Week 1--Lesson 1( miss out the enjoying session)

   It actually took me quite a while before i started typing this blog because i totally was lost on how to start off. After hearing comments from my friends on how fun and exciting the class was in the first lessons in Prof Shahi, it is definitely regrettable that i could not be present as i only managed to get it on Wednesday afternoon.

Brief Overview:

          Nonetheless, i have read through the lecture slides being uploaded in smuvista and watched the YouTube on "Gun,Germs and steel" showing the journey of Jared Diamond. All these actually give me an idea of wad technology and world change(TWC) is about. Although TWC is an university core module in SMU, i would still take this up as a module because this is a topic that will intrigue people to think on and want to find out more about it as it happens around us everyday and everywhere we go.

          Technology has indeed constituted to many development and growth in this millennium as we witness town burgeon into city take for example Fuzhou in China which has now been considered one of the top 10 fast growing cities. In my own perspectives, i have always pondered over this question that is Can human live without technology in today context? Undeniably, humans are able to adopt to the environment with the aid of technology but can they survive without it? Everything has been made so easy for us. Traveling to another countries was never easy in the past, but now with just a phone call away we can book a flight ticket to the desired destination. From the lecture slides, i have seen different aspect of technology being focused on which are:

1. Information and Communications Technology
2. Life Science and Biobusiness- related technologies
3. Energy and Industrial Production Technologies
4. Emerging Technologies (including nanotechnology, robotics, other exciting technology areas)

        Despite not being able to attend the first class, i am sure i will enjoy the subsequent classes where i wil be able to expose to different sources of information, open discussion on exciting topics and equipping myself with ample knowledge on this topic to make critical and efficient decision.

Interesting Observations and Points:

       I can only discuss my observation from the video on Guns, Germs and steels due to the absence in class. However, the video is definitely very enriching knowledge and points to contemplate about. Thoughts were running through my head after watching the video. The part where the new Guinean question Diamond on why are the whites have more cargoes than them kept me wondering. Looking at the advanced technology that we are having like touch screen phones, machines, vehicles and many more, the new Guineans are still using traditional ways to live like harvesting using the tools they made. Men across the world has developed differently to adapt to their surrounding and Prof Diamond has stated that is the land or rather the geography of the areas that has caused such differences between people living in New Guinea and The United States.

     Despite the harsh condition that is posed in the earliest days, people were able to build structures that were strong and comfortable for both storage of their resources and accommodation. This definitely impressed me because they have limited amount of resources being presented to them but they can fully utilise them to their benefits. From this, it really shows me how impressive mankind can be when they seek for survival. The ability to overcome all odds to achieve what they want. However, this kind of determination and fighting spirit have become rare as younger generations are born into a world where everything is provided for. Things are progressing very fast now as more and more new gadgets are appearing in our world. Take for example the electronic industries where it is now moving towards the 3D platform where High Definition(HD) TV has just been introduced to the market. The changes from dial up to wireless network all around the world now


Key takeaway messages:

       I feel that no matter how far we have progressed throughout the centuries, we must not forget the human instinct of ability to adapt any environment that we faced. Bring that instinct out to make the world around us even better to live in, everyone is born in different areas of the world. However, we must not let those obstacle to stop us from living our lives to the fullest and to enjoy the things we do. Despite being born in an era where almost everything has been developed, it is not an excuse to sit back and enjoy a free ride on. There are definitely grounds waiting for us to make a breakthrough thus it is important that the instinct to continue to strive for the best is brought out to lead us forward.



I will absolutely look forward to my next lesson and learning more on how the world actually changes with the technology..