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I see this as part of the expansion of knowledge. People conduct research to get a better understanding of the universe. Tech development is about our understan

by jolmg 4y ago

I see this as part of the expansion of knowledge. People conduct research to get a better understanding of the universe. Tech development is about our understanding of what we can do and how. People conducting studies and research can be unethical in the process, same as tech development, but I can't think of knowledge that would be unethical to expand in if the process is ethical. What understanding of the universe would be wrong to obtain if ethical means were available? If there's none, why is expanding our knowledge of what we can do and how any different?

JohnFen 4y ago
I draw a distinction that you don't here. Development is not about the expansion of knowledge, it's about producing things. Science is about the expansion of knowledge. As a society, we very often conflate the two, but they're really very different things.
- jolmg 4y ago
  They're very intertwined. A paperclip factory produces things; they don't do tech development (shouldn't do much at least). Tech development is about pushing the edge. Science, obtaining more knowledge about the universe we have to work with, helps, but it's also about finding new applications for what we've already known. Tech development doesn't necessitate the production of things, even intangible ones. Technology development in the form of new optimization techniques in existing software for e.g. rendering 3d models or searching data faster or whatever is not producing things, but it's still tech development.
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    Technology is the practical application of knowledge about the world. Science is the acquisition of such knowledge. There certainly can be an overlap in the Venn diagram here, but the distinction remains valid and important. In any case, I was not saying that your perspective is incorrect. I was just saying that my worldview seems rather different from yours.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]

by jolmg 4y ago

JohnFen 4y ago

I draw a distinction that you don't here. Development is not about the expansion of knowledge, it's about producing things. Science is about the expansion of knowledge. As a society, we very often conflate the two, but they're really very different things.

jolmg 4y ago
They're very intertwined. A paperclip factory produces things; they don't do tech development (shouldn't do much at least). Tech development is about pushing the edge. Science, obtaining more knowledge about the universe we have to work with, helps, but it's also about finding new applications for what we've already known. Tech development doesn't necessitate the production of things, even intangible ones. Technology development in the form of new optimization techniques in existing software for e.g. rendering 3d models or searching data faster or whatever is not producing things, but it's still tech development.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  Technology is the practical application of knowledge about the world. Science is the acquisition of such knowledge. There certainly can be an overlap in the Venn diagram here, but the distinction remains valid and important. In any case, I was not saying that your perspective is incorrect. I was just saying that my worldview seems rather different from yours.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]