The perspective that technologies are not neutral tools with inevitable effects. They are built by people with specific values, assumptions, and worldviews embedded in their design. A social media algorithm isn't just code; it's a constructed technology that embodies theories about human attention, social interaction, and value (e.g., engagement = profit). These embedded constructions then shape user behavior, often reinforcing the very worldviews used to build them.
Example: "The dating app's 'matching algorithm' wasn't magic; it was a Theory of Constructed Technology in action. It was built on a model of human attraction as a checklist of preferences, which then taught users to see themselves and others as checklists. The technology didn't just find love; it constructed a new way of looking for it." Theory of Constructed Technologies
by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026
Get the Theory of Constructed Technologies mug.The tools and platforms that enable the observation, analysis, and manipulation of metabolism. This includes rapid genome editors (like CRISPR), microfluidic "lab-on-a-chip" devices that track metabolic fluxes in real time, and AI systems that predict the outcomes of metabolic tweaks. These technologies turn the abstract science of metabolical engineering into hands-on, high-throughput bio-fabrication.
Example: "The startup's key metabolical technology is a scanner that uses quantum-dot sensors to map the real-time metabolic state of an entire bioreactor. You can see the microbial workforce shift from growth phase to production phase like a city's power grid lighting up at night." Metabolical Technologies
by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026
Get the Metabolical Technologies mug.The hardware built to implement the principles of thermodynamical engineering. Think of phase-change materials for temperature regulation, magnetocaloric cooling systems that don't use harmful refrigerants, thermoelectric generators that turn waste heat directly into electricity, and ultra-efficient turbines. It's the toolbox for a civilization that's starting to take its energy budget seriously at a fundamental physics level.
Example: "My camping stove is a thermodynamical technology: a catalytic burner attached to a tiny thermoelectric plate. The heat from the flame generates electricity to power a small fan, making the flame hotter and more efficient. It's a self-reinforcing loop of thermodynamic thriftiness." Thermodynamical Technologies
by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026
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