Monday, March 03, 2008

Opening Pandora's Box

Sometime in mid-to-late 2006 I sat down and wrote a paper that examined the dangers of wireless technologies, and how they are affecting human cognition and brain functioning. Some of my influences were military 'brain-washing' techniques, the work of Jose Delgardo, and surveillance technologies. After finishing the paper I sent it around to a few friends. Really, I had written it as an exercise for myself and knew it would not stand a chance at being published in one of the top peer-review social science journals that we (as 'academics') are often expected to publish in. So I let it be at that....

Then about a year later, one evening after a couple of glasses of red wine, I decided I would send the paper to a well-known online peer-reviewed journal called 'First Monday' that concerns itself with 'Internet' topics...then I heard nothing. Early in January 2008 the journal got back to me with a very favourable review - they wanted the paper! I only had to make a few minor corrections in order to update some material. I finished the review by end of January; and today - the 'first monday' in March - it appeared on the front page of the journal. Very pleased to finally see this paper in the open. I have put no copyright on the paper - it is open to be read and passed around, if the reader wishes. Here's the abstract:

Opening Pandora’s box: How technologies of communication and cognition may be shifting towards a ‘Psycho–Civilized Society’
Increasingly there are indications that the uses of wireless technologies have been developed to target an individual’s biological body, with specific focus upon the neuronal functioning of the brain. This paper examines how some of these uses have had detrimental effects, and what this implies for both present and upcoming developments for particular wireless/sensor technologies. Are we seeing a trend towards a psycho–civilised society, where greater emphasis is placed upon social control and pre–emptive strategies?


Please click on title above to take you through to access the paper.

After spending so much of my time examining emerging technologies I am coming to see our increasingly immersive digital environment as a danger to inner growth and cognitive awakening. My mind has now been 'changed', yet not by 'them'!! (I hope....)

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Kingsley.

It is quite an achievement to have an 'odd' paper like that published in a somewhat mainstream journal - well done!