Industrial technology: The actual situation (The 'conventional paradigm')

Industrial technology: The Internet and information
What is the ‘dark side’ and the ‘bright side’ of the Internet?
What is its revolutionary importance?
What is its impact on democracy and global culture?
How does it impact culture, morality and spiritual consciousness?

Understanding technology (The 'new paradigm')

Understanding technology: Its nature and meaning
What is the proper role of technology?
What are the qualities of machines, and what are the qualities of life?
How can technology serve the whole human being, helping develop the full range of our capacities, for autonomy choice, emotion, creativity, and consciousness?

Alternatives

Alternatives: Democratic and appropriate technology
Possibilities for improving our attitudes toward and choices about technology
Appropriate technology
Democratic technology: Creating popular forums for the evaluation of new technolgies

Popular evaluation and control over new technologies
"Why hasn't our society developed a process of articulating and evaluating the totality of the effects caused by technology and then voting upon them before they become so pervasive that they become extremely difficult to dislodge? Indeed, certain technological inventions change society far more dramatically than any of the political figures we vote for do."

Challenges

Label genetically modified food
“Consumers have no way to know when they are eating genetically altered foods. That’s because the Food and Drug Administration has chosen not to classify alien genes as food additives and therefore does not require that they be listed on food labels. A bag of corn chips, for instance, must disclose that salt has been added, but it need not reveal that the corn itself has been genetically manipulated to contain its own pesticide.” !

Mechanization and collectivization
The primary impact of technology is mechanization and collectivization. What can we do about this?

Overcome the power of technology and confront the mystery of existence.
This is the central challenge of industrial society because the seduction of our power is overwhelming.
“Dazzled by the brilliant achievements of the intellect in science and technique, we have been deluded into believing that we are the masters of the earth and our will the ultimate criterion of what is right and wrong….We must not be deceived by the limited splendor of theories that answer none of our most vital problems and onlyOvercome the power of technology and confront the mystery of existence.

Focus on the genetic engineering of food
What are the advantages of GMO food?
What are its potential (and actual) dangers?
Do consumers have a choice? Should they?
Is it inevitable? Should this technology be developed?