Mankind has been shaped by various ancient civilisations, examples being Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Chinese, and the Indus Valley. These civilisations have evolved since the time humans first decided to give up their nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle in favour of settling down in one place. It has been a long journey of many thousands of years until we became members of what is called the modern civilisation, with its common features and aspirations across the globe. The key feature of this journey has been the accumulation of bounteous knowledge and the pursuit of higher standards of living, propelled by rapid strides in the fields of science and technology.
So much so, a human being has now to be called a ‘technological animal’, ever looking for new tools that further his growing ambitions. This relentless quest for better living has thrown up some serious issues about the values, the purpose, the relevance, and the consequences of a blind-folded pursuit and application of science and technology. Who is the master? Science or the people? Agenda-setting is the key issue.
