ABSTRACT
As we write this third edition, many voices in the world worry that most of the significant innovations in science and technology have already occurred and that both product and process innovation will, therefore, be sluggish in the future. Yet others fear instead that new technologies such as artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and additive manufacturing (3-D printing) will alter life as we know it in many ways. One lesson of this book is that the course of technological innovation is unpredictable. Another lesson, though, is that technological innovation has far-reaching effects on society. Some of these effects are widely perceived to be good while others are viewed with dismay. It is thus prudent to prepare ourselves for possible technological futures.
