Group Presentations 2
Thoughts about some of the presentations:
1) Ebooks – How have they affected us?
Electronic books or e-books in short are books composed in digital format for display on a computer screen or handheld device. Again, technology has redefined the way we read our books. Thick printed books would soon become a thing of the past. In the near future, on the MRTs or buses, we would see people carrying an ipad or electronic book instead of the conventional books that we see now. I find the invention of e-books beneficial to consumers as they longer need to carry around the thick books. All they need is a digital device, which is definitely lighter than a book. Thus, the invention of e-books would bring about greater convenience to avid readers!
However, as faced by all the things that are available online, e-books raise the danger of online privacy. The ease of sharing and gaining information online would bring about intellectual property right issues which I find a big concern. Thus, the government should take steps to introduce regulations such as laws to protect the rights of the authors before they implement the use of e-books across the country.
Despite the setbacks, e-books would be a useful tool for students in the future. Given the prevalent use of computers in our daily lives, there would be a phase where students no longer carry textbooks to school. All they need would be their laptops. And in their laptops would be these e-books!
2) Technology and Weather Control
Imagine a year without rain! This might sound impossible to you now, but it will no longer be in the future because of the use of weather modification techniques. Weather control employs the use of technology to alter the weather. For example, cloudseeding can be used to create more rain, or to prevent rain. The 2008 Beijing Olympics used it for the latter, in order to have a perfect ceremony without moods being dampen by the weather. I believe that the former use of cloud seeding would bring benefits to the world globally, especially to farmers in the agricultural industry.
If there is no rain, crops cannot be harvested. However, if the farmers had control over the rain, the crop yield could be maximised as they can generate just the right amount of rain needed through employing weather control technologies. In this way, crop harvests would increase exponentially as they are no longer being threatened by weather conditions. Hence, farmers would benefit from the larger amount of profits they would yield and hopefully, these would help them break out of the vicious cycle of poverty as well. One of the obstacles they might face would be the high costs of using this technology. Nevertheless, I believe that this problem can be overecome as more research is being done about this technology to discover new methods to lower the costs of this technology.
3) 3D technology
It is really amazing how the flim industry has evolved through the use of technology from 2D to 3D. Animation flims these days usually make use of this 3D technology to make the flim more interesting as the characters in the flim would feel more real as well as closer to us. I found the 3D applications in interior designing an interesting one. In the past, interior designers present their layouts to the clients in the form of paper where everything is 2D. However, through the use of this application, interior designers would be able to showcase their idea to their clients more effectively as 3D designs would enable the clients to better comprehend the concept the interior designer is introducing. This application can be further used in augmented reality. As covered in previous seminars, augmented reality is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery. Hence the use of 3D technology in augmented reality will add life to the virtual image as it becomes and feels more real to our naked eyes!
Overall, I would rate the session 8.5/100 as it was a rather insightful one.
This post also marks the end of my TWC lessons. My keytakeaway for this course can be summarised in the quote that Prof Gurinder introduced to us in the first lesson, "Technology is easy. People are hard." Looking back, I enjoyed TWC lessons as they never failed to amaze with the new state of the art technology that exists today. Albeit the controversies and negative impact of certain technologies, I feel that it all delves down to Man. If Man used this technology effectively and not abuse it, all these negative repercussions would not have occured. Like if Man had controlled their use of natural resources, we would remain sustainable in the long run. However, they did not. They consumed more than what they were supposed to with increased access to these resources due to technology. Hence, they are left with the problem of insustainablity. Therefore, technology is neutral. People are the ones who determine which side they lean on.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Seminar 12, 01/11/2010
Group Presentations 1
This week’s seminar was conducted in a different manner as the previous seminars. There were 3 group presentations.
1) Technology and Beauty
This presentation was about what technology has done to beauty. In the past, people who disliked their looks could not do anything about it. However, today, people are able to alter their looks to the perfect manner they want it to be. This is made possible through cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is usually performed to correct a physical abnormality or to enhance an otherwise normal physical feature and thus improve appearance. Several celebrities have undergone cosmetic surgery to make themselves look more attractive. The girls in popular Korean pop group Girls’ Generation (SNSD) have been alleged to have undergone plastic surgery. In fact, it is not unusual to hear of such allegations since the number of people going under the knife is increasing. I am rather concerned about this trend because I feel that people should not abuse this technology just to look better. If the person has undergone a tragic incident which distorted her/his looks, it is justifiable for her/him to undergo plastic surgery as this would allow them to regain acceptance, especially around those who discriminate them because of their looks. However, if the person is undergoing plastic surgery in order to look more charming, I find it rather unjustified. If everyone undergoes plastic surgery, there will be a time when almost everyone looks similar. I can’t envisage that happening. Hence, I think that Man should not misuse this technology.
2) Technology and Crime: Friend or Foe?
Technology has always been a double edged sword. Although the Internet has brought to us immense benefits, it has also created several problems, one of which is cybercrime. Malware is an example of cybercrime. Malware is software designed to secretly access a computer system without the owner's informed consent. So, once one’s computer is affected by malware, the criminal would be able to access whatever information he wants from one’s computer. This is extremely dangerous as confidential information stored in the computer might be leaked out, bringing out severe consequences. Malware is most commonly spread from criminals to users in the form of e-mails and the World Wide Web. Hence, it is vital that we stay vigilant when browsing the Internet. We should not fall for scams which claim to give us “free” gifts etc. This way, we would not fall prey to these criminals. Given the prevalence of cybercrime in our society, it is imperative that Internet security is stepped up. Perhaps the governments could come up with a common global policy to combat this.
3) Water and Water Technologies
Water is no doubt one of the most precious natural resources around as well as the resource that we need the most in our daily lives. Not only do we need water for our own consumption, we also need it for cooking, washing etc. Water is indeed an indispensable resource in our lives. Hence, it is crucial that we ensure that it is sustainable. The increasing demand for water today raises the question if the future generations would have enough water. As such, water technologies have been invented to solve these problems. Examples of such technologies are desalination, reverse osmosis, hyflux technology etc. Although technology provides the opportunity for us to alleviate the shortage of water, I feel that it is not the panacea to the problem. Besides the high costs of using these technologies, I think that the main cause of the problem of water shortage is Man’s selfishness. If Man is able to compromise their needs and not overuse the existing water available, the problem of water shortage will be solved. However, this scenario would be too idealistic.
Overall, I would rate the session 7.5/10. My key takeaway for this session: technology can never be the panacea to be the existing problems we have now because in the end, it delves down to Man. If Man is willing to compromise their needs (such as not overusing water, not abusing the use of plastic surgery), then perhaps the existing problems would no longer be problems. As prof mentioned in the very first session of TWC, “Technology is easy. People are hard.” It really depends on how you use it!
This week’s seminar was conducted in a different manner as the previous seminars. There were 3 group presentations.
1) Technology and Beauty
This presentation was about what technology has done to beauty. In the past, people who disliked their looks could not do anything about it. However, today, people are able to alter their looks to the perfect manner they want it to be. This is made possible through cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is usually performed to correct a physical abnormality or to enhance an otherwise normal physical feature and thus improve appearance. Several celebrities have undergone cosmetic surgery to make themselves look more attractive. The girls in popular Korean pop group Girls’ Generation (SNSD) have been alleged to have undergone plastic surgery. In fact, it is not unusual to hear of such allegations since the number of people going under the knife is increasing. I am rather concerned about this trend because I feel that people should not abuse this technology just to look better. If the person has undergone a tragic incident which distorted her/his looks, it is justifiable for her/him to undergo plastic surgery as this would allow them to regain acceptance, especially around those who discriminate them because of their looks. However, if the person is undergoing plastic surgery in order to look more charming, I find it rather unjustified. If everyone undergoes plastic surgery, there will be a time when almost everyone looks similar. I can’t envisage that happening. Hence, I think that Man should not misuse this technology.
2) Technology and Crime: Friend or Foe?
Technology has always been a double edged sword. Although the Internet has brought to us immense benefits, it has also created several problems, one of which is cybercrime. Malware is an example of cybercrime. Malware is software designed to secretly access a computer system without the owner's informed consent. So, once one’s computer is affected by malware, the criminal would be able to access whatever information he wants from one’s computer. This is extremely dangerous as confidential information stored in the computer might be leaked out, bringing out severe consequences. Malware is most commonly spread from criminals to users in the form of e-mails and the World Wide Web. Hence, it is vital that we stay vigilant when browsing the Internet. We should not fall for scams which claim to give us “free” gifts etc. This way, we would not fall prey to these criminals. Given the prevalence of cybercrime in our society, it is imperative that Internet security is stepped up. Perhaps the governments could come up with a common global policy to combat this.
3) Water and Water Technologies
Water is no doubt one of the most precious natural resources around as well as the resource that we need the most in our daily lives. Not only do we need water for our own consumption, we also need it for cooking, washing etc. Water is indeed an indispensable resource in our lives. Hence, it is crucial that we ensure that it is sustainable. The increasing demand for water today raises the question if the future generations would have enough water. As such, water technologies have been invented to solve these problems. Examples of such technologies are desalination, reverse osmosis, hyflux technology etc. Although technology provides the opportunity for us to alleviate the shortage of water, I feel that it is not the panacea to the problem. Besides the high costs of using these technologies, I think that the main cause of the problem of water shortage is Man’s selfishness. If Man is able to compromise their needs and not overuse the existing water available, the problem of water shortage will be solved. However, this scenario would be too idealistic.
Overall, I would rate the session 7.5/10. My key takeaway for this session: technology can never be the panacea to be the existing problems we have now because in the end, it delves down to Man. If Man is willing to compromise their needs (such as not overusing water, not abusing the use of plastic surgery), then perhaps the existing problems would no longer be problems. As prof mentioned in the very first session of TWC, “Technology is easy. People are hard.” It really depends on how you use it!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Seminar 11, 25/10/2010
Technology Assessment and Forecasting; Developing a Framework for Understanding What Comes Next
Technology forecasting is the forecasting of future characteristics of useful technological machines, procedures or techniques. Forecasting is the process of making statements about events whose actual outcomes (typically) have not been observed yet. Thus in short, technology forecasting is the prediction of future technologies. This ties in very well with last week’s seminar which theme revolved around “Future Technologies”.
“Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today” – African Proverb
The above quote fits exactly the theme for this lesson – we have to prepare for future technologies. And how do we do that? Through technology forecasting! Globalization has caused the world to change at a rate, one would not have imagined possible in the past. Thus, it is vital that we are always prepared and armed to face the challenges of tomorrow because uncertainty causes insecurity. By being prepared, we are able to control the fate of tomorrow because it is all in our hands. Hence, by technology forecasting, we would be able to envisage the possibilities of tomorrow as well as to come up with solutions to solve the prevailing problems today.
A useful way of carrying out technology forecasting would be through the use of a technology roadmap which is a plan that matches short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions to help meet those goals. This plan applies to both new products/processes and emerging technologies. I find this method useful given today’s context because the problems that we will face in the future are prevalent. This includes overcrowding in certain countries due to the increasing population, increase in energy consumption, global warming etc. Since the stage is already there, what is left is to create solutions to solve this problem which can be done through a technology roadmap. We can employ a group of experts to study the particular problem and then come up with a technology which will solve this problem through a systematic approach.
Overall, I found this to be a really interesting and thought provoking session.
Technology forecasting is the forecasting of future characteristics of useful technological machines, procedures or techniques. Forecasting is the process of making statements about events whose actual outcomes (typically) have not been observed yet. Thus in short, technology forecasting is the prediction of future technologies. This ties in very well with last week’s seminar which theme revolved around “Future Technologies”.
“Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today” – African Proverb
The above quote fits exactly the theme for this lesson – we have to prepare for future technologies. And how do we do that? Through technology forecasting! Globalization has caused the world to change at a rate, one would not have imagined possible in the past. Thus, it is vital that we are always prepared and armed to face the challenges of tomorrow because uncertainty causes insecurity. By being prepared, we are able to control the fate of tomorrow because it is all in our hands. Hence, by technology forecasting, we would be able to envisage the possibilities of tomorrow as well as to come up with solutions to solve the prevailing problems today.
A useful way of carrying out technology forecasting would be through the use of a technology roadmap which is a plan that matches short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions to help meet those goals. This plan applies to both new products/processes and emerging technologies. I find this method useful given today’s context because the problems that we will face in the future are prevalent. This includes overcrowding in certain countries due to the increasing population, increase in energy consumption, global warming etc. Since the stage is already there, what is left is to create solutions to solve this problem which can be done through a technology roadmap. We can employ a group of experts to study the particular problem and then come up with a technology which will solve this problem through a systematic approach.
Overall, I found this to be a really interesting and thought provoking session.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Seminar 10, 18/10/10
Emerging and Future Technologies
This week’s lesson was a pretty intriguing one because it covered emerging and future technologies, a topic I believe captivated the class’s attention. No matter what, I’m sure we are interested in how these technologies are going to impact and change our lives in the future. After all, technology has already changed the way we lived since we were born. Remember how used to communicate with our friends (during primary school) with our home phones? Now, this seldom takes place because it has been replaced by other avenues of communication such as MSN, facebook and text messages. Technology has indeed brought immense convenience and change to our lives and I believe it will continue to do so in the future.
“In terms of the development and application of new and emerging technologies, we are limited only by our imagination – and all too often, the lack thereof”.
- Prof Gurinder Shahi
This was the quote of the week which I found really apt because I feel that all great ideas come with the ability to imagine. Without imagination, we wouldn’t be able to even phantom about how the product is going to be like and hence, innovations would never occur. Therefore, it is imperative that we do not restrict our imagination. Instead, we should always be open to new ideas and technologies and embrace it. In the past when the idea of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was first introduced, many were skeptical about it, having concerns over ethical issues and potential complications which might arise. However, fast forward till today, IVF is widely accepted by several and can be said to be a life-saver for couples who want a baby but are unable to have one. Hence, it is evident that we should not be cynical to the possibilities of new technologies which might sound far-fetched to us now. People do not embrace new technologies immediately because they cannot foresee and imagine the probability of using it. However, if they take a step back and keep an open mind while using the technology, I believe they will be able to see it in a different light. In a nutshell, nothing is impossible. As long as you can think of it, it can happen.
Augmented reality was one of the technologies brought up in class which I found really fascinating. It is a technology that is able to bring virtual computer generated images into reality. This concept can be applicable to several fields.
I also found the idea that an innovation that was technologically driven could have the capability to alter the needs and perceptions of the market. For example, when mobile phones were first invented, it was not a technology that was commonly used by the masses. This was due to the fact that people did not see the need to own a mobile phone, judging by the availability of public phones in almost all cities. However, fast forward to the 21st century, mobile phones are a necessity to all, to such an extent that this gadget has evolved rapidly in a matter of years.
A few key takeaways from the session would be the confluence of the 4 “Smarts”: smart people, smart ideas, smart money and smart alliances & partnerships, as a driver for the development of emerging and future technologies. Some issues for further discussion would be the question as to whether future technologies would be a plaything for the rich. Whenever a new invention appears, the cost would be generally expensive. As such, only the rich could afford the luxury of owning these new ‘items’. Would this then exacerbate the divide between the rich and the poor ? I would personally rate the session a 8 out of 10.
This week’s lesson was a pretty intriguing one because it covered emerging and future technologies, a topic I believe captivated the class’s attention. No matter what, I’m sure we are interested in how these technologies are going to impact and change our lives in the future. After all, technology has already changed the way we lived since we were born. Remember how used to communicate with our friends (during primary school) with our home phones? Now, this seldom takes place because it has been replaced by other avenues of communication such as MSN, facebook and text messages. Technology has indeed brought immense convenience and change to our lives and I believe it will continue to do so in the future.
“In terms of the development and application of new and emerging technologies, we are limited only by our imagination – and all too often, the lack thereof”.
- Prof Gurinder Shahi
This was the quote of the week which I found really apt because I feel that all great ideas come with the ability to imagine. Without imagination, we wouldn’t be able to even phantom about how the product is going to be like and hence, innovations would never occur. Therefore, it is imperative that we do not restrict our imagination. Instead, we should always be open to new ideas and technologies and embrace it. In the past when the idea of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was first introduced, many were skeptical about it, having concerns over ethical issues and potential complications which might arise. However, fast forward till today, IVF is widely accepted by several and can be said to be a life-saver for couples who want a baby but are unable to have one. Hence, it is evident that we should not be cynical to the possibilities of new technologies which might sound far-fetched to us now. People do not embrace new technologies immediately because they cannot foresee and imagine the probability of using it. However, if they take a step back and keep an open mind while using the technology, I believe they will be able to see it in a different light. In a nutshell, nothing is impossible. As long as you can think of it, it can happen.
Augmented reality was one of the technologies brought up in class which I found really fascinating. It is a technology that is able to bring virtual computer generated images into reality. This concept can be applicable to several fields.
I also found the idea that an innovation that was technologically driven could have the capability to alter the needs and perceptions of the market. For example, when mobile phones were first invented, it was not a technology that was commonly used by the masses. This was due to the fact that people did not see the need to own a mobile phone, judging by the availability of public phones in almost all cities. However, fast forward to the 21st century, mobile phones are a necessity to all, to such an extent that this gadget has evolved rapidly in a matter of years.
A few key takeaways from the session would be the confluence of the 4 “Smarts”: smart people, smart ideas, smart money and smart alliances & partnerships, as a driver for the development of emerging and future technologies. Some issues for further discussion would be the question as to whether future technologies would be a plaything for the rich. Whenever a new invention appears, the cost would be generally expensive. As such, only the rich could afford the luxury of owning these new ‘items’. Would this then exacerbate the divide between the rich and the poor ? I would personally rate the session a 8 out of 10.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Seminar 9, 11/10/2010
Energy and World Change: Past, Present and Future
Given the increasing consumption of energy today, it is imperative that we have enough sustainable energy for future generations. If not, what are they going to be living on? The use of technology has evolved in tandem with technology. For instance, in the past, our forefathers created heat energy through rubbing the stones together and after which, they would use the energy to cook their meat. Today, we make use of gas stoves to generate heat and electrical energy to cook our meals. Energy has not evolved. But the way we use it has changed. Just like any other inventions in technology, the use of technology has increased the convenience for us to use energy. With the easy availability of energy, it is inevitable that we end up consuming more than we are supposed to. After all, Men are selfish creatures.
The advancements in technology has facilitated the invention of an improved stove which produces less carbon emissions than a coal stove. This is actually an invention by the Beijing Shenzhou Daxu Biomass Energy Technology Company Limited which achieves a high efficiency (over 40%) and low emissions. Using this instead of a coal stove reduces the cost of cooking and heating by over 50%, and achieves a reduction of over 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year. As such, it is evident that technological improvements can enable us to use energy more efficiently so that there is less wastage and hence more energy for the future generations. Also, the cost of this power stove is relatively low and thus most villagers will be able to benefit from it.
The invention above was the product of Research and Development (R&D). Thus, I feel that governments should invest more money into the R&D for renewable resources of energy so that more disruptive innovations can be discovered so that we can use energy more efficiently from now on.
Overall, I rate the session 8/10.
Given the increasing consumption of energy today, it is imperative that we have enough sustainable energy for future generations. If not, what are they going to be living on? The use of technology has evolved in tandem with technology. For instance, in the past, our forefathers created heat energy through rubbing the stones together and after which, they would use the energy to cook their meat. Today, we make use of gas stoves to generate heat and electrical energy to cook our meals. Energy has not evolved. But the way we use it has changed. Just like any other inventions in technology, the use of technology has increased the convenience for us to use energy. With the easy availability of energy, it is inevitable that we end up consuming more than we are supposed to. After all, Men are selfish creatures.
The advancements in technology has facilitated the invention of an improved stove which produces less carbon emissions than a coal stove. This is actually an invention by the Beijing Shenzhou Daxu Biomass Energy Technology Company Limited which achieves a high efficiency (over 40%) and low emissions. Using this instead of a coal stove reduces the cost of cooking and heating by over 50%, and achieves a reduction of over 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year. As such, it is evident that technological improvements can enable us to use energy more efficiently so that there is less wastage and hence more energy for the future generations. Also, the cost of this power stove is relatively low and thus most villagers will be able to benefit from it.
The invention above was the product of Research and Development (R&D). Thus, I feel that governments should invest more money into the R&D for renewable resources of energy so that more disruptive innovations can be discovered so that we can use energy more efficiently from now on.
Overall, I rate the session 8/10.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Seminar 7, 26/09/2010
The BioBusiness Revolution 2: Agriculture and the Environment: Past, Present, Future
As reiterated in class, BioBusiness is the commercial activity based on the understanding of life sciences and life science processes. BioBusiness employs some 40% of the world’s labour force and constitutes to about 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). From the figures, it is evident that BioBusiness is a drive of the economy, hence it is imperative for us to understand it and be part of this revolution in order to benefit from it.
This week’s session concentrated more on the food aspect of technology. Genetically modified (GM) food, in-vitro meat, Plumpy’Nut, genetically engineered (GE) papaya etc. These are some of the examples of food that technology has created. Several issues about GM food were raised. One of which included the labeling of GM food. The United States (US) is one of the countries that strongly opposes to labeling of GM food. As such, only 40% of people in the U.S. know that some of the foods they are buying and eating are genetically modified, according to a new survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC). Additionally nearly 1 out of 4 people incorrectly believes that such foods are not being sold in the US. I feel that this is very unfair to the consumers in the US because they have a right to know if the food they are consuming is genetically modified. Furthermore, some people might have certain food allergies and unlabelled GM food might cause them to consume this unknowingly, and thus may result in undesirable consequences.
Putting aside the issue of GM food labels, I think that GM food can be the answer to food security. In the least developing countries (LDCs), malnutrition is a common problem because the people there either do not have enough food or they rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. Rice does not contain the adequate amounts of nutrients necessary to prevent malnutrition. However, if rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, then the problem of malnutrition can be solved because the people can acquire the essential nutrients from this genetically engineered rice. This concept was also applied which led to the innovation of Plumpy’Nut, a ready to-use therapeutic food (RUFT) that helped to save the lives of many malnourished children in Africa. Each packet of Plumpy’Nut contains about 500 kilocalories and all the essential nutrients a growing child needs. This invention is indeed a life-saver as the parent does not need to prepare anything. All she needs to do is to give the child a packet of Plumpy’Nut and there, he is on his way to weight gain! Henceforth, GM food can be the solution to food security.
Another interesting invention brought up during this session was in-vitro meat, whereby the possibility of rearing the entire animal to obtain its meat, we can grow the parts we want. Sounds interesting? Imagine eating your favorite part of the chickens only (like wings, thigh) without having to care about the other parts. Although the idea of eating just my favourite parts only is enticing , I cannot envisage the idea of eating meat that is being grown artificially at the labs. Furthermore, in-vitro meat is too expensive for the average consumer – it costs USD $1 million per kilogram. Thus, I feel that it is impossible for us to accept the idea of lab meat now. Perhaps in the coming years, eating in-vitro meat might become a possibility.
Overall, I rate the session 8/10 because the presentations were really an eye-opener to the things that have been made possible via technology. Now, I can't fathom a world without technology would be like.
As reiterated in class, BioBusiness is the commercial activity based on the understanding of life sciences and life science processes. BioBusiness employs some 40% of the world’s labour force and constitutes to about 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). From the figures, it is evident that BioBusiness is a drive of the economy, hence it is imperative for us to understand it and be part of this revolution in order to benefit from it.
This week’s session concentrated more on the food aspect of technology. Genetically modified (GM) food, in-vitro meat, Plumpy’Nut, genetically engineered (GE) papaya etc. These are some of the examples of food that technology has created. Several issues about GM food were raised. One of which included the labeling of GM food. The United States (US) is one of the countries that strongly opposes to labeling of GM food. As such, only 40% of people in the U.S. know that some of the foods they are buying and eating are genetically modified, according to a new survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC). Additionally nearly 1 out of 4 people incorrectly believes that such foods are not being sold in the US. I feel that this is very unfair to the consumers in the US because they have a right to know if the food they are consuming is genetically modified. Furthermore, some people might have certain food allergies and unlabelled GM food might cause them to consume this unknowingly, and thus may result in undesirable consequences.
Putting aside the issue of GM food labels, I think that GM food can be the answer to food security. In the least developing countries (LDCs), malnutrition is a common problem because the people there either do not have enough food or they rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. Rice does not contain the adequate amounts of nutrients necessary to prevent malnutrition. However, if rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, then the problem of malnutrition can be solved because the people can acquire the essential nutrients from this genetically engineered rice. This concept was also applied which led to the innovation of Plumpy’Nut, a ready to-use therapeutic food (RUFT) that helped to save the lives of many malnourished children in Africa. Each packet of Plumpy’Nut contains about 500 kilocalories and all the essential nutrients a growing child needs. This invention is indeed a life-saver as the parent does not need to prepare anything. All she needs to do is to give the child a packet of Plumpy’Nut and there, he is on his way to weight gain! Henceforth, GM food can be the solution to food security.
Another interesting invention brought up during this session was in-vitro meat, whereby the possibility of rearing the entire animal to obtain its meat, we can grow the parts we want. Sounds interesting? Imagine eating your favorite part of the chickens only (like wings, thigh) without having to care about the other parts. Although the idea of eating just my favourite parts only is enticing , I cannot envisage the idea of eating meat that is being grown artificially at the labs. Furthermore, in-vitro meat is too expensive for the average consumer – it costs USD $1 million per kilogram. Thus, I feel that it is impossible for us to accept the idea of lab meat now. Perhaps in the coming years, eating in-vitro meat might become a possibility.
Overall, I rate the session 8/10 because the presentations were really an eye-opener to the things that have been made possible via technology. Now, I can't fathom a world without technology would be like.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Seminar 6, 20/09/2010
The BioBusiness Revolution 1: Healthcare and the Biomedical Sciences: Past, Present, Future
The lesson started off with a video which portrayed how the future medical care and arena could be like. Machines which act like an X-ray machine allowing the doctors to see what is going on in our bodies instantly, a digital clock which reminds you to take your medicine and which medicine to take , a digital wallet etc. These were just few of the many examples showcased in the video. I find these innovations to be very ground-breaking because I believe that it would bring a whole new change to the way we live our lives. Given the current ageing population and the exponential increase in people having health ailments, the digital clock would come in handy for them. Moreover, it will reduce the probability of the elderly not consuming their medicine on time and consuming the wrong dosage. A digital wallet would bring much convenience to us since we would be required to bring out cash in the future anymore. Also, we could just easily browse through the cards that we own on the screen of the digital wallet instead of rummaging through the piles of card we have in our wallet. Hence, payment methods would become quicker and more favourable. However, I feel that the problem of over-reliance will surface over time as people embrace and get used to this technology. Despite that, the innovations in this video were really interesting and I would certainly love to see being implemented in the future!
“We won’t stop being sick until we stop making ourselves sick.” This was a quote from the video showed by Prof Gurinder which I find to be really thought-provoking. There is certainly some truth to this statement made by Bill Maher. Although it would be unfair to put the blame of all the illnesses Man are experiencing now to Man themselves because some of these (e.g. cancer) are caused by gene mutation or inheritance of these recessive genes, most of it are being caused by Man’s unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits. Due to the easy accessibility of food and the greed of Man, they are consuming more than what they actually need. Over the years, the number of obese people has grown exponentially and it will continue to grow. Thus, it is Man’s fault that they are experiencing these health ailments. If they had eaten adequately, they would not have ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol etc. Controlling eating habits itself would not be useful. They need to exercise at least 3 times a week as well. However, given the fast paced life of today, they are often unwilling to sacrifice some time to do exercise because they feel that time is money and the time spent exercising could have better spend in areas like say a meeting to discuss a proposal. Hence, it all delves down to Man’s willingness to step out of their comfort zone – consuming 2 portions of fruits and vegetables everyday on top of their healthy males and allocating sufficient time to exercise as well. Until they do this, they will always be “making themselves sick.”
Of the 7 readings we were given this week, I found reading 4 to be the most insightful one. It is an article titled “Will Disruptive Innovations Cure Health Care?” The article starts off with the example of a new low-intensity X-ray machine which costs only 10% of the conventional X-ray machine. Amazing? The next question that came to my mind was that if such an innovation exists, why isn’t it being used to benefit Man? I guess it is because of the nature of this innovation – it is a disruptive innovation. As discussed in class, disruption innovation is an innovation that disrupts the market forces. The big companies or the parties involved are unwilling to embrace this new technology because they are afraid that this innovation will threaten their market power and jobs respectively. Instead they set many high barriers of entry to prevent these low-cost alternatives from entering into the market. I felt that it is very selfish of them to do so because they are depriving the people who can’t afford the current technology of a chance of getting treatment. Should such low-cost alternatives be available to the people, maybe more people would have been able to seek treatment and thus they would be treated earlier and in turn recover faster before the problem complicates. Therefore I think that companies should take an altruistic approach towards disruptive innovation and not cater to their self-interests solely.
Also I feel that these disruptive innovations would be able to increase competition among the companies. This would bring about better products as the various companies compete to invent the best innovation to capture the most market share which brings them immense amounts of profit and revenue – ultimately what they are looking for. Hence I feel that everyone should be open to disruptive innovations. We might not like it at first, but as long as it brings us immense benefits…Why not?
Overall, I would rate the session 7.5/10.
The lesson started off with a video which portrayed how the future medical care and arena could be like. Machines which act like an X-ray machine allowing the doctors to see what is going on in our bodies instantly, a digital clock which reminds you to take your medicine and which medicine to take , a digital wallet etc. These were just few of the many examples showcased in the video. I find these innovations to be very ground-breaking because I believe that it would bring a whole new change to the way we live our lives. Given the current ageing population and the exponential increase in people having health ailments, the digital clock would come in handy for them. Moreover, it will reduce the probability of the elderly not consuming their medicine on time and consuming the wrong dosage. A digital wallet would bring much convenience to us since we would be required to bring out cash in the future anymore. Also, we could just easily browse through the cards that we own on the screen of the digital wallet instead of rummaging through the piles of card we have in our wallet. Hence, payment methods would become quicker and more favourable. However, I feel that the problem of over-reliance will surface over time as people embrace and get used to this technology. Despite that, the innovations in this video were really interesting and I would certainly love to see being implemented in the future!
“We won’t stop being sick until we stop making ourselves sick.” This was a quote from the video showed by Prof Gurinder which I find to be really thought-provoking. There is certainly some truth to this statement made by Bill Maher. Although it would be unfair to put the blame of all the illnesses Man are experiencing now to Man themselves because some of these (e.g. cancer) are caused by gene mutation or inheritance of these recessive genes, most of it are being caused by Man’s unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits. Due to the easy accessibility of food and the greed of Man, they are consuming more than what they actually need. Over the years, the number of obese people has grown exponentially and it will continue to grow. Thus, it is Man’s fault that they are experiencing these health ailments. If they had eaten adequately, they would not have ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol etc. Controlling eating habits itself would not be useful. They need to exercise at least 3 times a week as well. However, given the fast paced life of today, they are often unwilling to sacrifice some time to do exercise because they feel that time is money and the time spent exercising could have better spend in areas like say a meeting to discuss a proposal. Hence, it all delves down to Man’s willingness to step out of their comfort zone – consuming 2 portions of fruits and vegetables everyday on top of their healthy males and allocating sufficient time to exercise as well. Until they do this, they will always be “making themselves sick.”
Of the 7 readings we were given this week, I found reading 4 to be the most insightful one. It is an article titled “Will Disruptive Innovations Cure Health Care?” The article starts off with the example of a new low-intensity X-ray machine which costs only 10% of the conventional X-ray machine. Amazing? The next question that came to my mind was that if such an innovation exists, why isn’t it being used to benefit Man? I guess it is because of the nature of this innovation – it is a disruptive innovation. As discussed in class, disruption innovation is an innovation that disrupts the market forces. The big companies or the parties involved are unwilling to embrace this new technology because they are afraid that this innovation will threaten their market power and jobs respectively. Instead they set many high barriers of entry to prevent these low-cost alternatives from entering into the market. I felt that it is very selfish of them to do so because they are depriving the people who can’t afford the current technology of a chance of getting treatment. Should such low-cost alternatives be available to the people, maybe more people would have been able to seek treatment and thus they would be treated earlier and in turn recover faster before the problem complicates. Therefore I think that companies should take an altruistic approach towards disruptive innovation and not cater to their self-interests solely.
Also I feel that these disruptive innovations would be able to increase competition among the companies. This would bring about better products as the various companies compete to invent the best innovation to capture the most market share which brings them immense amounts of profit and revenue – ultimately what they are looking for. Hence I feel that everyone should be open to disruptive innovations. We might not like it at first, but as long as it brings us immense benefits…Why not?
Overall, I would rate the session 7.5/10.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Seminar 5, 12/09/2010
ICT and World Change
Today’s topic was about Information Communication Technologies (ICT), which I believe all of us could easily relate to given that ICTs have become an indispensable part of our lives.
The lesson started off with a YouTube video about Project Natal which was certainly an eye-opener for me. Project Natal was about a technology which allows us to interact with a character which feels and looks so real. A virtual character which is capable of having a conversation with you, capable of having and showing his emotions and also capable of catching whatever you had thrown into the screen. Remarkable indeed! What seemed impossible in the past has been made possible due to the advancement of technology. Such interactive technology could bring much convenience to Man. For instance, parents could be the virtual character and have an eye over the children at home over the screen. This might sound like a great idea for the parents because they longer need to be physically present to watch over their children. Instead, they can just do it over the screen. However, the thought of having a parent like this makes me shudder. As cool and convenient as it might be, I wouldn’t want a virtual parent. Humans and virtual characters are different in the sense that you can feel and see the emotions of humans. That’s what makes us human. A virtual parent wouldn’t be able to give the child emotional support as much as a real human parent would. Hence, I think that such interactive technology should only be used for gaming purposes. Parents should never rely on such interactive technology to fill their places.
A point mentioned in Reading 2 which I found really interesting was the use of submeter satellite imagery. The reading gave an example of the use of these independent sources of submeter satellite imagery owned by private organizations whereby it would enable anyone to watch as the trees are being cut down at a certain part of the globe. And also, we would be able to see the names and companies of those doing it. I find the use this ICT a good way to prevent more selfish companies from going into logging projects which is severely detrimental to the environment because everyone across the globe would be able to witness the process of them causing harm to the environment. Given the increase in environmental awareness and increase in green consumerism, there has been a paradigm shift towards a more environmentally-friendly market. A 2007 Goldman Sachs study found that companies with a strong emphasis on sustainability outperformed the market, often by a large margin. Thus, the change in consumer preference may cause companies to think twice before going into such projects as they might be afraid of being boycotted by green consumers. In addition, they may want to capture the attention of the increasing number of green consumers and hence they might instead use this money to invest in a project which is sustainable for the environment. Therefore, the use of this ICT would touch on the Corporate Social Responsibility of the company, compelling them to stop logging projects.
An area I felt that more could be discussed on was the impact of ICT on education. Given the prevalent use of Internet, Msn, Skype etc, ICT have enable us to communicate with people over the world, exchanging useful information with them; clarifying our doubts on online forums where people from different countries could give you different views and solutions which might change your perspective on how you view a certain issue. Hence, it has open a whole new world for us to explore and never stop accquring new knowledge.
Overall, I would rate the session 8/10 because I found it to be really engaging.
Today’s topic was about Information Communication Technologies (ICT), which I believe all of us could easily relate to given that ICTs have become an indispensable part of our lives.
The lesson started off with a YouTube video about Project Natal which was certainly an eye-opener for me. Project Natal was about a technology which allows us to interact with a character which feels and looks so real. A virtual character which is capable of having a conversation with you, capable of having and showing his emotions and also capable of catching whatever you had thrown into the screen. Remarkable indeed! What seemed impossible in the past has been made possible due to the advancement of technology. Such interactive technology could bring much convenience to Man. For instance, parents could be the virtual character and have an eye over the children at home over the screen. This might sound like a great idea for the parents because they longer need to be physically present to watch over their children. Instead, they can just do it over the screen. However, the thought of having a parent like this makes me shudder. As cool and convenient as it might be, I wouldn’t want a virtual parent. Humans and virtual characters are different in the sense that you can feel and see the emotions of humans. That’s what makes us human. A virtual parent wouldn’t be able to give the child emotional support as much as a real human parent would. Hence, I think that such interactive technology should only be used for gaming purposes. Parents should never rely on such interactive technology to fill their places.
A point mentioned in Reading 2 which I found really interesting was the use of submeter satellite imagery. The reading gave an example of the use of these independent sources of submeter satellite imagery owned by private organizations whereby it would enable anyone to watch as the trees are being cut down at a certain part of the globe. And also, we would be able to see the names and companies of those doing it. I find the use this ICT a good way to prevent more selfish companies from going into logging projects which is severely detrimental to the environment because everyone across the globe would be able to witness the process of them causing harm to the environment. Given the increase in environmental awareness and increase in green consumerism, there has been a paradigm shift towards a more environmentally-friendly market. A 2007 Goldman Sachs study found that companies with a strong emphasis on sustainability outperformed the market, often by a large margin. Thus, the change in consumer preference may cause companies to think twice before going into such projects as they might be afraid of being boycotted by green consumers. In addition, they may want to capture the attention of the increasing number of green consumers and hence they might instead use this money to invest in a project which is sustainable for the environment. Therefore, the use of this ICT would touch on the Corporate Social Responsibility of the company, compelling them to stop logging projects.
An area I felt that more could be discussed on was the impact of ICT on education. Given the prevalent use of Internet, Msn, Skype etc, ICT have enable us to communicate with people over the world, exchanging useful information with them; clarifying our doubts on online forums where people from different countries could give you different views and solutions which might change your perspective on how you view a certain issue. Hence, it has open a whole new world for us to explore and never stop accquring new knowledge.
Overall, I would rate the session 8/10 because I found it to be really engaging.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Seminar 4, 06/09/2010
Drivers of World Change
There are essentially 3 ways to cope with change:
Option A: Make it happen
Option B: Respond when it happens
Option C: Be surprised when it happens
As always Prof Gurinder starts his lesson with a quote, the above quote was the quote for this week which I found really interesting because it can be applied to all kinds of situations in life. I think most people fall into option B: respond when it happens. Like for example during the H1N1 epidemic, Singapore was quick to respond to it, tapping on the experience we had gained during the SARS epidemic previously. Temperature taking in schools and hospitals; wearing a mask when you are sick etc. We were readily prepared for this tough fight because we knew the safety procedures that we had to take to prevent more people from falling ill. Even though H1N1 and SARS are two different viruses, the safety procedures were quite similar, thus the H1N1 epidemic was quite well-managed. Maybe if we were not equipped with the past experience of handling SARS, the H1N1 epidemic might have been a tough task to handle. Thus, the past experience we have can be valuable to us when we have to cope with changes because we would know how to react, hence we won’t be filling lost (option C).
Besides the above situation, the quote can be applied to the triangle (dominant players-rising stars-falling stars) which Prof Gurinder taught us during session 2. Rising stars who are keen to invest in new ideas would fall into option A: the ones who make the change happen. The willingness to create something new is how the rising stars in option A embrace change. Take the American multinational conglomerate 3M Company as an example. They react quickly to the changing needs of consumers these days by inventing great innovations for consumers to use. Quoting Charles Darwin “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change." Thus, it does not matter whether you are the best in the field or not, just like the dominant player. As long as you stay resistant to change, the others would soon surpass you and you would find yourself becoming a falling star. Hence, it is imperative that we embrace change with an open mind.
In addition, I found Reading 1 to be a good summary of the change that we are experiencing now and what is predicted to happen in 2025, which is in 15 years time. Change in the demographics of the world, change in climate, change in the world’s economy etc. Huge changes are going to happen and we are already experiencing it now. I feel that change is driven by competition. Without competition, the rate of change would be substantially slower than it is now. Countries have to compete with each other for resources to survive. Be it for water or raw materials. Hence, competition for resources increases their prices by an exponential amount because of the high demand which the country which owns the resources benefits largely from by selling away these resources. Therefore, the competition for resources has caused it to be depleted at an alarming rate because everyone is only concerned about obtaining it for their own survival.
Change Management and Change Leadership
Reading 1 - Human Change Management: Herding Cats was a good read because it brought to my attention the importance of managing change effectively in an organization. 75% of all organizational change programs fail because employees feel left out of the process. So, they may be unwilling to adopt the new system. I find this to be very true because if you do not account for the change and involve the people, it would be very hard for people to accept it because they do not understand why the company wants to change, thus unable to identify with it. Hence it is vital that the Human Resource Department of the company implements the change properly. It is easy to implement change in technological innovations because they are just a click away. They do not have feelings. You do not have to convince them to change because you are the one who controls them. However, when it comes to Man, it is a whole different story. Man are human beings which have sensitive feelings. Thus, you need to convince them to embrace the new system and change accordingly. Perhaps, the HR department should consider involving the employees when implementing the change because it would give them a sense of ownership and hence, the change process would be very much easier and more efficient.
I find the different concepts we learn in each lesson linking themselves together which is really good. :) I would rate the session 7/10.
There are essentially 3 ways to cope with change:
Option A: Make it happen
Option B: Respond when it happens
Option C: Be surprised when it happens
As always Prof Gurinder starts his lesson with a quote, the above quote was the quote for this week which I found really interesting because it can be applied to all kinds of situations in life. I think most people fall into option B: respond when it happens. Like for example during the H1N1 epidemic, Singapore was quick to respond to it, tapping on the experience we had gained during the SARS epidemic previously. Temperature taking in schools and hospitals; wearing a mask when you are sick etc. We were readily prepared for this tough fight because we knew the safety procedures that we had to take to prevent more people from falling ill. Even though H1N1 and SARS are two different viruses, the safety procedures were quite similar, thus the H1N1 epidemic was quite well-managed. Maybe if we were not equipped with the past experience of handling SARS, the H1N1 epidemic might have been a tough task to handle. Thus, the past experience we have can be valuable to us when we have to cope with changes because we would know how to react, hence we won’t be filling lost (option C).
Besides the above situation, the quote can be applied to the triangle (dominant players-rising stars-falling stars) which Prof Gurinder taught us during session 2. Rising stars who are keen to invest in new ideas would fall into option A: the ones who make the change happen. The willingness to create something new is how the rising stars in option A embrace change. Take the American multinational conglomerate 3M Company as an example. They react quickly to the changing needs of consumers these days by inventing great innovations for consumers to use. Quoting Charles Darwin “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change." Thus, it does not matter whether you are the best in the field or not, just like the dominant player. As long as you stay resistant to change, the others would soon surpass you and you would find yourself becoming a falling star. Hence, it is imperative that we embrace change with an open mind.
In addition, I found Reading 1 to be a good summary of the change that we are experiencing now and what is predicted to happen in 2025, which is in 15 years time. Change in the demographics of the world, change in climate, change in the world’s economy etc. Huge changes are going to happen and we are already experiencing it now. I feel that change is driven by competition. Without competition, the rate of change would be substantially slower than it is now. Countries have to compete with each other for resources to survive. Be it for water or raw materials. Hence, competition for resources increases their prices by an exponential amount because of the high demand which the country which owns the resources benefits largely from by selling away these resources. Therefore, the competition for resources has caused it to be depleted at an alarming rate because everyone is only concerned about obtaining it for their own survival.
Change Management and Change Leadership
Reading 1 - Human Change Management: Herding Cats was a good read because it brought to my attention the importance of managing change effectively in an organization. 75% of all organizational change programs fail because employees feel left out of the process. So, they may be unwilling to adopt the new system. I find this to be very true because if you do not account for the change and involve the people, it would be very hard for people to accept it because they do not understand why the company wants to change, thus unable to identify with it. Hence it is vital that the Human Resource Department of the company implements the change properly. It is easy to implement change in technological innovations because they are just a click away. They do not have feelings. You do not have to convince them to change because you are the one who controls them. However, when it comes to Man, it is a whole different story. Man are human beings which have sensitive feelings. Thus, you need to convince them to embrace the new system and change accordingly. Perhaps, the HR department should consider involving the employees when implementing the change because it would give them a sense of ownership and hence, the change process would be very much easier and more efficient.
I find the different concepts we learn in each lesson linking themselves together which is really good. :) I would rate the session 7/10.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Seminar 3, 30/08/2010
Technology and Industrial Development: Toward Sustainability
“Sustainability requires a shift form linear to circular thinking
Old Industrial Model: Economic Development VS Environmental well-being
Sustainable Industrial Model: Economic Development AND Environmental well-being”
There is a false dichotomy between economic development and environmental well-being. I believe that economic development and environmental well-being can co-exist together with the advancements in technology today. Technology has enabled new alternative forms of technology like solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy etc to be discovered and used today. For example, 5 countries (El Salvador, Kenya, the Philippines, Iceland, and Costa Rica) as of 2004 have generated more than 15% of their electricity from geothermal sources. Geothermal power requires no fuel and hence does not harm the environment. Thus, with the use of alternative forms of energy, industries can still run and drive economic progress while doing little harm to the environment. It is true that green technology these days are still expensive and hence not widely use, thus these alternative sources of energy are not solutions for the trade-off between economic development and environmental well-being. However, I am optimistic that these alternatives will become cheaper and used more commonly in the future as improvements in technology cut down the costs of these green technologies.
What spoke to me the most was the last line “The trick is the doing something else.” Innovation requires doing something else, thinking out of the box, creating and inventing something extraordinary, which may in turn bring benefits and convenience to Man. Sounds easy? Not. What is so tough about that you may ask? I believe it is having to accept failure (if your innovation does not work out) because failure is always a possibility with any attempt at innovation. This is one of the key takeaways from the lesson. I feel that having an open mind is imperative to our acceptance of failure because failing the first time doesn’t mean we would fail the second time. Thomas Edison did not succeed in his first attempt at inventing a lightbulb. Neither did Sir Timothy John Berners’ Lee succeed in his first attempt at creating the World Wide Web. They persisted. We too need to have the courage and determination to keep on trying till our innovation succeeds because there is a reason why the innovation did not succeed, thus we have to improve on it to make it work. This also brings me back to Session 2 where Prof Gurinder mentioned the characteristics of the rising star – open perspective, keen to invest in new ideas. I feel that the rising stars are not afraid of failure. Instead, they rectify the problem and keep trying. Hence, with the many new inventions they have, they race ahead of others be it in terms of GDP or the level of technology. On the other hand, falling stars who have a closed mind do not bother trying a second time because they think that if they have failed once, why wouldn’t they fail again? Thus, they do not innovate and hence they are on the road to doom.
“Sustainability requires a shift form linear to circular thinking
Old Industrial Model: Economic Development VS Environmental well-being
Sustainable Industrial Model: Economic Development AND Environmental well-being”
There is a false dichotomy between economic development and environmental well-being. I believe that economic development and environmental well-being can co-exist together with the advancements in technology today. Technology has enabled new alternative forms of technology like solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy etc to be discovered and used today. For example, 5 countries (El Salvador, Kenya, the Philippines, Iceland, and Costa Rica) as of 2004 have generated more than 15% of their electricity from geothermal sources. Geothermal power requires no fuel and hence does not harm the environment. Thus, with the use of alternative forms of energy, industries can still run and drive economic progress while doing little harm to the environment. It is true that green technology these days are still expensive and hence not widely use, thus these alternative sources of energy are not solutions for the trade-off between economic development and environmental well-being. However, I am optimistic that these alternatives will become cheaper and used more commonly in the future as improvements in technology cut down the costs of these green technologies.
There was an interesting point about the advantage of backwardness in Reading 2 which was discussed in class. Szirmai pointed out that “latecomers profit from the availability of modern technologies developed in the leading industrial economies, without bearing all the risks and costs involved in research and development.” I feel that this is exceptionally true, especially in today’s globalised world where information sharing is ubiquitous. Thus latecomer countries can just copy the innovation of their successful counterparts without having to fork out the money and time to go into R&D to develop it. Instead, they can use this money to innovate and improve on the current invention, thus coming up with a better product. However, I feel that the “advantage of backwardness” has its own limitations. Although the countries benefit from the invention due to the low costs involved, they might not know the invention inside out. After all, no one but the creator understands the invention best. Also, the latecomer countries might lose out in terms of the lessons learnt from the mistakes made and also the thought-process which resulted in the innovation. This situation is like a student copying the homework of his peer. He may be able to hand in the perfect piece of work but did he learn anything from that? Perhaps, the developing countries could tap on the advantage of backwardness to drive their economy. However, leading countries (i.e dominant players) should still innovate and be at the forefront of technological innovation, despite the advantages of being a latecomer.
Technology and Innovation Management
Technology and Innovation Management
I liked the quote that Prof Gurinder posted on the powerpoint slide:
“Life is pretty simple:
You do some stuff.
Most fails. Some works.
You do more of what works.
If it works big, others quickly copy it.
Then you do something else.
The trick is the doing something else.”
- Tom Peters –
“Life is pretty simple:
You do some stuff.
Most fails. Some works.
You do more of what works.
If it works big, others quickly copy it.
Then you do something else.
The trick is the doing something else.”
- Tom Peters –
What spoke to me the most was the last line “The trick is the doing something else.” Innovation requires doing something else, thinking out of the box, creating and inventing something extraordinary, which may in turn bring benefits and convenience to Man. Sounds easy? Not. What is so tough about that you may ask? I believe it is having to accept failure (if your innovation does not work out) because failure is always a possibility with any attempt at innovation. This is one of the key takeaways from the lesson. I feel that having an open mind is imperative to our acceptance of failure because failing the first time doesn’t mean we would fail the second time. Thomas Edison did not succeed in his first attempt at inventing a lightbulb. Neither did Sir Timothy John Berners’ Lee succeed in his first attempt at creating the World Wide Web. They persisted. We too need to have the courage and determination to keep on trying till our innovation succeeds because there is a reason why the innovation did not succeed, thus we have to improve on it to make it work. This also brings me back to Session 2 where Prof Gurinder mentioned the characteristics of the rising star – open perspective, keen to invest in new ideas. I feel that the rising stars are not afraid of failure. Instead, they rectify the problem and keep trying. Hence, with the many new inventions they have, they race ahead of others be it in terms of GDP or the level of technology. On the other hand, falling stars who have a closed mind do not bother trying a second time because they think that if they have failed once, why wouldn’t they fail again? Thus, they do not innovate and hence they are on the road to doom.
Overall, I would rate the session 7.5/10. I like the fruitful discussions about sustainable development as this is an issue which is close to our hearts. Also, I felt that there could have been more discussions about innovative companies who fail and why did they fail.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Seminar 2, 23/08/2010
Just like the first lesson, the second lesson of TWC started off with a video! This time the video was about how China could already be the world's largest economy. Also, China has overtook Germany, becoming the world's biggest exporter. Take a look at the things around you. How many of them are 'made in china'? I would guess more than half right. Thus the fact that China has overtaken Germany in becoming the biggest exporter isn't shocking at all because it is already prevailing in our society. Besides the factor of China's now open economy, the other factor which I believe attributed to the success of China's booming economy would be technology. Technology has quicken the pace of mass production in the factories in China, hence more units can be produced per hour as compared to the past. Also, tapping into the extensive infrastructure built by technological inventions, the goods can be quickly exported to places around the globe, making the world a smaller place. Hence, by taking advantage of the economies of scale, China's economy has evolved rapidly and this fast pace evolution wouldn't have been possible without the use of technology.
"Change is inevitable and often necessary; the transition process can often be difficult or painful (for some)." Another quote left my Prof Gurinder on the board. It was a pity that we didn't have time to discuss this hence, I would give my individual take on it here. Change is inevitable. I guess many would agree on this. Like it or not, the world is changing. Everything around you is changing. Thus, you too have to adapt and go along with the change. If not, you will be left behind. However having to change requires you to step up of your comfort zone and take on the challenge. How many people are actually willing to do that? Thus, for such people, having to change is difficult and painful as they have to try and adapt a completely new environment which is totally foreign to them. An example for this quote would be the re-training for older workers during the recession last year. Several workers were unwilling to undergo the restructuring program. They may find it troublesome to learn a new skill as they are already satisfied with the skillsets they possess. Nevertheless, re-training (i.e. change) is necessary because the things we learnt might soon be obsolete. Hence, it is imperative that we keep upgrading ourselves to ensure that we keep up with times. Afterall, we are living in exponential times.
Moving on, the interesting triangular relation between dominant player, rising star and falling star was an eye-opener. The triangle has demonstrated the importance of staying open and being willing to learn. Take China and India as an example. Their economies have developed rapidly after they opened up their economy. Hence they have become the rising stars in this triangle. Falling stars on the other hand are not keen to new ideas. They are people who have an arrogant attitude and think they know everything. When the rising stars are learning new things and moving forward, the falling stars would find themselves stagnant as they have closed themselves to new ideas, hence they can never improve because they do not embrace change. Therefore, I feel that even countries who are currently dominant players (e.g China) still need to have the attitude of the rising stars and not be full of themselves, hence not embracing change. If not, they are on their way to becoming a falling star.
I feel that this triangular model is applicable to our society as well, even companies. I believe that Apple is where it is today because of its open perspective and the hunger to invest in new ideas. Every year, they never fail to amaze the world with their new inventions. The ipod and ipod nano has evolved several generations, from a black and white screen to a colour screen with a video-camera behind. itouch, iphone3GS, iphone 4 to the ipad which were selling like hot-cakes where three million sold were around the world in 80 days which means one in every 2.3 seconds. If Apple had been satisfied with their achievements of the iphone, improvements like the iphone 4 and ipad would have never been able to meet the world. Hence, we should never be contented with our current state and should always strive to improve by change.
"Change is inevitable and often necessary; the transition process can often be difficult or painful (for some)." Another quote left my Prof Gurinder on the board. It was a pity that we didn't have time to discuss this hence, I would give my individual take on it here. Change is inevitable. I guess many would agree on this. Like it or not, the world is changing. Everything around you is changing. Thus, you too have to adapt and go along with the change. If not, you will be left behind. However having to change requires you to step up of your comfort zone and take on the challenge. How many people are actually willing to do that? Thus, for such people, having to change is difficult and painful as they have to try and adapt a completely new environment which is totally foreign to them. An example for this quote would be the re-training for older workers during the recession last year. Several workers were unwilling to undergo the restructuring program. They may find it troublesome to learn a new skill as they are already satisfied with the skillsets they possess. Nevertheless, re-training (i.e. change) is necessary because the things we learnt might soon be obsolete. Hence, it is imperative that we keep upgrading ourselves to ensure that we keep up with times. Afterall, we are living in exponential times.
For the awesome oral presentations by my peers and the thought-provoking issues for discussions raised, 8/10.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Seminar 1, 16/08/2010
My very first class in SMU - TWC, consisted of a self-introductory session, Shift Happens video, Guns, Germs and Steel video and open discussions on a couple of ideas including creativity, innovation, invention ; technology is easy, people are hard.
The class started off with Prof Gurinder showing us a video - Shift Happens. Several interesting facts were showcased in this video which I was never aware of. The part which struck me the most is when the video threw us some facts and asked us to name the country. The answer was England, in 1900. I found this point very intriguing because it has not only shown how technology has caused rapid change to the world but also how technology could affect the rate a country progresses. Countries with relatively advanced technology would of course have a faster progress than countries with less advanced technology thus, the disparity of rate of development among the developed countries, developing countries and underdeveloped countries today. But does this mean by having the most advanced technology, you would be the most developed country? No. It is irrefutable that technology brings development to the country, however after this point where you already own the technology, it all boils down to how you manage and effectively use the technology to your advantage to develop your country. Afterall, as known to many, technology is a double-edged sword.
This brings me to another insightful quote that Prof Gurinder brought up during class - "Technology is easy. People are hard." Yes, technology is easy because it is already there. Even if you do not know how to use it, all you need is a manual. People are hard because everyone has their own mindsets and habits. It is tough for people to change their mindset or living habits and step out of their comfort zone to challenge themselves by using and embracing the new technology. And the way they use the technology might differ, thus bringing about both good and bad consequences. However, I'm skeptical about whether this will still be the case in years to come. Given that the knowledge that we have of the technologies today might soon be outdated and non-applicable due to the progress in technologies, coupled with the large amounts of money pumped into research in technology today, the various discoveries found or new inventions invented might be too difficult for a layman or the human brain to comprehend how the technology works, how to use the invention or maybe even what to do with it. Hence, one day it may become "People are easy. Technology is hard."
Another point which I thought was really interesting was the idea of luddites. A luddite is someone who opposes of technological progress. When this term was brought up by Prof Gurinder, I was appalled to find out that there are people who do not support technological change. It is prevalent that technology has become indispensable in our daily lives be it for transportation, communication, business, leisure activities or other uses. Everything we have or use right now is a product of technology. For instance, from a click away to retrieve information via the Internet to the X-ray and MRI machine which detects abnormalities in our bodies, the products of technology has brought immense convenience to us and changed the way we live. Also, governments have invested a large portion of their budget to developing new technologies and improving old technologies for this will keep their country in a competitive state in today's rapidly changing economy. This shows that almost everyone is embracing technology and learning how to use and live with it. For if you do not, you'll be left behind. Thus, I cannot conceive the idea of people not being in favour of (new) technology. Undoubtedly, technology has its negative effects too like over-reliance on the use of technology, internet addiction, replacement of human labour with machines hence causing people to lose their jobs etc. However, I believe that the technology has impacted us positively more than negatively.
Since technology has became an imperative part of us, one issue I hope could be further discussed would be if humans today have become slaves of technology. Could this be the reason why some people choose to be luddites?
Overall, I would rate the session 8/10 for the insightful discussions we had during class and the interesting videos showcased. :)
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