Divergent Concretizations: Satellites and Computers Between Climate Science and the Military-Industrial Complex

• In Event: 50462 - Section on Science, Knowledge, and Technology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 11: Boundary Work

Abstract

This paper traces the divergent concretizations (Simondon) of computers and satellites after the constitution of climate science as understood today in the 1960s. A decisive event for the constitution of climate science was the rejection of the centralization of research under NATO, which made possible the Global Atmospheric Research Program, later resulting in the IPCC. It is shown that satellites were equipped with different kinds of sensors and computers developed different architectures according to whether they were embedded in a technosystem dedicated to climate science or to the military-industrial complex. Although this divergence is not devoid of overlaps, the implication is that it is possible to direct the development of technological design through institution-building and differential funding. Therefore, this research confirms that social movements have the potential to induce changes in technological design, while questioning essentialist (Heideggerian) views of technological rationality.

Author

• Daniel Cunha, Pennsylvania State University