Session 11

We have started on the group presentation of the web reports this week.

Stealth technology:
This topic focuses mainly on improving the military capabilities by enabling planes a other weapons to avoid detection from their enemies. This includes lowering the noise levels produced b these machines, as well as concealing/reducing the heat produced by them , such that they cannot be tracked through their heat signatures. There was also a part about a material that makes things and people invisible, much like the Invisibility cloak in Harry Potter. While this technology is currently still able to avoid detection right now, I am sure that following this development, the technology used in detecting such machines will also be refined and improved such that machines that make use of stealth technology will not be able to remain hidden for long.

Greener Singapore:
This group had a lot of examples that showed how buildings in Singapore can be modified structurally to be more environmentally friendly, and they even provided case studies of some ideas that will not work well in Singapore. However, I felt that they focused too much on the physical structures of the buildings and too little on the actual technology, for example, if there were any research on green technology going on in Singapore right now that has the potential to really change the way we do things.

Cloud Computing:
This was my group's presentation, and we received a lot of feedback about the design of the webpage, so we decided to create a new page. We were also asked to add in case studies for the part about the challenges faced by cloud computing, since we had case studies in the section of current applications. 

Aesthetic Surgery:
The presentation was really captivating for me, because this group started off showing everyone how beauty bias exists even if we vehemently deny it, and call it 'superficial'. After showing us that beauty is, in fact, not skin deep, they went on to show us the current situation of aesthetic surgery, and their possible impacts on people, the economy and the society. One of the things that intrigued me was the part about how people who undergo aesthetic surgery might suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, where the patients feel (excessively) that their body is imperfect. It showed me that while technology can solve some of the current problems that we face, it can sometimes create new problems as well. We then move on to the future applications of aesthetic surgery, where the group told us more about how other technology, such as 3D printing and genetic engineering, can be integrated into aesthetic surgery.

Overall, it was an awesome experience, to be able to learn so much from others in a day. I look forward to the other presentations next week.

Rating: 9/10

Session 10

This week's lesson was on the topic of technology assessment and forecasting, developing a framework for understanding what comes next. 

One of the more interesting presentations was given by Chang Ning, about speculative ethics of new technology. One of her discussion questions is whether or not people should speculate about new technology, and whether people can ever over-speculate. The problem with speculation is that people are focusing more on debating issues of future technology that are unlikely to happen at the expense of addressing the more immediate issues that comes with current technology. I believe that we can never over-speculate about any technology, because any outcome is possible, no matter how slim the chances of it happening. Hence, it is only wise that we are prepared for any sort of outcome. However, we should still allocate our resources wisely by putting more effort into planning for outcomes that are most likely to happen, while investing less into planning for unlikely outcomes, even if we do not completely neglect them. This, however, does not mean that we should be any less concerned about the technology that is more widely used right now. 

There was also another presentation about the Roadmap to 2050 for Water Science and Technology Development, which was all about China's plans to handle her water issues by 2050. While such plans give the country  direction to work towards, there may sometimes be changes in the future that can potentially make the current plans ineffective or outdated. Since the plans that China has was made well in advance, technological advances on water technology in the future might be able to speed up their plans for 2050. This brings us to one of the problems that planning so far ahead has: that the old plan might not be up-to-date anymore. Hence, there is a need for us to constantly reassess the plans made and alter it as and when there is a need to. I think that this was the most important thing that I have learnt from class this week, that it is necessary for us to keep up with the changes going on in the world and be able to suffieciently flexible so that we are able to adapt to the changing environment.

Rating: 8/10
I learnt the importance of planning for the future, and at the same time, ensuring that the plans for the future can accommodate change.

Session 9

The topic this week was on the future and emerging technology. Prof introduced some interesting technology to us. One of them was claytronics, which is a type of programmable matter that allows the users to create interactive 3D objects. This technology might be a new form of communication in the future, as it allows people to see, touch and feel, adding a new dimension to the way in which people can communicate. I think one of the greatest applications of this technology is in the design and engineering field, since it allows designers and the clients to be able to visualise their designs easily.

As shown in the video, claytronics may become widely used in future because it can be quickly changed into different objects, such that a single object can serve multiple purposes. It might even be able to project a physical entity of a person, even if the person is actually somewhere else. When this is possible, claytronics might possibly replace video conferencing as a new way of communicating.

Another topic that formed a large part of the week's class was augmented reality, where technology is used to add another layer above the real world such that more information about the person's immediate surroundings can be provided. This is a video by Google showing the possible uses of augmented reality, through Project Glass: 

The use of augmented reality is to enhance our perceptions of the world around us, and provide more information at the same time. There will be greater efficiency for anyone using this technology as the information provided is in real-time, hence there will be little time lag and the information will be mostly accurate (assuming that the information provided is from reliable sources). One potential application of this technology is in the tourism industry. There will no longer be a need for people to hire tour guides, buy guide books or ask for directions, since augmented reality can answer their questions. Language barriers might also be eliminated, as augmented reality can possibly act as a translation tool. Technology like this might also eliminate the need for a global lingua franca since people speaking different languages can communicate instantly through a translator that augmented reality may provide.

Rating: 9/10

This lesson showed me the possibilities that the future holds.

Session 8

This week’s lesson was on the topic of energy and world change. There is a need to find alternative sources of sustainable energy since the oil reserves that the world is most dependent on for energy are drying up at a rapid rate. For us to be able to reap the greatest benefit from the developments of the future, it is necessary for us to develop energy efficient technology.

As mentioned by prof in class, there are many sources of energy, ranging from biomass and solar energy above ground, to coal and gas underground. The challenge of the future is then to develop the most efficient method of harnessing energy to power future technology from these available sources.

One thing that shocked me the most was the realisation that the amount of energy produced by the sun in one hour is more than sufficient for the world to use in a year. However, there is still a lot of research going on about how biomass can produce energy, even though the amount of energy produced is still significantly lower than what solar energy is able to produce. Perhaps all the resources used in these research can be better spent on trying to emulate what the German government has been implementing in the country- Germany's solar experiment, where residents of Germany are actively encouraged to buy solar panels for their houses in return for cheaper electricity bills. While the environmental benefits of this scheme is undeniable (since the environment is not getting destroyed by coal mining and the burning of fossil fuels), I do not think that many governments would be supportive of implementing this scheme, because there is little incentive for them to do so. In countries like Singapore where there are high taxes on utility bills, a scheme like this could possibly mean a smaller budget available for government spending. It is also not very feasible for countries with little land space, since it is almost impossible for everyone to own their own solar panel.

The presentations this week were also interesting. Benedict talked about the use of banana peels and beet waste as a source of biofuel. I remember Hengsin’s presentation a few weeks ago, mentioning that the use of biofuel has led to many farmers now growing more crops that produce biofuel rather than food, since those kinds of crops tend to earn them more money. Hence, Benedict’s presentation was interesting to me, because it showed that it is not necessarily true that there has to be a tradeoff between producing food crops and biofuel crops, since different parts of the same plant can satisfy both uses. Take the banana for example, farmers can still sell bananas for consumption while selling the banana peel as biofuel. Although the use of biofuels is not the most efficient method of producing energy, encouraging farmers to produce such crops can possibly alleviate the problem of food shortage, which is worsening as farmers are turning to producing crops that can be sold to produce biofuels.

Rui Qi’s presentation was about how the Three Gorges Dam in China has actually been destroying its immediate environment while producing energy from the waves that pass through it. While it is unfortunate that the dam has caused the water in its surrounding to be polluted in a bid to produce renewable energy, I feel that this problem can be prevented if the Chinese were to make the effort to clean up the water. Developments to produce energy should not be blamed for problems that can be prevented if only people are more responsible in their actions.

Rating: 9/10

I always thought that there was great potential for biofuel to be the future source of energy since we can control the amount of energy produced by growing more crops, but this lesson showed me that there are many other sources that can produce so much more.

Cloning and its Impacts on Endangered Species- Draft

Paper

Cloning and its Impacts on Endangered Species[1]

Lee Jia Huan Amanda (amanda.lee.2012@sis.smu.edu.sg), 1^st Year student, Bachelor of Science (Information Systems Management), School of information Systems

Executive Summary

This paper serves to provide an introduction to cloning. The possible uses of therapeutic cloning in humans are explored, but the main focus of the paper is on reproductive cloning.  Some of the significant milestones in the history of cloning are shown, as well as some of the different techniques that are presently used to clone certain animals, and the risks that cloning carries. The paper ends off with the possible implications of cloning on endangered and extinct animals in the future.

Introduction to Cloning

Cloning is the process of creating an organism, or a part of an organism, from the genetic material that comes solely from one other organism. The end product of the cloning process would be genetically identical to the donor. This has profound implications on many issues that the world faces today.

Future Opportunities

According to United States National Kidney Foundation, there are 116,680 patients awaiting lifesaving organ transplants, of which 80% are waiting for kidney transplants. 13 people die each day waiting for a transplant, and almost 5000 people died waiting for a kidney (2012). All clearly show that the amount of organ donors is insufficient to meet the needs of the patients. This is especially so for for kidney transplants, as the number of patients waiting for a transplant (94,669) far outweighs the number of transplants that actually took place (16,812). One of the problems attributed to this situation is the fact that finding suitable donors is not an easy task. Tissue rejection is a major concern of organ transplants and cloning, when further developed, might reduce the need for organ donors entirely. This is because organs can be cloned using the patient’s own cell, which will not be rejected by the patient’s body since the cloned organ transplanted will not be seen as a foreign object in the body.

Cloning might also mark the end of the need for prosthetic limbs in humans and animals. If cloning technology is further developed, the handicapped may be able to replace their dysfunctional or missing limbs not with prosthetic limbs, but with limbs that are cloned from their own cells. Should we be able to replicate the nerves and muscles in our limbs as well, the handicapped might be able to use the cloned limb as any other person would.

Another potential application of cloning that is being explored would be to clone endangered animals. This will ensure that the species would continue to survive. If this is successful, researchers may also be able to bring back extinct species, some of whose bodies are preserved in frozen zoos, where their genetic material is still available.

History of Cloning

Timeline of cloning, according to the Harvard Medical School:

1962:

John Gurdon claims to have cloned South African frogs

According to Fatahalian, Schneider and Reavis (1998), Biologist John Gurdon claimed that he has cloned South African frogs from the nucleus of differentiated intestinal cells. However, many scientists remained skeptical of his work, for instance, Dennis Smith found undifferentiated sex cells in the intestinal tissues of the frogs. Hence, some of the frogs cloned could have been cloned from the undifferentiated sex cells rather than from the adult intestinal cell. Although it has never been proven if Gurdon did manage to clone the frogs, he did manage to generate public debate on cloning.

1964:
F.C. Steward grew a complete carrot plant from fully differentiated carrot root cells

1979:

Karl Illmensee claims to have cloned 3 mice

According to Fatahalian, Schneider and Reavis (1998), Illmensee’s claim came as a surprise at the time, because researchers were beginning to doubt that mammals could be cloned after many failures. However, no one has actually seen Illmensee cloning the mice in his lab, hence it cannot be determined if he did clone the mice.

1984:

Occurrence of the first mammalian cloning, when Steen Willadsen cloned a sheep from embryonic cells

According to Wilmut, Willadsen found out that by coating the splitting embryo in a jelly-like casing made from seaweed, the problem of having the mammalian mother’s immune system destroy the embryo could be avoided. The technique that Willadsen used can be applied when trying to save endangered species, since the embryo of the endangered species can be implanted into the uterus other common subspecies, even after the embryo has been split. As a result of this, multiple clones can be created at the same time, limited only by the number of times that the embryo can be split.

1986:

Steen Willadsen and Neal First, Randal Prather and Willard Eyestone cloned cows from embryonic cells in separate events

1995:

Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell cloned two sheep, Megan and Morag, from cells extracted from differentiated embryos

1996:

Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell cloned Dolly the sheep from adult cells

The cloning of Dolly was a major development in cloning history because she was the first animal to be cloned from a mammary cell, which is a differentiated cell, via the Roslin technique. All the other animals cloned before her were cloned from totipotent cells.

Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell cloned Polly, a lamb, skin cells

Polly was cloned after Dolly, and is the first transgenic animal to be cloned. The adult cell that Polly was cloned from was genetically engineered to contain a human gene. The gene will result in human proteins being present in the milk that Polly produces. It is hoped that the human proteins in the milk can be extracted and given to patients who suffer from hemophilia or bone diseases (CNN, 1997).

1997:

Two Rhesus monkeys were cloned at the Oregan Regional Primate Center

President Clinton prohibited the use of federal funds for human cloning

1998:

Ryuzo Yanagimachi cloned fifty mice from adult cells using the Honolulu Technique

The Honolulu technique is more efficient than the Roslin technique used to clone Dolly.

2001:

Noah, the bull gaur, was the first endangered animal to be cloned at the Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

It was cloned using the nuclear transfer technique. However, it died from an infection not long after its birth.

2003:

Dolly the sheep was put to sleep after she suffered from lung cancer and arthritis

Present Situation

There are many techniques that can be used for cloning. However, the most famous methods are the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the Roslin technique and the Honolulu technique.

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

The diagrams below show the process of the SCNT:

Figure 1- Diagram showing the process of embryonic cloning

Source: The Naked Scientists

The genetic material from the haploid egg cell of an organism is first removed. The nucleus from the diploid donor adult cell is then isolated and inserted into the egg cell (which now contains no genetic material) via the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer. An electric shock is then applied to the egg cell to start the process of cell division and growth, producing a blastocyst.

Figure 2- Diagram showing the process of making embryonic stem cells

Source: The Naked Scientists

The cells in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst are undifferentiated stem cells. These stem cells are extracted from the blastocyst and placed in a petri dish where the cells further multiply to form an embryonic stem (ES) cell colony under controlled conditions. As the colony gets larger, the cells can be split into even smaller colonies and be allowed to grow on different petri dishes. The blastocyst can be allowed to develop into an embryo, before it is implanted into the uterus of a female animal.

Roslin Technique

The Roslin technique was developed by the Roslin Institute. It was made famous after it was used to clone Dolly the sheep. The technique is a slight variation of the SCNT (Bailey, date unknown). The diagram below shows the process of the Roslin technique:

Figure 3 – Diagram showing the process of the Roslin technique

Source: BioInformatics, date unknown

The Roslin technique was developed by the Roslin Institute. To clone Dolly the sheep using this technique, mammary cells were first removed from a Finn Dorset and grown in culture. The nucleus of an ovum was removed from a Scottish Blackface before an electric shock was applied to induce the enucleated ovum to fuse with the Finn Dorset mammary cell. The fused cell was then allowed to develop into an embryo in the tied oviduct of a sheep, before it was extracted and implanted into a surrogate mother ewe’s womb. The ewe carried the embryo until it was ready to give birth to Dolly, a Finn Dorset. Dolly shares the exact same DNA that the mammary cell of the adult Finn Dorset contained. Megan and Morag, the sheep cloned by Ian Wilmut, were also cloned using this technique, with the exception that the donor cells used were embryonic cells (Alvarez-Bautista, 2009).

Honolulu Technique

The Honolulu Technique was developed by the University of Hawaii, and was used to clone 50 mice. Like the Roslin technique, it is a variation of the SCNT. The main difference between the Honolulu and the Roslin technique is that in the Honolulu technique, the donor nucleus is injected directly into the enucleated egg using a pipette, while an electric pulse is used to fuse the donor cell and the egg in the Roslin technique. The egg containing the injected nucleus is then cultured in vitro before it is implanted into a surrogate mother mouse. With this method, the team led by Ryuzo Yanagimachi cloned three generations of mice which were all genetically identical (Alvarez-Bautista, 2009).

Efficiency of the Techniques

The efficiency of SCNT is 0.1-3% (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2012), while 1 clone is produced out of 277 (0.3%) attempts for the Roslin technique, and 3 out of 100 (3%) for the Honolulu technique (Fatahalian, Schneider and Reavis, 1998). This makes the Honolulu technique more efficient than the Roslin technique.

Challenges Faced in Cloning

Large Offspring Syndrome

Many clones have the large offspring syndrome (LOS), as they are larger at birth as compared to the animals of natural birth. The clones with the LOS also have larger organs, which may cause breathing and blood flow problems (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2012).

Abnormal Gene Expression

Clones that were cloned from adult cells may not express genes the way that a natural animal would if the cell from which the animal was cloned from might not have been reprogrammed properly by the scientist. Differentiated cells need to be coaxed into its undifferentiated state before the cell can express its genes properly (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2012). Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts have found that about 4% of the genes in cloned mice function abnormally, not because of mutations, but because of abnormal activation and expression of the genes (U.S. Department of Energy, 2009).

End-Replication Problem

With every cell division, the chromosomes in the cell become shorter due to the naturally-occurring end-replication problem. The shortening of the telomeres is responsible for the ageing process. Animals with shorter telomeres will age faster than those with longer telomeres. However, the effect of this problem is unclear, since cloned cattle and mice had longer telomeres than their natural counterparts, while Dolly the sheep has shorter telomeres (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2012). However, there is little data about how clones age since many of them do not live long enough (U.S. Department of Energy, 2009).

Health of the Clones

Clones seem to be more susceptible to infections, tumor growths and other diseases. Studies have shown that cloned mice have poor health and die early. Clones have also been known to die with no apparent cause (U.S. Department of Energy, 2009). The DNA of the clone will also deteriorate over time, and an accumulation of the damages may result in the clone having cancer (BioInformatics, date unknown).

Future Considerations

About 100 species becomes extinct each day (Lanza et al., 2000). With cloning, there is a possibility that endangered species can be saved. However, the ability to clone the endangered species does not solve the root cause of the problem, which is the changing environment and human behavior. The reason why the animals are endangered is because the current environment is not suitable for them to live in, either due to the loss of their natural habitat, or because they are constantly being hunted. While cloning can ensure that the species survives, there is no guarantee that the cloned animals will continue to survive well outside of the controlled environment in which they were cloned.

The cloning of endangered animals might potentially marginalize the need and effort put into wildlife conservation. This might happen if people start to think that endangered species can simply be restored by cloning, and hence not feel the need to protect the habitats of the animals. Perhaps it would be wise to put more effort into conserving the natural habitat of animals instead of trying to clone the animals when they are endangered.

According to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change.” If the animals are not able to adapt to the changing environment, then they would not survive. Trying to clone the endangered animals might lead to humans disrupting the natural flow of things.

If cloning can save the endangered animals, it might be possible to revive and restore the extinct species. This can be done by taking the genetic material of animals preserved in the frozen zoos. However, there is much that we do not know about the extinct species, such as their behavior, diet and habitat. Hence, bringing these animals back to life may bring about unforeseen circumstances.

Conclusion

There is still a lot more to learn about cloning, and the problems that clones might face throughout their lifespans are still unclear. There may also be other problems that come with cloning endangered species that are still unclear. Cloning these animals may even cause more suffering for the clones.

However, cloning still has limitless potential in terms of solving other problems that we face, such as the need for organs, and the problem of tissue rejection. It may also be helpful in trying to fight diseases in humans and animals. Hence, cloning technology should still be developed, but with prudence, and both the government and the scientists have the responsibility to regulate the use of cloning.

References

CNN, 1997, Report: Cloned sheep has human gene. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/9707/24/polly/index.html

Genetic Science Learning Center August 2012, What are the Risks of Cloning?. Learn.Genetics. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/cloningrisks/

Ian Wilmut, date unknown, Cloning, NewScientist. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://www.newscientist.com/data/doc/teaser/mm/201010/instant_expert_2_-_cloning.pdf

Joaquin Alvarez-Bautista, July 2009, Techniques and Procedures for Cloning Mammals. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://cosmos.ucdavis.edu/archives/2009/cluster7/ALVARAZ-BAUTISTA_JOAQUIN.pdf

Kayvon Fatahalian, Bennett Schneider, and Brandon Reavis, 1998a, 1962: Did Gurdon clone frogs?, Oracle ThinkQuest, Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://library.thinkquest.org/24355/data/details/1962.html

Kayvon Fatahalian, Bennett Schneider, and Brandon Reavis, 1998b, The Honolulu Technique, Oracle ThinkQuest, Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://library.thinkquest.org/24355/data/details/techniques/honolulu.html

National Kidney Foundation, December 2012, Organ Donation and Transplantation Statistics. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Stats.cfm

Regina Bailey, date unknown, Cloning Techniques. About.com Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://biology.about.com/od/biotechnologycloning/a/aa062306a.htm

Robert P. Lanza, Jose B. Cibelli, Francisca Diaz, Carlos T. Moraes, Peter W. Farin, Charlotte E. Farin, Carolyn J. Hammer, Michael D. West, and Philip Damiani. Cloning. October 2000, 2(2): 79-90. doi:10.1089/152045500436104.

Kat Arney, August 2005, Human Cloning, Part 2 - The Process of Animal Cloning, The Naked Scientists. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/features/article/katarneycolumn11.htm/

U.S. Department of Energy, 2009, Human Genome Project Information.  Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml#whatis

Wageningen Bioinformatics Webportal, May 2012, The cloning technique used to clone Dolly. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from: http://www.bioinformatics.nl/webportal/background/dollyinfo.html

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[1] This paper was reviewed by Ho Jin Wei Benedict and Lee Heng Sin

Session 7

The focus for the week was on the agricultural side of BioBusiness. I found the presentations on GM food and vertical farming really interesting. 

One of the presentations was about Enviropigs, which are pigs that are genetically modified to digest phosphates so that the waste they produce will be a lot less toxic. People have been modifying organisms so that they will be beneficial to us, for example, making plants grow better in adverse conditions, improving the nutritious value of the food we consume, or making animals grow larger so that they provide more for human consumption. The ability to modify the genes of living organisms brings about endless possibilities, but there may be implications that are not yet known to us. These GM food may adversely affect our health, as mentioned in another presentation about the possible existence of a toxic gene 6. Also, if the GM organisms are released out of the labs into the outside environment, the combination of genes from the modified and non-modified organism may cause unexpected effects. Since GM food can bring about a lot of positive impacts on the world, there are also many dangers that we have yet to fully explore. Hence, I think that it is necessary that we conduct as much research as possible before releasing this kind of food into the market for human consumption (although there is already a lot of GM food in the market).

Another interesting presentation was about the possibility of vertical farming. Such a farming method is especially beneficial to countries such as Singapore, where land space is very limited. Such technology will allow Singapore to be partially sustainable in terms of food. Developing countries will find this useful as well, since vertical farming has the potential to grow the same amount of food in a lot less space. This will free up land for other uses, such as housing and transport. Plants grown in this manner would also be less susceptible to the weather conditions outside, since the farm would be designed to provide the best possible environment for the plants to grow in, regardless of what happens outside. The risk of losing precious crops to floods and droughts would be greatly reduced, and people can be assured of a constant and reliable source of food. 

In a time where the world is possibly facing a shortage of food, things like GM food and vertical farming might just be potential solutions.

Rating: 8.5/10

I learnt a lot about the application of technology in solving real problems, and also the problems that these technology might bring.

Session 6

This week's topic was about the BioBusiness revolution. There was an interesting presentation about the medical tricorder, which is supposed to be able to diagnose illnesses in humans. This technology has the potential to allow people to be able to diagnose illnesses at home with accuracy, which is a lot more efficient than having to see a doctor. In cases where the person is just mildly ill, it might also remove the need for the patient to visit the doctor at all, which will then  create greater efficiency in the healthcare system. There was also some discussion in class about whether such technology will someday render doctors redundant. I think that doctors will still be needed even with this kind of technology. Although machines are able to give us more accurate readings and diagnoses based on the symptoms that the patients have, they are unable to handle exceptional cases. In such situations, the flexibility of a human mind is still needed. Also, technology (as of now) is unable to diagnose new or mutated illnesses without people first putting this information into a database. Hence, doctors will still be needed to deal with these new illnesses. However, as many more people are able to self-diagnose with the help of this machine, the number of doctors required in the future may be significantly lower than the number now. 

The medical tricorder will be especially beneficial to people living in remote areas of developing countries, where they sometimes have little or no access to medical help. It might even allow people to self-medicate which will greatly reduce the number of people dying from illnesses that are actually really easy to cure. However, this can only be done if people have access to medication, because having a diagnosis without medication is of little help. 

Rating: 8/10
I saw how new technology can possibly create a higher standard of living for the poor.