Technology and the Human Purpose

  Notes Questions or comments to techumanpurpose@gmail.com Anthropology and economics: Undeceptions by John Dickson https://undeceptions.com/podcast/the-anthropologists/ Amnesty International – gun violence https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/gun-violence Pew Research https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/05/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-us/#:~:text=On%20a%20per%20capita%20basis,16.3%20per%20100%2C000%20in%201974. Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0059-01  Police services expenditures, by detailed expenditures (x 1,000) DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/3510005901-eng National Geographic ancient copper fraud https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ea-nasir-copper-merchant-ur BBC news – Kobe Steel. http://ww.bbc.com/news/business-41607008 The Economist Scam Inc. (article and podcast both behind paywall) https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/06/the-vast-and-sophisticated-global-enterprise-that-is-scam-inc   https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/scam-inc Casinos, high-rises and fraud: The BBC visits a bizarre city built on scams https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04nx1vnw17o Jerrod Brown, Jeffrey Long-McGie, Judge Anthony Wartnik, Pamela Oberoi, Janina Wresh, Erv Weinkauf, Gennae Falconer, & Alyse Kerr Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the Criminal Justice System: A Review. JOURNAL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, VOLUME 3, NUMBER 6 Lautensach, A., & Lautensach, S. (Eds.)  2020 Human Security in World Affairs: Problems and Opportunities (2nd edition) chapter 13. Transnational Crime John Wilson   The US econ in 2025 is est. to be about                     30.3 trillion $ The Chinese Econ                                                       19.5 trillion Germany                                                                     5 Trillion The 2017 Global Financial Integrity report suggested that just for transnational crime https://gfintegrity.org/report/transnational-crime-and-the-developing-world/   Transnational Crime Estimated Annual Value (US$) Counterfeiting $923 billion to $1.13 trillion Drug Trafficking $426 billion to $652 billion Illegal Logging $52 billion to $157 billion Human Trafficking $150.2 billion Illegal Mining $12 billion to $48 billion IUU Fishing $15.5 billion to $36.4 billion Illegal Wildlife Trade $5 billion to $23 billion Crude Oil Theft $5.2 billion to $11.9 billion Small Arms & Light Weapons Trafficking $1.7 billion to $3.5 billion Organ Trafficking $840 million to $1.7 billion Total $1.6 trillion to $2.2 trillion   That was 2017.     Now there was one missing from that list. Bloomberg reported in 2024 that cyber crime alone was probably worth 9.5 Trillion making it the 3rd largest economy on the planet. https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/quicksight/check-point/the-worlds-third-largest-economy-has-bad-intentions-and-its-only-getting-bigger Facebook and scam ads - Andrew Forrest https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/1068185/us-judge-orders-meta-to-explain-230-000-scam-ads-using-andrew-forrest-s-image-1068185.html   Recommendations Podcast – Ask N T Wright Anything        

Notes.  If you want to get in touch techumanpurpose@gmail.com  For a brilliant book to read about the human scale of helping the poor then read this. Rhythms of Poverty: Reconsidering our affluent approach to the poor Paperback – Aug. 16 2013 by Murray Nickel (Author)  https://www.amazon.ca/Rhythms-Poverty-Reconsidering-affluent-approach/dp/0992020913  Holy Post with David French - A Unified Theory of Trump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXTm6RxQ3Pk The Economist https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/27/donald-trump-has-begun-a-mafia-like-struggle-for-global-power https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/home World Bank Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024 World Development Report 2024 LSE on development https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh7TIYuU4JM&t=3930s Deirdre McCloskey The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce. Vol. 1 of 3 of the trilogy “The Bourgeois Era,”, University of Chicago Press, 2006, as a trade book, 616 + Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can't Explain the Modern World. Vol. 2 of 3 of the trilogy "The Bourgeois Era," 2010, University of Chicago Press, 571 Especially. Bourgeois Equality: How Ideas, Not Capital or Institutions, Enriched the World. Vol. 3 of the trilogy “The Bourgeois Era,” 2016 OECD data on development assistance https://www.oecd.org/en/about/committees/development-assistance-committee.html NPR on USAID https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/03/10/g-s1-52964/rubio-announces-that-83-of-usaid-contracts-will-be-canceled CNN https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/americas/china-us-migrants-illegal-crossings-intl-hnk-dst/index.html ABC New Daily 2024-05-22 Why Chinese people are the latest boat people ABC [Australia] South Africa – Lust for Red Gold. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-26/south-africa-copper-crime-wave/104384580

  Some reference material. Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West Andrew Wilson. https://www.amazon.ca/Remaking-World-1776-Created-Post-Christian/ https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/research-datasets A millennium of macroeconomic data – stretching back to 1086.  Peter Mathias The First Industrial Nation https://www.routledge.com/The-First-Industrial-Nation-The-Economic-History-of-Britain-1700-1914/Mathias/p/book/9780415266727?srsltid=AfmBOoqnHA_j01irBsL2hSUMInjDIZ7zGi20ZhM5oHiSTsha6odNrJqq David Tomson. https://www.amazon.ca/England-nineteenth-century-1815-1914-Thomson/dp/B00BO7SRCG Child and infant mortality https://ourworldindata.org/child-mortality Edwin Judge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgqzDfkr_6M  John Dickson Podcast Undeceptions Episode 76 - 5 minute Jesus - hospitals https://undeceptions.com/history/5-minute-jesus-the-churchs-hospitals/ Fabiola of Rome https://undeceptions.com/podcast/the-pandemic-love-single/ Jobs.New Frontiers: The Origins And Content Of New Work, 1940–2018 in The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Listen also to Freakonomics Radio podcast 605 on what do people do all day. Here is a video of kiwibots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGNpqvHAydE Haber-Bosch Process explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1_D4FscMnU From Rikk Watts 2001 On the Edge of the Millennium- Making Sense of Genesis 1 And – 2002. The New Exodus / New Creational Restoration of the Image of God    

Just a note about what happened to the promised episode on jobs, clothing, food and shelter. + of course Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2025.  

References to the impacts of humans, 9 Boundaries, climate change, London smog and PFAS chemicals.  The impact of ancient people on the environment https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-08-30/ancient-civilisations-environmental-impact/11450072  Science 365, 897–902 (2019) 30 August 2019 Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use  World population https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-by-year/ Wheat https://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/25/archives/another-million-tons-of-wheat-bought-by-soviet-from-canada-canadian.html#:~:text=Wheat%20Outlook%20Revised,million%20to%2010%20million%20tons World wheatt production data from USDA. 9 Planetary Boundary conditions identified https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2023-09-13-all-planetary-boundaries-mapped-out-for-the-first-time-six-of-nine-crossed.html ABC (Australian Broadcasting) and the Pacific Islands https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-26/sea-levels-will-rise-new-research-nasa/104400114  Air conditioning The Economist September 7th 2024 _Chilling prospects_ pp39-40  London Smog of 1952 (BBC) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90kq35cWZz4  PFAS chemicals https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2024-10-21/new-safe-pfas-drinking-water-guidelines/104497226

  Wicked Problems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem https://web.archive.org/web/20070930021510/http://www.uctc.net/mwebber/Rittel+Webber+Dilemmas+General_Theory_of_Planning.pdf   The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/    

Erasistratus |John Dickson……. https://www.abc.net.au/religion/genesis-created-science-a-reply-to-tamas-pataki/10101306 John Philoponus | Wikipedia |  + John Dickson https://www.abc.net.au/religion/genesis-created-science-a-reply-to-tamas-pataki/10101306 Economist August 24th 2024 p-10 in an article on AI. The Economist September 7th 2024 Death Roads Water in Canadian first nations https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/indigenous-safe-drinking-water-crisis-in-canada-overview#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20many,supplied%20with%20safe%20drinking%20water. Data on CO2 comes from Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions Ed Conway https://www.amazon.ca/Material-World-Substantial-Story-Future/dp/075355917X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=26Q6YP94691J9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.amY7jxaZ_qnHRhkPnv_Jlhv0zb8YK1hFlpUlozRL8qAP8wpKL8_71-ZMzJGb1159x7H3u_9wFCrPEyseEr3UQN9gHfOQHNisMnzAGu9YYZcbzDLSZoFV2W2U8Rt3hOuS.HKjnDWgWto5ZRiwNbtaRpaCbRvcTRIS-UE7j7WjBEdI&dib_tag=se&keywords=ed+conway+material+world&qid=1731007740&sprefix=ed+conway+material+world%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1-fkmr0 Rikk Watts (2001) On the edge of Millenium: Making Sense of Genesis 1 in ‘Living in the lamblight’ . (2002) The New Exodus / Creational Restoration of the Image of God. In ‘What does it mean to be saved’ . Gospel Conversations Cross and Creation part 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBvjOMlfj0k NT wright on the Premier Unbelievable podcast talking about his new Book with Mike Bird minute 18 onwards particularly regarding wise human beings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvd2E4Th6dI&t=1876s C S Lewis Podcast #142 That Hideous Strength: What is the future of humanity? Jeff Bilbro Living as Creatures in a World Built for Machines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgIc7h3pepQ&list=PL04Zl7nYDurr51J5F93GDhP4mEZXo2AW1&index=3&t=2158s Also regarding Christianity and technology, I think there is a strong Greek influence.  

Show Notes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Ellul Understanding Jacques Ellul (2012)  https://www.amazon.ca/Understanding-Jacques-Ellul-Jeffrey-Greenman/dp/161097431X   Ellul 1984 Technique and the Opening Chapters of Genesis Jacques Ellul in n Theology and Technology: Essays in Christian Analysis and Exegesis, eds. Carl Mitcham and Jim Grote (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1984), 126. Jacques Ellul (1968) THE TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY in The New Technology and Human Values ed JOHN G. BURKE  Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., Belmont, Callfornla   _George Grant_ The quote was taken from ….Hugh Donald Forbes 2007. George Grant: A guide to his Thought  University of Toronto Press. Ian Box 1982’George Grant and the Embrace of Technology’ Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique, Vol.15, No. 3 (Sep., 1982), pp. 503-515 _Albert Borgmann_ Borgmann, Reality and technology. Cambridge Journal of Economics 2010, 34, 27–35 doi:10.1093/cje/ben055  Craig Gay – Modern Technology…. https://www.amazon.ca/Modern-Technology-Human-Future-Craig/dp/0830852204 People and things podcast https://athenaeum.vt.domains/peoplesandthings/2024/10/07/82-pamela-o-long-on-the-long-long-long-history-of-technology/ The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/    

S5E1 Technology and the Human Purpose Introduction to Season 5 Roll of the Dice: Technology in the Modern World. In this episode I introduce plans for season 5, with some small teaser ideas. For more information on Monkey traps https://abergseyeview.com/blog/2019/3/30/the-monkey-trap-of-the-mind Oona Strathern https://www.amazon.ca/Brief-History-Future-Visionary-Tomorrows/dp/0786719044/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title Rest is History Podcast episode 21 – the History of the Future https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-the-future/id1537788786?i=1000508130777  The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/ 

We probably all heard about the recent Crowdstrike software problem of 19 July 2024 North American time. This episode uses that one event to look at our technological world through multiple lenses to reinforce the ideas of season 4.  This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors as the focussing device.  The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/  Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/

This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors. In this sho I do a quick recap of A-Z. Algorithms, Butterfly effects and black swans, Concrete creeks, Dark Matter, Evolution and Ecosystems, Flux capacitor, Gravity, Holy Grail, Invention, Jam, Kryptonite , Lego, Metaphor, Neutral (not), One ring (technique) to rule, Pillars of technology history, Queens (red), Rust, Sailing ship effect, TARDIS Door, Unseeing, Vision and values, Waves, X factor, Y - trade offs -  choices, Zombie technologies. The infinite rebics cube... Let’s recap our A-Z guide to technology metaphors with some cleaning up where I don’t think I was terribly clear.  Also, I refer to a couple of videos during this podcast – here are some links: the 1939 GM world fair exhibit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClZqfnWqmc  and the 1964 GM World Fair exhibit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5aK0H05jk .    The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/  Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/

This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors as the focussing device. In this show I cover U-Z.   U – Unseeing (what you think you see) V – Vision and values W – Waves -diffusion waves X – X factor the unknown secret sauce + knowledge Y – well Y actually the trade-off and choices  Z - Zombie technologies - so what might be the living dead of the tech world   The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/ Some of the work referenced in this epsiode.  https://www.stanleyjgrenz.com/Books/primer-on-postmodernism.html https://www.alaindebotton.com/architecture/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2428386-toxic-chemicals-from-car-tyres-can-get-into-soil-and-contaminate-food/      

This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors as the focussing device. In this show I cover P-T.   P – Pillars of the technological world Q - Queens (Red Queens) R - Rust S – Sailing Ship effect T – The TARDIS Door – technology in Time and Space     The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/   Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/

    I am starting the season with an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors and the focussing device. In this show I cover K-O. K - Kryptonite L – LEGO – Life is a road M – Metaphor (bad) N – Neutral (nah) Nothing is Neutral O – One ring to rule them all  The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/  Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/  

I am starting the season with an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors and the focussing device. In this show I cover F-J. F is Flux capacitor G is for gravity H is for Holy Grail I is for invention J is for Jam  A couple of recent shows worth listening to.  BBC History Extra podcast : Benjamin Franklin: life of the week. Wherever you get your podcasts.  BBC IOT Nikola Tesla https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xvhb  The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/  Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/

In this episode we really get going with season 4.  I am starting the season with an A to Z guide of technology through metaphors. In this show I cover A-E.  The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ . Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/  An Awesome introduction to metaphors. Lakoff, G.and Johnson, M. (1980) Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. The book Subtract I mentioned  - https://www.amazon.ca/Subtract-Untapped-Science-Leidy-Klotz/dp/1250249864  UK population estimates are from Bank of England  I also mentioned Tom Standage, 2005. A  History of the World in 6 Glasses.

In this episode I introduce plans for season 4, with some small teaser ideas.   The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/

The 2nd of 2 sermons I did in 2023 on money. As money is at its core a technology I thought it fitted well in this podcast. You can watch the sermon here if you would prefer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JumiOzeduk . The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/  Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/ .    

I thought I would share 2 sermons I did earlier this year on money. As money is at its core a technology I thought it fitted well in this podcast. You can watch the sermon here if you would prefer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvNxRSZHtQ&t=35s The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ https://freesound.org/people/DeVern/sounds/348275/ Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/      

Its been a while but we are back to close out series 2. In this episode we discuss ChatGPT and applications of AI dep in industrial applications such as mining. We also discuss in a round about way a process of thinking about technology that is based in bouncing between multiple Biblical metaphors. This is in contrast to current publishing where every book puts forward just one idea is at a time. This is problematic because it does not teach that there are always trade-offs in decisions. The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/. Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/