Jameson M. Wetmore, PhD

Biography

Jameson Wetmore's work combines the fields of science and technology studies, ethics, and public policy in order to better understand both the interconnected relationships between technology and society and the forces that change those relationships over time. His research spans a broad array of topics and time periods including the Amish use of technology, equity aspects of nanotechnology, and automobile safety. But all of it comes back to a recurring question: How do people design and create technological systems, and, in turn, how do these technological systems help to define, reinforce and propagate specific values? As part of the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes and the Center for Nanotechnology in Society, Wetmore also develops ways for scientists, engineers, policymakers, and others to think about the future relationships among science, technology, and societies. Recently he has been working with science museums around the world to find better ways to engage the public in conversations about the future of science and technology. Wetmore is co-editor of three books including Technology & Society: Building our Sociotechnical Future (MIT Press 2009) and is currently working on a new book: Systems of Restraint: Redistributing Responsibilities for Automobile Safety.