Handbook of Science and Technology Convergence [electronic resource] /

1.The Era of Convergence -- 2. Principles and Methods that Facilitate Convergence -- 3. Bio-cognitive Evolution -- 4. Collective Intelligence Systems -- 5. Consilience -- 6. Convergence-Divergence Process -- 7. The Convergence of Curation -- 8. Decision Making in a Convergent Society -- 9. Dimensions of Research -- 10. Modeling and Simulation -- 11. Science and Technology Forecasting -- 12. Self-organization and Emergence of Dynamic Systems -- 13. Systemic Interdependencies -- 14. Visionary Scenario Development of Emerging Fields -- 15. NBIC -- 16. Cognitive Technology -- 17. Complex Biological Systems -- 18. Convergence of Nanotechnology and Biotechnology -- 19. Information Technology Supported Convergence -- 20. Nanotechnology-Neuroscience Convergence -- 21. Neurotechnology-Centered Convergence -- 22. Services Science and Societal Convergence -- 23. Transition from Inert to Living Systems -- 24. Unifying Concepts in Physics, Chemistry and Engineering -- 25. Human-Technology Collaboration -- 26. Citizen Science -- Collaboratories -- 27. Communication Media -- 28. Convergence with the Arts -- 29. Co-Robots: Humans and robots operating as partners -- 30. Distributed Manufacturing -- 31. Human Computation and Convergence -- 32. Open Source Technology Development -- 33. Participation in Convergence Research -- 34. Personalized and Interactive Literature -- 35. Virtual Meetings -- 36. The Earth Scale System -- 37. Astrosociology (Social Science of Space Exploration) -- 38. Demographic Transition -- 39. Global Risk Assessment -- 40. Linguistic Convergence -- 41. Network of Cooperation between Science Organizations -- 42. Science and Technology Globalization -- 43. Space Exploration -- 44. Sustainable Global Food Supply -- 45. Socio-Ecological Systems -- 46. Whole-Earth Monitoring -- 47. Twenty-First Century Society -- 48. Boundary Organizations -- 49. Cognitive Society -- 50. Convergence in ethical implications and communication of emerging technologies -- 51. Cultural Science -- 52. Digital Government -- 53. Ethics of Convergence for Enhancement of Cognition -- 54. Human Enhancement in Sports -- 55. Intellectual Property Rights -- 56. Institutional Transformation -- 57. Medical Approach to Wellness -- 58. Polycentric Governance -- 59. Systematizing Global and Regional Creativity -- 60. Technology and Religion -- 61. Unifying Ethical Concepts -- 62. Reconceptualization of Education -- 63. Academic Research Centers: Platforms for Convergence of Science, Technology and Innovation -- 64. Assistive Technology in Education -- 65. Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University -- 66. Cyberlearning -- 67. Informal Science Education of Converging Technologies -- 68. Integrative Graduate Education and Research -- 69. Learning in a World of Convergence -- 70. Life-Long Learning -- 71. Norms and Standards of Learning -- 72. Online Courses -- 73. Pre-college Convergence Education. .

Scientists and engineers have long been aware of the tension between narrow specialization and multidisciplinary cooperation, but now a major transformation is in process that will require technical fields to combine far more effectively than formerly in the service of human benefit. This handbook will catalog all the ways this can be accomplished, and the reasons it must be. Nature is a single coherent system, and diverse methods of scientific and engineering investigations should reflect this interlinked and dynamic unity. Accordingly, general concepts and ideas should be developed systematically in interdependence, with cause-and-effect pathways, for improved outcomes in knowledge, technology, and applications. At the same time, industrial and social applications rely on integration of disciplines and unification of knowledge. Thus, convergence is both a fundamental principle of nature and a timely opportunity for human progress. This handbook will represent the culmination of fifteen years of workshops, conferences, and publications that initially explored the connections between nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and new technologies based on cognitive science. A constant emphasis on human benefit then drew in the social sciences, even as shared scientific and ethical principles brought in sustainability of the Earth environment and the challenge of equitable economic advancement. The intellectual contributions of literally hundreds of scientists and engineers established a number of research methods and analytical principles that could unite disparate fields. The culmination has been called Convergence of Knowledge and Technology for the benefit of Society (CKTS), defined as the escalating and transformative interactions among seemingly different disciplines, technologies, communities, and domains of human activity to achieve mutual compatibility, synergism, and integration.