"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there." -Charles Kettering-
This quote holds much truth, in the sense that where else can we spend our lives besides the present and the future? We can't stay holed up in the past that is for sure. However, dealing with the future is a tricky situation, there is much uncertainty in the future. Building security is vital, in all aspects like healthcare and sustainable infrastructures. Benjamin Franklin once said: "Look before, or you'll find yourself behind". Imagination is the only limitation, and our capabilities are so much more, if we would just tap deeper into it.
So many people have come up with ideas for the future; GPS embedded into our bodies, controlling devices with our minds, augmented reality as mentioned in previous post and so many more! Lives will be made so much more convenient, with greater access and innovations to spur our lives to greater heights. We can be more eco-friendly with e-papers and nanotechnologies, that allows us just ONE equipment that can last us forever. For example, one electronic newspaper, which news can change by itself everyday, or every minute. With the use of augmented reality, we can diss brochures and fliers already, as the device in our hands can tell us much more infomation required about the unknown object.
This is a video of a parody of Microsoft vision of the future:
The whole idea that has been incorporated in us since day one of this course: To be a change leader. I too believe that empires of the future..are empires of the dream. I sourced YouTube and found this video below, which has tonnes of pictures about visions of the future-the new types of vehicles, buildings and infrastructures, planes and nanotech-strips, technology about DNA and bionic motions. Take a look!
Presentation One was on Ethical Technology Assessment by Hannah
Presentation Two was by Bryan, whose slides were pretty interesting.
Hannah came up with a checklist approach to ethics:
Dissemination and Use of Information
Control, Influence and Power
Impact on Social Contact Patterns
Privacy
Sustainability
Human Reproduction
Gender, Minorities and Justice
International Relations
Impact on Human Values
A point was made in class about the privacy issue. Some harp so much on privacy, when they have no qualms about putting up their own personal issues on Facebook and their blogs. However, when this invasion of personal space is brought to another level, when the 'publicising' of personal infomation is not voluntary, then it is a violation of privacy rights.
Tools to assess technology is also crucial, but the concepts and basis of it is far more important. The basis forms the foundation and provides the route to our future, which is the key to it all before we even use tools.
I would rate today's lesson a seven. Future technology sure is interesting and can confound us at times, but yet intrigue us much more. However, assessing future technology can kind of bore us to certain extent, as we are always much more interested in dreaming about whats possible, than whats probable. To end it off, heres another video I found, that is on Siemen's Limitless Possibilities.
The future is in our hands; it is for our future generations to reap or to wreck. We can keep on dreaming, but dreaming will take us only so far. We have to incorporate our dreams with tools to access and assess these dreams and technologies that can take us higher and further. Change is accelerating exponentially, we have to continually change our mindset and adapt to changes before we get left behind.
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