Look into the crystal ball

The past is history and nothing more than a mere memory. The future, however, is in our hands. A better way to put it is that the 'now' that builds the future is entirely up to us. There are many quotes that support this stand, such as 'Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.' and 'Now is pregnant with the future.'. As such, we must do whatever we can to shape our future. There are many forecasting techniques that gives us a better understanding of the prospective future, such as brainstorming and cost-benefit analysis.Forecasting has become a very valuable asset today.

In today's world, every individual has access to the same information from the same sources, and at the same speed and time. In short, everyone is equal. Therefore, it is definitely harder to shine in the corporate world now as compared to before. One method of distinguishing oneself from others is innovation. Innovative individuals who can make their ideas work generally get promoted quickly. There is another way, and it is to become a leader of the future. The accuracy of the futuristic story you tell is the key to your success. At the same time, it allows you to be ever-ready for the constantly changing world, giving you an edge over everyone else.

Forecasting has allowed us to comprehend the fact that the world will run out of fuels soon. There is an interesting video (shown below) that reports about a man who has stumbled upon a new fuel while researching for a cure for cancer. By passing radio waves through saltwater, which happens to be the most abundant entity in this planet, he was able to create a flame that burned up to 150 centigrade. Despite it being an unintended discovery, our forecast of vanishing fuels could find a cure in saltwater, and that is only because we know what the future encompasses.

However, the future is not as cherry as it seems. There are many critics of being too forward-looking. There is a saying with goes like this - we should not worry about the future, because it is extremely uncertain and our mentalities then will most probably be different. They are two very valid arguments. The uncertainty of the future has made many plans redundant, and forcing many people to play by ear. At the same time, if our philosophy and ideology have altered from the past to now, it is possibly similar for the future as well. With a different mentality, many things can change, elevating the level of uncertainty of any event. However, does this mean that we should not attempt to forecast at all?

The answer is no. It is precisely because of the uncertainty of the future that necessitates forecasting. Regardless of how small a difference it makes, it will reduce the probability of being unable to react when variability kicks in. The idea above is mainly to assist people in reducing their anxiety when dealing with matters of the future. Its purpose is to stop us from worrying about the future. But this does not mean we should not plan and forecast. If we do not do that, it is unlikely that the human race would survive and expand over a period of a few thousand years. It is what distinguishes us from other living organisms.

The class has been very interesting, leaving me with much food for thought and many captivating quotes. However, I feel that the downside of this lesson is that it is very one-sided. There is no arguments against forecasting and looking toward the future. It seems as though it has been taken for granted that everyone agrees that the future is paramount and nothing can surpass its importance. This may or may not be true, and can be a very debatable topic.

After so many lessons, it is finally time for the students to teach and present our future.

8/10

Why not?

This is the question that we should ask ourselves when we imagine something futuristic and far-fetched. Unless the subject in question defies scientific laws, it is likely to be possible in the future, albeit distant. This is the spirit of innovation, and it is one of the biggest driver of technology. It is intangible, unlike a mechanical device, and it is derived from the sea of imagination that is inherent in every single human being. There are many forms of innovation, basically, if you can think it, you can attempt to do it. If you do, you might change the world.

However, in our current plight, it seems that innovation is no longer optional, it has become mandatory. Our circumstances have put us in a rock and a hard place, where we have no choice but to innovate and come up with new ideas, simply because the world is changing. Although change can be positive, it is the negative ones that are motivating innovation. For example, the fact that fossil fuels are non-renewable have resulted in innovation that seeks to sap energy from sunlight or wind. It is no longer elective, as all life on earth could end if sufficient measures are not taken before the energy crisis hits us. Even in the business world, the most innovative individuals are the ones who make it big. An important message is that innovation is not only key to success and sustainability; it has become an essential ingredient.

Another interesting hypothesis is the claim that supply can create demand. Many economists would probably look at me in disdain but I believe it is possible, and history has proven so. For instance, the Internet came along and swept everyone off their feet. Before the internet, no one actually demanded such a large-scale thing. Yet, after it was introduced, billions of people around the world are now using it everyday. At the same time, it is no longer solely about feasibility and practicality anymore. Innovation and novelty are powerful selling points of a new product as well. It is possible that people can come up with a use for something anyway. In a simple context, if there are always SMU students, there will always be a demand for professors to educate them. Supply creates demand.

At the start of the lesson, the video about claytronics fascinated me. Here is a short excerpt.

It's ability seems boundless. Basically, man can form whatever they want from this technology. Girls can have a soft toy that changed form to any cartoon character by wish. Many things can serve as multipurpose tools. One tool is enough for a toolbox. A lot of space can be saved. I am for this technology. However, I feel that these minirobots should remain dead though, as it would be frightening to have something of such versatility rebel against the human race. Similarly to the grey goo, we could be eradicated. Nanotechnology can change the world, but we must tame it to ensure nothing get out of control.

Robots are a captivating concept. Even the human sized ones. Japan has come up with a female human-size robot that claims to be the perfect woman. It can understand man. For the unfaithful, you can cheat on it and it won't even know. I guess the Japanese asked 'Why not?' when asked if a robot can replace a lady as a companion, but it was quite perturbing for me. Upon seeing that video, it struck me that the scientists who came up with that must be really eccentric. My question was similar to theirs, 'Why not?', just that i refer to the claim that it can replace a real woman. It is not possible. Human thoughts, touch and emotions are things that cannot be replicated in a relationship with a robot. The man might as well be having a relationship with himself, and only making himself feel better with a physical object next to him. There could never be love. Love is about imperfections and living with someone else that you can cuddle, love, quarrel and argue with. It is not about finding the perfect person that lives a life dedicated to fulfilling a man's ego.

I feel that the lesson lacks something. It lacks a discussion of the techniques on the process of innovation. It would be very helpful to everyone to learn to process of innovating, and would certainly be a key asset and life skill in the future. Despite the inability to 'teach' innovation, at least the students can derive a bit of inspiration from a skill set and attune themselves to thinking in a way to bring out the best in themselves. That is something we can delve into.

This has been one of the most interesting classes, as the many videos depict the exciting future that we have ahead of us. It is also one of the most interesting lessons, probably because imagination is involved. TWC has been a lot of work, but it has brought insight into my life. It is unbelievable that it is going to end soon.

9/10

The ability to perform work

The importance of energy cannot be understated. Everything on the earth would be wiped out if energy ceased to exist. Despite the physical law that says 'Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted from one form to another', the world is slowly beginning to panic as the threat of non-renewable energy sources running out becomes more real with each passing day. Technology has become a valuable partner to man, allowing us to tap energy from the likes of water, wind, and sunlight. Renewable energy is possibly the only thing that will save mankind after the eventual total consumption of fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources.

Interestingly, Singapore has close to zero energy security. Our reliance on the supply of energy is largely external, and if the day comes when external sources of energy are disrupted or stopped, we are in big trouble. At the same time, we do not have enough land to sacrifice for energy production. However, Singapore has been on the alert, and are already considering nuclear power as an energy source. The government has also reassured residents of potential dangers by planning to locate the power plant on a separate island entity away from the body of Singapore. Personally, I feel that it is a good idea. As technology advances, we become more equipped to deal with the dangers of a nuclear plant. It will serve us well in the future. Windmills are not feasible in Singapore due to the many high-rise buildings on our landscape. However, we can look into tapping solar energy as Singapore does not have seasonal change, it is sunny all year long.

A claim against renewable energy was put up, however, in one of the presentations. The claim is that fossil fuels have to be burnt in order to create renewable energy. That is true, for now. However, I feel that it would only take some time for all that to change. By constantly improving our technology, there will come a day where we can use renewable energy to power the production of renewable energy. This is difficult now, due to the limited conversion capability of renewable energy producers. Nevertheless, I would have no qualms on sacrificing some fossil fuels in order to propel the technology of renewable energy so that we can reap the full benefits of that one day.

The use of fossil fuels isn't all bad either. In the past, forests were preserved when wood fuels were given up for fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are also produce the highest amount of energy when burnt, providing the most efficient method of energy production. Fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal are also easily portable, and greatly reduces the costs of energy transportation. It is crucial that we do not focus solely on the downside of using fossil fuels, but we must also understand why it is beneficial for us to use them. This provides us with a more all-rounded viewpoint and broadens our mind.

One of the most monumental constructions of man lies in Switzerland. It is the large hadron collider (LHC). It has the potential to unravel the many mysteries in the realm of physics. Many people doubt the LHC to live up to its promise, however, as the concepts that it plans to uncover and prove are rather far-fetched. But what does this have to do with energy? The connection comes in the form of the superconducting magnet technology that is being pioneered and understood in the LHC. It could be all we need to build nuclear fusion power stations, which could end the energy crisis altogether.

The LHC has been briefly mentioned in one of the videos, but its impact can be far greater than anyone could imagine. I would think that it should have been given more airtime in class, as there are many ideas that the class could discuss about. Similarly, we could have covered the demand-side solutions to the possible energy crisis as well. An example is the concept of negawatt power.

This session has been quite important as it touched on one of the most pressing issues in the 20th century. Despite all our constraints, it is hard to believe that man would be stymied at this point in time after breaking through so many barriers in the past. On the whole, I feel that it is a matter of time before some technology, existing or not, turns up to replace our reliance on fossil fuels. Great session.

8.5/10