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Energy, Time, and Information: A Long-Term View of ICT

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Slow Tech and ICT

Abstract

The book comes to a close with a final chapter. This chapter takes a stance on the planetary and human limits to computing. It takes a look back over the historical developments in technology in general as it has helped to support human life, with an emphasis on the ideas of energy researcher and environmentalist, Daniel Spreng. In historical terms, technology helped human beings in terms of its use of energy to manage processes. Later, information technology, that is, computers used information. Now, just at the period when human beings have reached the limits of energy and information, they discover the good news that there is another dimension—there is time. People can slow down and adopt a Slow Tech approach! With such a responsible, sustainable, and ethical approach to ICT, the future focus needs to be on human happiness and people’s human interactions with each other in their communities and societies.

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Patrignani, N., Whitehouse, D. (2018). Energy, Time, and Information: A Long-Term View of ICT. In: Slow Tech and ICT. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68944-9_9

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