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I am a senior researcher at The Nature Institute and author
of the online NetFuture
newsletter. This newsletter, now widely recognized for its
distinctive commentary on science, technology, and society,
goes back to my days as a senior editor at the computer
book publisher, O'Reilly & Associates. While at O'Reilly
I wrote The
Future Does Not Compute: Transcending the Machines in Our
Midst (1995). Along with Clifford Stoll's Silicon
Snake Oil, the book offered just about the first critique
to suggest that the widespread utopian expectations for
the Internet were not well founded.
Throughout the entire decade of the eighties I worked in
the engineering organizations of computer manufacturers,
doing software work and technical writing. Before that,
I spent a few years running a family organic farm in Oregon.
My academic work was in philosophy.
I recognize now that throughout my life—and already
as a child, unconsciously—I have felt compelled to
understand the prevailing thought habits and the most basic
assumptions of my culture. I needed, with at least part
of myself, to stand outside these habits and assumptions.
This standing outside, of course, is a prerequisite for
any meaningful critique. And such a critique, especially
with regard to science and our fundamental ways of experiencing
ourselves in the world, is now one of my primary concerns.
Beside producing the NetFuture newsletter, I also
edit In
Context, The Nature Institute's twice-yearly hardcopy
newsletter/journal. My research work at The Nature Institute
falls mostly under two headings:
Here is
an overall guide to my writings
To view a list
of my past talks and workshops, click here.
Contact at stevet@natureinstitute.org
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