Technology and Society

Technology has had a great impact on changes in life-style during the past. Urgent requirements concerning alimentation, health care, traffic and communication have been met by means of technology. The physical, sensory and intelligent strength of man have been multiplied by the utilization of natural resources, and the average lifetime has been increased considerably. However, technology is always combined with undesired side-effects, such as environmental pollution and cost explosion, as long as it has to meet the increasing requirements of mankind. Physicists and engineers were paying attention to these side-effects long before the so-called critical intelligentsia appeared on the scene. It is noteworthy that, especially in Germany, the natural sciences could never be integrated into culture. As a result of this, many scholars argue against technology without presenting solutions for the actual problems that are at present created by the ever-increasing numbers of people in the world and their high demands. Only science and technology can help to overcome these difficulties if they are applied in a reasonable way.