Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies
About this ebook
Artificial intelligence, gene manipulation, cloning, and interplanetary travel are all ideas that seemed like fairy tales but a few years ago. And now their possibilities are very much here. But are we ready to handle these advances? This book, by a physicist and expert on responsible technology development, reveals how science fiction movies can help us think about and prepare for the social consequences of technologies we don’t yet have, but that are coming faster than we imagine.
Films from the Future looks at twelve movies that take us on a journey through the worlds of biological and genetic manipulation, human enhancement, cyber technologies, and nanotechnology. Readers will gain a broader understanding of the complex relationship between science and society. The movies mix old and new, and the familiar and unfamiliar, to provide a unique, entertaining, and ultimately transformative take on the power of emerging technologies, and the responsibilities they come with.
About the author
Dr. Andrew Maynard is an author, physicist, and leading expert on the socially responsible development of emerging and converging technologies. His PhD is in Physics from the University of Cambridge, UK. For over twenty years he has worked closely with experts from around the world on the challenges and opportunities presented by technologies ranging from nanotechnology and genetic engineering, to artificial intelligence and self-driving cars. He was previously Chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies, and continues to work closely with the Forum on beneficial and responsible technology innovation. In addition to his academic work, Andrew is a prolific writer, communicator, and sought-after speaker. He blogs on technology and society at 2020Science.org, produces the YouTube channel Risk Bites, and is active on Twitter as @2020science. Dr. Maynard is currently a professor in the School for the Future of Innovation at Society at Arizona State University. He spends more time than any sane person should watching sci-fi movies.
