Merged Evolution: Long-term Complications of Biotechnology and Informatin Technology

Merged Evolutioncharts the implications of two major forces of change, information technology and biotechnology, combined with a third force, that of 'artifactual' information, which is handed down dichronically from computing device to computing device. Through developments anticipated in the near future, Dr. Goonatilake describes the merging of these three systems, a convergence which will profoundly affect the biological, social, and technical fields much more than previous studies have implied. Together these changes yield an entirely different history - and a different future of the world for life, nature and civilization. This book addresses the broader issue arising from these important developments using the unifying perspective of general evolutionary theory to yield a fresh and profound insight.

Susantha Goonatilake is with the Center for Studies of Social Change at the New School for Social Research in New York and is a senior consultant on science and technology with many United Nations agencies including UNESCO, UNEP, UNDP and UNCTAD. Dr. Goonatilake is a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Science.