TECHNOLOGY. I just noticed I had a copy of Vaclav Smil’s new new book, which came out a couple of weeks ago. It’s about over-hyped innovation and realistic expectations, which is a recurring theme in his other recent books. He takes aim at the myth of sped up and inevitable innovation. And the associated media hype, which is strange timing because, lately, media techno-scepticism has become the new over-compensation.

#technology #engineering #TechnoOptimism #SocioTechnicalSystems

Dave Karpf in his substack piece takes on #TechnoOptimism and it makes me think, despite not being in agreement.

I'm generally optimistic as the world of my childhood, the 60s & 70s, was full of terrible things. Talk of nuclear war was constant. Toxic chemicals everywhere, many wars, cold war, famines, big protests and burning cities and violence all over. Things are better now, but as we add more light the crap buried in dark gets illuminated, and that crap is dark!

https://davekarpf.substack.com/p/on-technological-optimism-and-technological