Baksansky, O. E. Convergence of Knowledge, Technology and Society: Beyond the Borders of Convergent Technologies

Abstract: CKTS (convergence of knowledge, technology and society) is expressed at all levels of knowledge, technology and social life and, as a rule, is a result of diversified reasons. Convergence is in the front row of scientific discoveries and technological development and promises to become the fundamental and integrating sphere of knowledge and transformations as it already happened in case of information technologies and nanotechnologies. Social convergence has a great potential to significantly and efficiently improve human abilities and his economic competitive ability and life safety. There is a certain need to assume this opportunity and undertake particular measures to make convergence a more efficient solution of the problems that are faced by the humankind today. We can even say that the phenomenon of NBICS-convergence is a completely new stage of the technological progress. Convergence is viewed as a developing interaction between scientific disciplines, technologies, communities and human activities for the purpose of achieving their compatibility and integration. Convergence is important for the information society and by analyzing social consequences of convergence we can actually solve problems that cannot be solved by usual science divided into disciplines and branches as well as to create new technologies and knowledge. The process of convergence has been improving over the last few decades. At the first stage the development of nanotechnologies triggered integration of scientific and technological disciplines that used to be independent from one another such as biology, chemistry, condensed matter physics, materials technology, electric engineering, medicine and others). NBIC-convergence was the second stage when new technologies were integrated based on their mutual fundamental concepts such as the theories of atoms, genes (DNA), bites and neurons. CKTS is an another stage of convergence which expands based on the mutual relations and borders of technologies and bring us to the general humanitarian, planetary and social grounds. At this stage associated human, technical, social and natural resources and capacities are combined in order to answer the questions that otherwise cannot be answered by usual sciences and to create and distribute new knowledge, technologies, industries, products and solution for improving the well-being of people. Attraction of humanitarian technologies also gives us a right to talk about creation of a new convergent NBICS-technology were S means socio-humanitarian technologies.

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