As we read about and consider civilizations of the past, our first discussion topic for this module is to think about how technology changes ones' way of life and the cultures it comes into contact with, both positively and negatively. Part of graduate study is the ability to do research that informs and elevates our knowledge of contemporary problems, and extends our ability to address those issues with scope and depth. Our problems today include but are not limited to:

1. Preserving indigenous cultures without supplanting and potentially destroying their ways of life. 
2. Creating a balance of the dissemination of technologies in medicine, agriculture, and other disciplines that can vastly improve the prosperity of underdeveloped nations. 
3. Preventing (or limiting) nuclear proliferation and the degeneration of the world into a struggle for power and influence through intimidation using weapons of mass destruction. 
4. Addressing the need for transnational control networks to balance the dissemination of technology, foster its beneficial ability to address many human needs, while simultaneously curtailing the proliferation of technological weapons that threaten human existence.