TECHNOLOGY & WORLD CHANGE

Over this past 13 weeks i have learnt more about the world than i did during my 2 years in army. Certainly, many of the guys who have attended this particular Monday afternoon class would share the same view. For this last blog post i would not dwell into the specific details of what i have learnt during this course, but the general values and takeaways i have had.

TWC has been a great experience for me, opening up my eyes, changing my mindset and imparting interesting concepts into me. At the start of the semester i did not know what to expect from this module, or any other module, i wondered how this module could help me in anyway and why was it a university core. In the first few lessons i was still unsure whether this module would be of great relevance to me, but after the third lesson i realised what this module meant. This module like any other module i have taken this semester serves to develop our thinking, our mindset and allows us to explore concepts which are new to us. The focus was not on the nitty gritty details like back in junior college, secondary or primary education, it was on the big picture. Moreover, the modules overlapped with one another many a times, allowing us students to apply things we learnt from one module to another. Hence, TWC has thought me technology itself, the application of knowledge.

TWC has changed my mindset from a relatively narrow one to an open one. The process started right from the first lesson. Prof asked each and everyone of us to define technology in our own words, there were many variations, but none of us had the same definition as him. His definition was "the application of knowledge." Initially, i thought that it was so broad, how can technology consist of many things? Then i realised the question i should be wondering about was not how can the definition be so broad, but why can't the definition be that broad. I thought to myself why are we, generation Y, so inclined to the definition of technology being narrowed to advances in electronics, biology and so on. The answer was technology itself. Modern day technology, mainly the media, has blinded us into thinking technology only consist of the recent advancements, but what about the advancements a hundred years ago or even a million,were those not technologies? The very technology that impressionable children possess right now confines their mind to limited perspectives. However, this very technology can also broaden one's mindset, it all depends on how you look at things. Ultimately, it is not about how much you know that matters the most, but how you perceive things that matters most. A mindset, a belief that one holds makes a difference to how one lives his life. I am glad that TWC has helped broaden my mindset, to not just always accept facts that are presented but to question them and be open to other possibilities. (Also the reading about the founding of America led by Columbus was mind-blowing, The Colonial Holocaust)

All in all, TWC has taught me how to apply knowledge to all aspects and to stay open minded. Like what Prof says have a "Rising Star Mindset" and "Be Hungry"! I am glad that i have been put into this particular TWC class on a Monday afternoon. Although the workload was heavier, i have learnt and experienced more than what i expected. Well no pain no gain! TWC is definitely a course that has made a deep impression on me.Thank you Prof, Victor and all for the enriching experience. See you all at the finals!

Week 13. Session 12. The last lesson of Technology and World Change.

This session marks the end of a 13 week journey for TWC. Although there is still the final exam ahead, but it somehow feels like TWC is officially over. In this session, my group had the pleasure of presenting our project, Sex and advertisements. Today’s session was an interesting one covering several aspects of technology we have yet to explore in this class. With that said I decided to try another format for my journal entry, I shall go topic by topic this time round.

Prosthetic limbs

Prosthetic limbs started out with the use of wood and iron materials. Today, prosthetic limbs are made up of plastic and other durable materials. Prosthetic limbs are becoming more flexible, joints have been developed to rotate 360 degrees. For prosthetic legs, walking from a stationary position is made easier with stored energy. In physical aspect, prosthetics serve to enhance humans. For example it can help reduce the efforts used or exerted during physical activities. Moreover it allows the disabled to engage in activities that they previously could not. Prosthetics is highly beneficial for the disabled and the elderly. Currently, mind control prosthetics and prosthetics that can give people a sense of touch are being developed. A number of the developments are spear headed by DARPA, an agency under the United States Defence. This is due to the major cause for the need of prosthetic limbs, which is the loss of limbs in warfare.  The technology of prosthetics holds a lot of potential, it could even give superhuman strength to those who possess it but should people be allowed to yield that much power? Could the negative implications of prosthetics outweigh the positive ones? Prosthetic limbs have no fingerprints, people could use them in crimes making it even harder to identify the culprit. People can hack into your mind control prosthetics and control your limbs. With prosthetic limbs yielding so many benefits would people in the future rather possess artificial limbs than have their original human ones?

Trans Humanism

The topic chosen by this group is very similar to previous presentation, it just covers a wider scope of prosthetics other than limbs. The first amputation was noted to be 10000 B.C.  I find it amazing that scholars were able to track back that far to mark out the first amputation. Ocular prosthetics (eye prosthetics), first started out with the usage of wood, then glass and now plastics. Other prosthetics like teeth have also developed through the years. The team then went on to talk about current prosthetics. The Ekso suit helps disabled walk and move about. The Deka Arm has the same purpose of aiding the disabled. The Deka arm is also known as Luke arm as it is inspired by the character Luke in Starwars. Next the team explored a prosthetic limb designed for athletes, the flex-foot cheetah which is modelled after the cheetah. Prosthetic limbs provide various benefits such as economical means for the disabled to support themselves, and the increase in societal contributions. Prosthetic limbs could also lead to improved efficiency in industries. This group then linked prosthetics to tans humanism, mentioning that this particular technology could branch out to other forms with the aim of lengthening human lifespan and enhancing human life. The group speculated that as technology in this field advances, it could lead to the development of transhuman. People could be adapted to live in space or adapted to other situations. If this occurs would humans be considered to be of the same species as before? As compared to the previous group this group focused more on ethical and socio-economic implications of prosthetics. They foresee that in the future developed countries with these technologies can progress further ahead economically and socially but other countries (currently developing or undeveloped countries) will once again suffer. If humans are successful in lengthening our lifespan the problem of ageing population and population increase would definitely arise. All these issues have to be addressed in order to prevent the negative implications from getting the best out of humans.

Food for the Future

This presentations talks about providing sustainable food source for future generations. Today, 870million people do not have enough food to keep them healthy. One of the solutions might just be In-vitro meat – meat grown in labs. Currently, this technology is very expensive but in the future the prices might drop. Nutrition and additional minerals can be inserted to the meat and ‘bad’ fats can be taken out or replaced. Other solutions include increasing the food supply to decrease the prices of food and an app to post or advertise leftovers so people can come and eat them instead of wasting them. I frankly think it would not be a successful app as who wants to eat someone else’s leftover, especially a stranger’s? However I feel that the main problem is not the wastage of food, it is the uneven distribution of food leading to wastage and hunger in different parts of the world. More focus should be given to the distribution of food rather than food wastage and technologies that can increase food supply.

This session was an interesting one with many predictions and speculations about the future. I would give it a 9/10.

Individual Topical Paper (without pictures)

The Development and Future of Contact Lenses

Reviewed by Sylvester Yeo and Eric Sim

Yap Shien Tah, 1^st Year student, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University

Executive Summary

The development and proliferation of contact lenses has become increasingly evident in the world today. Its capabilities has far exceeded what it once possessed.

This paper will examine the history of contact lenses since the birth of its idea in the 1500s, specifically why and how it was created. The paper then examines the current state of contact lenses, the developments that have been made as well as the effectiveness in achieving the purpose it was made for. In the process, this paper will analyse the pervasive usage of contact lenses and the divergence from its traditional purpose leading it to where it stands today. Finally, this paper would seek to uncover the prospect of contact lenses. The future considerations of where contact lenses is headed and how it would impact the world would be explored. These considerations relate to the following aspects: the functions of future contact lenses, socioeconomic effects, economic effects and environmental effects.

1          Introduction

Since a million years ago, mankind has begun developing technologies in all aspects possible. The creation of fire, tools, weapons and machines were mostly geared towards aiding humankind in what they did or do. Some innovators did venture into the applications of knowledge on the human body.  These were mainly medical aspects which served to overcome diseases or sickness suffered by humans. Many of these technologies served in prolonging the human lifespan, but there were a handful which aimed at enhancing the human condition by correcting defects which developed overtime. One such case was defects in human vision.

Ametropia or better known as refractive error or in layman terms, image formation defects is a common eye disorder suffered by humans. Refractive error takes place when the eye is unable to focus clearly on the images from the outside world. This would result in blurred vision, which could lead to visual impairment (WHO, 2013). The four most common refractive errors are myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia (WHO, 2013). “Myopia (nearsightedness) is the difficulty in seeing distant objects clearly. Hyperopia (farsightedness) is the difficulty in seeing close objects clearly. Astigmatism is the distorted vision resulting from an irregularly curved cornea, which is the clear covering of the eyeball. Lastly, presbyopia leads to difficulty in reading or seeing at arm's length, it is linked to ageing and occurs almost universally” (WHO, 2013). Although refractive errors can be diagnosed and cured through means such as refractive surgery, corrective glasses or contact lenses, but they cannot be prevented. (WHO, 2013). WHO (2013) reports that an estimated 153 million people worldwide still live with visual impairment caused by uncorrected refractive errors. This figure excludes those suffering from uncorrected presbyopia, which is expected to be of a considerable amount as shown by earlier evidence (WHO, 2013). A global estimate of 2.3 billion people suffer from poor vision due to refractive error (Thulasiraj, et al., 2003).

Eyeglasses and contact lenses are used mainly to correct refractive errors. They have been used to correct the human vision for a long time. Eyeglasses have been invented since 1285AD (Letocha and Dreyfus, 2002). However, it was not until 1508AD that the idea of contact lens was conceived (Efron, 2010). Although the idea of the contact lens was believed to be conceived in 1508, it was 380 years later before the first pair of contact lens was actually fabricated and worn by people.

A contact lens is a thin lightweight apparatus that is placed precisely onto the cornea of the eye. It is used in for corrective, cosmetic or therapeutic purposes. Wearing contact lenses have various advantages, such as appearance and practicality. Contact lenses provide a wider field of vision, are more appropriate for numerous sporting activities and do not steam up as compared to spectacles (Bedinghaus, 2009). There are generally two types of contact lens, soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens (FDA, 2013). These two categories will be further explored in the historical section. Basically, they differ according to their materials and purposes. As suggested by their names, the soft lens has a softer texture while the RGP contact lens has a harder, more rigid texture.

This paper delves into the evolution of contact lenses over time. It examines the historical rise of contact lens and how contact lens has developed since it was invented. The current state of contact lens will then be covered, focusing on its various purposes at present. At this point, the general inadequacies and common drawbacks of contact lenses are examined. Subsequently, potential developments of contact lenses are explored with the analysis on recent advancements in this technology. Lastly, this paper forecasts and assesses the future impacts that the potential developments of contact lenses would have on society.

However, this paper has its limitations such as the lack of use of statistical data to illustrate the trends in the development of contact lenses. This can be attributed to the dearth of resources and information made available to the author. Furthermore, this paper could have explored in greater depth the future issues that might arise and specific steps that could be taken to solve these issues. Then again, to carry out an exhaustive evaluation on future issues and come up with effective solutions would require not only additional resources but also specialised knowledge in the forecasting of technology and strategic planning. Nonetheless, with limited resources the author has provided this paper with insights, analysis and evaluation to the best of his abilities.

2          Historical Perspective

Many contact lens historians credited Leonardo da Vinci with illustrating and sketching the first ideas for contact lenses in 1508 (Efron, 2010). They believed that his book Codex of the Eye, Manual D, written in 1508, introduced the optical principle underlying the contact lens (Efron, 2010). The underlying principle was the alteration of corneal power. Indeed, Da Vinci did describe a technique of directly neutralising corneal power, by submerging the head in a bowl of water (figure 1). Yet, Da Vinci did not mention of any mechanism or device for rectifying vision, instead the mechanisms of accommodation of the eye intrigued him (Heitz and Enoch, 1987, as cited in Efron, 2010).

Years after, a number of others illustrated theories in relation to the underlying principle of directly altering corneal power. In 1636, Rene Descartes described a glass fluid-filled tube which was to be placed in direct contact with the cornea. Though it was aimed at altering corneal power, the theory was impractical as it made blinking impossible (Efron, 2010). Then in 1801, Thomas Young ran a series of experiments, constructing a device similar to the one described by Descartes. He constructed a device that was essentially a fluid-filled eyecup that fitted snugly into the orbital rim (Young, 1801). The device was somewhat more practical in that it could be held in place with a headband and blinking was possible, but the device was created with regards to the mechanisms of accommodation and not for the correction of refractive errors (Efron, 2010). Later in 1845, Sir John Herschel suggested two possible methods of correcting critical cases of irregular cornea in the 1845 edition of Encyclopedia Metropolitana. The first method was the application of a spherical capsule of glass, filled with animal jelly, to the cornea, while the second method consisted of impressing a mould of the cornea on some transparent medium (Herschel, 1845, as cited in Efron, 2010). Although Herschel did not conduct such experiments, his theories were adopted some 40 years later by inventors unbeknown to each other and who were all apparently unaware of Herschel’s writings (Efron, 2010).

During the late 1880s, there was extensive research on contact lens which led to the debate as to who first successfully fitted the contact lens. It was believed that Adolf Eugene Fick, a German ophthalmologist working in Zurich, was the first to illustrate the process of frabricating and fitting of the contact lens. In 1888, he illustrated the fitting of a focal scleral contacts shells first on rabbits, afterward on himself and lastly on a small group of volunteer patients (Efron and Pearson, 1988). On the other hand, in 1889, August Muller who was a student at Kiel University in Germany, was credited for the fitting of the first powered contact lens. He managed to correct his own severe myopia with a powered scleral contact lens (Efron, 2010).

From 1936 to 1974, further developments were made on contact lenses. These developments involved the introduction of new materials of transparent plastic (polymethyl methacrylate: PMMA), and silicone elastomer. Then after lenses were separated into rigid or hard lens and soft lens. At that point of time, PMMA was used to make rigid lens, while silicone elastomer was used for soft lens. Changes in materials were due to limitations of each material, such as impermeability to gases in PMMA and the hydrophobic surface of silicone elastomer. These limitations have to be treated to allow effective and comfortable wear. Eventually, they were solved with the introduction of new materials. Advancement in technologies allowed incorporation of materials and for lenses to be made from new materials. This allowed the previously impermeable to gas nature of PMMA to transform into a permeable to gas nature. Substances such as silicone, styrene and fluorine were incorporated into the rigid material of PMMA for the transformation to occur (Efron, 2010). For the soft lens, hydrophilic gels, specifically hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was introduced as a new substance used to manufacture lens (Efron, 2010). Its enhanced biocompatibility and comfort, as compared to silicone elastomer, made it a success. During this period,scleral lenses, which rest on parts of the sclera, were also modified into relatively smaller corneal lenses, which covers only the cornea (Efron, 2010).

Nevertheless after the developments made in soft lens, patients still suffered from severe eye reactions after prolong usage of the same pair of lenses. Lens deterioration over time was a major impediment to successful long term lens wear. Moreover, the high unit cost of lenses made regular lens replacements unfeasible. Subsequently, a group of Danish clinicians and engineers, led by ophthalmologist Michael Bay, developed a moulding process so that low-cost, multiple individual lens packs could be produced (Mertz, 1997, as cited in Efron, 2010). This product was known as Danalens. In 1988, Danalens’s packaging system and moulding technology was further refined and the result was the Acuvue lens. Acuvue lens is an inexpensive replacement extended-wear lens. Still, the concept of contact lenses suffered from hypoxic lens-related problems, which severely limited the clinical utility of contact lenses, especially for extended wear (Efron, 2010).

A decade later, silicone hydrogel lenses were introduced into the market. This was a significant advancement in contact lens material technology, solving the long frustrating problems related to hypoxic lens. Within a decade, all major contact lens manufacturers have adopted the silicone hydrogel material and introduced silicone hydrogel lenses (Efron, 2010).

It can be seen that the developments of contact lens in the past were focused on getting the right material for the manufacture of contact lenses. The materials had to allow high oxygen permeability and be biocompatible with our eyes, providing us comfort and safety. In addition, the main purpose of contact lens was to correct the vision of our eyes by altering corneal power. These developments served as a basic foundation for further advancements in contact lenses which would introduce new purposes for the usage of contact lenses.

3          Current Situation

In the year 2012, the number of people wearing contact lenses worldwide was an estimated 125million. Contact lens wearers had an average age of 31 years old and 67% of wearers were female (NEI, 2012). Interestingly enough the current purposes of contact lens are reflected in these statistics. In the present world today, contact lenses are used for various purposes, not just for the correcting of vision through altering corneal power anymore. This section will explore the other forms of usage of contact lens, its therapeutic purposes and its aesthetic purposes respectively.

3.1       Other Medical Purposes

Besides correcting vision through the alteration of corneal power, currently contact lenses are also used to meet other medical objectives, such as prevention or delay of diseases and providing aid to people suffering from colour blindness. In recent years, researchers have developed UV-blocking contact lens in a bid to reduce UV radiation entering our eyes. One benefit of minimising UV radiation to the eyes is lowering the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is a major cause of severe vision loss for those over the age of 55 (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., 2012). Past research have suggested that by maintaining higher levels of macular pigment, age-related macular degeneration will be less likely to occur (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., 2012). According to a study presented at the 2012 British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference, UV-blocking contact lens has the ability to maintain the eye’s macular pigment density (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., 2012). Hence UV-blocking contact lens could be used to delay age-related macular degeneration. UV radiation could cause many other diseases in eyes as well, the more common ones are photokeratitis – sunburn of the eye, cataracts and cancer in the eyeball (Woerner, 2013). The use of sunglasses have been able to protect the eyes from UV radiation, but UV-blocking contact lens provides additional protection from this radiation. UV-blocking contact lens is able to absorb UV radiation from coming from all angles, including angles not covered by sunglasses. Moreover, these lens would provide all day UV protection, as people would normally wear their contact lens throughout the day as compared to sunglasses which are taken off when they are not needed. Furthermore, scientist from the Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore have invented contact lenses that darken in the presence of ultraviolet light (Scott, 2009). These contact lenses contain photochromic dyes comprising of particles that change shape under UV light, hence becoming darker which protects the eyes from UV rays (Scott, 2009). With the introduction of UV-blocking contact lenses these eye diseases would be further prevented and delayed in human beings.

Another objective of contact lenses is to aid the colour blind. The X-Chrom lens, a monocular corneal contact lens have been developed to do so. It significantly enhances colour perception for those who suffer from the colour deficiency. For instance, a colour blind person would wear a deep red tinted X-Chrom contact lens in the nondominant eye in order to intensify the colour of red and green (Art Optical Contact Lens, Inc., n.d.). One shortcoming, is that it does not cure the vision problem of colour deficiency, but only facilitates better colour differentiation.

3.2       Therapeutic Purpose

Therapeutic purposes can also be linked to medical usage of contact lenses. Therapeutic usage of contact lens include bandage contact lens and contact lens that deliver drugs to the eye. When people suffer from corneal damage due to eye disease or injury bandage contact lenses are used to promote healing and reduce discomfort. They protect the eye from external assault and also isolate the corneal surface from friction during blinking (Trattler, n.d.). Bandage contact lenses are also used after eye surgery, as they allow for easy installation of medication as compared to other protective barriers. Additionally, they act as a reservoir for medications, increasing the amount of time the medication stays in contact with the eye (Trattler, n.d.). Eye drops are said to be inefficient because an estimated of only 7 percent of the eye drop medication is actually absorbed into the eye (Leggett, 2009). The other 93 percent flows out of the eye and drips down the cheeks. More often than not, patients tend to forget or avoid taking their eye drop medications as it is a hassle. Nonetheless, eye drops still account for 90 percent of all eye medication (Leggett, 2009). Drug-dispensing contact lenses serve to solve these problems. Recently, researchers have created contact lenses that are able to dispense a high concentration of antibiotic at regular rate for more than 30 days (Leggett, 2009). The drug containing portion of the lens is shaped like a doughnut so that it would not affect the wearer’s vision (Figure 2) (Leggett, 2009). With this invention, many eye related medication can be replaced or complemented with it.

3.3       Cosmetic Purposes

The rise of cosmetic contact lenses is becoming increasingly prominent. Nowadays, contact lens wearers tend to purchase tinted contact lenses to beautify themselves. Even people who need not wear contact lens do purchase zero-powered cosmetic contact lenses for aesthetic purposes. Cosmetic lenses can be customised to individualise look or enhance performance. Cosmetic contact lenses are effective in changing eye colour and appearance. They may be used in several therapeutic applications such as masking disfigured eyes (The British Contact Lens Association, n.d.). Other applications involve personal grooming, the movie making industry and professional athletes. In the sports sector, colour tinted lenses are used to increase visual performance. These lenses reduce glare, enhance contrast sensitivity and heighten depth perception. For example, a green tint lens can enable a tennis player to see the ball more clearly on the court (Surtenich, 2013).

On another note, an Indian optometrist has went a step further in making contact lens as an accessory. Chandrashekhar Chawan invented the world’s first pair of contact lens embedded with gold and diamonds (Figure 3) (Scott, 2011). The lens is designed in such a way that it can be customised to correct any visual impairment and would not stop the eye from receiving oxygen (Scott, 2011). It is also said to be comfortable to wear, with the lens being able to retain water in front of the cornea to ease the eye (Scott, 2011).

3.4       Limitations

Generally, contact lens pose a serious threat to the eyes without proper use and supervision. Contact lenses can cause eye irritations or infections, if not treated in time it could lead to blindness. For example, fungal eye infection is possible with the usage of contact lenses. This condition can lead to blindness and include symptoms like increased sensitivity to light, pain or redness, blurry vision and excessive discharge from the eye (NBC News, 2006).

Swimming with contact lens is also a danger. In fact, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommends that contact lenses should not be exposed to any kind of water, including water in swimming pools, showers and tap water (Surtenich, 2012). This is because water could be home to countless of viruses and dangerous microbes, which could potentially infect the eye and cause blindness. In order to minimize chances of such conditions contact lens users should maintain high hygiene standards, follow medical advises and seek regular medical checkups from their eye doctor.

Contact lenses are also not made readily available globally. As the usage of contact lens requires supervision by professionals and certain technologies to do so, less developed countries often have little or minimal availability of contact lenses. Some contact lenses can also be quite costly itself. Even if more affordable contact lenses such as cosmetic lens are made available to less developed countries, professionals and proper eye care material would be needed to educate and facilitate the usage of lenses. Hence, the current distribution of contact lenses is limited to the more affluent societies and less developed societies are unable to utilise this technology. Although, one may argue that it is not needed to be made globally available as less affluent societies are not able to afford this technology, contact lenses serves to improve the lives of people, not just rich people. The author proposes that if the use of contact lens could be made available globally, it should, due to its benefits and the potential it holds.

4          Future Considerations

Projecting into the future, the acceleration in the development of contact lenses could herald an age of revolutionary change. There are immense amount of possibilities with research and innovation being done on an equipment the size of a fingertip. Contact lenses could literally change the vision of the whole world. This section examines the considerations which the author believes might arise in the future if contact lenses were to be further developed and adopted on a massive scale.

4.1       Lenses of the Future

The possibility of having bionic eyes with the ability to zoom in on a distant object and project virtual displays seem surreal. Yet, for the first time a group of engineers at University of Washington have invented a biologically safe contact lens with lights and an imprinted electronic circuit (Figure 4) (Moskowitz, 2008). A completed lens was said to have the display superimposed on the outside world. The engineers tested the lenses on rabbits and no adverse effects were shown by the animals (Moskowitz, 2008).

The lens served as a step towards the development of bionic lens in the future, showing that the idea is feasible. If bionic lenses are indeed created in the future, it would yield a plethora of possibilities. The author believes that the successful innovation of this technology in the future would simplify processes by incorporating various purposes into it. People no longer have to carry around communication devices or even a laptop, the functions would be projected on a midair virtual display screen that only the user would be able to view. Of course this would require the combination of several technologies, maybe even some which are not in the market yet. The army could utilise the lenses to simulate training, in turn reducing the resources needed for trainings. Perhaps, drivers could even see their route plotted on their contact lenses. At that point of time the use of Google Glasses would be irrelevant being superseded by the advantages of lenses. The future could be a time where contact lenses exerts its dominance globally, where owning a pair of lenses becomes a necessity.

Contact lenses of the future might also eliminate or at least significantly reduce the occurrences of many eye diseases. Presently, contact lenses already do so much in the medical field as elaborated earlier in the previous sections. All the more, in the future advance developments would be made and contact lenses could aid those visually impaired, possibly helping them gain some sight. In addition, it could help detect eye diseases early on without the need to visit the doctor. For example, the lenses could be designed to observe eye conditions and identify irregularities, so eye disease like glaucoma which symptoms do not normally appear early on can be detected earlier on and treated before the dire effects takes its toll on the person.

4.2       Socioeconomic Effects

The author believes that another future consideration on the development of contact lens would be the socioeconomic impact on the world. The prices of contact lenses of the future might bring about significant inequality worldwide.

Currently, not all types of lenses are at affordable prices. For example, orthokeratology lens which corrects refractive errors of the eye costs a few hundred dollars per piece. Furthermore, the price of purchasing a technology similar to bionic lenses, the Google Glasses, presently costs US$1,500 per pair. With the use of advanced technologies and intricate manufacturing process, the price of bionic lenses in the future would be considered astronomical by the less affluent. The author submits a scenario that future contact lenses, such as the bionic contact lens, could be made a product which marks or exemplifies the social status of the more affluent. Now, products like apparels and accessories are already being used to symbolise the status of the rich. In the future, contact lens companies could control the price or distribution of bionic lens making it exclusively available only to those who can afford or deserve it. Hence, only the rich and powerful could utilise this particular technology, while the rest would be at a disadvantaged lacking the technology and possibilities it could bring.

On the other hand, overtime with the advancement of technologies, the manufacturing process might be made more efficient and simplified, leading to a reduction in cost. Moreover, governments can implement policies to promote competition in the contact lens industry, which encourages technology advancement and reducing cost at the same time. Governments can also offer subsidies when the need for the possession of contact lens is of great importance. Therefore, there might come a time when future lenses are made affordable even to the less affluent. This would allow people of all financial status to utilise the available technology.

4.3       Economic Effects

The author believes that with the imminent rise of the functions of the contact lens, the contact lens industry could be expanded and evolved. As of 2012, an estimated of only 125 million out of 7 billion people in the world wear contact lenses (NEI, 2012). If every person in the world wore contact lens the market would be expanded by 56 times. In the future, the market of contact lens is bound to be even larger, as the population of the world continues to grow. This could lead to various economic benefits.

In the future, with a substantial increase in functions of contact lenses its use would be made more relevant to the world. The author depicts that if contact lenses do one day replace communication devices, maybe even some electronic devices, the use of contact lens would be necessary for all. The market of contact lenses would be collaborated with all other communication devices and electronic devices, possibly making it one of the biggest industries in the world. In addition, the product could have so many variations that it could evolve into an industry similar to the phone industry. Contact lenses could be classified into different types and models, with companies competing to produce better models into the market. The expansion of the contact lens industry, would create countless of jobs and increase trade globally. With a considerable amount of economic activities originating from contact lenses, it could be one of the drivers of economic progress in countries. Still, if this technology is being monopolised it could hinder its economic progress and instead benefit only the organisation controlling the technology.

4.4       Environmental Effects

If contact lenses do live up to its expectations, the author submits that contact lenses could have positive environmental impacts in the long run. However, in the short run it might worsen environmental situations. Contact lenses of the future could help reduce the amount of waste produced and resources used.

Waste production is an ever increasing problem, especially in developed countries. In Singapore alone, the amount of waste produced in 2012 was 7.3 million tonnes up from 4.7 million tonnes in 2000 (Tay, 2013). As countries become more developed, the amount of waste tends to increase. This is because as countries develop people get more affluent and are able to afford more resources, hence the consumption of products increases in turn leading to a rise in waste produced. With the introduction of contact lenses of the future, several products will become negligible. As previously mentioned, products such as laptops and communication devices could be replaced by the advanced technology of contact lenses. In addition, as the functions of contact lenses multiply resources used for training and therapy could also turn insignificant. In the short run, after the introduction of contact lenses of the future the amount of waste might increase by a significant amount as people globally start to get rid of these common products. Yet, in the long run the amount of waste produced would be decreased as these products are being replaced. People no longer need to constantly buy electronic products to replace their old or spoilt ones.

The replacement of products could also lead to a reduction in the consumption of resources. The author proposes that with more and more products getting replaced by contact lenses, the production of those products would decline drastically or even come to a stop. Consequently, lesser resources are used and the worldwide usage of energy resources would be reduced. The development of contact lenses could serve as one of the factors bringing about a sustainable future as it develops into a “many-in-one” product.

5          Conclusion

This paper has examined the transformation of contact lens overtime. The original concept and purpose of contact lens served as a foundation for this finger-tip sized technology.

The advancement in technology has amplified its capabilities and made contact lenses safer to wear. Though there are limitations to the uses of contact lens, many still utilise it and future developments could possibly solve them. The author believes that humankind has only scrapped the surface of potential of contact lenses. Contact lens could one day be the dominant technology of the world.

The future considerations mentioned in this paper are salient factors which should be addressed. Addressing these factors would steer the industry of contact lenses in the right direction, maximising its potential benefits. If left unaddressed contact lenses could amplify the effects of current issues such as social and economic inequalities. Contact lenses have the potential to change the entire landscape of virtual technology and even more. With comprehensive research and development on contact lenses, it could herald an age of revolutionary change, changing the vision of the world literally.

Dosage 11/Week 12

Brief Overview/Summary:

Week 12/session 11 marks the start of the group presentations. Each week 4 groups will have 15minutes to present their projects using the website they constructed. In this week, futuristic buildings, clean energy and nanotechnology were covered.

Interesting Observation and Ideas:

The first group presented on futuristic buildings. They started with covering the historical perspective of buildings, specifically the history of material used. The earliest humans started living in natural structures such as caves then logs wood and mud were used. Sticks, straw and dunks were then used to build houses, even till now houses are built of this material. Subsequently, concrete was used and developed with the reinforcement of materials.

Susceptibility- strength of buildings of buildings are vital. It is these buildings that prevent the collapse of buildings during natural disasters and protects people. Technologies such as the pendulum are installed in buildings to counter the forces of natural disasters. Upcoming materials such as bendable concrete and spider web are being researched on. With technology constantly advancing, it is only a matter of time that scientist or researchers find the right type of material to combat certain type of disasters.

Ancient Egypt was credited for the introduction of metal tools, materials. Ancient Greece is where the first use of pulleys. Now tall cranes and all sorts of materials are being used. The future of construction is the use of autonomous machines. Where errors can be minimized and more efficient.

Currently, in Germany scientist are looking into using straws to power houses. Transparent solar cells could also be used in the future to construct windows. A house called The Wolke 7 was introduced by the group, it seems like a house attached to a huge balloon which might not be very feasible if met with disastrous weather. All in all, these were aimed at an idea of a sustainable house. Being self-sufficient and using sustainable energy, e.g. The Mirai Nihon House which can be powered by merely a car battery.  

The second group presented on clean energy. Traditional use of energy contributed to 2/3 of environmental effects. Clean energy is becoming more and more important due to the increasing shortage of energy sources and rising prices. Solar power is the answer to our energy problems. The amount of energy that the sun gives to the earth in one hour is equal to the amount of energy human beings worldwide use in a year. Solar trash, solar paint and solar desert structure were some of the interesting products introduced by the groups. Biofuel was also mentioned as a source of clean energy. Next hydroelectricity was being covered with dams being used to explain this concept. The disadvantage for dams namely land and environmental changes do seem to outweigh its advantage. Nuclear energy was also introduced as a form of clean energy. Once again the disadvantage of danger of nuclear energy such as dangerous processes, limited supply of uranium and radioactive waste does seem to outweigh its advantages.

The third group presented on nanotechnology. They suggested that it reverses the ways that products are being built. In my perspective nanotechnology is a very broad technology. Meaning this technology can be used in countless of areas. What’s interesting is the potential and upcoming applications that it holds. Areas such as the medical industry could be revolutionary change by the development of nanotechnology. Interesting examples mentioned by the group like nano robots and an artificial red blood cell that is made of diamond are just the beginning of products nanotechnology can bring about. The group also covered a lot on research and development of nanotechnology as it is still a relatively new technology. More and more countries are starting to look into and invest in nanotechnology. However, this could have various impacts on the world like socio-economic effects in which inequality worldwide could be amplified. Rising threat security and arms race might be other impacts. Ethics implications were also

Key Takeaway Points:

The evolution of technology is a constant process. When one technology reaches near its full potential or the end of its cycle, another begins. People are constantly looking for technologies to aid the human race, to put it in a more selfish form it is to help themselves. In recent times, the research of technology is increasingly leaning towards the sustainable side. However, the development of a particular technology is a long and tedious process. In order to yield the maximum benefits from a technology takes a long time. The question is if that particular technology is worth investing such time and effort into it.

Issue for further discussion:

In today’s lesson many impacts were discussed, but one particular impact which was not covered extensively by any group was the ethical impact. Ethics can be grouped with social impacts, nevertheless I feel that it is an important innate aspect of humans that is widely controversial and subjective which is often blown out of proportion. Basically, ethical impacts could have been discussed and explored more.

Personal Rating:

7/10. Generally, I feel that the presentations we had today are relatively long. Time limitation should be emphasized as groups tend to rubble on about minute and specific details instead of presenting the important points and focusing on the big picture. 

Dosage 10/Week 11

Brief Overview/Summary:

Today’s session was about Technology Assessment (TA) and forecasting. It was a topic that was out of the blue, being different from the topics we have been covering so far. Normally, we would cover the conventional aspects of technology and world change, like sustainable energy and ICT. However this topic focused more on what must we do to improve technology, rather than what should we do with the use of technology. In this session we talked about the importance of TA and forecasting, and we cover the many different strategies currently available. Forecasting and technology assessment complement each other, but forecasting is highly dependent on technology assessment. Without the assessment of current technology, foresight would be highly inaccurate or irrelevant.

 

Interesting Observation and Ideas:

For effective technology assessment and forecasting to occur there should be an open sharing of information. Sharing TA and forecasting information can be both good and bad. By sharing these information, it would attract alliances and partnerships which could give a boost to the implementation of these strategies, in turn it could expedite conclusions. On the other hand, you might be sharing your advantage with your competitors. This might invite sabotage and the stealing of ideas. However, this might not be all bad. Making information known to your competitors could introduce competition to develop a better product within a shorter time and sell it at a lower price. Hence, this would mainly benefit consumers and might later benefit the companies if the product is a successful innovation. Moreover, with the openness of information there will be more feedback and it will be from a wider range perspectives. Opinions that were never thought of before could arise which could help the company in building their forecasted idea and possibly in other areas such as deceasing cost.

 

Another point is the growing need or importance of TA and forecasting. Presently, technology is becoming more advanced and progressing at an ever increasing rate. The exponential growth of technologies means greater implications of technology and rapid competition. As technology changes so fast, companies have to keep up with it to survive and this causes constant swift changes. Consequently, there is an increasing need to understand the implications of technologies and prioritise decisions and resources (2 drivers of TA and forecasting). Thus, the need/importance of TA and forecasting framework is becoming greater. TA and forecasting helps a company stay ahead, attain growth and prevent problems.

 

As time goes by, the power of technology is being diffused around the world, western countries are no longer the monopoly of technology innovations. As knowledge and education becomes more widespread, other non-western societies are catching up with western nations in terms of knowledge and ability. Some nations are even competing with western societies to take the lead in innovations. In the presentation on terminator seed technology, it brings up the point that big companies use their advantage of technological information over the people, creating an unfair monopoly system. This can be applied on a bigger scale when you replace the companies with developed nations and the vulnerable people with less developed nations. These exploitations are occurring on a daily basis whether we like it or not. There are ways to solve these problems but I will not dwell into those for now.

 

How do we develop an accurate/precise prediction of the future? This is the million dollar question. If we are able to come up with a solution to this question, it would unleash a form of unprecedented power. In one of the readings it mentions that futurology is not an exact science as there is a high degree of uncertainty and large number of variables whose variability is also unpredictable. Therefore, futurists can best offer the direction of things to happen and not exact events or occurrences of the future. Should the ability to predict the future stay as it is? Will the implications of the ability to predict the exact future be too much for mankind to handle?

 

Key Takeaway Points:

Sahana mentioned that for foresights, it is more important to know when it will occur than what will happen. I beg to differ, I feel that both are equally important and they have to work hand in hand. If the time when it occurs changes, what might actually happen will most likely be altered as well. Same goes if what happens changes, the time when it happens might be shifted. Hence, it should be said that people should also focus their attention on when the foresights will happen instead of solely focusing on what will happen.

 

“The present is pregnant with the future” Voltaire. One of my peers mentioned that it meant that the seeds being planted now will be sewn in the future, implying that our efforts to make a better future will be enjoyed by future generations. However I see it in a way that it slightly different. In my perspective, our current actions and mindsets will shape the future. What we do now are implications of the future, be it good or bad. Whether you want to give birth to a bright future or a bleak future is up to us to decide. We, humans have to decide and act on it now.

 

Personal Rating:

8/10. A fresh perspective of things.