How Can Inventors Respond to the Real-World Effects of Their Inventions?

A More Holistic Approach to the Field Can Make Technology Better for Society

What is it like to be an inventor? Are inventors responsible for the societal ramifications of their creations? And how could a more holistic approach to innovation lead future scientists to create change with fewer unintended consequences? Materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez, author of The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another, tackled these questions and more during a rousing conversation with Issues in Science and Technology senior editor Lisa Margonelli at Zócalo on Tuesday. Their dialogue explored the unintended effects of various inventions, and potential strategies from policy …