How would you illustrate the “Seven Deadly Sins of Techno-Complacency” (see below)? On March 8, I’m giving a combined Second Live/Real Life talk on emerging technologies, inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins.  This will be a rather tongue in cheek affair as you might imagine, but with some serious points embedded in it somewhere.

My Seven Deadly Sins (or rather, those I will be talking about) are outlined below.  Given a bit of a time-crunch here, I’m desperately looking for images/graphics to illustrate each sin – and I’d love any thoughts you have on what might work.

Please post your ideas – including links – in the comments space below, following some basic guidelines:

• Photos, paintings, abstract images, real life – the more creative the better!
• Please don’t post anything that could be considered offensive though – I’ll be deleting any comments that I think cross the line.
• For the presentation, I’ll probably select one image per sin to use as a backdrop.

I’ll post further details of the event as soon as I have them.

Thanks!

My Seven Deadly Sins of Techno-Complacency:

Widget Envy. (Envy). As technology gets more sophisticated, we constantly hanker after the next upgrade or widget.  But is this widget-envy leading to a better world, or just a different world? Or is it even eroding away our ability to make informed decisions?

Sucker-syndrome. (Gluttony). Are manufacturers playing into the “sin of widget-envy” by exploiting our desires?  Are we becoming complacent suckers to tech-savvy marketing machines?

Soppy thinking. (Greed). Is the Some One else’s Problem mindset (SOPpy thinking) leading to rampant overuse and mis-use of resources, with the assumption that someone else will deal with the consequences?

Megalomania. (Lust). New technologies come with new powers – not only military might, but also the ability to impact societies and the environment on a global scale.  What’s to stop small groups and individuals misusing high-impact technologies to force their own agenda on others?

Techno-hubris. (Pride). We think that science and technology can solve every problem.  But you know what they say comes before a fall…

Blind faith. (Sloth). On the other hand, how many people are happy to sit back and let the nerds and geeks get on with things – assuming that everything will work out just fine?  Will they make the world a better place on our behalf? And if they don’t, who’s fault is it?

Intolerance. (Wrath). Where does intolerance for those that don’t “get” science and technology “like we do” lead?  Is this a sin clothed in righteous anger?