1st Edition

Merged Evolution Long-term Complications of Biotechnology and Informatin Technology

By Susantha Goonatilake Copyright 1999
    282 Pages
    by Routledge

    282 Pages
    by Routledge

    Merged Evolution charts the implications of two major forces of change, information technology and biotechnology, combined with a third force, that of 'artifactual' information, which is handed down dichronically from computing device to computing device.
    Through developments anticipated in the near future, Dr. Goonatilake describes the merging of these three systems, a convergence which will profoundly affect the biological, social, and technical fields much more than previous studies have implied. Together these changes yield an entirely different history - and a different future of the world for life, nature and civilization. This book addresses the broader issue arising from these important developments using the unifying perspective of general evolutionary theory to yield a fresh and profound insight.

    Introduction I THREE LINEAGES AND TWO TECHNOLOGIES 1 Biological Evolution: The Genetic Lineage 2 The Cultural Stream of Science 3 The Computer Information Flowline 4 The Exosomatic Lineage Develops Its Autonomy 5 Biotechnology II THE THREE LINEAGES MERGE 6 The Merging of Culture and Artificial Information 7 The Merging of Culture and Genes 8 The Merging of Biology and Computing III CONSEQUENCES 9 The Macro Properties of Merged Evolution 10 An Extended Sociology: The Structure of New Communities

    Biography

    Susantha Goonatilake, Center for Studies of Social Change New School for Social Research New York, New York, USA.