Technology and Security: Friends or Foes?

Zusammenfassung

The dramatic events of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax threats that followed have given a new emphasis to the fundamental issue of ensuring the security of our society. The basic question about the role of science and technology (S&T) in promoting, or endangering, security was already on the table since several decades. The attacks that took place in the United States have now triggered an increased attention of policy makers and the public to this question previously discussed mostly in restricted expert circles. The attacks have emphasized the need for in-depth, immediate responses aimed at an efficient solution of this grave problem.