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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nonetheless, significant technological advances continued, and transformative visions of progress gained traction, paving the way for the techno-utopianism of the 1990s and afterwards. We will examine how the popular culture and creative expression of the era captured and amplified positive beliefs in technology’s power to foster innovation, creativity, prosperity and freedom.
Today’s debates surrounding technology’s place in our lives are highly polarised. Its critics highlight the dangers and crises technology brings: climate change, pervasive surveillance, ever-deadlier weapons, behavioural manipulation and an alleged dehumanisation in work and private life. At the same time, there are many vehement assertions of technology’s transformative and liberating potential, whether as a solution to environmental crisis, a way to extend human possibility, a vehicle for individual expression or simply as an engine of progress generally.
While technology itself is constantly changing, the topics that it raises — and even the language in which it is debated — are far from new. Through this conference, we aim to explore the historical roots of present discussions, focusing on the 1970s and 1980s and issues such as:
· Why did optimistic beliefs in technology thrive despite the challenges of the time?
· What strategies did techno-optimists use to counter the arguments of technological pessimism?
· How did technological optimism build upon previous developments and/or shape the development of subsequent innovations?
Our conference will also account for the complex geographic landscape of technological optimism, addressing visions of technological optimism behind the Iron Curtain and those beyond Europe and North America.
We are pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Henry Keazor (Heidelberg) as a keynote speaker.
The conference programme and further information is available at its website: https://ieg-dhr.github.io/techno_optimism/
It is only possible to attend the conference on-site.
Because space is limited, we ask that those who are interested in attending register by sending a brief e-mail to digital@ieg-mainz.de by 25. March 2026.
Information on participating / attending:
Date:
04/15/2026 13:30 - 04/17/2026 12:30
Event venue:
Alte Universitätsstraße 19
55116 Mainz
Rheinland-Pfalz
Germany
Target group:
Business and commerce, Scientists and scholars
Email address:
Relevance:
international
Subject areas:
History / archaeology
Types of events:
Conference / symposium / (annual) conference
Entry:
02/20/2026
Sender/author:
Stefanie Mainz
Department:
Referat Kommunikation & Presse, Veranstaltungsmanagement
Event is free:
yes
Language of the text:
English
URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event81022
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