Thursday’s Big Idea
Today's Big Idea: Humanizing Technology
Why do we love our mobile phones so much? Technology is science brought to life. The word comes from the Ancient Greek techne, which means to produce an object or accomplish a goal. But in practice, technology is about more than providing us with shiny new devices. It's also a way of shaping the world, challenging, altering, and expanding our understanding of what it means to be human.
With this in mind, Big Think is excited to announce Humanizing Technology, a virtual expo in partnership with Bing. The goal of this virtual expo – which will culminate next month with a live event and prize ceremony in New York City – is to identify new technologies that integrate themselves seamlessly into our lives, capitalize on our unique strengths, and amplify the best of human nature.
Today, we're looking at how technology is born. Where do brilliant ideas in both fields come from? How do we generate new ones? Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson argues that science is a universally human undertaking, and technology is to be embraced rather than feared. Anthony Fauci of the NIH explains how inquiry and imagination have transformed history.
