ABSTRACT
In 2005 Lord Alec Broers, a leading electric engineer and pioneer of nanotechnology, presented the prestigious BBC Reith lectures. Lord Broers called his series of lectures The Triumph of Technology, illustrating both his enthusiasm for technological advancement and his intention to combat public misconceptions and fears regarding technology. The fi rst lecture set the agenda, announcing that “the possession of an understanding of technology, just as with an understanding of music, literature, or the arts, brings with it great personal satisfaction and pleasure” (Broers, 2005: par. 16). It is not a coincidence that Lord Broers decided to link technology and the arts in his passionate manifesto calling for better public appreciation for the contribution of technology to human culture. His statement acknowledges that a rift exists between the sciences and the humanities, and attempts to bridge it by drawing positive parallels between these fi elds of human endeavour.
