Webliography: Question 3

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.


Technology is always an enchantment for people to improve the standard of living from time to time. Many scientists can create differences kind of invention through the use of technology. It seems that the relationship between human and technology is become hard to separate from each other. Also, technology can provide the similar things with the real life that is the hypereality and simulation for human. For example, robot is one of the kinds about simulation, which is acting like a human and intelligence created by the technology. But, there are many people realize that technology is having lots of power to influence the society. They are fear to the used of technology which will bring the bad effect happening eventually. Thus, they are worry can not have the power to control the technology anymore. It is like the science fiction of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which is representing the out of control in technology to human. Therefore, people are afraid of the artificial life will exist in the real world that similar to Frankenstein.

However, the relationship between human and technology is still appearing the struggle and fear for people. As the idea of [1] Catherine Waldby point out it is difficult to distinguish human and technology in the present. In the following, I will used the Google and Yahoo search engine exclusively to conduct numerous searches on the issue that about the overpowering between technology and human in the society. Also, the essay will include the reason of human that fear about technology in different aspects


1.The Metaphors of Cyberpunk: Ontology, Epistemology, and Science Fiction
[2] The Metaphors of Cyberpunk: Ontology, Epistemology, and Science Fiction which is written by Ruth A. Curl that using difference theory of the Aristotle to explain the science is having the power to create the life and death. Besides, the author used the science fiction of Neuromancer to argue the power of computer with human. “In Neuromancer the computer pervades the text and is so over-powering that everything else all but disappears and the reader is almost overwhelmed.” The author pointed out that people can feel the power of computer not only in visual even through textual. The article also mention about the Frankenstein monster as a computer which is superior to man and it would be allowed to develop autonomy by itself. And it suggest people to think of the used of computer which can create a huge impact about the humanity. Obviously, this can help the essay to state a strong point that people treat computer as a tool, but the use of computer may really create the monster which depend on human decision.


2. Fear of losing control
The relationship between human and technology is hard the separate from time to time. People think that technology not only bringing the disadvantage instead of advantage for them. [3] Daniel Chandler has mention the way of dominant about technology to human in his article of Fear of losing control. Actually, it is easy to see the phenomena of human using machine in the daily life. But, this phenomenon is become subvert, which is about people being used as a tool by machines in different situations. “The whole trend in technology has been to devise machines that are less and less under direct control and more and more seem to have the beginning of a will of their own.” Daniel Chandler also point out the technology is having more autonomy which is similar to human. Therefore, human is beginning to fear of the losing control in the technology. It is because human is used to the obesity from the machine rather than betrays as usual. And they did not realize technology has this double aspect of good/harm when they are using it. This article mentions people should have the balance in life when they are using the technology.


3. Technology Fear Factor
An article of [4] Technology Fear Factor by Daintry Duffy and Sari Kalin which is talk about the reason that people think of technologies as dangerous. In nowadays, the technology is become powerful cause different kind of variation change in technologies. It is like the biotechnology and nanotechnology are exponentially more powerful than any technology of the past. Also, these kinds of technologies are really help people to solve the problem in life. But, those authors point out that people can not too protect themselves by destroy the technologies, which avoid the overpowering. Usually, technology can not move forward when people are too over react to the new technologies. The main point that those authors had been discussed is the things that make people feel technologies as fear, such as lack of privacy. The privacy can also show the fear of people to technology due to lack of power to control the harmful to them.


4. The New Politics of Technology
Eric Cohen’s [5] The New Politics of Technology is providing the problem that technologies bring to human in daily life. This journal can reinforce the reason that technology is so powerful even overpower to human. It is because the use of technology can bring lots of bad influence to people. And, it also mentions human nature, and modern democracy that influence by technology. Actually, the author mention that people are concerning of the fear of destruction and dehumanization when using those technology, such as biomedical science and biotechnology. This can also related to the reason that a technology is so powerful cause of the use by human at the same time.


5. Technology: An Evil Empire?
It is clearly to see that the fear about technology of human is showing from different aspects. Mostly, there are many people think that technology as an evil to harm into their life. As the article of [6] Technology: An Evil Empire? written by Joshua Dautoff and Alicia Roca reflected that the negative image of technology is already put into everyone’s mind. “Technologies are not utopian. Technologies can be “evil” and cause problems in society.” Actually, the ways of people treat technology is the only reason that creates this phenomenon appear in the society. Mostly, it is only people create the situation of uncontrolled of technology rather than itself. Moreover, there are some parts can enhance the point of view about the dominant of technology toward human which showing in our daily life.


6. Remote control device 'controls' humans
[7] Remote control device 'controls' humans is a news article written by Yuri Kageyama that show the technology product which can created to control human’s behaviors. Actually, the news article is showing that a remote control can turn to remote the action of human. People are trying to experience of being control by the technology in this new kind of technology. And, there are many side effects for people after they tried this technology. But, it is an example can help to think of human is controlling by technology is easy to see or even willing by them.

In conclusion, I will use the idea of relationship between human and technology are more difficult to separate in nowadays in the essay. So, the story of Frankenstein is like the new kind of technology, which brings the fear to human in our society. And, most of the point of view will focus to talk about the dominance of technology for human is truly existing during write the essay. Also, those of the article and example can bring people to have more understand the reason of fear about technology in life.


Bibliography

[1] Catherine Waldby. ‘The Instruments Of Life: Frankenstein And Cyberculture’, in Prefiguring Cyberculture, eds. Darren Tofts, Annemarie Jonson & Alessio Cavallaro (Cambridge & London: MIT Press, 2002), pp. 28-37.

[2] Curl, Ruth A. ‘The Metaphors of Cyberpunk: Ontology, Epistemology, and Science Fiction’, Poetry of Whispered Dreams (July 2004). http://www.poems2u.com/writings/cyberpunk.html (accessed 29 March 2008).

[3] Daniel Chandler. ‘Fear of losing control’, Imagining Futures, Dramatizing Fears:The Portrayal of Technology in Literature and Film (January 1998)http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/SF/sf.html (accessed 28 March 2008)

[4] Daintry Duffy and Sari Kalin. ‘Technology Fear Factor’, KurzweilAI.net (July 2002)http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0510.html (accessed 28 March 2008)

[5] Eric Cohen. ‘The New Politics of Technology’, The New Atlantis A journal of Technology & Society (spring 2003)
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/1/editorial.htm (accessed 28 March 2008)

[6] Joshua Dautoff and Alicia Roca. ‘Technology: An Evil Empire?’, Bay Area Tech Report http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/technology/ (accessed 29 March 2008)

[7] Yuri Kageyama. ‘Remote control device 'controls' humans’, USA Today (October 2005)http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/gear/2005-10-25-remote-human-control_x.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)