Does mankind control technology or vice versa? We had better figure out an answer to that question pronto.

I remember, as a kid, a very interesting episode in American technological development. It was around the time of Jimmy Carter, and the US described a new nuclear weapon, which was colloquially known as the “neutron bomb”. Essentially, a traditional thermonuclear explosion could be modulated to cause less blast destruction of buildings while killing the same or more people via greater neutron release. The overall response to the invention in Europe was one of revulsion: there is a greater likelihood of war if we can just wipe out the armies and leave the buildings for our use after the war. The US did produce neutron bombs under Ronald Reagan, though European leaders refused to let them into their countries.

It is rare that we step back from technological progress. In Judaism, there are lots of things we give up on because they don’t fit in with religious requirements. Unless some creative chef gets a kosher restaurant with a Michelin star, I may well never have the unique opportunity of eating at such a prestigious restaurant. There are some debates about electric cars and the Sabbath, that even if it technically did not violate the spirit of Torah law, the Sabbath would never be the same again. We’d just drive all over the place on autopilot and we would forever give up on sitting around the table with family and truly taking a day of rest. In the larger world, most inventions and improvements are incorporated into our lives with very little thought as to the implications or outcomes.

When Caller I.D. was invented,........

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