19th August 2013: My first Technology and World Change lesson ( 1st session )

Hello! This blog will aim to encapsulate some of my thoughts about technology and world change and what i've learnt from it!

Brief overview/Summary:

• We started off the lesson with a brief introduction of one another and I was thoroughly thrilled to know that we have friends all the way of India whom even started his own business! 
• We moved on to discuss about " Technology 'Revolutions' " / Innovations which proved to be really informative, whereby we learn about what our ancestors did and some limitations they faced.

Interesting Observations and Ideas:

• Prof Shahi did a simple exercise with all of us, he asked us about what we know or think technology is and what world changes it brought and will bring to the world. Interestingly enough, most of us only talked about IT gadgets, and it seemed really myopic! He went on to explain that technology is simply: knowing how to do, and that when we acquire the know how, we have technology!
• My classmates presented an oxymoron idea about technology, which is observed in Singapore often. Technology brings us closer yet further apart. I think they were trying to say that while technology enables us to communicate with each other regardless of distance, we lose the intimate conversations held without technology. 
• On the 20th August 2013, while I was on my way to school aboard the mrt, I looked around me and observed that every single person on board were looking at their gadgets, be it smartphones or their tablets. They could essentially take the whole train ride without even knowing who sat beside them! 
• Prof Shadi introduced a documentary to us, Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. What really caught my attention was that one important factor to determine if a civilisation would evolve or change really depends on their geological location and their surrounding habitats. Instantly, I linked this back to Singapore, being a small island with no natural resources and yet we flourished!

Key Takeaways:

• The technology you own today could be obsolete tomorrow.
• What are the implications of certain technology and why.

Issues for Further Discussion:

• How technology has changed world leadership.

Personal Ratings:

• I would give this lesson a 10! Really blew my expectations of how a class would have been, the continuous interactions and investigation of technologies really piqued my interest in the subject!