Technological advancement is constantly bringing standards of living to greater heights each time. The session's focus on BioBusiness has enlightened me on how this area of life sciences encompasses a wide spectrum of activities from the environment, biomedical and agri-veterinary aspects and how it is always improving these areas.
Zooming in more on healthcare, I would think the need to improve health care is very vital because we're more exposed to new illnesses, diseases and health issues than before comapred to the past. Things like the recent H1N1 that never existing before has striked fear in the hearts of many due to our vulnerability to the germ or GM food and how it may have effects on our health in the long run that we curently do not know of. With advancement in technology, we are better able to understand these problems and its amazing how humans can come up with new technology to counter these health hazards and save lifes.
For example, nanotechnology, a rising technology these days, potentially offers a cure for cancer.
In March 2007, researchers from the University of California announced their development of an optic device called nanoprobes, capable of killing cancerous cells. These nanoprobes that are made from iron oxide seeks out the cancerous cells and attach themselves to it. A magnetic field is applied to these cancerous areas, causing the iron oxide to heat up and kill the cells without destroying our body tissues. Lab tests performed has proven these nanoprobes to effective in slowing the growth of cancer or even eradicating it totally. Such developments give humans a ray of hope in prolonging or even saving the lives of their loved ones and it though its still in its experimental phase, I would say that this technology is worth being optimistic about and it would definitely change the lives of people.
Touching in on the guest speakers of the day, I would say that Guo Jun's presentation was a notable one because it was an interesting topic that has been brought forth in a manner that caught everyone's attention. It was basically about being able to grow organs by simply taking a small sample of a tissue or organ from the injured area, extract the cells from the tissue and grow them afterwhich. I would personally feel that on one hand its good because we wont have the fear of having a lack of organ donors if we ever needed it. On the other hand, some in class mentioned that people may get complacent with the technology and take their health for granted. i would personally not be the latter because I always feel that the original organ would always be better and can perform its function better than what technology may offer me if I took care of it. Plus, there are still those chances, no matter how slim, that the body may reject these organs. At the end of the day, we may just end up wasting more money and wasting our health for nothing.
Session rating: 9/10
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
session 5
Today's topic was something close to the hearts of everyone: ICT. Be it our blackberries, ipods or radios, we all have a piece of ICT around with us. I was particularly interested in prof's post about project natal. My friend had introduced to me this video that prof had a year ago but back then I didnt think of how this "immersive" technology as prof described would actually help in society. It was interesting how prof suggested that such technologies could be used to talk to lonely individuals or even be used as a virtual assistant to remind us of our daily tasks.
I asked Zhu Yie and Michelle for their opinions on this and they gave me great ideas as well. Zhu Yie mentioned how this could actually help in talking to autistic people who usually keep to themselves. Perhaps this could be a way for them to open up themselves to people around them and be more comfortable. Michelle on the other hand, was talking about the setbacks that this technology may have if it were to replace humans in babysitting kids. "What if the child thinks this is real? Won't it replace the human touch?"
As for me, I felt that it was a whole new avenue to explore. Perhaps we could save up on our money and use this technology to virtually transport us to other countries with the use of GPS. No doubt the real thing is always better, I would think its a good alternative because we can't possibly travel everywhere in this lifetime!
Here's another video on Project Natal and how it brings new meaning to entertainment:
Which brings me to remember a movie called "Gamer" that came out in 2009.
In a nutshell, the movie's about players of the game where they get to control characters that are actually real people in the game and these characters are often being forced to fight to the death. Wow! Real people being stuck in a virtual world. Talk about immersive! It sounds abit far-fetched but it'll be cool if we could enter into our favourite games like Super Mario and experience how it'll be like to fight off the baddies. That said, the part where we get our butts kicked by the bad guys is a different story. But then again, this immersive technology has plenty of potential and many doors of opportunity to be explored be it in entertainment or in society!
Coming back to other class discussions, we learnt new terms such as cloud computing and crowdrise and had a debate on whether the Internet is necessary in rural areas. While I do agree educating those living in rural areas will improve their standards of living in the long run through the knowledge they gain, I would think that such progress may take a while for people to adapt to it. They have after all been living a life without much technology and may feel its not necessary. Their acceptance to it would lead them to new opportunities and a new and better life as well.
I personally enjoyed the session alot. I'd give it a 9/10. :)
I asked Zhu Yie and Michelle for their opinions on this and they gave me great ideas as well. Zhu Yie mentioned how this could actually help in talking to autistic people who usually keep to themselves. Perhaps this could be a way for them to open up themselves to people around them and be more comfortable. Michelle on the other hand, was talking about the setbacks that this technology may have if it were to replace humans in babysitting kids. "What if the child thinks this is real? Won't it replace the human touch?"
As for me, I felt that it was a whole new avenue to explore. Perhaps we could save up on our money and use this technology to virtually transport us to other countries with the use of GPS. No doubt the real thing is always better, I would think its a good alternative because we can't possibly travel everywhere in this lifetime!
Here's another video on Project Natal and how it brings new meaning to entertainment:
Which brings me to remember a movie called "Gamer" that came out in 2009.
In a nutshell, the movie's about players of the game where they get to control characters that are actually real people in the game and these characters are often being forced to fight to the death. Wow! Real people being stuck in a virtual world. Talk about immersive! It sounds abit far-fetched but it'll be cool if we could enter into our favourite games like Super Mario and experience how it'll be like to fight off the baddies. That said, the part where we get our butts kicked by the bad guys is a different story. But then again, this immersive technology has plenty of potential and many doors of opportunity to be explored be it in entertainment or in society!
Coming back to other class discussions, we learnt new terms such as cloud computing and crowdrise and had a debate on whether the Internet is necessary in rural areas. While I do agree educating those living in rural areas will improve their standards of living in the long run through the knowledge they gain, I would think that such progress may take a while for people to adapt to it. They have after all been living a life without much technology and may feel its not necessary. Their acceptance to it would lead them to new opportunities and a new and better life as well.
I personally enjoyed the session alot. I'd give it a 9/10. :)
Friday, September 10, 2010
session 4: basically about change
There are essentially 3 ways to cope with change:
1) Make it happen (Proactive)
2) Respond when it happens (Reactive)
3) Be surprised when it happens (BLF) lol.
So what brings about change really? Aside from things discussed in class like germs, evolution, innovation and others that contribute to this on-going phenomenon, I would think that fear, is also another contributing factor. Fear of terrorism prompts countries to step up on the national security. Businesses's fear of falling behind of competitors stir up the need to revise business strategies and tactics. The fear of lack of food in the generations to come gives rise to genetically modified food. So..perhaps the term "kiasuism" is not just confined to Singapore alone. I would think it is applicable to everyone else on Earth.
It is a natural thing to fear the unknown and make changes from there before things happen. In fact, taking this proactive step is the best game-plan anyone would think of because when change comes knocking at your door and your unprepared, you're likely to get lost as reality just seems to have become more fast-paced for you to cope with.
"Change" is such a vast topic and we've discussed this in class for quite awhile now. I guess it just goes to show how important this issue of change is. The world is constantly changing. I can't think of a better example than our dear Singapore. Compared to where we came from, the present is such a huge contrast. I would think that if the government then did not take that initiative to want to bring Singapore out of the state (riots, high porverty, low literacy rates)we were in, Singapore would not have changed to what it is today.
The saying "Time and tide waits for no man" is true to a large extent like how change that comes with time will not wait for us either. The sad truth is that, we cannot change change to suit us but we have to change us to suit change. So yeah I conclude that the best way to counter change is change itself! Hahaaa
But the thing about change is that, its a double-edged sword. Change can reap positive results like how a change in leadership in a company opens the door to fresh new ideas and thus more profits. Change can also lead to negative results. Using the example of GM food again, while we try to counter the problem of food scarcity with this method, we're also making ourselves vulnerable to more things like the health implications GM food brings. It's funny how we can try to cope with change but yet we can never really have answers to everything. But we'll never know if we don't try right?
I feel that the world has undergone alot of changes and it takes a person with genuine concern and courage to stand up to make changes in society. Famous people from the pages of history include Mahatma Ghandi who saw helped India to Independence and an advocator of peace and Mother Teresa who poured her heart to the sick and poor and changed the hearts of people towards the outcast. But my most favourite of all would be Michael Jackson. Let's look beyond the controversies of his plastic surgeries and colour, this guy did change the world with his music and love for the unfortunate. What I admire about him the most is that he uses his musical talents to bring across messages of love to the world. (Heal the world, Man in the mirror, we are the world etc). I think it doesn't take a powerful politician to bring about change. Just a normal human with a willing heart is all it takes. They are what I call leaders of change.
The session for the day was yet another insightful one with alot of discussions. Debatable things like how whether water should be a right or commodity was of interest to me. I like the fact that the presentations are becoming more interesting perhaps because the class now has a rough gauge on how presentations should go now and presentations are kept short and sweet, complying to the time restrictions. As a whole, I'd give the session a 10.
1) Make it happen (Proactive)
2) Respond when it happens (Reactive)
3) Be surprised when it happens (BLF) lol.
So what brings about change really? Aside from things discussed in class like germs, evolution, innovation and others that contribute to this on-going phenomenon, I would think that fear, is also another contributing factor. Fear of terrorism prompts countries to step up on the national security. Businesses's fear of falling behind of competitors stir up the need to revise business strategies and tactics. The fear of lack of food in the generations to come gives rise to genetically modified food. So..perhaps the term "kiasuism" is not just confined to Singapore alone. I would think it is applicable to everyone else on Earth.
It is a natural thing to fear the unknown and make changes from there before things happen. In fact, taking this proactive step is the best game-plan anyone would think of because when change comes knocking at your door and your unprepared, you're likely to get lost as reality just seems to have become more fast-paced for you to cope with.
"Change" is such a vast topic and we've discussed this in class for quite awhile now. I guess it just goes to show how important this issue of change is. The world is constantly changing. I can't think of a better example than our dear Singapore. Compared to where we came from, the present is such a huge contrast. I would think that if the government then did not take that initiative to want to bring Singapore out of the state (riots, high porverty, low literacy rates)we were in, Singapore would not have changed to what it is today.
The saying "Time and tide waits for no man" is true to a large extent like how change that comes with time will not wait for us either. The sad truth is that, we cannot change change to suit us but we have to change us to suit change. So yeah I conclude that the best way to counter change is change itself! Hahaaa
But the thing about change is that, its a double-edged sword. Change can reap positive results like how a change in leadership in a company opens the door to fresh new ideas and thus more profits. Change can also lead to negative results. Using the example of GM food again, while we try to counter the problem of food scarcity with this method, we're also making ourselves vulnerable to more things like the health implications GM food brings. It's funny how we can try to cope with change but yet we can never really have answers to everything. But we'll never know if we don't try right?
I feel that the world has undergone alot of changes and it takes a person with genuine concern and courage to stand up to make changes in society. Famous people from the pages of history include Mahatma Ghandi who saw helped India to Independence and an advocator of peace and Mother Teresa who poured her heart to the sick and poor and changed the hearts of people towards the outcast. But my most favourite of all would be Michael Jackson. Let's look beyond the controversies of his plastic surgeries and colour, this guy did change the world with his music and love for the unfortunate. What I admire about him the most is that he uses his musical talents to bring across messages of love to the world. (Heal the world, Man in the mirror, we are the world etc). I think it doesn't take a powerful politician to bring about change. Just a normal human with a willing heart is all it takes. They are what I call leaders of change.
The session for the day was yet another insightful one with alot of discussions. Debatable things like how whether water should be a right or commodity was of interest to me. I like the fact that the presentations are becoming more interesting perhaps because the class now has a rough gauge on how presentations should go now and presentations are kept short and sweet, complying to the time restrictions. As a whole, I'd give the session a 10.
Friday, September 3, 2010
session 3
Quote of the day:
"Sustainability requires a shift from linear to circular thinking."
Old industrial model: Economic development VS environmental well-being
New industrial model: Economic development AND environmental well-being
So we all know the fact that sparing a thought for the environment is becoming increasingly important. We are starting to realise that the doings of mankind are starting to take a toll on the Earth from the signs of the melting of ice caps in the South and North pole, increased global temperature (as if Singapore is not hot enough) and the demise of many ecosystems. Businesses can no longer rely on the old school of thought of increased production and hence increased profits. The health of Mother Earth is now part of the plan of many businesses so as to not infuriate environmentalists which can disrupt their business operations and to also conserve the Earth's resources they need for production. This leads to sustainability in a business.
That said, it bothers me how some businesses try to save the Earth with the intention of ganering more support from people, thus greater customer loyalty and not because of the fact that they are truly concerned. I think that its an issue of respect in the area of giving and taking. We cannot possibly take so much money from our parents for investment purposed and not expect to return them anything when we strike it rich. Won't they be left with nothing at the end of the day? What would be left to give on their part then when you need more?
But with respect to sustainablity of the Earth, we can see over the years how initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol and Earth Hour have been implemented as an effort to help make a change. I personally think that while to a certain extent such things have managed to change our mindsets, there's certainly alot more educating to be done. But before we condemn large companies for polluting the world, wasting energy and blah blah blah, we should look at our individual self first. Simple things like remembering to switch off unused lights at home daily, bringing our own bag while grocery shopping, throwing waste into the appropriate bins (plastic, paper and cans)all go a long way. In this sense, we as individuals which may seem unable to make a significant difference can actually make a difference.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
-Winston Churchill
Another topic for discussion was on "Innovation Management" of which I had to make a presentation on. Okay I admit I couldn't realy focus on the introduction by prof because I was busy getting nervous about my presentation. But! My take on innovation is that we constantly have to rely on innovation for development. For example, in a supply chain, how can we break down the distant barriers between us and our suppliers or our overseas manfacturer to ease operations and curb communication errors? How can we ensure orders are sent on time and accurately? Innovation can also be applied to sustainability of the Earth. How can we further educate people about saving the Earth? How can we bring the message acorss in a manner that it is interesting and something that will be etched in all our memories? All this and many others are all thanks to innovation.
The idea of innovation is something of great interest to me since the days of doing D&T in secondary school and hence my choice of topic. I once took part in a Tan Kah Kee innovation competition. The whole idea was to determine a problem, find and make a solution and present it. It was a simple problem I faced like having combed hair accumulated on the brush. The process of removing the hair was pretty darn annoying so I took the opportunity to come up with a solution once and for all. The materials I used were things like nets that held fruits to be inserted into the bristles of the brush before combing and from there on I explored other different options and how I could improve the idea to make it feasible. Over the weeks, the solution did improve and I was glad it worked! So yup! That was one of my experiences with simple innovation.
As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this session minus my nervousness because it gave me more insights on certain issues like whether NEWater for example was a sustainable development. The different presentations by my peers were interesting in their own ways be it their style of presentation and their content. I'd rate this session a 9.
"Sustainability requires a shift from linear to circular thinking."
Old industrial model: Economic development VS environmental well-being
New industrial model: Economic development AND environmental well-being
So we all know the fact that sparing a thought for the environment is becoming increasingly important. We are starting to realise that the doings of mankind are starting to take a toll on the Earth from the signs of the melting of ice caps in the South and North pole, increased global temperature (as if Singapore is not hot enough) and the demise of many ecosystems. Businesses can no longer rely on the old school of thought of increased production and hence increased profits. The health of Mother Earth is now part of the plan of many businesses so as to not infuriate environmentalists which can disrupt their business operations and to also conserve the Earth's resources they need for production. This leads to sustainability in a business.
That said, it bothers me how some businesses try to save the Earth with the intention of ganering more support from people, thus greater customer loyalty and not because of the fact that they are truly concerned. I think that its an issue of respect in the area of giving and taking. We cannot possibly take so much money from our parents for investment purposed and not expect to return them anything when we strike it rich. Won't they be left with nothing at the end of the day? What would be left to give on their part then when you need more?
But with respect to sustainablity of the Earth, we can see over the years how initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol and Earth Hour have been implemented as an effort to help make a change. I personally think that while to a certain extent such things have managed to change our mindsets, there's certainly alot more educating to be done. But before we condemn large companies for polluting the world, wasting energy and blah blah blah, we should look at our individual self first. Simple things like remembering to switch off unused lights at home daily, bringing our own bag while grocery shopping, throwing waste into the appropriate bins (plastic, paper and cans)all go a long way. In this sense, we as individuals which may seem unable to make a significant difference can actually make a difference.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
-Winston Churchill
Another topic for discussion was on "Innovation Management" of which I had to make a presentation on. Okay I admit I couldn't realy focus on the introduction by prof because I was busy getting nervous about my presentation. But! My take on innovation is that we constantly have to rely on innovation for development. For example, in a supply chain, how can we break down the distant barriers between us and our suppliers or our overseas manfacturer to ease operations and curb communication errors? How can we ensure orders are sent on time and accurately? Innovation can also be applied to sustainability of the Earth. How can we further educate people about saving the Earth? How can we bring the message acorss in a manner that it is interesting and something that will be etched in all our memories? All this and many others are all thanks to innovation.
The idea of innovation is something of great interest to me since the days of doing D&T in secondary school and hence my choice of topic. I once took part in a Tan Kah Kee innovation competition. The whole idea was to determine a problem, find and make a solution and present it. It was a simple problem I faced like having combed hair accumulated on the brush. The process of removing the hair was pretty darn annoying so I took the opportunity to come up with a solution once and for all. The materials I used were things like nets that held fruits to be inserted into the bristles of the brush before combing and from there on I explored other different options and how I could improve the idea to make it feasible. Over the weeks, the solution did improve and I was glad it worked! So yup! That was one of my experiences with simple innovation.
As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this session minus my nervousness because it gave me more insights on certain issues like whether NEWater for example was a sustainable development. The different presentations by my peers were interesting in their own ways be it their style of presentation and their content. I'd rate this session a 9.
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