Innovation is often framed as the solution to humanity's greatest challenges, yet new technologies rarely arrive without a cost of their own. In this talk, Armin Grunwald confronts one of the defining puzzles of our era: technological progress generates unintended consequences that demand still more innovation. This unending spiral has shaped the Anthropocene so far. Grunwald argues for a responsible path between blind faith that new technology will fix what old technology broke, and nostalgic longing for a pre-industrial world. Instead, he calls on science, engineering, politics and society to jointly navigate this cycle toward a genuinely better Anthropocene.

Following the talk, the following scholars will respond to Grunwald’s thesis:

• Mallory James
• Lauren Keeler
• Harro van Lente
• Rob Melnick
• Carl Mitcham
• Clark Miller
  
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