Tom Hobson | University of Glasgow (original) (raw)

Papers by Tom Hobson

In this submission we: 1) Introduce the contested concept of global technology assessment, as an ... more In this submission we: 1) Introduce the contested concept of global technology assessment, as an increasingly important area of global policy relevant to UK interests. We argue that it would serve the UK's current and longer-term foreign policy interests to more systematically monitor a) developments in science and technology b) evolving norms and practices in emerging technology governance globally; and to c) formulate clearer guiding principles on the UK's foreign policy in this area. 2) Argue that there is a need for a new focal point for a UK global technology assessment strategy. We highlight the need for a co-ordinating institution – which could play a pivotal role in linking up capacities domestically in the area of innovation strategy and governance, with the UK's foreign policy agenda. This body could i) systematically track developments of relevance to UK foreign policy ii) support the development and evolution of a more explicit and consolidated policy on the ...

Critical Studies on Security, 2020

Rundbrief Der Gi-fachgruppe 5.10 Informationssystem-architekturen, 2020

Within the last decade, research in the biological sciences has unquestionably revolutionised our... more Within the last decade, research in the biological sciences has unquestionably revolutionised our understanding of life processes, biological entities, and the boundaries of the organic and inorganic world. Gene-editing technologies, particularly CRISPR, have accelerated the speed of gene editing whilst also dramatically reducing the cost. Frequently cited as "the most important innovation in the synthetic biology space in nearly 30 years," (Basulto, 2015) its range of potential applications is apparently near-endless. Notably, proponents of gene-sequence editing have foregrounded its potentially transformative uses in agriculture, fuel-production, computing and medicine (The Royal Society, 2018). In academic political and social studies, advanced technologies like CRISPR and other biotechnologies have generally occupied a rather peripheral location. There have however, in recent years, been several contributions that engage critically with the ways that advanced and cutting-edge techno-sciences interact with humanity, society and our ontological and normative preoccupations.1 Whilst it is still commonplace for technology and science to be treated as exogeneous and discreet from the political world, many scholars advance the thesis that to live in modernity is to have an "inescapably technological existence"(McCarthy, 2017).

In this submission we: 1) Introduce the contested concept of global technology assessment, as an ... more In this submission we: 1) Introduce the contested concept of global technology assessment, as an increasingly important area of global policy relevant to UK interests. We argue that it would serve the UK's current and longer-term foreign policy interests to more systematically monitor a) developments in science and technology b) evolving norms and practices in emerging technology governance globally; and to c) formulate clearer guiding principles on the UK's foreign policy in this area. 2) Argue that there is a need for a new focal point for a UK global technology assessment strategy. We highlight the need for a co-ordinating institution – which could play a pivotal role in linking up capacities domestically in the area of innovation strategy and governance, with the UK's foreign policy agenda. This body could i) systematically track developments of relevance to UK foreign policy ii) support the development and evolution of a more explicit and consolidated policy on the ...

Critical Studies on Security, 2020

Rundbrief Der Gi-fachgruppe 5.10 Informationssystem-architekturen, 2020

Within the last decade, research in the biological sciences has unquestionably revolutionised our... more Within the last decade, research in the biological sciences has unquestionably revolutionised our understanding of life processes, biological entities, and the boundaries of the organic and inorganic world. Gene-editing technologies, particularly CRISPR, have accelerated the speed of gene editing whilst also dramatically reducing the cost. Frequently cited as "the most important innovation in the synthetic biology space in nearly 30 years," (Basulto, 2015) its range of potential applications is apparently near-endless. Notably, proponents of gene-sequence editing have foregrounded its potentially transformative uses in agriculture, fuel-production, computing and medicine (The Royal Society, 2018). In academic political and social studies, advanced technologies like CRISPR and other biotechnologies have generally occupied a rather peripheral location. There have however, in recent years, been several contributions that engage critically with the ways that advanced and cutting-edge techno-sciences interact with humanity, society and our ontological and normative preoccupations.1 Whilst it is still commonplace for technology and science to be treated as exogeneous and discreet from the political world, many scholars advance the thesis that to live in modernity is to have an "inescapably technological existence"(McCarthy, 2017).