Book Review
The Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies
Implications for Geopolitics, Human Enhancement and Human Destiny
by Dr Nayef R F Al-Rodhan
by Dr Nayef R F Al-Rodhan
About the Author
Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan is a Philosopher, Neuroscientist and Geostrategist.
He is Senior Member of St. Antony’s College at Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom and Senior Scholar in Geostrategy and Director of the Geopolitics of Globalisation and Transnational Security Programme at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Geneva, Switzerland.
He holds an M.D. and a Ph.D. He trained in neurosurgery/neuroscience research at the Mayo Clinic, Yale University and Harvard University.
He founded the neurotechnology programme, headed translational research and founded the laboratory for cellular neurosurgery and neurosurgical technology at MGH, Harvard. He was on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School, has published extensively on neuroscience research and won several research prizes. These Prizes include: The Sir James Spence Prize; The Gibb Prize; The Farquhar-Murray Prize; The American Association of Neurological Surgeon Poster Prize (twice); The Meninger Prize; The Annual Resident Prize of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons; The Young Investigator Prize of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons; The Annual Fellowship Prize of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Book Description
Emerging technologies hold great promise but also pose major challenges to global politics, national and international security, human dignity and human destiny. This book examines the latest innovations, key trends and geopolitical and human implications of emerging strategic technologies such as Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligence. The potential use and misuse of these technologies in human enhancement (physical and cognitive) is considered to be one of the major challenges of our time. Nayef Al-Rodhan argues that human enhancement and the future evolution into transhumans is inevitable. To prepare for these potential existential threats, the global community is urged to establish strict moral and legal guidelines that balance the need for innovation with the guarantee of dignity for all.
Our Book Review
Through the descriptive dialogue the author explains very clearly how with the emerging technologies and human enhancement the impact these changes are having on our lives, not just as individuals but on nations and the environment. I found this book to be really informative and well researched and easy to understand.
Nayef Al-Rodhan explains how technology in a developed country can have a negative effect on that developing country and the challenge of emerging technology is dependant on global co-operation to work to it's full potential.
To fully understand this book you need to take your time to read and digest the information. If you like to read the new scientist and the economist magazines then this will be particularly interesting to you.
I would like to use the final paragraph in the book which explains the book:-
"Technology promises to be one of the major forces in our lives throughout the 21st century. This will be true for individuals, societies, governments and the global community as a whole. Because of technology's dual potential to help and to harm, and because of its vast, far-reaching impact, how we approach these issues will shape our geopolitical and human futures. This book provides a framework for tackling these issues and the key concepts for debating the role of technology in our lives."
I really enjoyed this book, the explanations, the fascination of what technology is going to be in the future is one of excitement, but at what cost?
Our Rating
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This sounds interesting. I will tell my daughter, who is interested in artificial intelligence, about this book.
ReplyDeleteMy husband would be completely wrapped up in this!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! I will be reading!
ReplyDeletesounds like a very interesting read thanks for the review~!
ReplyDelete