Eager dreamers impatiently strive to toss out our history, embracing a future where the worries of yesteryear shall be no more than faded memories. Alarmists, on the other hand, are overwhelmed by a sense of depression and futility as they imagine a fearsome Brave New World crashing down upon them, destroying all they have known. Now, as never before, our country needs a sober voice and a steady hand to inform and guide us through the coming turmoil. The purpose of the Center for the Study of Technology and Society is to study and report on the important technological issues that affect society. Through original research and in-depth analysis, the Center will emphasize and clarify the point that advances in technology are neither inherently good nor inherently evil.
Every new technology has the potential to cause problems, and the capacity to solve problems.
In all its work, the Center will be guided by the belief that properly utilized technology can be beneficial, but that uninformed government interference will only stymie technological achievement and close off avenues to progress. Government Thanks to new technologies, the gap between government and the governed is shrinking rapidly, for good and ill. We can watch over the actions of our government as never before, but our government is also able to watch us as it never before could. What we need above all in this age of unrelenting change are information and understanding. With knowledge of the facts, the advantages of emerging technologies can be exploited without destroying the spirit of society.