FREE PUBLIC EVENT: The Hamilton Science Faith Forum and the CSCA present a lecture by Derek C. Schuurman (Professor of Computer Science, Calvin University).
Perspectives on Progress: Technological Visions and Illusions
“There’s great big, beautiful tomorrow” is the theme song for Walt Disney’s “Carousel of Progress,” celebrating technological advances over the past century. The story of progress is a common narrative, and many believe that it will eventually solve all our problems. A rival postmodern story suggests that technology will ultimately threaten both humanity and our entire planet. Will technology continuously move towards a “great, big, beautiful tomorrow,” or might it lead to a more dystopian future? This talk will explore technological progress and the future as informed by the Biblical story.
Derek C. Schuurman grew up in Toronto and studied electrical engineering at the University of Waterloo. After working for several years designing embedded systems, he completed a Ph.D. at McMaster University in the area of robotics and computer vision. He is currently a professor of computer science at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a former adjunct associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at McMaster and is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation. Besides his technical work he has written widely about issues related to faith and technology. He is author of the book Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology and co-author of the newly-released book, A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers, both published by InterVarsity Academic Press. He and his wife, Carina, live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Website: https://sites.calvin.edu/
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Comments
An excellent presentation and good discussion.