WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT 2008
'WSS: Becker, the technological progress: cause and solution of today's anxieties'

"Technologies are involved in the growth of modern society, but awareness is spread that these could generate fear" these are the opening words of the speech of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Economy Mr. Gary Becker at the World Social Summit organized by Fondazione Roma in collaboration with Censis, that ends today at Villa Miani.

Gary Becker explained the double nature of technology to the public, one that solves problems and one that generates anxieties among population. The winner of the Nobel Prize went through the phases of technological discoveries, from the Industrial Revolution until today, underscoring the benefits and problems brought by progresses during the years. "In the medical field, science allowed to expand the average life of people through the discovery of new drugs and treatments" declared Becker, who added:" in industrialized Countries, children's mortality is almost extinct, but there are other problems instead, such as the appearance of tumours, the fear of old age and the appearance of Alzheimer". Becker dedicated to Alzheimer the majority of his speech, underscoring how the loss of memory is one of the greatest problems in today's society. Despite of this, the winner of the Nobel Prize assured: "Technologies will be able with time to find the treatment for Alzheimer as well".

Then the lectio magistralis of Gary Becker dealt with the topic of climatic changes. "Industrialization and fossil fuels generate pollution more and more, but the first remedies against pollutions are indeed coming from technologies". With regards to globalization, the winner of the Nobel Prize instead underscored both its positive aspect and the inevitable negative downfalls on the world population. "In the world, the life style has undoubtedly improved with globalization, today we fear instead unemployment due to the use of labour in China or in other emerging Countries and the expanding of the crisis of financial markets" stated Becker, who also urged to use the informative flow better, which is facilitated by new technologies. "Ignorance leads to fear and disorientation" confessed Becker, who then urged people to believe in the role of education and professional training which can be useful to society to overcome contemporary anxieties.