Technology Controversies
Technology controversies are an important feature in society today. The disputes are not only about specific applications but also about what research and development should be working on, and how this should be done.
For a long time, it was assumed that progress in science and technology automatically went hand in hand with growth and prosperity for all. The introduction of new technologies was never a problem. Since the 1970s, however, there has been more and more talk about the risks and undesirable side-effects of the increased use of technology. There were huge controversies for instance on the use of nuclear energy, hydroelectric power and large-scale chemical plants, and later there were long discussions about the use of agricultural biotechnology or stem cell research. Sometimes, there is even a fear of controversies before any public discussion begins, before there are any specific applications or marketable products. This was to be seen in the case of nanotechnology and is today the case with synthetic biology.