Is pervasive Computing leading to Post-Humanism?



Wednesday, 15. October 2003 | 17:15 Uhr

Speaker

Gérald Berthoud

Organisation

University of Lausanne

Reporting

Technology is not just a neutral instrument to do things better, more simply, more quickly and more cheaply. Technology also changes the way in which people think, communicate and cooperate. Railways, aeroplanes and cars have fundamentally altered our view of distances, and medical advances have changed our attitude to death, health and disease. The telephone, television and the internet have changed the way people communicate. What consequences will Pervasive Computing have on society? On power and control structures? On values?

Gérald Berthoud

Full professor, University of Lausanne, Faculty of social and political sciences. Dean in the same faculty. 1982-1984 Director, Institute of anthropology and sociology, Faculty of social and political sciences. 1984-1995 University of Lausanne 1987 visiting professor École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris. 1991 visiting professor University of Niamey (Niger), Department of sociology. 1994-1995  invited professor University of Geneva, Department of sociology.

 

1998 visiting professor Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris. 1985-1996 Member of the Swiss Council of Science, Berne. 1996-1999 Member of the committee of the Swiss Academy of human and social sciences, Berne. Since 1997 Member of the national research council (division of human and social sciences), Swiss National Science Foundation, Berne.

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