Group Project Presentations 2

Today is the final lesson for the module Technology and World Change. I realized I have learnt so much since the first seminar. Today’s lesson was presentations again. After have dealt with some housekeeping matters, we had the first presentation which was on vaccines. A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins. The agent stimulates the body’s immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and “remember” it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters. Prof informed the class on therapeutic vaccines, which not only prevents the patient from contracting certain diseases, it also boosts the patient’s immune system. I found the future aspect of vaccines rather interesting. The group discussed on how vaccines could be developed for HIV. Work with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) has proven that the human body can defend itself against HIV, and certain individuals remain asymptomatic for decades after HIV infection. Potential candidates for antibodies and early stage results from clinical trials have been announced. However these are early results, and have not been developed to the point of human testing, or have not been replicated. Also, the delivery of vaccines was quite informative as I have learnt through my own web report research that GM banans could be potentially used as an edible vaccine.

The second group presented on Technology and its Impacts on Music. I remembered fondly the times of the Walkman and how it dominated the music industry in the early 2000s. However, with the introduction of the iPod, the Walkman generally lost market share and its leading edge to Apple. The main reason why I think Walkman was not as influential and popular among the masses is due to its portability. Cassettes and music CDs were not very portable and the lack of shuffling between song tracks was a major drawback. Apple’s iPod was an awesome hit because it was able to hold songs in its portable storage and had a cool and iconic design. The aftermath of Apple’s domination resulted in Sony not being able to regain its market share again even with its re-invention of MP3 players. The creation of music through time has also changed. Notably, in the past such as during the Classical Period which sees the likes of Mozart and Beethoven. In the past few years, we have more DJ-ing and mixing of music. Creation of music via digital instruments such as Garage bands are now more convenient and able to add that extra techno touch to a music.

After a short break, we continued with the third presentation which was on Food and Technology. This group used Weebly to host their webpage instead of Wix, which was a refreshing change. The group presented on how the role of food has changed and that it is now an essential part of energy production. For example in the case of ethanol, corn is harvested in South and North America as a cleaner source of energy as compared to fossil fuels. However, whether or not such forms of energy production is sustainable or not remains questionable. The group informed the class on the usage of preservatives and brought up the case of a McDonalds meal being left in the open for 6 months and has yet to decompose. I went to did some research on my own and found that not only did the regular McDonald’s burgers not rot, but the home-ground burgers did not rot either. It means that there’s nothing that strange about a McDonald’s burger not rotting. Any burger of the same shape will act the same way. The real question is, why? The burger doesn’t rot because it’s small size and relatively large surface area help it to lose moisture very fast.

The last group presented on Crime Tracking Technology. Crime is a social phenomenon brought about by humans themselves and law enforces aim to capture and track down criminals who breach laws. Some of the interesting points brought up by the group was on how sniffer dogs were used in the past and are still found in the police force at present. They are mainly used to search for drugs and narcotics in luggages. However, the role of dogs in the Army is also rather pertinent such as how dogs were able to track down Osama bin Laden. While dogs were used by constables in the middle ages, they were not well-trained enough and would bite their handlers. Another fascinating point was the use of fingerprinting technology also known as dactylography. In ancient China, fingerprints were used to sign off documents since fingerprints are unique. However, I was quite curious as to how ancient Chinese distinguish the difference between the prints without the use of proper lighting and equipment. Currently,we have mobile phone tracking to track down positions of criminals through their cellular communications. Mobile phones also increases the ease of reporting crimes. There is an ongoing debate on profiling potential criminals through a particular genotype as suspects have the right to remain free until proven guilty. This example was exemplified in the movie “Minority Report”. The group talked about electronic tagging and I have observed in my neighbourhood that there are a few teenagers with ankle tags. I think such ankle tags would deter them from staying out late at night and cause trouble.

I would rate this lesson a 7/10 as there was not much content. Nevertheless I learnt alot from my fellow classmates who presented. I would consolidate what I have learnt through the past several weeks in preparation for my final examination. I would also like to wish the class all the best to their papers. Good luck!

Group Project Presentations 1

From this lesson onwards, we would all be having presentation and I think this was a very refreshing change as we are now learning form one another. Before the presentation began, Prof Shahi shared with us that we have been picking up knowledge unconsciously and we are unaware of that. However, there are times when we underestimate the fountain of knowledge as there is still so much more to learn and comprehend.

The first presentation was on online shopping. Gone are the days when we have to physically be there to purchase a new pair of jeans. The group showed a video that was very eye-opening; a female shopper was able to choose her clothes virtually and see if they are fashionable. This mix and match of top and bottom (including footwear) is very efficient and shoppers could reduce the time that they spend on shopping on average. From my own personal point of view, I think local merchants are also catching up on the idea of e-shopping. Just today, I was approached by a salesman at Topman@ION and he informed me that Topman has introduced e-shopping as well as shipment so as to facilitate the process in which goods can be brought to the desired destination. For example, Christmas shopping would definitely increase the volume of one purchases but those purchases could be meant for a friend. Therefore, instead of going down to the shop, customers could shop online and send the purchases to his friend’s place. I am also a regular shopper of ASOS; and admittedly, convenience is one of the perks but I am also quite wary of stolen credit card information.

The second presentation was on Finding Love Online. As mentioned by the group, e-dating has been around since 1992 although it was slow in the pickup. Again, I find the limitations rather similar to that of e-shopping, if not more. Our teaching assistant shared with the class that he and a few friends created a profile on an e-dating website as a prank but was quite appalled when it started receiving requests from potential partners. I am quite amazed that there are so many e-dating services on the Internet and that even Facebook could be perceived as one. The group shared with us some of the positive impacts e-dating has on our society, including convenience, wider database, customized services for clients to choose. However, I think that while there are success stories of finding true love through e-dating, this artificial form of seeking a life partner is rather demeaning to me. I feel that searching for one’s soulmate involves work and that the convenience takes away this portion. I am rather doubtful that chemistry could be built through online communication. It is rather common that breaking up over a text message is distasteful, therefore, how could getting together through the web be blissful?

The third presentation was on Kinetic Technologies: An Outlook on Motion. The group talked about capturing kinetic energy such as that from the wind and the tidal waves. However, new concepts introduced were rather fascinating, such as capturing our very own kinetic energy. For example, in a dance club, many people would be grooving to the music and technologies are being innovated to capture such energy. In another example, our own shirts could capture our own kinetic energy produced by our muscles. These power generating shirts could charge our phones or laptops. The vision to capture kinetic energy is not exactly new as the novel concept has been implemented on a personal level (ie as dynamo on bicycles). A severe limitation which I thought of was that kinetic energy is not consistent. Take the case of the bicycle, when you stop riding, the lights go off. I think this form of energy is not sustainable and rather expensive. Hence, to be able to capture kinetic energy efficiently, the key idea would be to store the energy first such as tiles in shopping centre or night clubs. More importantly, it could not be a feasible substitue for our current power sources.

I would give this lesson an 8.5/10 as I find the presentations rather interesting. However, I find that discussions on each individual group’s presentation was lacking as it was more focused on aesthetics rather than content. I hope to participate in the discussions for the next lesson.

Technology Assessment and Forecasting

Our last session before we start on group presentations. This was a summary of what we have been learning and understanding these several weeks. The world we live in is changing everyday and as I have mentioned before. “Change is the only constant in life”. The world’s population is increasing at a rather exponential rate and more people are moving to urban areas to reside. This causes overcrowding in cities such as Singapore, New York, Hong Kong etc. It is essential that we find solutions in crucial areas in power, healthcare, water, safety and security.

Natural resources are being depleted and for countries such as Singapore who imports a vital source of life: water, from Malaysia, we need to look at sustainable alternatives. Singapore has in the past few years opened new reservoirs, researched into water desalination plants, produced NEWater so as to self sustainable. Benjamin Franklin once proclaimed “look before, or you’ll find yourself behind”. I feel that we need to assess our present and past situation before proceeding into the future. For example, looking at trends that could make an impact on our future lives and the megatrends in technology (ie touchscreen, wireless) One of an imaginary innovation would be teleportation as it could solve a major portion of our transportation woes and to a certain extent pollution as well.

Prof informed us that it is imperative to differentiate the long term and short term innovations. For example, something that may remain around for a short while could give us benefits in the case of the typewriter but it could be easily replaced by a better device in future. Therefore, we have to look at innovations that will remain for a long period of time that will evolve to suit our needs. Cars have been invented in 1885 and have accumulated more than 100,000 patents. Undoubtedly, through the course of innovations, we have to deal with drawbacks as I have mentioned in my previous blog post. Invasion of privacy with augmented reality  is one of the imperfections that a user have to deal with. Moreover, regulations by the government should be implemented to restrict what people have access to.

We then discussed the need for a nation to prioritize. Singapore had been in a predicament on whether it should venture into agriculture research or biomedical research. Proponents of biomedical research argues that Singapore has too much human capital and the land available was too limited. Prof stated that agriculture technologies could benefit surrounding nations who have arable land.

A peer in the class mentioned that companies with the adequate resources should look at summit opportunities and envision possibilities instead of going through past projectories. Another peer exemplified this point by saying that we could not derive a disruptive innovation if we look at the past. Hence, let me introduce some of the commonly used foresight methodologies.

1. Backcasting – > looking into the future and then relate how the present can proceed there, working backwards

2. Delphi -> excluding two extreme estimations, taking the average to project the future

3. Using gaming as a foresight, simulation to assess things in a dynamic way. For example, the HIV genome was cracked by gamers recently; a feat that has left scientists perplexed for years.

4. SWOT -> strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

5. Extrapolation of trends (mega trends)

I think that technology forecasting is akin to predicting the future. Personally, I plan my future but I do not want to know what my future contain for me. I do not resort to fortune telling nor crystal ball gazing. Since change is a constant, whatever that we may have thought would happen would not. As what Wen Cong from my class began for his presentation, predictions of doomsday have not been realized. Furthermore, I think that knowing what the future holds may constrict our actions and plans. For example if you know that the next day would be cloudy, one would not plan an outdoor event. I also concur very much with article 2. I believe that forecasting is very science fiction like. I brought up that in the late 1800s, Man have dreamt about travelling to the moon and the dream came true when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. Gideon, another classmate, mentioned that there is a gap of reception when an innovation is introduced and he brought up the example of how people were not receptive of Facebook initially. In another example that I thought was the telephone because it was not well received by postal companies.

Movies such as Minority Report, Mission Impossible all showed us what the near future contain. I think the fictitious technologies in such movies are rather sensible and foreseeable. I am sure the movie directors have assessed our current level of technology before developing a higher but believable level of advancement. I would rate this lesson a 9/10 as the value of this lesson is very pivotal when we become decision makers in future.

Emerging and Future Technologies

I was very much looking forward to this lesson on future technologies because we can exercise our creativity. We first watched a video of 3D printing. 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material. Implications of this technology could be used in architecture in even be personalized. For example if we have a broken watch strap, we could go home and print out one stead of purchasing a new one.

We need to have a rising star mindset to explore possibilities and to make things happen. In the second video on plastic electronics, every electronic component could be replaced by plastic. In the past, we assume that electricity could only be conducted through metal but this innovation is totally revolutionary. It could be used for wrist tagging of patients in hospitals, labels on bottles, news print etc.

Drivers for emerging technologies include unmet market opportunities and needs, which will spur entrepreneurs to innovate. These innovations are technology and knowledge intensive with few competitors and high barriers to entry. In the case of Apple, they were able to stay at the forefront of technology due to their innovative products (iPod, iTouch, iPhone, iPad) and consumers are always anticipating their new products as in the case of the iPhone 4S which is equipped with voice recognition software, Siri.

New discoveries and innovations lead to previously unimagined needs. For example, the Xbox Kinect could be used for other purposes such as to control computers. The supply of certain goods such as the iPad creates demand. Personally, I feel that the iPad in many ways was an evolutionary change. Palm top devices had been around for a longer time, albeit lacking the technological capabilities of today. However, Apple is able to capitalise on the consumer’s desire as well as built-up anticipation to create a rather inelastic demand. Moreover, due to the perceptions that Apple has created, the demand for iPad is over-reaching than initial demand for palm top devices.

Prof informed us of the confluence of 4 people who possess the “smarts” characteristics to translate ideas to reality. Creative Technologies founded by our local entrepreneur, Sim Wong Hoo, was an Informations Technology stronghold in the last decade but its bubble had fizzled out. Previously, it was the sole monopoly of sound cards and systems but because it was unable to understand market needs, its competitive edge became blunt. From my own experience, I watched how Creative scrambled to compete with the iPod around 2005 but was rather unsuccessful. To me, Creative pursued technological advantage while Apple was more keen on style as could be seen by how Creative’s MP3 players have recording function, FM radio, USB storage etc. Prof further elaborated that there is a distinction between sales and marketing; that sales is a push while marketing is a pull. Being mum abt its products, Apple have been using this as a marketing technique and it is paying off well.

Examples of emerging technologies include augmented reality. It is not that well developed yet, such as Google Goggles, available as an app on iPhone. Future technologies may incorporate the use of spectacles or shades to read the surroundings. However, as if any other new technology, there is the cause of security concern and privacy issues. My classmate, Michelle Darmawan, illustrated how augmented reality could be applied to the typical SMU student in campus. For example, instead of just perceiving plain surroundings, we could recognize which food outlet have the shortest queue and the nearest route to it.

I would rate the lesson 9 out of 10. The future really is mind boggling as with article 5 which went as far as to predict the end of time. However, instead of looking too far ahead, I would like to comment on changes during my lifetime which would be more pertinent. I also feel the need for the convergence of technology as stated in reading 2, for example, biotechnology and nanotechnology could grow hand in hand. Of course, there is a broader spectrum of innovation such transcends fields in sciences and I feel that we could spend some time discussing this!

Energy and World Change: Past, Present and Future

This lesson was about looking back at the past, analyzing the present and planning for the future. As we all know, fossil fuels is unsustainable due to the insatiable human appetite for energy. Prof mentioned a few renewable energy sources that were rather unique and less frequently heard of. I did some research on Brazil’s proalcool gasohol programme. It is an ambitious program of producing large quantities of ethanol from sugarcane as a substitute for gasoline. Conditions in Brazil are very favourable for the production of ethanol. Sugarcane has been an important crop since the 18th century and Brazil was the world’s third largest sugar producer (five million tones of raw sugar equivalent) in 1975. During the 1970s oil crisis, sugar was experiencing a long period of low prices in the international market, so the decision to divert some of the sugarcane to ethanol production was very reasonable, considering also that the technology needed has been available for decades. Another key attribute to a more sustainable future is the development of pollution prevention and reduction technologies.

Key considerations in planning for the future focused mainly that energy is a major source of national income. This is prevalent in middle eastern nations and nigeria. Therefore, to shift the dependence on this source for economic growth, these countries should start diversifying their economy such that it would not be based on oil production. This could be seen by Dubai; Although Dubai’s economy was built on the oil industry, the emirate’s model of business drives its economy, with the effect that its main revenues are now from tourism, real estate, and financial services, similar to that of Western countries.

Major dependents of energy include the heavy industries, housing and transportation. In Singapore, the Mass Rapid Transit and Light Rail Transit trains depend on an electrical source of energy. If the power that runs our transport vehicles could be drived from solar power, we would save on a fair amount of electricity usage. I propose that solar panels be installed on MRT (especially the North-South and East-West lines) and LRT trains. As most of the stations are above ground, these trains could capture unblocked sunshine and could be converted to electricity to power the trains.

The above is just an example of capturing energy above the ground. Others interesting ones include the wind and biomass. I found this idea rather fascinating; Britain’s Isle of Wight is presenting what proponents hope will be a parade example of how to deal with the megatons of waste that can’t be reclaimed. A $16 million, 2.3MW gasification plant — the first in Britain and one of only a few in the world — will fire into action, turning 30,000 tons of rubbish a year into electricity for 2,000 homes. Energy from below the ground include the common fossil fuels like coal and oil, geo-thermal and uranium that is enriched in nuclear power plants.

Prof informed us that the sun provides more energy to Earth in one hour ( the Earth absorbs 3,850,000 exajoules in solar energy every year) than humankind currently uses in an entire year. Henceforth, if we are able to capture a quarter of the sunshine that is radiated onto Earth, it would be sufficient to decelerate the depletion of fossil fuels. Engineers are working on how to improve the effectiveness of solar cells that are found in solar panels. Another alternative would be to use biomass from plants. As prof stated, it is an important source of renewable energy. Biomass energy is derived from five distinct energy sources: garbage, wood, waste, landfill gases, and alcohol fuels. Wood energy is derived both from direct use of harvested wood as a fuel and from wood waste streams. Human civilizations depended heavily on the combustion of firewood to provide thermal warmth. However, using wood as a renewable source of energy is not that feasible as incomplete combustion of wood usually result in more pollutants such as carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. This is due to insufficient oxygen present. Other biomass sources such as waste have been discussed earlier.

Photovoltaics (solar energy) could generate 170 GWh per square kilometre of ground. Current photovoltaic panel technology captures and converts about 15% of the solar waves it receives.The majority of this energy loss is due to band gap loss. The optimal band gap when balancing spectrum and voltage is about 1.4 eV. Companies such as Spectrolab can make cells that are 40% and higher efficiency. They do this by layering different semiconductor materials which have different bandgaps. This allows them to use more of the solar spectrum. The cost so far is very high, which makes them only suitable for space applications. Germany has thus far invested immeasurable amount in solar power. The county aims to produce 20% from renewable energy in 2020 as shown in the Nova video podcast. I feel that governments should create the right incentive for consumers to switch to renewable resources. After all, if the government is serious about switching to renewable energy, the cost and burden of this switch should not be placed on the citizens.

Reading 6 is a visionary report which I found thought provoking. Is it plausible to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050? Interesting takeaways was the concept of using solar heat/thermal instead of solar power energy. Wind energy is also an alternative but I feel that with that rapid urbanisation rate, this may also not be feasible as opposed in the article.

A peer from our class presented on “The Flipside that Green is Good” based on an article titled “Sun-burned” from the Economist. It focused on the financial incentives provided by governments to promote sustainable energy. This article echoed my views earlier on this predicament faced in many nations. Some countries were deemed to be unable to sustain the incentives they had promised. Feed-in tariffs are mainly to be blamed. It is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies.

I would rate this lesson an 8/10 as it was insightful but rather short. Sources of renewable energy were rather common but I think we could possibly discuss on the concept of nuclear energy and the vast implications. Case studies could include that of the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster and the possibility of having our very own nuclear power plant in Singapore.

BioBusiness Revolution 2: Agriculture and the Environment: Past, Present, Future

This lesson was rather similar to the previous lesson which was on the revolution of biobusiness. Prof mentioned that the crux of the session was in allocating available resources and managing the entire planet better. He kickstarted the seminar with a quote from him

“when we are able to grow the resources we need, we will finally be on the road to sustainability.”

He then further exemplified this point by bringing up this vision of how everything we need can be grown (ie plastic). I think that sustainability in itself is not feasible. This is due to man’s unlimited wants and we study economics to allocate resources better. However, while man has unlimited wants, total utilisation (satisfaction) garnered from the consumption of one good diminishes as consumption increases in quantity. There could be a certain point where over-consumption could decrease in his utilisation. Therefore, wastage of resources happens. Instead of sustainability in the long run, society at large should focus on distribution first.

Singapore has a very pragmatic approach to the allocation of resources. We utilize what we have and plan according to the resources available. In this way, we would not experience a deficit or shortage of resources. Prof informed us that more than half of the world’s population lives in an urban environment and that everyone has their different needs. Drawing parallels with my thoughts, I think urban planning is crucial such that sufficient amounts are delivered to the consumers; neither in excess nor in shortage. Considering everyone’s desires to be unique, I think such plans could be complicated initially but as the equilibrium is achieved, we would be able to allocate resources better and channel leftovers to other regions that require them.

In the urban arena, we have misaligned needs which is not a pressing an issue as the rural expanse while overcrowding and insufficient produce has led to serious consequences. For example, in Bangladesh, the land is divided between households to generate produce for their own survival. Perhaps, if the land were conjoined, more efficient farming technology could be utilized that would enhance farming productivity. In this wear, the citizens could provide the labour to operate machinery and sow crops in cohesion. Prof commented that arable land is shrinking over the last 5 decades. In Cairo, the fertile delta alongside the Nile river was taken up by aristocrats and powerful corporations. Farmers were forced to plough the marginally fertile land further away from the river. Improper cultivation of crops have led to the expansion of deserts. This could be a devastating on the farmers who rely on farming as a source of income. Instead, plans that are in the pipes include harnessing the solar power to generate electricity for cities in Europe, exploiting the land in foreign underdeveloped nations. As I have reiterated, the key to sustainability is the need for distribution because power in itself is inherent in some but lacking in others.

Norman Borlaug was an unsung hero in the Green Revolution. His vision was to provide adequate food production for the world’s growing population and preserving the environment for future generations (eg India and China) and the creation of hybrids of agriculture that could survive harsher conditions. Monsanto wants to start testing GM wheat is an article on how GM wheat is being tabulated for production but faces stiff opposition due to the nature of modifying genes and the unknown side effects. As prof responded, most of biobusiness is still in the “valley” and needs to capture summit opportunities and market driven opportunities. On the topic of genetically modifying food, I think what is pertinent is choice. Consumers with their willingness-to-pay should have the right to know what they are buying and choose what they want to buy. Biotechnology firms should continue to research and develop better and more resistent crops which could improve the yields of productions. Article 4 on “Ending World Hunger” is very relevant on how politicians do not have this problem as their priority  and that market forces alone are unable to world hunger due to uneven distribution and distorted diets in different parts of different countries. Article 7 summarized the role of biotechnology and if it is a proponent in solving scarcity and enabling us to manage food in a smarter way so as to be able to feed the world in 2050.

Zou Mei from our class echoed my views on how consumers’ acceptance of food products will affect the future of agricultural inputs. Indeed, the main aim of biotechnology firms is to make a profit and what profit is there to make if their products are being boycotted? It is a known fact that such companies aim to maximise profits and could possibly exploit farmers in underdeveloped countries or lax regulations by the government. Hence, the government should play a role in regulating so as to protect their citizens as well as consumers.

The lesson was congenial with a pleasant exchange of opinions especially regarding genetically modified food. Other food for thought, pun not intended, includes whether crops should be used primarily as sources of energy or sources of food in the scenario where food is already adequately produced. I would rate the lesson 8/10 and looks forward to the next lesson with alacrity.

BioBusiness Revolution 1: Healthcare and the Biomedical Sciences: Past, Present, Future

What is biobusiness? Before our lesson began, our prof gave us this definition: it is the commercial activity based on an understanding of life sciences and life science processes. What is life? Life that exists on our planet are built on the same language of DNA. The evolution of life has led to diversity and biobusiness captures this diversity and creates real value in the economy.

Before I begin on my post, I found it rather amusing that we are able to identify unique segments to open an economy. Are we headed for advancements or are we simply headed back to square one as shown in this picture (from an ape to a bovine ==> a symbol of greed)? Should we advance for the sake of advancing or should we be contented in the growth of our economies? Deep questions require deep thoughts.

The first session of biobusiness encompassed healthcare and biomedical sciences. Prof mentioned that the US is the most expensive place for healthcare. Nearly 15-16% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was from healthcare. Prof recommended the movie Sicko which talked about the lack of healthcare access to the masses and that those who were insured were exploited. We then moved on to trends in biobusiness-related innovations. These included multicellular organism innovation such as the polymerization of artificial spiderweb strands. The gene coding for the proteins in spiderweb was inserted/substituted into the gene that produces milk in goats. This enabled the goat to produce large amounts of silk. However, there are many structures of how the proteins are folded and convoluted, and hence scientific research has hit an impediment as the strength and versatility of spider silk could not be replicated yet.

Next we discussed on the healthcare revolution and biomedical science revolution. In the past, patients tend to fall sick first before seeking medical attention and treatment. However, the society is progressing into the “wellness approach”. This meant that instead of waiting for patients to contract a disease, measures would be implemented to ensure that the citizens are well and healthy. The biomedical science revolution is on how technology has aided practitioners in their care for their patients. For example, blood insulin type coud be compared and contrasted using a computer due to the complexity of a codon coding for different amino acids in the structure of an insulin hormone. Irregularities in the secondary structure (ie amino acid structure) of the protein could be pinpointed clearly. In the local context, Singapore is becoming a hub for biomedical science research with the completion of A-Star facilities (Biopolis and Fusionpolis).

I found a few of the articles posted to be rather stimulating and tantalizing. The first one was a report by the international expert group on biotechnology, innovation and intellectual property entitled “Toward a new era of intellectual property: from confrontation to negotiation.” It talked about how the age of the “Old IP”  should make way for the “New IP” era. It stated that there should be cooperation and collaboration between brokers and stakeholders such as researchers, companies, government and NGOs. One of the key attributes was on trusts and that each respective party should trust one another to bring about access of healthcare to those who need them instead of merely making profits. This reinforced the point made in article 4 on how disruptive innovations could cure healthcare. There are numerous disruptive innovations throughout time such as the camera, the computer, the telephone and how these improved the quality of lives and consumers are far better off. The article brought about the example of the portable X-Ray machine and miniature blood glucose meter and how the former failed where the later succeeded. Is this because people and institutions whose livelihoods such innovations threaten resist them? The article proposed the use of choice; patients and physicians alike are able to choose what they desire instead of being forced on them. Prof mentioned the moral hazard in insured healthcare which was rather fascinating.

My peer, Jethro Huang, did a presentation on an article “Can Science make us Immortal?”. His key points were on how children of young mother tend to live longer and how the environment affects our life expectancy. He further exemplified his second point by mentioning how lab mice lived longer when their environment were free of toxins. Understandably, our world is being polluted and it has affected us but there are other advancements such as those in healthcare which outweighs such setbacks. However, to be immortal is totally out of the picture as science may lengthen our expectancy but immortality is still unattainable. Another presenter talked about genetic discrimination and how gene testing could provoke unnecessary anxiety. For example, diagnosis sometimes go unaccompanied by cures and the time gap between diagnosis and signs of symptoms. Gene information could be utilized for future work performance and also insurance application. Such testings only reveal a probability sometimes and its usefulness and reliability are limited.

I would rate this lesson a 6.5/10. Interesting as it is, I think that technological growth in the healthcare and biomedical science industries are being inhibited by moral dilemmas and ethical issues. A key opponent of growth in this aspect is that for every problem science solves, it creates ten more. To what extent do you agree?

Group Web Report Outline

Technology and World Change – Group Project Presentation

G-11 (Poh Wan Ting, Fiona Lim, Ng Yongxiang, Koh Wen Cong)

Topic: Genetically Modified (GM) Foods

 

Area of Interest: Genetically modified foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. Typically, genetically modified foods are transgenic plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques.

Rationale: The use of GM food to increase agricultural productivity had the potential to solve the problem of food scarcity.  Modifications, which render plants less vulnerable from pests, lead to less pesticide use, which is better for the environment. GM crops have the capacity to solve many countries’ food problems such as malnutrition and also provide adequate supplies for the future. In addition, it can help in improving the native country’s GDP and open newer market avenues.

Executive Summary:

–       History of GM foods

–       Current use of GM foods and situation vs future of GM foods

–       Reasongs for GM foods (Social, political, economic, medical, environmental etc.)

–       Different types of GM foods available

–       Differences between GM food and normal food

History of Genetically Modified Food: GM food was initially created to improve crop protection and by doing so, increase yield of crops. Crop protection was improved by introducing resistance of plant diseases and increased tolerance to herbicides. The first GM food, GM tomato puree was sold commercially was in 1996, in Britain. Some other issues that GM food was targeted to solve was global poverty, and increase in nutrition for the malnourished in developing countries.

Current uses of Genetically Modifiend Food:

– Biotechnology in Developing Countries – Double Haploids, Mutation Breeding (where new variations can be generated by irradiation or by chemical treatments), F1 hybrids (where plants grow faster, have higher yields, are more resistant to environmental stresses), Tissue Culture (allows whole, often virus free, plants to grow from a single cell in an artificial medium)

– Marker-aided selection (MAS) – allow plant breeders to select a piece of DNA that is associated with a particular trait, can speed up plant breeding process.

–       Case Study 1: Non-food crops – Bt cotton in China and South Africa

–       Case Study 2: Abiotic Stress Resistant Rice

–       Case Study 3: Increasing yield in rice by dwarfing

–       Case Study 4: Improved micronutrients in rice

–       Case Study 5: Improved resistance to diseases in bananas

–       Case Study 6: Herbicide resistant soybean

– Genetically modifying chickens so that they can’t pass on flu

Future uses of Genetically Modified Food:

–       Biopharmaceuticals – Vaccines in food

–       Study of plant phenotypes -> Ocean farming – bioengineering algae that converts carbon dioxide waste from coal-fired plants to biofuel

–       Boosting plants’ light-capturing capabilities

–       Genetically altered mosquitoes thwart dengue spreaders (still on trial)

–       Genetically modifying animals so they can’t feel pain.

Conclusions: Summary of our findings. How GM foods have affected us over the years and how GM foods are possibly going to affect us in the future. How GM foods have contributed to world change.

ICT and World Change

We embarked on a single session today instead of double sessions. Today’s topic was on ICT and world change. There are three area of interests that I found enthralling. These includes: mass media, Internet and cloud computing. Mass media has evolved since tribal times; smoke signals, banging of drums and war-cries. Today, mass media reaches the general public through radio stations, television channels, twitter updates, Facebook statuses and even iPhone apps. The medium to which information is passed on to the masses would develop to suit the convenience of the user. Indeed, the technology trend for mass media is in such a way that users are able to posts their comments and thoughts in real time. While this may not be a direct substitute for the forum section, such interactions built on the news article between users and critiques alike provides more perspectives. This is especially so if the news report did not cover certain angles or is biased towards a party. Prof showed us a youtube clip on how the internet has changed from stage 1.0, 2.0 and skitters along the lines of 3.0. In the past, the Internet was a portal for users to download information in a specific 2-way traffic. Web 2.0 allowed for interactions among users such as networking websites and blogs much like crossroads. As we penetrate 3.0, developers are creating pages that uses feedback from consumers to define their results and incorporates new dimensions that users can explore (ie Google’s I’m Feeling Lucky). We have cloud computing as well ; users are able to store information in different repositories and retrieve it later. These include applications and assets not installed on one’s computer. However, such introductions have faced lukewarm response from industries such as the banking and finance because they prefer the safer approach of using proprietary systems to upgrade.

The class proceeded on to talk about having a Chief Knowledge Officer(CKO) in a firm. Unlike the Chief Informations Officer(CIO), the CKO’s duties include capturing the insights of the company, retaining information from experts for future utilization, mapping intellectual property and the application of patents or copyrights. Next, we discussed on the potential of ICT as a driver of world change. The ICT revolution has caused a digital divide, that is the divide between the haves and have-nots (access to digital technology). Article 2 buttresses this point by stating that powerful technologies will be used by the powerful to maintain and extend power.

Campaigning outside Pittsburgh today, GOP frontrunner Rick Perry attended a picnic at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Oil City where he enjoyed a foot long corndog while touring the fabulous reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Technology can aid politicians in their campaigns and helps them reach out to the citizens. President Obama used this to his advantage during the US elections. Moreover, with streaming of speeches, live telecasts and online polls, candidates are able to present themselves in a more affable manner. On the other hand, un-glamourous photographs could also lead to politicians being the butt of jokes.

In relation to the last article of Prof’s blog, Prof showed us a video featuring “Milo” who is a virtual character portrayed by game console Xbox 360. It claimed that it is able to recognize speech, gestures and even emotions. The video ignited thoughts on how the end-user was virtually in Milo’s world when she reached out to catch a tossed rock. In my opinion, such technologies have their own limitations. These platforms are merely the end  product of programming languages. The human mind is so complex that psychologists and psychiatrists have to undergo lengthy education courses to qualify in their profession. Yet, these softwares are claimed to be able to comprehend gestures and emotions? I think not. Human behavior is limitless in the sense that even we cannot understand our own emotions. Admittedly, such developments are a step in the right direction, but still far from what it was perceived as. For example, an angry person does not equate to a violent person, while a demure looking person could just be downright nasty. Generalizing normal human behavior and emotions is a remarkable understatement especially when as individuals, we go through mood swings and have unique personalities.

I would give this lesson a 6/10 as I feel ICT has not developed enough to be a potential of world change. More importantly, it is not a foundation of compassion(society should move forward as one) as its development only deepens the divide between the haves and have-nots. Article 1 mentioned that Singapore was ranked 8 in the Networked Readiness Index while my group mate informed us that Singapore has been elevated to the second position. This does not necessarily translate into Singapore being “more ready” but more possibly due to our small geographical size and ease of implementation. I also did not like the focus of the lesson as it was more technical and specific with minute innovations such as cloud computing. Certainly it has been around for sometime but why was it not sensational even with the introduction of iCloud by Apple? This is mainly due to the limitation of being consistently connected to the web. Prof informed that there are some applications that enables offline usage, but then again, how is this different from traditional programs. For example, offline Google Docs as compared to Microsoft Office. ICT has caused change because change is the only constant, but the change ICT has brought is not significant enough.

Individual Topical Review Paper Outline

Specific Innovation of Interest:

Plastic surgery developed in the 20^th century was used in caring for soldiers suffering from disfiguring facial injuries. It then evolved into cosmetic surgery for the intended purpose of enhancement of appearance beyond the average level towards some aesthetic ideal.

Rationale for selecting this innovation:

Physically attractive women and men earn more than average-looking ones, and very plain people earn less. Beauty is naturally rewarded in all aspects of life ranging from work to sports to school where physical attractiveness would seem to matter. Therefore, many seek to “go under the knife” to attain that edge. My paper seeks to explore how this innovation have changed the landscape of aesthetic beauty.

Background:

Here I would be writing about the history of reconstructive surgery and its main functions before deviating into its niche market today.

Historical Perspective:

Plastic surgery was mainly used to correct functional impairments caused by burns; traumatic injuries; congenital abnormalities; developmental abnormalities; infections, diseases and cancer.  Reconstructive surgery is usually performed to improve function and done to approximate normal appearance.

Current Situation:

Advertising and TV exposure has led many into turning to plastic surgery more and more to attain that ideal look. In the past 10 years, cosmetic surgery in the United States has increased by more than 700 percent.

Future Considerations:

The use of technology to diminish the effects of ageing. Laser resurfacing and photo rejuvenation are some of the skin treatments to removing wrinkles. Could this possibly lead to a seventy-year-old grandmother who looks just like her granddaughter?

Conclusion:

Ancient Romans and Egyptians have performed cosmetic plastic surgery. However, only with the advancement in medical science and introduction of anesthesia, cosmetic plastic surgery began to appeal more. In addition, increased media attention and on beauty and perfection has led many to pursue their ideal appearance. I would dwell deep into such implications and how future technology could possibly change the landscape.