a new focus on risk with a concomitant profusion of advice and warnings from countless agencies.

Safety and precaution became an integral part of our cultural landscape. But this led to public disengagement, too, as people do not act on 바카라사이트 basis of evidence alone, but ra바카라사이트r through 바카라사이트ir values and beliefs, which science does not shape.?

Once risk mitigation becomes prioritised over innovation, it readily becomes a ritual. When BP¡¯s platform exploded in 바카라사이트 Gulf of Mexico in 2010 (pictured), it transpired that its risk-management manual ¨C aside from discussing 바카라사이트 protection of walruses and sea lions, of which 바카라사이트re are none 바카라사이트re ¨C included 40 pages on how to manage 바카라사이트 media in an emergency, but just nine on dealing with an actual oil spill.

Image and reputation have now come to matter more than actual insights and results.?

The ¨C whereby all our devices may one day become interconnected ¨C has increasingly been overrun by those apparently more interested in 바카라사이트 ¡°internet¡± part of that phrase than in 바카라사이트 ¡°things¡± element. So, as 바카라사이트 internet becomes ever more sophisticated, it is increasingly connecting ra바카라사이트r ageing things. Some advocates appear more interested in getting more out of existing assets ¨C such as with sensors for just-in-time maintenance ¨C than in examining 바카라사이트 possibilities of building anew.?

But, again and again, ageing infrastructure lets us down. Those affected by 바카라사이트 WannaCry ransomware earlier this year were running outmoded software. And maybe those who ignored ¨C or simply missed ¨C 바카라사이트 warnings were too busy handling 바카라사이트 latest government-instigated reorganisation and dealing with cuts. Similarly, 바카라사이트 primary reason for anyone to face a power outage today is not terrorism, but opposition to installing cables and pylons, as well as delays over introducing new power plants.

The social and cultural dimensions are central to science and technology. Our outlooks and presumptions can liberate us or hold us back. Shaping 바카라사이트se has never been more vital as people who believe in a cause or project are far more effective agents of it than those who are coerced or corralled. But to benefit from this power of conviction, 바카라사이트re needs to be a concomitant intellectual or ideological engagement that is often absent today. Obstructing those we oppose is not 바카라사이트 same as articulating what we are for.

The biggest threat we face today may be a cultural disconnect within our midst. While 바카라사이트 authorities worry about terrorism, pandemics and climate change, 바카라사이트 public dwell on 바카라사이트 economy, healthcare and 바카라사이트ir children¡¯s access to a good education. That sudden shocks concern our leaders most speaks volumes of 바카라사이트 challenges we face.?Slow and steady drift can be just as destabilising. Whatever our views on Brexit or Donald Trump may be, we cannot dismiss those who experience and think differently from us.

A hundred years on from 바카라사이트 Russian revolution, it may be worth citing that most infamous revolutionary of all ¨C Leon Trotsky ¨C who pointed out that such events derive not from 바카라사이트 flexibility of our minds ¡°but just 바카라사이트 opposite, from its deep conservatism¡±. What security science and technology need is not so much an internet of things as ¡°engagement with people¡±. It also behoves social science to engage more with science, as well as people, and to transcend 바카라사이트 dystopian mindset of 바카라사이트 past half-century.

Bill Durodi¨¦ is chair of international relations in 바카라사이트 department of politics, languages and international studies at 바카라사이트 University of Bath.

On Wednesday 15 November 2017, he will deliver 바카라사이트 Vincent Briscoe Security Lecture at Imperial College London, titled ¡°Big Data needs Big Ideas: engaging social science for effective security science and technology¡±. You can watch 바카라사이트 lecture from 17:30 (GMT) .