Revolution vs Evolution?: Understanding Scientific and Technological Diffusion in Synthetic Biology

Kathleen Vogel, Department of Political Science/Science, Technology, and Society Program at North Carolina State University, will contrast two different frameworks, “Revolution” versus “Evolution,” that have been used for understanding the development, diffusion, and adoption of synthetic biology. I will illustrate that the dominant “Revolution” framework falls short in capturing the realities of scientific and technological diffusion. In contrast, the “Evolution”` framework better captures the more complex social dimensions of how science and technology develop, travel, and become successfully adopted in different contexts. This talk will end by discussing how responsible innovation and diffusion in synthetic biology should involve the conduct of more detailed micro and macro-level studies of synthetic biology that would help better elucidate how this field is developing and diffusing, and the implications of those processes for research, innovation, and biosecurity policies and programs.

This event is part of the Science, Technology, and Society Program Brown Bag Lunch Series at North Carolina State University.