Impacts of Spread of Communication on Science and Technology - Essay Example

? Impacts of spread of communication on science and technology By of Introduction There is power in communication. Through exchanging information and ideas people can influence and change the course of the world. Communication of ideas has been enhanced in the 21st century through the use of internet and has had tremendous effects on various aspects of the societal life. A rapid change in how we communicate ideas has the effect of rewriting the rules on how that power is manifest. There is no other area where advances in communication have had significant changes like in the area of development and use of new science and technology. Impacts of spread of communication technology on science and technology First and foremost communication has been advanced by the use of internet in the 21st century and has significantly increased the amount of information that has been transferred and exchanged throughout the world. Thus the first impact which touches on science and technology greatly is increase on the volume of information being exchanged globally. The internet communication today plays an interactive role which is by far the most important impact. This is particularly in the field of science considering that production of scientific knowledge is basically a social process which involves sharing information, information collaboration and the mobilization of outputs. The old hierarchy which was based essentially on email made it possible for an instant collaboration and creation of a group. This removed some of the barriers towards cooperation that had existed before and also brought some limitations to science and technology (Hattie, 2009, pp.132-134). The new hierarchies for example cloud computing, have the ability to change the collaboration system further through making the sharing process and multi –authoring of documents much easier and placing of ideas within a social context so as to allow even more people to make contributions. The development and the now potential transformation of the internet has many significant consequences for scientific inventions and this includes the emergence of the new methods of carrying out research by use of the web 2.0 software which has resulted to the term science 2.0. The birth of science 2.0 through collaboration by scientist and the mass dispersal of scientific information gathering, the wisdom of the crowds have enabled a large pool of people to examine the same problem. This process has the ability of diminishing the distinction existing between informal and formal processes of creating knowledge. Communication is a critical factor that has a great impact on future development and the use of science and technology. The change in the face of global communication, in broad terms has affected science and technology in various ways. Enhanced research on science and technology Traditional forms of scientific communication emphasized production of knowledge by individuals with feedback from colleagues only and then subsequent knowledge exchange. This in simpler terms means interaction was limited to certain stages of the research project or was temporarily limited to proximate researchers. The output from the diversified knowledge is thus improved. More technological and scientific inventions and innovations are realised as a result of diversified knowledge. Researchers in the modern world of advanced communication are able to exchange knowledge and information outside the circles of colleagues. This has in effect enabled the researchers to gather a variety of information and leading to diversified knowledge. This has generally improved the outcomes in the various fields in science and technology. Revolutionizing of peer –peer and peer- lay information exchange The advance made in modern communication is changing the peer-peer and peer-lay exchange of information. It was a physical adventure to root out scientific information Some 20 years ago. One would have to cycle through libraries, chase up references trails, lugging tonnes and tonnes of weight around while wandering along the seemingly endless shelves of books. One would have to spend a considerable amount of time surrounded by piles of journals in the dusty libraries. Today all that has been revolutionized into just a click on the button of the mouse. The internet is thus speedy and thus saves time. However the internet is not only speedy but it’s also rich in information which could not be provided by the physical adventure. This means that it has become speedier and more effective to acquire information related to science and technology. This has in effect lead to saving the precious time which could be used in advancing a design or invention. Time and energy are very important resources which are the core reason of many technological advances. For example the use of computers in an office is basically for saving time and energy. Thus if we seek to save time and energy through scientific invention we can’t afford to waste it through the inventions. A person looking for a particular piece of information can easily get it from the internet and move on with their business. Thus it not just the journal- which could be found in the internet but also the internet is flooded with a variety of information wealthier than it could be fathomed twenty years ago. Researchers now have vast arrays comprised of new information in their field as well as information in other disciplines. This has resulted to a cross fertilization which is driving the society of new knowledge and technological innovations at a very high rate than is unprecedented. There is no limit to who acquires this information and the same information is available to the lay in the public. Today anyone can access in deep volumes information concerning the latest scientific breakthroughs. There are a lot of resources to assist the lay to translate and repackage the information into manageable chunks where the lay might struggle with the esoteric science. The result of this is decentralization of science and technology which doesn’t limit technology only to the elites. Ideally however it is a relatively select part of the community that is benefiting from this increasing access to science and technology information. But there is at least the possibility of a day coming when the current hierarchies of intellectual will start crumbling and a new science technology order will come to birth. Revolutionizing of the exchange of ideas The second impact is that the advances in modern communication have revolutionized the exchange of ideas. Ideas are exchanged through communication by groups and individuals who come into contact with them. In the past, technological and geographical barriers have led to limited influence and growth of ideas around the world. The advent of the web has blown away these entire traditional barriers to communication of ideas. As a result, these new ideas are spreading and are changing how people behave and think faster and more than it could be predicated before ( Wylie, 2003,pp.57-59) This interconnectivity has had profound effects on the global society and this includes a clear effect on the science and technology. Scientist use communication to brainstorm ideas and also to be creative, formulate the research questions to be used in solving experimental or theoretical problems and also to disseminate results and gather feedback. Through the advances realised in global communication, groups as well as individuals have been able to form ideas on the emerging technology and science as a new knowledge and abilities are thus developed. Consequently, the old intellectual command form of control is now diminishing. This means the debate regarding how science is done, the areas of science pursued, and which are the new technologies to be developed is now very much in public and globalized. However it is not guaranteed that all the participants will gain the same understanding of the data as the people generating the data. Decentralization The global exchange of the variety of ideas has lead to a third way in which the advances in technology has affected science and technology though decentralization. Advances in communication have empowered citizen to influence science and technology in ways that go beyond the traditional boundaries (Mondey, 1998, p. 256). It is very easy for a group of people who believe that a particular technology is harmful to mobilize and then hinder any progress of that particular technology. It has happened with the genetically modified organisms (GMOs). People have been able to access information relating to the disadvantages of the genetically modified organisms from the internet as a result of advances in communication. Fearing for their health people have been able to hinder the progress on the field of genetically modified organism. This mobilisation is done in the internet as means of giving opinions and also commentaries. If it was not for the advanced communication it would have been impossible for common citizens to access information regarding the side effects of genetically modified organism as would have been the case some thirty or fifty years ago. This in effect means that if science and technology is to be used beneficially and wisely in the next century, the effects of decentralisation and the new communication landscape have to be understood clearly and navigated. The scientist needs to know the impacts of their innovations to the people. The scientist in any field of research must bear in mind that the public will be able to access information relating to any invention and thus has to look into the possible reaction of the public before advancing in any harmful technology. Well it can be said that this is a great advantage to be reaped by the innocent and ignorant public who could be easily harmed by any advancements in technology without their knowledge. Communication has made it possible to keep the scientist at their toes as they advance in their inventions so that they have the interests of the public engraved in their minds. The consumer can also make informed choices through fore knowledge of the side effects. Thus communication is also a way of consumer protection and has enabled the general public to take precaution before adopting any of the new design. Marketing of designs The spread of communication has been a very important tool in marketing designs and innovations throughout the world. Any new technology can be advertised through the internet and many people are able to access the information regarding its existence. Communication is able to arouse interest in the potential buyer of the new technology and cause hunt for the same. For example a new improved painkiller may be advertised in the internet and once people know of its existence they are able to look for it in the market. Market for any new design is important as it motivates the scientist to look for more improved methods. Healthy competition Various industries strive to make a new invention which in effects improves their products. This enables their products to competitively sell in the market of similar products. Communication is a very essential tool in causing healthy competition among producers of common product leading to improved quality of goods in the market (Allen, R. 2001, pp. 97-99). For example one manufacturers of a brand of toothpaste may invent a new sweet tasting agent and thereafter advertise the same. The other competitors will now be informed of the invention of the other manufacturer. They would then strive to come up with a new technology so as to compete with the first manufacturing company. Risk analysis Advances in communication have played a vital role in risk analysis of every technology. In addition to the benefits intended by a technological design there have to be the unintended effects in either its production or its application. There may also be benefits which are unexpected. It is impossible to realise all the underlying benefits of a design and its unintended risk without a risk analysis. For example the working conditions may be safer when the materials are moulded and not stamped, and the materials which are used for space satellites may be useful for the consumer products. The processes and substances involved in production on the other hand may harm workers or the general public. For example sitting in front of a computer for a long time may strain the eyes of the user and also isolate him from the other fellow workers. There is also another side effects of improved science and technology which is that its leads to unemployment. All these side effects have to be weighed against the benefits of the design through risk analysis and this can be more effective through advanced communication. The scientists can solicit for ideas from the general public through communication in the internet. The scientist can also source for the opinions of the other scientist globally through communication ( Havel, 2009, p. 76). Independent ideas are very necessary and these can only be solicited through communication. It is easier for independent scientist to easily identify the unintended benefits and risks of a design than the scientist responsible for the design. This is because the scientists responsible for the design are more inclined to success and may not easily identify the flaw. They may not be able to identify the unintended benefits too because of focus on the sole aim of the design. Thus the importance of effective communication cannot be over emphasized in this aspect of science and technology. Conclusion The effects of spread of communication on science and technology are many and have far reaching effects. There are many forms of communication. For example there are mobile phones which are as a result of advanced technology. There are also satellite dishes which enable the scientist to gather sample more easily and make comparative study of various impacts on various societies. They have also greatly impacted science and technology. However the most important of all the impacts is that it has acted as an important tool in interconnecting scientists all over the world. Communication has also awoken the consumer world and thus rapidly spread awareness of the impacts of every new design in their lives. Sometimes the benefits of a design may by far outweigh the side effect but because the consumer world is largely aware of the simple side effects, further development may be hindered. It is important for the scientist to bring only ascertained information to the public Bibliography Hattie, J.(2009) A study of communication technology . Michigan. Earlbaum Associates. 132-134 Wylie, R. (2003) Communication technology and its effects on cultures . United States. Cenange learning. 57-59 Mondey. D (1998) The International Encyclopedia on science and technology. New York. Random House Value Publishing. 256 Read More