Session 6: Have you taken your medications today?

We are into week 6 of our very first semester in SMU and hell week is coming up next week! Kudos to everyone of us who have survived thus far..

BioBusiness Revolution: Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences
For this week's lesson, we dealt with the revolution of biobusiness in terms of healthcare and biomedical sciences.

Lesson was kicked start with a really interesting video, giving us an insight of Microsoft's prediction of the future of healthcare and the kinds of technology involved. From the video, we can see that many of the equipment used by patients, nurses and doctors alike are all pretty much using touch-screen technology. What was exciting was how information from one device could be so easily transmitted to another device. For example, it was interesting how a medicine bottle could serve as a reminder to patients to take their medications through an interactive table top, and it was cool to see how directional arrows could be projected onto the floorboard to guide you to your destination. Whatever that Microsoft has envisioned is a really useful concept because there is definitely potential for healthcare to improve and advance in such a way, which will really benefit not only patients, but also doctors. Subsequently, Prof Shahi asked the class if we think that whatever we saw in the video was achievable by the year 2020? Personally, I felt that with the current technology that we have at the moment, and the speed and direction in which our technologies are continuing to evolve, the types of technology we have witnessed in the video is definitely possible. However, what I question is humanity's response, should such a change take place. As we have established from earlier lessons, it is common for us humans to resist change, and instead fall back on what we are familiar with. This is true even if current circumstances are unfavourable because we are all super cautious of the risks involved. Therefore, I feel that 9 years is insufficient to totally change the healthcare system to mimic that in the video. However I do believe that such systems can be applied in small proportions at places where people tend to be more open-minded and receptive. If that works, there will be a domino effect as others see the advantages and it will then spur the movement on.

That said, there was a quote that was shared in class.

There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

- Albert Einstein

I really like this quote because it shows us the bipolar attitudes of people in this world. It is true that our successes very much boils down to our attitude towards life. More often than not, those who succeed are the ones who are more open-minded and is receptive to opportunities and possibilities. For those who live as though nothing is a miracle, they tend to view life pessimistically and will not have the confidence to try and accept something new. 

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose

shade they know they shall never sit in.

- Greek Proverb

In addition to have an optimistic view of life, successful people also must not be selfish. Most of the time, we are unwilling to play our part because we think that we will not stand to gain from it. Yet, by harbouring such a thought, we are unknowingly being ungrateful to our predecessors, because without them, we will definitely not be where we are today. We can owe many of the world's development to self-sacrificing people who were willing to put in their efforts to create a better world for future generations. Similarly, this can be applied as the world strives to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Take for example the goal on healthcare, to improve sanitation in less developed countries. Most of the time, people in developed countries do not even think of the proper sanitation that we receive as a privilege. We take these things for granted. I really wonder how many of us are actually aware of fortunate we are, to be 'geographically' born into a more well-to-do environment. Therefore, it is necessary that we are selfless in extending our resources to people who are struggling to live life. Having proper sanitation is a really important factor because it can prevent people from contracting non-chronic diseases, which is still a major cause of death for people in less developed countries today. It is sad to learn of their plight because this one factor, of having proper sanitation, or even just clean drinking water, can transform so many lives. 

On the other hand, it was fascinating to see how far biobusinesses have come, and the impacts it has had on mankind. An example raised by Prof that caught my attention was the use of growth hormones. He told us about how Lionel Messi had previously undergone growth hormone procedures to help him grow. It is compelling because we all know that Messi is a world class footballer and it left me wondering if he would be where he is now, had it not been for the advancements in biobusiness and the discovery of such growth hormone procedures. In this case, the revolution of biobusiness has definitely helped to change someone's life.

With reference to the two videos from 'reading' 7, two students talk about the emergence and innovations in disease management. While the videos are somewhat similar to the one shown at the start of the lesson, I found the technologies used in this video to be much more practical and feasible. It is important that we focus on disease management nowadays, because seriously, won't be rather be safe than sorry? It is common for people to think that it is unnecessary money spent at the doctor's when there is no major problems with their bodies. With that, we need to make people realise that prevention is better than cure, and it never pleasant to have to end up at A&E at the nearby hospital because of a health issue that could have been prevented. Therefore, there has been an increasing emphasis being placed of disease management. This clip stresses how that in America, there is a crisis because there is far too little doctors to meet the demands of the patients as there in insufficient manpower and this results in displeasure among patients. With the world experiencing an aging population, it is vital that something is done. In this case, management technology is implemented to solve the problem. I like what I see from the clip, because I find the system very promising. Doctors are able to interact with patients on a regular basis, through electronic devices, and there are special equipments which help patients to monitor their own health condition, and at the same time, keep their doctors updated about their well-beings. In this way, patients receive adequate support from their nurses and doctors. I find this really important because most of the time, patients suffering from diseases are left to feel as though they are suffering by themselves. With the new system in place, they will feel less lonely and less neglected as there is regular interaction.

Lesson Rating: 8/10

I like how we are now placing more focus on specific topics and how we can thus hold more in depth discussions about the issues involved.

Session 5: We are limited only by our imagination

ICT & World Change
Information and communications technology (ICT), I believe, has been the major driving force in the world's transformation into an IT-savvy community. Areas discussed during the session covered mass media, the Internet, wireless and interactive telecommunications.

Being not very good with IT technical terms myself, I learnt during this class, the meaning of Web 1.0, 2.0 etc. 'Normal' people, like myself, would actually understand the numbers to represent the version of the web itself. I guess it isn't entirely wrong, but what I realised is that the numbers actually represent the degree of interaction in the web. Which means that the web has transformed from a vertical to a horizontal dissemination of information. Here is a narrative piece that explains the evolution of the web: Web 3.0, the present and the future of web . In the past, the Internet served as a platform for us to get information. We get what we see. Chances are, that the website will remain exactly the same irregardless of when you access the site. Unless, of course, the editor makes changes to the site. However as the world changed, and there is an increasing need to social interaction, web 1.0 evolved into web 2.0. Information is no longer disseminated from a source 'at the top'. Instead, Internet users like you and me are able to contribute to that wealth of information to generate EVEN MORE information, and that is how knowledge is shared. This is also how knowledge in the world is increasing exponentially as we can all gain easy access to the limitless knowledge there is for us out in the web. All these gave rise to social networking like blogging, social networking sites, and even YouTube, where people can post and upload almost anything they want.

Something else I found interesting that Prof mentioned was how gaming technologies had so much practical use. I had no idea! Some of the technology have been incorporated into medical equipments, military use, and even training purposes. For example in training, mock scenarios can be created using simulation gaming technology to train a person up for a particular situation. I found this really interesting because all these technologies are so common around us that we usually will not see the link between them.

Some of the dangers and risks of ICTs were raised, including espionage and invasion of privacy etc. While these are valid concerns, I feel that these concerns shouldn't prevent ICTs from further advancements. Instead, what can be done is to come up with precautionary measures to guard and protect against these dangers. While not everyone will agree to my view, I feel that the benefits of advancements in ICTs will far outweigh the concerns that will arise from it.

I personally liked reading 2 because it talks about how ICTs could really change the world. As people in more developed countries have the privilege to lay their hands on such advancements, we should keep in mind that they are other people in poorer countries who are not as fortunate. Therefore, the goal is to improve the conditions of every individual. I especially liked this quote by Kofi Annan, because it holds true.

"We must begin with the young Afghan girl, recognising that saving one life is to save humanity itself."

Indeed, we all ought to realise that no amount of effort is considered small. We should know that an accumulation of small efforts will amount to great and big things. Prof introduced us to a website (www.kiva.com) which is a platform for people to make donations and help the needy. How does it work? It basically encourages you to donate $25 to a donee of your choice. How the money will be used to help a person is clearly stated in the website. The good thing is that this money actually gets to the people who needs it and the amount you donated will be returned to you once your donee has 'saved' themselves. Thereafter, you are able to continue using that sum of money to help another donee of your choice. Pretty neat, huh?

At the beginning of the lesson, Prof showed us a video of Project Natal, bringing us into Milo's world. This video and concept involved shows us exactly what is possible in today's world, and we may not even realise it's possible. While this is some cool stuff, it definitely was thought provoking. Will such a technology redefine social interactions, diminish the value and importance of real relationships, and is this is any way similar to cloning? There was a question regarding the video, about whether Milo has any authentic human traits in him, or is he purely machine? And if we are in fact able to customise our characters to adopt our looks and personality etc, won't that be somewhat like cloning already? But in today's world and with such rapid advancements in technology, the possibilities of the world is limited only by our imagination.

Lesson Rating: 9/10

Really engaging lesson about a really relevant topic which almost everybody can relate well to. Some useful discussions going on as well. Can't wait for more!

Individual Topical Review Paper Outline

Chosen Innovation: iPod

Rationale for choice:

Music has become an integral part of our lives and I believe the iPod is a game changer in the music industry. It has not only brought about convenience to us with its portability, but it has also impacted us greatly socially and economically. 

Report Outline:

1.     Executive Summary

2.     Background/Introduction

§  Invention of the iPod (Tony Fadell)

§  How the iPod is a game changer in the music industry

3.     Historical Perspective

§  Other ways of listening to music (eg, radio, Walkman etc)

§  Why the iPod came about

§  How the iPod changed the world (social, economic impacts etc)

4.     Current Situation

§  Uses of the iPod

§  Advantages of the iPod

§  Limitations of the iPod

§  How the iPod has evolved

5.     Future Considerations

§  Increasing portability

§  Further changes in the entertainment industry due to the evolution of the iPod

6.     Conclusion

Session 4: The only constant is change

This week's lesson started off with a video entitled Who Moved My Cheese? I actually have the book sitting in my bookshelf at home and I've read it once, so the video was a good recap. The story basically talks about how two different groups of characters adapt to the changes around them. Really enriching and meaningful piece of short story, in my opinion. While watching the video/reading the book, it is very easy to write off the humans as stubborn and inflexible for not spontaneously acting on the change that has dawned upon them, like the mice have. But if we think about it, haven't we, in one way or another, resisted change ourselves? More often than not, we are reluctant to let go of what we are familiar with, so instead of changing ourselves to suit the situation, we are hoping that the situation will change for us. Unfortunately, we are almost always wrong. 


Just some personal experience about being adaptable to change:
As a synchronised swimmer, we deal with changes during almost every training session. The most common change we experience is change in choreography of our routines and it is really important that we, as swimmers, adapt quickly to the coach's instructions. While some may be resistant to the change proposed by the coach, it is evident that more progress is made when we adapt quickly to the change, instead of grumbling about how it disrupts our familiarity of the routine. More importantly, a change could even happen just before a competition. Say a swimmer gets injured and is unable to compete, the reserve has to come in and everyone has to adapt quickly to the new circumstance. Often, it is dependent on the adaptability of the team that determines its success.


Drivers Of World Change & Change Management and Change Leadership
The first part of the lesson was about all the different drivers that brought about world change.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change."

- Charles Robert Darwin

We all know that the world is ever-changing, and nothing will ever stay the same. It is therefore very important that we are versatile enough to adapt to the many different types of changes that will be thrown at us. It will only increase our chances of survival, and keep us afloat with changing times. Prof Shahi talked about how the Russians and Americans were head to head at being the first to land a man on the moon and concluded that it is the competition between two ideologies that spurs the world to develop. I completely agree with this because I highly doubt humans would change something familiar in their lives unless there is a pressure to. A quote by George Bernard Shaw tells us that we have to dare to challenge the status quo. As cliche as it may sound, it is true that we all need to step out of our comfort zones. At this point, I would like to share the video that Prof showed us in class:

The man may seem stupid at first. But once everyone starts joining in, he doesn't look so stupid anymore. I really enjoyed this video because it is a real representation of what society is. A 'crazy' guy comes up with a crazy idea which everyone finds stupid and unnecessary, but once someone starts believing in the idea and everyone else starts following suit, it becomes a revolution. As can be seen from the video, the most important person in the whole process was not the lone nut dancing, but the first person that followed him. I'm sure it took that guy a whole lot of courage to step out of his comfort zone and look stupid together with the dancing man. As he stepped up, he wasn't sure what was coming up next. Two things could happen. One, no one will bother joining in and he will make a fool out of himself for following the dancing man and doing something stupid. Two, he would be the catalyst to gather more followers for the dancing man and it will eventually become a movement. Fortunately for him, the latter occurred. What I found commendable was how he dared to challenge the status quo and was willing to take the risk to wade into uncharted waters.

Similarly, it is these people in the world that makes the difference to an innovation. People can come up with brilliant innovations, but if no one believes in it and is unwilling to test it, even a breakthrough innovation could end up in a flop. 

Lesson Rating: 7/10

Session 3 - "The trick is doing something else"

So this week's TWC lesson was about Technology & Industrial Development: Moving Towards Sustainability and Technology & Innovation Management.

Class commenced with the remaining two presentations from last week, about Technology and Human Development. In one of the presentations about high tech and human development, the issue of the different usage of technology over time was discussed. It talked about how technology was used to help mankind in the past, but now, we use technology to build up our military so as to defend ourselves from threats from others. One issue I found interesting was: why is it common nowadays to find people taking self-interest as priority and in the process 'screw' others, instead of realizing that we are all in this together. Its like a win-lose vs a win-win situation. Why is it so difficult for mankind to live in peace and harmony? Bringing this issue down to the personal level, I guess at some point in our lives, we would have been let down by others. We then use our acquired knowledge to better prepare ourselves for similar situations in future and will inevitably raise our guards on the world. Moreover, the people around us may instill the fear in us that the world out there is one cruel place, thus causing us to be more protective of ourselves. Similarly in the world, countries have learnt from past war and sufferings and have thus used advancing technology to better prepare themselves 'just-in-case'. It is indeed difficult to break away from such a mindset.

Technology & Industrial Development: Moving Towards Sustainability

Moving on to sustainable development, I have learnt that it is a matter of parties deciding between pursuing economic and environmental well-being, or deciding to pursue both. The latter, is sustainable development. To briefly define what sustainability is, it is the pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations to come (Wikipedia). More often than not, we are aware that much action needs to be done to help improve the environment. We are also aware of the many changes and adjustments that needs to be made. However, many of us are resistant to these changes. We find it a hassle to change what we are used to and some may even feel that what them as an individual can do, is insignificant in the world. But when it comes to saving Mother Earth, every little bit of action counts. "Unless we are pushed and shoved, we will not change." This is the mindset that limits us in coming up with solutions to solve world problems. We do not sense the urgency.

For this lesson, I presented to the class about Masdar City, an upcoming sustainable city in Abu Dhabi. I was really intrigued by the article I have chosen because every sentence in the article was learning something new. To quickly sum up what I talked about, Masdar City aims to be the world's first zero-car, zero-carbon-dioxide-emissions and zero-waste city. Some of the technologies that were going to be used to help Masdar achieve these standards were also discussed. Zero, zero, zero. Is this really possible? Will it become a reality, or is it just a fantasy? I guess we all have to wait and see. Nonetheless, I do think that this is really a commendable effort by the Abu Dhabi government in its efforts to help to conserve the environment. Moreover, some of these technologies can also be copied elsewhere in the world. I do hope that some of the successes from Masdar City will be picked up by other countries and that it will cause a chain effect in motivating countries to make their cities more and more sustainable.

Technology & Innovation Management

In today's world, stiff competition in the global economy means that no company can rest on their laurels. Continuous innovation is needed for the company to continue rising, or else they risk becoming a falling star. Take Apple for example, innovation for the continuous improvement of their products is very intensive. At this point in time, they already have the launch of products for the next five years or so carefully planned out. This shows how up-to-date they are and how passionate the company is to want to improve itself, and continue to be a dominant player in the market. 


The class was introduced to The Shahi Landscape Model for Technology Assessment which explains valley, summit and cloud opportunities. While listening to Prof's explanation, I couldn't help but compare it to my sport, synchronized swimming. We are currently at the stage of summit opportunities, where our short term goal is to get a medal at the upcoming Sea Games in November. Huge amounts of time and some money is being pumped into achieving this goal because it is a target that the organization has set. They want medals. In the meantime, as a synchro community, we are actually working on cloud opportunities, which is to one day send a swimmer or two to the Olympics. It seems far-fetched at the moment, and it is, and no one is expecting us to be there, but every single step of the way makes a difference. The recent qualification for the World Championship finals has helped us to build some support back home but unless we continuing delivering, we will be forgotten quite quickly, and there will no longer be a 'market' for our sport.


Also during the lesson, I have realised that it does not take a genius to be a genius. Prof pointed out that some of the most creative innovations have come from people who are experts in one field, who is looking at problems from another field. It is one thing to be creative, and it is a whole other thing putting these creative ideas into action. In one of the presentation in this topic about 3M's revival, we realise that the small things count. A company like 3M have solved thousands of our problems with products which may seem to have little impact. In fact, it is only true that these innovations seem small because we are so used to them. Who would bother thinking about who invented scotch tape and postits? These are some of the everyday items we use that have came from 3M. Yet when it comes to innovation, we often rank Apple higher than 3M because Apple introduces their goods to the market with pomp and circumstance. Whereas for 3M, they are the ones silently solving our problems with their little innovations everyday. If you asked me, I'd say that both companies are equally successful. 


Lesson Rating: 9/10
Class was exceptionally exciting this week partly because I was faced with my first ever presentation in SMU, which went pretty well :)  I also found myself actively thinking and thoroughly engaged in the discussions.