Accelerating technology's effects on humanity to be topic of Feb. 12 "Minds" lecture

Monday, February 2, 2004

Lacey, Wash. - Saint Martin’s College and Panorama City will begin the fifth year of their Minds on the Millennium free public lecture series on Feb. 12 with a presentation on how accelerated technological developments may affect humanity by Saint Martin’s Dean of Business William McDonald Wallace.

Minds on the Millennium was launched in 2000 to promote intellectual conversation and the exchange of ideas based on historical, philosophical and literary topics. Wallace’s lecture will be at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at Panorama City’s Quinault Auditorium, 1835 Circle Lane.

Invented technology began driving human evolution long ago, although at a much slower pace, he says. Today, technology advances so quickly that is creating major problems worldwide. In his upcoming talk, “We Invent Technology, Then Technology Reinvents Us,” Wallace will explain the deep dilemmas entailed in any successful effort to stop self-accelerating technology and will consider three possible futures.

Wallace is a professor of business and economics at Saint Martin’s. Before joining the Saint Martin’s faculty in 1992, he was chief economist of commercial airplanes for the Boeing Co. As a consultant in organic business systems, he has done management and economic consulting in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, Nigeria, Uruguay, Honduras and Jordan. He is the author of the book, “Postmodern Management: The Emerging Partnership Between Employees and Stockholders.”

For more information on Minds on the Millennium V, please call the college at 360-491-4700.

For more information:
Suter, Minds on the Millennium co-director
Professor of religious studies
360-438-4360 or dsuter@stmartin.edu

Veronica Kessler, Minds on the Millennium co-director
Panorama City activities director
360-438-7557

Deanna Partlow
Media coordinator/senior editor
360-438-4541or dpartlow@stmartin.edu