Abstract

Technology must continue to accelerate for at least four reasons: innate human curiosity, the human propensity to warehouse knowledge, the special character of science and technology’s culture, and the competitive drive of for-profit organizations. After elaborating on those reasons and their interactions, this essay briefly considers potential effects of unrestrainable technological acceleration on such issues as the autonomy of the university, the erosion of science and technology’s culture, future man-made disasters, and the likelihood of technology-driven societal upheavals. Some possible coping mechanisms are suggested.