ECS 188 — Fall 2011 — Assignment #E — “Fearless”
Our last three readings (by Hans Jonas, Bill Joy, and Mark Hertsgaard),
and the film we saw in class on Tuesday (by Al Gore),
warn of dystopian futures engendered by runaway technologies.
Yet I sense in young people today almost no fear about these
apocalyptic possibilities—and, in fact, little but enthusiasm for all things technological.
In a clearly written essay of a page or two,
please enlighten your clueless professor as to why this is so:
what is the principal reason why
young people are so untroubled by environmental collapse or other existential threats to humankind?
(Alternatively, you can tell me that I have it all wrong, that my characterization is untrue.)
You can focus on reasons
cultural,
psychological,
or
technical—but please keep the scope of proffered explanations narrow enough
that you can say something interesting and cogent in the short space you have.