Technology and Society: Rewards and Challenges

This book assesses the evolving impact that humankind's noble creation, technology, has on society, with the ambitious objective of eliminating certain misconceptions, clarifying critical related issues, and suggesting a path whereby humanity can flourish. For this purpose, a review of technological development from the Renaissance to the first decade of the current century is undertaken, albeit not ignoring the legacy of preceding civilizations. In order to understand the unstoppable and accelerating pace of technological development and its political and socioeconomic ramifications, the past needs to be acknowledged. Through this time travel, the reader will observe the resilience of humankind in pursuing the betterment of life on Earth, from the initiative of the first axe makers to current scientists and technologists, in spite of religious, political, and other strictures. Creative effort seems to be encouraged by setbacks.