An overview of what we have covered:
Technology, Society and Global dominance
We learnt what about technology, which was the usage of tools and techniques to enhance the way we do things. That knowledge was, and is being generated at an exponential rate, of which we will soon which a point of singularity, artificial intelligence would have progressed beyond our human intelligence and information is generated at such a rate that it is impossible to keep up with. For global dominance, we learnt about the effect technologies and its related changes have on companies, and exerts a pressure on these companies to reinvent themselves constantly rather than stagnating. Concept of dominant player, rising star, falling star, etc.
Technology and Human Development
An eye opening lesson where we learnt about the harsh realities of colonialism in america and british colonies. My preconception of colonialism being a positive catalyst for change was challenged as the readings spoke about the economic loss and outflow of resources that the colonised countries suffered as a result.
Technology and Industrial Development - Moving towards sustainable development
It talked about the need for sustainable development in view of the surge in industrial development in many developing countries. As a result technology has been of increasing influence and brought greater impacts, of which most were negative, on our earth. Consequentially we need to shift from the traditional linear method of production into a cyclical one. An interesting concept was the theory of backward advantage, which seemed to nullify the benefits of being the first to innovate, but also served as an unintentional force in solving the problem of inequality. In fact, as we look back, what Prof constantly asked was about the ethical issues that a technology brings up, with the most common one being "the rich getting access to the technology first, while the poor are unable to afford it, thus marginalising the poor. However the counter argument of technology becoming cheaper as more people use it, as well as the expertise and resources needed, all show the importance of backward advantage for the equal progress in technology for countries.
Technology and Innovation Management
How copying is not essentially a bad thing, it is something that has been used by humans ever since the dawn of time and perpetuates the spread of useful technology and ideas. The RDA process - Research, Development and Application. The 4 smarts - Smart people with smart ideas with smart money and smart partnerships. I understand this to be because of the difficulty to complete the RDA process, only about 5% of innovations complete the cycle. Not all innovations fail because they are bad per se, but because the market does not recognise the need for it. I attribute this to be a form of market failure, where consumers incorrectly match the benefits conferred to the price of the good. As we have learnt in later lessons, many technologies are pretty useless on their own, but because of other newly emerged technologies it has found its place in the market. This brings about the need for smart money- investors with the ability to recognise such potential.
Drivers of world change
What drives world change? Competition between companies, globalisation, environmental factors, development of new science and technology, changing tastes and expectations. Recognising these factors, as well as the varying importances of each factor for different industries, plays a part in the topic of prediction and Future assessment of technology.
Change management and change leadership
Greatest takeaway would be the change in business perspective from the traditional "freeze-unfreeze-refreeze" model to one that constantly adapts itself to the market. Although not an easy feat, it emphasizes on the importance for companies to be adaptable to change. Importance of leadership and not just management in order to bring a company forward. Management, i felt, embodied the concept of sitting on your eggs and protecting what you have ie. a conservative approach, while leadership meant breaking new grounds and exploring new horizons together with the people under your management.
ICT and world change
With the advent of the internet and mass media, methods of communication has changed and vastly improved. How technologies such as Cloud computing allows for easier access of information and software, levelling the playing field for many, as well as the provision of information to enable knowledge to be shared among many, alleviating inequality.
Biobusiness - Healthcare
Increase in population, urbanization and the ageing population requires the healthcare sector to place more emphasize on developing methods to cope with the related changing demand
Biobusiness - Agriculture
Agriculture, although traditionally thought to be a menial job, things are different now. The greatest producers of agricultural products rely on technology to do so. While the force has been decreasing, production has increased, highlighting the impact that technology can have on production, such that Yali asked " why you white people have so many cargo when we have so little?" The mechanization of agriculture then requires for more specialized skills. The millennium development goals, and how the agriculture industry can help achieve it.
Energy and World Change
Solar and wind energy was identified as the likely sustainable sources of energy to be used in the future, given their efficiency. The role of the government in propelling such energy use into the mainstream, as seen in the case of solar power in germany.
Technology Assessment and Forecasting
By considering current applications of technology, the history of successful technologies today, the market for the technology in question, we can attempt to forecast successful technologies that will emerge in the future. Technological Assessment considers the applications of the technology today and the implications that it can have to the current and future markets.
Some of these topics, as i have mentioned, are able to address Yali's question of inequality. I feel that the change in type of energy usage could be a fresh slate for developing countries to create a niche. By recognising the important factors for technological progress, we can thus better answer Yali's second question, of how to overcome the vicious cycle of poverty and inequality.
TWC has changed the perspectives i have on technology and our progress as a civilisation. I previously viewed technology as something which merely created unnecessary demand for goods which no real intrinsic value, but the lessons we had this semester has really widened my knowledge of technology and the very real and useful impacts it has on our lives. The concept of adapting to change and being forward looking is one that is applicable to our daily lives, and as such TWC has made an impact on how i view life as a whole.
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