This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Passerini, P. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Inadaptive Knowledge

Comparing Technical Progress to Biological Evolution

University of Florence

The evolution of human sociotechnical systems shows some trends that, though initially adaptive, may become inadaptive if the long run is considered. Technical progress, for instance, entails an increase of destructive powers and augments the efficiency of intraspecific conflict as a mechanism for self-consumption of the species. It can be foreseen that technical advancement, which up to now has increased the species' dominance and genetic fitness, beyond a given threshold may make this fitness decrease, possibly leading the species to extinction or considerable reduction. It is argued that this critical limit has been already crossed or will be crossed before long.

Science Communication, Vol. 5, No. 3, 339-352 (1984)
DOI: 10.1177/107554708400500304


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?