Technophobia is the fear of or revulsion to modern technology and is the opposite of technophilia. Sometimes the term is used in the sense of an irrational fear while others defend that the fears are justified. By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a level of technological mastery sufficient to leave the surface of the planet for the first time and explore space. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... In philosophy: Irrationality In music: Irrational rhythm In economics: Irrational exuberance In mathematics: Irrational number Proof that e is irrational Quadratic irrational List of integrals of irrational functions See also: rational This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

Real world examples

Technophobes argue (justified or not) that certain technology is too powerful for humanity to be trusted with and they fear scientists who engage in rampant technological discovery without regard for the social consequences. Humanity refers to the human race or mankind as a whole, to that which is characteristically human, or to that which distinguishes human beings from other animals or from other animal species primal nature. ... The physicist Albert Einstein is probably the most famous scientist of our time. ...

Genetic engineering is one such example, as some people view interfering with the natural course of life to be arrogant and dangerous. While they may approve of the science in correcting genetic mutations, the idea of cloning or "bettering" humanity is morally distasteful and could lead to a point where what we think of as "human" completely changes, even to the point of having two different races (the "improved" and the "normals"). A less philosophical fear is the danger associated with manipulating minor organisms which could result in the accidental development of a super-virus that kills all of humanity. An iconic image of genetic engineering; this autoluminograph from 1986 of a glowing transgenic tobacco plant bearing the luciferase gene of the firefly, illustrating the possibilities of genetic engineering. ... Natural is defined as of or relating to nature; this applies to both definitions of nature: essence (ones true nature) and the untouched world (force of nature). Natural is often used meaning good, healthy, or belonging to human nature. This use can be questioned, as many freely growing plants... For other uses, see Life (disambiguation), Lives (disambiguation) or Living (disambiguation), Living Things (disambiguation) Look up life, living in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (pron. ... Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of an original organism or thing. ... Groups I: dsDNA viruses II: ssDNA viruses III: dsRNA viruses IV: (+)ssRNA viruses V: (-)ssRNA viruses VI: ssRNA-RT viruses VII: dsDNA-RT viruses A virus (Latin, poison) is a microscopic particle that can infect the cells of a biological organism. ...

Nanotechnology, or the use of millions of microscopic robots, is a similar technology that is sometimes feared could go out of control. The fear is often nested in the assumption that these tiny robots can make each other (programed so because so many are needed to do anything). These robots then replicate out-of-control, turning a large portion of the planet into a grey goo. Molecular gears from a NASA computer simulation. ... Robots is a computer-animated movie released March 11, 2005. ... Self-replication is the process by which some things make copies of themselves. ... // Grey goo refers to a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario involving molecular nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating robots consume all living matter on Earth while building more of themselves (a scenario known as ecophagy). ...

Other real-life (and much more minor) examples of technophobia are sedate, such as people who choose to avoid learning to use a computer, or people who decline to use or obtain cell phones or pagers. Another manifestation would be people who (when withdrawing cash), choose to interact with a person (a "live" bank teller) rather than interacting with a machine (an Automatic Teller Machine). However, most of these people simply find interacting with a person more convenient and are not afraid of the new technology. A Lego RCX Computer is an example of an embedded computer used to control mechanical devices. ... Cellular redirects here. ... A pager is an electronic device used to contact people via a Paging (telecommunications) network. ... A bank teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. ... Outdoor ATMs may be free-standing, like this kiosk, or built into the side of banks or other buildings An automatic teller machine, automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine is an electronic device that allows a banks customers to make cash withdrawals and check their account balances without...

Technophobia in popular culture

The term can be used to describe more broad-ranging fears of technology's potential for societal power and social control. Many examples of this are seen in popular culture, in general, and in movies and television shows in particular (especially those in the science fiction genre). In 1960, for example, the television series The Twilight Zone' presented an episode called A Thing About Machines. Richard Haydn portrayed a magazine writer who hated the many machines in and about his home, and wound up being physically confronted by them. Another example is the Dune novels, set in a time when so-called "thinking machines" are forbidden due to a pivotal conflict known as the Butlerian Jihad. Popular culture, or pop culture, (literally: the culture of the people) consists of the cultural elements that prevail (at least numerically) in any given society, mainly using the more popular media, in that societys vernacular language and/or an established lingua franca. ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... The Twilight Zones original opening The Twilight Zone was a television anthology series created (and often written) by its narrator and host Rod Serling. ... “A Thing About Machines” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... Richard Haydn (1905-1985) was a comic actor in radio, movies and TV. He was known for playing eccentric characters, emphasized by a deliberate over-nasalized and over-enunciated speech pattern. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... The fictional Dune universe, or Duniverse is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science-fiction novels. ... The Butlerian Jihad is an epic turning point in the back-story of Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ...

More recent examples of this concern about the controlling nature of technology are exemplified in movies such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Matrix series, both of which present futures where artificial intelligence has killed or subjugated most of mankind (See: dystopia). Terminator 2: Judgment Day (commonly abbreviated T2) is a 1991 movie directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Patrick. ... The Matrix series consists primarily of three films, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. ... Look up Future in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... // Hondas intelligent humanoid robot AI redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In addition, the popular and long-running television series Star Trek, which traditionally has been very pro-technology, has capitalised on the mid-1990's onward upsurge in technophobia by increasingly depicting technology as a rampant, overwhelming, and threatening force. In the process they created the famous Borg, a species that was once much like mankind, but was completely engulfed by its own omnipresent technology and no longer resembles anything remotely human. More recently, Star Trek has also capitalised on the growing controversy over cloning and genetic engineering by reviving an old storyline involving the hypothetical 21st century Eugenics Third World War, in which genetically enhanced humans attempted to overthrow the natural human order and replace it with their own Social Darwinist society. Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Eugenics Wars are a backstory event in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Technophobic groups

Several societal groups are often said to be technophobic, notably Luddites and the Amish. Sometimes, businesses and environmentalist groups trying to prevent the spread of a technology are also called technophobic by opponents even though they may only be advocating something they describe as "best practice". The Luddites were a social movement of English textile workers in the early 1800s who protested — often by destroying textile machines — against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt threatened their jobs. ... The Amish (IPA: , Pennsylvania Dutch: ) are an Anabaptist Christian denomination typically located in the United States and Ontario, Canada, that are known for their restrictions on the use of modern devices such as automobiles and electricity and for their plain dress. ... Wall Street, Manhattan is the location of the New York Stock Exchange and is often used as a symbol for the world of business. ... Bold textHello ...

In contrast, a Luddite has a social stance against technology, not simply a fear. The Amish (and some Mennonites) state that they are against modern technology because of religious convictions. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after and influenced by the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons (1496-1561). ...

Most pop stars, and famous people as a whole, are not exactly technophobic. Some of them like technology, some of them don't. But the main part of them are ignorant towards technology, especially computers. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, or a willful lack of desire to improve the efficiency, merit, effectiveness or usefulness of ones actions. ...

See also

• technophilia
• dystopia
• science fiction
• Luddite
• Amish
• Mennonite
• Minimalism in Philosophy
• Technophobia: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology by Dan Dinello