Unexpected effects of new technology

Ed Tenner '65 majored in history and even went on to get his Ph.D in European history at the University of Chicago. But — then and now — science, technology and their quirky paradoxes and ironic twists are what really fascinate him.

And it started small and simple. It all began when he noticed how much faster the paper recycling bin filled up as more computers were being installed.

His essay, "Paradox Proliferation of Paper," examined the reasons behind office users generating more paper in a supposedly more "paper-less" environment. In the piece, Tenner found that laser printers encouraged users to produce different copies of documents in more versions and more amounts.

He also found that even though a smaller percentage of world funds and financial transactions are now made through paper, the electronic world offers even more options for additional transactions. Thus, the absolute number of paper checks continues to rise slowly.

These findings sparked a new career and a new book.

Tenner began speaking at conferences for his unique insight and expertise.

He was invited as a witness to the Congress' Rules Committee on the Internet in 1997 and also spoke in two national summits on economic crime to the National Computer Security Association of the State Department.

Tenner was also the science executive editor for the Princeton University Press from 1975-1991. In 1996, he published his first book "Why Things Bite Back." Since then, it has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, German, Portuguese and Italian.

The acclaimed book examines the unintended consequences of evolving technology. "It's about how technology often cancels our reasons for using it," Tenner said.

He emphasized he concentrated less on the technical issues or the usual reasons for tradeoffs of technology. Instead he looked more for the common and surprising developments from its advancement.

For example, sport utility cars are often bought for safety reasons. Tenner claims, however, that the high center of gravity causes the cars to be more likely to tip over.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

According to Tenner, experts working on experiments also introduced pest organisms, weeds and undesirable animals to the environment. Crabgrass was introduced by a government agency as a forage crop and their campaign against fire ants eventually wiped out its natural enemies.

Tenner even brought the technological "revenge effect" to the local level.

"Certain kinds of technologies are disappointing," he said. "[Some advancements] negate your reasons for doing something technological."

He calls the new increase of parking spaces created by narrower spaces for compact cars at the Princeton Public Library inefficient.

As one car parks over the line, other cars park over the lines too. This trend results in a domino effect and cancels the spaces believed to be saved by the change.

Tenner also points out that evidence shows that bicycle helmets and anti-lock breaks have not reduced the number of causalities.

It gives people a false sense of security, and these people tend to take more risks.

"Anti-brakes lock systems in cars are supposed to mean fewer accidents," he said. "But drivers with [anti-lock brakes] do things other drivers might not do or drive under certain circumstances where other people might hesitate."

"Safety regulation is useless. People will just be reckless."

Tenner comes to the University as a Visiting Research Collaborator — an unpaid position for people whose work interests members of the respective department.

As a member of the English Department, he is working on his next book.

"How Things Work Out" is scheduled for publication next fall.

"The big theme of the book is that innovators cannot foresee most of the things that people will do with the machines that they put out there," Tenner said. "There is a tremendous creativity and ingenuity in the user that transforms technology, both positive and negative things."

The book explores the connections between technology and the human body and how people reshape themselves and their bodies through the innovations of mankind.

Tenner cited the chair as a simple example.

According to Tenner, as people grow older and more accustomed to using furniture, they lose the flexibility of a child to sit in cross-legged positions.

He also researched the origins of the chair and compared the effect of its creation on different civilizations and peoples.

The chair was first introduced in ancient Egypt and became a characteristically Mediterranean and Middle-East luxury item.

Wood was extremely scarce, and the chair was limited to royalty and nobility use.

Among his findings, he points out that the Chinese gradually moved its culture to use chairs while the Japanese surprisingly continue to sit on "mat level."

Tenner also noted that non-European thrones continue not to use chairs. Feet are not meant to touch the floor, and the throne is just elevated from level ground.

The person of higher position usually sits crossed-legged as everyone else, for it still remains a more comfortable position for them.

Other topics he looked at with "interesting and unexpected histories," include the fashion trend of the thong sandal from Japan and throughout the globe after World War II, and the reasons behind the sustained existence of the keyboard.

"It is an incredibly challenging book [to write], a book about everything and everything we do is really a partnership of technology and technique," he said.

"The hopeful side of the book is that there will always be room for positive ingenuity and creativity for the unexpected. With this book, I'm hoping to draw more positive consequences of technology."