Session 10

This week’s TWC class is relatively short as compared to the other classes. Basically, this week we talked about the emerging and future technologies that will be drivers of the future towards more sustainable environment, or to help human in one way or another.

Don’t be surprised that simple thing like plastic may be the next revolution. The video that Prof showed us in class was amazing, using plastic as a form of communication medium as well as a screen for other uses. It may be a good idea to incorporate with technology to the medical sectors and information will be reflected on the plastic for patient tags and medical records. However, it may face a lot of disagreement as large production of plastics may be economic unfriendly and it will cause global warming and other factors.

We also talked about supply can sometimes create demand, where people don’t realize they need it until they experience it. Hence, this is exactly like what Jared Diamond said in Guns, Germs and Steel where Necessity as mother of innovation. Just like iphone, some people do not realize they need it until they experience it and after that it may become a necessity for them.

Prof also showed us a cool video of the technology on the apps. Capturing reality and augmented reality will definitely be revolutionary technology that could bring convenience to the public as well as provide a lot of information for people.

We further discussed about whether robot could replcae mankind in the future, as more and more things have become automated and clever. One example of Artificial intelligence is to fill all the information that we want into a database and then extract it out when we need it. Another would be a learning artificial intelligence, where machines could learn the things as they work and may even surpass human beings’ intelligence. If we are using the first approach, I think robots would never overtake us in any scenario. However, if the robot is learning, I believe it will become a threat to us in the future, as they will learn the way humans operate as well and even kill human beings and multiply themselves and dominate earth.

We also talked about Grid Computing and Cloud computing, the potential of knowledge management technologies and Computer-based simulation technologies. Nano-technology is currently used in Batteries, Diamond, Graphite. The process of creating them starts from atoms and build things up. Nano-technology has been constantly improving and being used in other areas such as lightings, medical sciences as well as sports.

A leader has to emerge and create the new conceptual framework and innovating and suggesting that other people will follow this leader who created the new framework to make the new innovation a success. Smart grid is also used in vehicle concepts such as the Electric car. The smart grid is very efficient and effective as it could store the energy at the times when energy is in excess and provides energy during times when energy is lacking such as at night or storms.

The presentations this week were quite interesting, which consists of HIV Cure, 3D blood print vessels, nanorobotics and brin-computer interface technology.

For HIV, what causes the HIV was actually this CCR5 Protein which is vulnerable to the virus attack. The cure was to remove T cells from patients and remove CCR5 gene from T cells and put back T cells to patients. It was an interesting presentation as it is really a breakthrough if a cure for HIV or Aids could be discovered as it will save the lives of people all over the world. However, the cure of HIVs will also bring about social problems as I reckon people now are afraid of contracting aids, hence they would refrain from having unprotected sex. Hence, if there is a cure of the HIVs, people would be abusing the drug and abuse sex.

For 3D Blood vessels, a Bio-printer is used to create organs using the patients’ cells and then the human cells are used to create human vessels and functional tissues. It will definitely be a huge advancement for medical sector as more lives would be saved using this technology. I think it is a great breakthrough of the medical sector as it is pretty forseeable that organs and skin could also be created naturally in the future.

For Brain-computer interface Technology, people could just use their thoughts to control computers instead of fingers. The usage of this technology is mainly for the disabled currently, but is also used in the gaming, medical and also in military as soldiers may be able to communicate with each other without talking. However, it may be also used for terrorism and it would be hard to trace who was the mastermind. It may have also side effects as it requires an implant of the technology into the body or brain.