http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.12/billjoy.html?pg=2&topic=&topic_set=excerpt:
But you've said aspects of the war on terrorism infringe on civil liberties. Aren't you calling for something similar with respect to technology?
I'm not saying the government should do it. Centralized strategies - things like Admiral Poindexter's Total Information Awareness program - don't work. What I'm saying is "physician, heal thyself." People in the various scientific communities have to police themselves.
Like the Russell-Einstein Manifesto from 1955 - where we get the phrase "weapons of mass destruction."
I certainly think a Hippocratic Oath for scientists would be useful. And I think an essential part of getting control of technology will be for international organizations to take a lead in promoting ethical scientific behavior. The Pugwash organization's work on sensible nuclear policy is a strong example.
But what will get the scientific community to accept being told what to do?
Catastrophe. We have scientists saying they want to publish pathogen gene sequences on the Net. One consequential accident and we'll want to throw those researchers in jail.
So much for progress.
What are we in such a hurry for?
Easy for you to say. You live in Aspen.
We don't need a lot of economic growth to address the problem of the world's poor. We put subsistence farmers out of business because that's our choice. Clean water would do more to alleviate disease than high tech medicine. I applaud the guy. Too often, we hear the scientific community say things like, 'We just come up with the stuff. We don't decide what gets done with it.' Joy is a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, btw.
Also of interest is Joy's article,
Why the Future Doesn't Need Ushttp://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html
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