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.

Session 5

This session's topic was about ICT and world change, and prof mentioned this quote which was really interesting:

"The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will not occur because of technology, but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human." - John Naisbitt

People used to define themselves by what they can or cannot do, but with greater applications of our knowledge taking place now, we are constantly pushing boundaries, and we are able to make use of our creations to do things that we never thought possible before.

We then discussed about how gaming technology can have medical benefits. For example, people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and those with phobias have been know to benefit from games that simulate real life. I also have a friend who did an internship with a company that was trying to develop games that would help to track the progress of stroke patients who were partially paralyzed by making use of the accuracy that computers have to measure the extent of movement that a patient has. Perhaps, computers will be the physiotherapists of the future, if they can accurately record the progress that the patients have made and make recommendations.

There was also discussion on Project Natal, which is an amazing technology that allows a virtual character to interact with people just as normal humans would. This opens up a world of possibilities for people who are unable to communicate well with other people, because they would be able to build up their confidence by playing with the virtual people. However, this technology is also dangerous because people who use it too often may get caught up in the virtual world and forget how to communicate with real people. They might completely disregard all the real friendships and interactions that can happen in the real world, and instead, be overly reliant on the virtual world.

One of the interesting presentation was done by Charis, about cloud computing. She thought that the term 'cloud computing' was misleading because it gave people the impression that the data stored in clouds are actually not stored in a physical place, and that a large amount of data centers and servers that are still required to store all these information. I agree with her that some people actually have the misconception that the information stored on clouds seem to go nowhere, some people do not know that the data is really physically stored somewhere. She is also right to say that the number of data centers needed to store information is huge, but actually, cloud computing really reduces the wastage of space on the servers. Companies used to buy their own servers to host their data, but more often than not, they only use a fraction of the memory space their servers offer. On the other hand, in cloud computing, companies such as Amazon will buy the servers, use the space that they need, and allow others to store information on their servers as well. A lot more servers are hence fully utilized, which reduces the wastage of resources and fewer data centers would be needed. Therefore, I think that while it is true that a large number of data centers are still needed when cloud computing is used, I believe that that number is still much lower than the traditional way of data storage.

Rating: 8.5/10
The applications of technology in our lives present exciting new possibilities

Individual Report Outline

Cloning and its Impacts on Endangered Species

Intro

Cloning has a great potential to solve many issues that the world faces right now. If we were to fully decode the genome of an organism, we would be able to clone organs, or even the whole organism. The implication of this process in profound, and with future developments, there may be a lot more uses that we can only dream of now.

History

It is not clear when cloning actually started, but there was a series of events that happened in the past that led to the concept of cloning. The most significant developments were probably the understanding of the cell cycle and the realization that the genetic information of an organism is stored in the nucleus of a cell.

Present Situation

1. John Gurdon of Oxford University cloned South African frogs from the nucleus of fully differentiated adult intestinal cells in 1962.
2. F.E. Steward of Cornell University grew a complete carrot plant from a fully differentiated carrot root cell in 1964.
3. Karl Illmensee cloned three mice in 1979
4. The first mammalian cloning occurred in 1984 when Steen Willadsen cloned a sheep from embryonic cells.
5. Steen Willadsen and Neal First, Randal Prather and Willard Eyestone cloned a cows from embryonic cells in separate events in 1986.
6. Two sheep, Megan and Morag were cloned from cells extracted from differentiated embryos by Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell in 1995.
7. Dolly the sheep was cloned from adult cells, and Polly, a lamb, was cloned from skin cells by Ian Walmut and Keith Campbell in 1996.
8. Two Rhesus monkeys cloned at the Oregan Regional Primate Research Center in 1997.
9. President Clinton barred the use of federal funds for human cloning in 1997.
10. Ryuzo Yanagimachi cloned fifty mice from adult cells using "The Honolulu Technique" in 1998.
11. First endangered animal, Noah the bull gaur was cloned at the Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. It died from an infection in 2001.
12. Dolly the sheep was put to sleep after suffering from lung cancer and arthritis in 2003.

Source: https://bsp.med.harvard.edu/?q=node/18

Future Considerations

Many ethical issues have been brought to light with increased developments in cloning. There will possibly be heated debates on what regulations should be put in place for plant, animal and human cloning. Manbe assess if there are any other possible use of cloning in the future.

Conclusion

Summarize the report, and maybe include suggestions on who cloning should be regulated by, what can be done and how these regulations might be enforced.

Session 4

This lesson, Prof brought up this quote which is actually related to last lesson's topic:

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”
-Chief Seattle

This quote brings about an entirely new way of looking at how people should use the world's resources. In contrast to the traditional view of claiming ownership on the resources available, Chief Seattle suggests that these resources are not ours to use, that we have to preserve the Earth for future generations and that this responsibility lies on our shoulders. It made me realize that often, it is our perspective on things that shape the way we do things. In this example, a person who subscribes to the traditional way of thinking would feel that he has every right to use any resource available, whether it is of limited supply or not, to produce whatever he wants. A person who holds the same view as Chief Seattle, on the other hand, would first contemplate the impact of their decision on future generations before using up the resources. And as the world enters a time when the oil reserves are depleting and a new source of energy is required, I think that the we need more people who think as responsibly as Chief Seattle. 

Which brings us to today's topic of the Drivers of World Change. Vanessa's presentation was about the difference in expectations that the modern greens and traditional conservatives have of the future. The modern greens believe that although the oil reserves we have are depleting, human kind would be able to find alternative sources of energy to sustain the use of technology in the future, and are hence less worried. The traditional conservatives on the other hand, foresee a bleak future where there will be insufficient oil for our future use with no other energy sources available. I find that I identify more with the modern greens, because as of now, there is already a lot of research done in the field of renewable energy, even though there is no source that is currently dominant. In fact, it is entirely possible that the energy that we use in the future will not come from one main source, but a combination of many sources. 

The next presentation by Ivan was about how Youtube is able to reach audience on a global scale, and the impacts that it will have on the world. I think that Ivan brought up many good discussion questions. Because Youtube allows anyone to upload videos, and because it has the ability to share this information with people around the world, it raises the question of whether the content on Youtube should be censored, and by whom. Someone suggested that different countries should form a council and decide which videos should not be made public. However, Qi Wen brought up a good point that countries would just ban videos that embarrass them. It is also important to note that Youtube is popular because many people are using it and anyone can upload videos. If restrictions were imposed on the type of videos that people can upload, less people might be inclined to use the website, and videos that make a positive impact on society, such as Kony 2012, would have far less reach. I feel that in addressing this problem, education is the way to go. Users should be taught to be discerning and not believe every video that they watch. I feel that this skill is especially useful since anyone is able to post any sort of content online, and viewers should be discerning everytime they view information on the internet. 

The second part of the class was on the theme of Change Management and Change Leadership. We learnt the difference between leaders and managers, and how leaders would usually not make good managers. The main difference between leaders and managers is that the conceptual framework is created by the leader, while the manager works within the framework to get others to follow. We also learnt how some countries adopted the freeze-unfreeze-refreeze model of goal setting, while others are continuously changing their aims. I think that the freeze-unfreeze-refreeze model used to work well in the past because change was not as rapid then as it is now. For countries, organisations and businesses to survive well now, they have to be adaptable to current situations and change continuously. 

Rating: 8/10

Some of the topics discussed were really interesting.

Session 3

This week we talked about how the manufacturing process of good should not be a linear model, but a cyclical one. After watching the video "Story of Stuff", it was obvious to everyone that there are many inefficiencies and wastage created by the manufacturing processes in place right now. The main processes involved in manufacturing are extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal, but the presenter in the video reveals that there are many more effects on the people and environment involved in the process that are not taken into account. There were many statistics being used in the video, and many of them were shocking. 

In the part where the process of extraction was discussed, there was a claim made that if everyone consumed at the US rates, the resources of 5 Earths would be required to sustain us. However, according to economic principles, the limited resources of the Earth would actually cause the prices of goods to go up, hence only the wealthy will be able to consume so much. This increase in price would cause a fall in the demand for the goods, hence the consumption levels of the world would fall. It is therefore unlikely at this point in time that we will ever reach a point where the consumption of the world would be so high. If people around the world become equally affluent,  I think that it might happen in the future, since the spending power of people will be almost equal. However, production technology may be improved by then and the world would move towards sustainable development. 

The second half of the lesson was spent on how innovation depended on having smart people, smart ideas, smart money and smart partnerships. These four factors work in tandem for innovation to occur, but another important factor to consider is the environment. If the generation of revolutionary ideas from great people who have the capital to invest in the idea takes place in an environment on which the creativity of people is suppressed, the ideas that people have may still only remain a dream. However, in places like Singapore, where entrepreneurship is encouraged, people are given the chance to further explore their ideas, and people are allowed room for error. As such, there are new markets created for products and services that were just created.

Rating: 7.5

I thought that some of the presentations this week were really interesting.

Session 2

This week's lesson was on the topic of global dominance and human development.

For the session on global dominance, we studied the characteristics of countries that are rising and falling, and the main difference was that the countries that are rising tend to be more open to new ideas and humble enough to recognise that they needed to keep learning from others, while the opposite is true for the falling countries. These qualities are important because a willingness to learn from others will allow a country to make better use of her resources, and the citizens will benefit as a result. The country's economy will then be dominant. However, I feel that there are other factors that play a role in allowing a country global dominance. Singapore has been trying to establish itself as an education and knowledge hub, and some of the brightest minds can be found here. The Biopolis, Fusionopolis and A*Star have also helped in reinforcing Singapore's position as a knowledge-based economy. While Singapore's economy has come a long way since more than 40 years ago, I do not feel that Singapore's economy is anywhere close to global dominance. The Chinese economy used to be driven by the export and manufacturing industries, but is moving towards a knowledge-based industry. Yet, China is clearly more dominant than Singapore is. Hence I feel that the people in a country is also an important factor for the success of a country, and a country cannot be dominant without people or knowledge.

I found Ke Ming's presentation really interesting, it was about how robots will be able to do the jobs that people do now. Robots are more efficient, more accurate and less easily distracted than humans can ever be. And many people fear that they may become dispensable in future because companies can simply buy or design robots to do the jobs that humans do, with more accuracy and in less time. I agree that this will eventually happen, but I do not think that this development is necessarily a bad thing. Because the robots are able to do the jobs efficiently, people will now have more time on their hands to do other things. I believe that because of the existence of these robots, there will be other interesting and more exciting jobs being created in the future that we cannot conceive of now. These robots are not robbing us of jobs, they are actually providing us the opportunity to be more innovative and change the world like never before.

Jenny's presentation on human development through E-learning also caught my attention. There are many websites now that provide free online courses that are actually conducted by many reputable and prestigious universities. This open university concept seems to be gaining popularity rather quickly, and some less well-known universities have also started offering some courses on the iTunes store. People now have access to reliable information that was once only available to those who were formally enrolled in a university. This system may one day replace the current system of formal education, since it provides one with quality education while still allowing students to be more flexible with their time. The video lectures will also help students to absorb more information since they are able to review the entire lecture if they have problems understanding, which makes teaching more effective. Students of the future may no longer be conferred a degree from a single instituition, they can choose courses that interest them and earn certificates of completion from multiple schools instead. Learning will then be less rigid and more personlised. Such online courses also have the potential to close the income gap between the rich and the poor in a society, since those who could never afford to pay tuition fees can now learn for free, and still receive credits for their effort, and I feel that the transition to a web-based approach is a giant step towards equal opportunity and free education for everyone.

Rating: 7.75
This lesson was interesting, but I felt that more time should have been dedicated to the discussion of the presentation topics.

Session 1

We started off the fist lesson with a round of introductions and an overview of the what TWC is about. I thought the introduction part was really fun because we learnt something interesting everyone, whether we have met them before or not.

In the next half of the class, we watched the video 'Shift Happens', which brought to our attention how drastically the world has changed through the rapid advancement of new technology. This brought to mind another video that I have watched previously, titled 'Andrew McAfee: Are droids taking our jobs?' In this video, McAfee raised a question: "What have been the most important developments in human history?", and goes on to show us that the most important development was neither religion or empires, even though they still have an impact on the world today. Rather, the most important development was the use and advancement of technology. As a student studying Information Systems, this is quite worrying to me since these technological developments will render my knowledge useless in  just a few years. The implication of this is that schools now should focus less on teaching students the technical knowledge required to find jobs next time, and focus more on allowing students to be adaptable and to be independent learners. I think that these two skills would be the most important in the ever-changing world that we now live in. 

After watching the video, there was some discussion in class about whether computers can ever be more intelligent than humans in the future. Some people believe that the computers will never surpass human capabilities, because information that is found in a computer originally came from people. However, I feel that the increase in research done in the field of artificial intelligence will one day allow computers to imitate the emotions and thoughts of a person, and as prof mentioned, with the amount of data that a computer can store, it will definitely be more intelligent than a person, since people tend to forget things. The question that will have to be answered in the future will then be "How can we harness the power of technology to best serve our needs?" 

Rating for this lesson: 8.25/10

I felt that this was a good introduction to TWC