Abstract
The modern world increasingly reflects human activities, to the point that many scientists are referring to this era as the "Anthropocene," the Age of Humans. A major domain of human activity involves sociotechnical systems, which can be characterized as occurring in constellations of coevolving technological, cultural, institutional, economic, and psychological systems lasting over many decades. The current constellation, still in its early stages of development, brings together five powerful technology systems - nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, information and communication technology, and cognitive science - that are even more complex than historical precedents because they enable not just far more powerful capabilities to design domains external to humans but also the potential to design individual humans themselves. Understanding the implications of this sociotechnical landscape for industrial ecology suggests profound theoretical challenges as well as important new areas of research.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 168-183 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Journal of Industrial Ecology |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2009 |
Keywords
- Complexity
- Industrial ecology
- Railroads
- Resilience
- Sustainable technologies
- Transhumanism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Environmental Science
- General Social Sciences