Drones, Volcanoes and the ‘Computerization’ of the Earth

[rangerrebew]

Drones, Volcanoes and the ‘Computerization’ of the Earth
By Adam Fish, Lancaster University | December 14, 2017 10:18 am
 

The eruption of the Agung volcano in Bali, Indonesia has been devastating, particularly for the 55,000 local people who have had to leave their homes and move into shelters. It has also played havoc with the flights in and out of the island, leaving people stranded while the experts try to work out what the volcano will do next.

But this has been a fascinating time for scholars like me who investigate the use of drones in social justice, environmental activism and crisis preparedness. The use of drones in this context is just the latest example of the “computerization of nature” and raises questions about how reality is increasingly being constructed by software.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/drone360/2017/12/14/1232/#.WjapHzdG2wU

[Suppressed]

This was argued as far back as the 70s, with NASA's "Mission to Earth". Perhaps earlier.

Warning taken. Thanks. But let's not be Luddites.