The dark side of technology

Technological progress comes with a dark side where good ideas and intentions produce undesirable results (extreme downsides include atomic and biological weapons). The many and various unexpected outcomes of technology span humorous to bizarre, to situations that threaten human survival. Development can be positive for some, but negative and isolating for others (e.g. older or poorer people). Progress is often transient, as faster electronics and computers dramatically shorten retention time of data, knowledge, and information loss (e.g. even photos may be unreadable within a generation). Progress and globalization are also destroying past languages and cultures. Advances cut across all areas of science and life, and the scope is vast from biology, medicine, agriculture, transport, electronics, computers, long-range communications, to a global economy. Reliance on technology causes unexpected technology-driven vulnerability to natural events (e.g. intense sunspot activity) that could annihilate advanced societies by destroying satellites or power grid distribution. Similarly, progress of electronics and communication has produced a boom industry in cybercrime, and cyberterrorism. Medical technology offers improvements in health, but can include many drug-related side effects and mutagenic changes. Over enthusiasm in creating a global food economy is devastating the environment and causing extinction of species, just to support an excessive human population. A diverse coverage of such consequences is consciously presented at a level designed for an intelligent, but non-scientific, readership. It includes suggestions for positive future progress with essential planning, investment, and political commitment. Failure to respond implies human extinction.