Session 3 of TWC!

Finally its week 3! Time passes so fast when you are in school. I am already having difficulty having a work life balance. My friends are complaining that I am not meeting them enough and my parents are complaining as well... I just hope that they will be a bit more understanding as this is only the start of the arduous 15 weeks !

Today we talked about technology and industrial development, with a focus on moving towards sustainability as well as the Wrong headed linear model in the approach of industrialization. Had quite a few interesting presentations about nuclear power and such. In fact there were 2 presentations on nuclear power. In part 2, we talked about Technology and innovation management, a process where an opportunity can be either a cloud, peak or valley.

Industrialization is key to the substantial wealth of many countries. I feel that industrialization is a by-product of a stable government, strategic location, heavy foreign investments and organized societies. With the right formula a very fast paced industrialization took place. For example, the Countries of the Asian Tigers moved from the manufacturing of value added goods in the 1950s and 60s into the more advanced steel, shipbuilding and automobile industry in the 1970s and 80s, focusing on the high-tech and service industry in the 1990s and 2000s. However it was only after the colonization that many countries take up industrialization. On the surface level, it may seem that these countries are on the losing end as they started out late. This is usually the case in society, for example if you start out late in a business venture the market will be too saturated, resulting in lesser opportunities and profits. This however is not the case for countries that started off late for industrialization They were able to latch on to the general model of industrialization and they do not need to invest as much in RND as their predecessors have already done so. It seems like the slower you enter the market the faster your growth cure will be. From that point onwards, there was no turning back.

The liner model was the model of business, which generated much wealth for the past centuries in countries throughout the world during the industrialization period is just like a double edge sword. It has spawned its own problems such as the widespread environmental degradation we are facing today as well as increasing the level of inequity in third world countries. Hence in today's context, we are inclined towards the cyclical model of development which will cater to not only today's needs but the future's needs as well.

Talking about sustainable technologies, Prof stated that currently there are developments, which are underway for solar panels to be situated at some of the biggest yet unused places on earth - desserts.
I have to agree to this. Desserts receive sunlight more than twice the amount received elsewhere on earth. This abundance of solar energy makes solar power plants an attractive alternative to traditional power plant. The possibilities are unlimited.
In the same way, Shimizu, a construction company from Japan is currently planning to build a strip of solar cell on the surface of the moon. The strip of solar cell measuring up to 11,000-kilometer, will cover the entire equator of the moon. As ambitious and far-fetched as it seems, the plans are currently on the drawing board. The cost to undertake such a gargantuan project may prove to be daunting to some but the benefits that can be reaped out of the project is too tempting to be resisted. To name a few, there is no atmosphere on the Moon and hence there will be no bad weather or clouds to obscure the sunlight. As such, the solar panels will be able to provide the earth with 24/7 of continuous clean energy. This will potentially end our reliance on non-renewable resources.

Should the development of controversial energy sources such as nuclear power be allowed? To be very objective, nuclear power is definitely a fresh young can do face of the future due to its numerous benefits. The only reason why society at large is referring to it as a tired old ticking time bomb of the past is because of the insecurities they have about people abusing nuclear power as well as its inherent hazards. So if society is able to look beyond the negative experiences of the past and embrace the benefits and efficiency of nuclear power, human race might just be looking at the answer to earth’s depleting resources. Indeed technology is easy while people are hard.

All in all i rate today's session as 8/10 as we had a lot of discussions which were very up to date and relevant to today's society