Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Although nuclear power technology is available, no new nuclear power plants were built
in the United States for more than 25 years after the accident at Three Mile Island in
1979 [8].
Finally, we
can
influence the rate at which new technologies are developed. Some
societies, such as the United States, have a history of nurturing and exploiting new
inventions. Congress has passed intellectual property laws that allow people to make
money from their creative work, and the federal income tax structure allows individuals
to accumulate great wealth.
Most of us appreciate the many beneficial changes that technology has brought into
our lives. In health care alone, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) scanners have greatly improved our ability to diagnose major illnesses;
new vaccines and pharmaceuticals have eradicated some deadly diseases and brought
others under control; and pacemakers, hearing aids, and artificial joints have improved
the physical well-being of millions.
To sum up, societies develop new technologies to solve problems or make life better,
but the use of new technologies changes social conditions and may create new problems.
That doesn't mean we should never adopt a new technology, but it does give us a
good reason why we should be making informed decisions, weighing the benefits and
potential harms associated with the use of new devices. To that end, this topic will help
you gain a better understanding of contemporary ethical issues related to the use of
information technology.
This chapter sets the stage for the remainder of the topic. Electronic digital com-
puters and high-performance communication networks are central to contemporary
information technology. While the impact of these inventions has been dramatic in the
past few decades, their roots go back hundreds of years. Section 1.2 tells the story of the
development of computers, showing how they evolved from simple manual calculation
aids to complex microprocessors. In Section 1.3 we describe two centuries of progress
in networking technology, starting with the semaphore telegraph and culminating in
the creation of an email system connecting over a billion users. Section 1.4 shows how
information storage and retrieval evolved from the creation of the Greek alphabet to
Google. Finally, Section 1.5 discusses some of the moral issues that have arisen from the
deployment of information technology.
Calculating devices have supported the development of commercial enterprises, gov-
ernments, science, and weapons. As you will see in this section, the introduction of new
technologies has often had a social impact.
Adding and subtracting are as old as commerce and taxes. Fingers and toes are handy
calculation aids, but to manipulate numbers above 20, people need more than their
