Week 10 - Emerging and Future Technologies

This week, we had an intriguing session on Emerging and Future Technologies. We talked about the greater ability of people today to develop new technologies that were considered unimaginable a few years ago due to the exponential rate at which technology is advancing through aggressive research and development. The more technology advances, the more it catalyses its advancement, hence resulting in its exponential growth.


We discussed the interesting phenomenon of Supply creating new demand in the cases of summit opportunities that don't yet have a market and that target unformed needs and wants. An excellent example of this is Apple's iPhone and it's rapid creation of new wants in our society since its sale.  


We then talked about emerging technologies that are set to affect our lives in time to come. I believe that Nanotechnology is going to be  the most pervasive and influential technology of the future. This is because, it will enable us to re-engineer all our materials, objects and even our bodies! The disruptive prospects it holds, such as nano-medicine, nano-electric devices and nano-energy, are truly mind-blowing. The ability to transmit and store electricity super efficiently, process data at a much faster rate and cure diseases far more effectively by targeting cells, is truly amazing.      


I found some of the quotes given by Prof Shahi very illuminating: 

“You see things; and you say, 'Why?'

But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'”

- George Bernard Shaw -

This beautiful quote highlights the importance of an open mind for a rising star; how vital it is to think outside the box and venture into paths less travelled. Of course, it is always much easier said than done. It has become a rule of thumb of sorts that visionaries are always the minority. I strongly hope to be able to keep my cauldron of creative juice full throughout my life...        

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.

For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

- Albert Einstein -

Again, these are fascinating words emphasizing the importance of going beyond what is already known and discovering "new knowledge", which is in effect, imagination. Nevertheless, I feel that pure imagination, without knowledge-backed actions to fructify that imagination, is useless. Einstein would not have been able to make his dreams come true without his extensive knowledge and acumen in science.  

“There is a space between man's imagination and man's attainment that may only be traversed by his longing”

- Kahlil Gibran -

This motivating quote shows how important it is to have determination and perseverance in order to realise one's dreams. 


I'd give this week's session a 9.