Lesson 1

There were a few key topics discussed today. Among which were, why certain countries are able to make technological progress while some countries lag behind or remain stagnant altogether as well as finding the balance between our biological nature and the lifestyles that we have cultivated with the benefits brought by advancements in technology.

From the discussions as well as the video “ Guns, Germs and Steel”, it can be concluded that technology requires a step-by-step progression and if one cannot reach a certain level then technological advancement comes to a halt. Take an example from the video shown, Papa New Guineans and the Middle Easterners were both hunter, gatherers at the beginning. However over time, Middle Easterners were able to make that transition to an agricultural society because they had resources that allowed them to progress. For instance their geographical location made it possible for them to find animals they could domesticate and work for them. Therefore now they could use these animals to plough the lands allowing for a larger amount of crops to be sown. On the other hand, the Papa New Guineans continued growing crops the “old” way because they did not have the resources required to progress. So essentially, technology can only progress if there are resources available which was why the Middle Easterners were able to become more advanced technologically while the Guineans did not eventhough they were highly intelligent and highly adaptable.

This is also relevant in the modern world. With rising income inequality, lack of education and resources, a gap in created between people from different countries and even within the country itself. Therefore while technology continues to grow and change the world at an exponential rate, there are still many people who are left behind. That’s why a key takeaway for me from this is how we can bridge that gap so that technological progress, which was meant to benefit everyone, can in fact benefit everyone.

The second point mentioned in the introduction sparked a mini debate about how the biological nature of human beings is being affected negatively by technological progress. I agree to a certain extent because our body has yet to evolve to the point where we can handle our consumerist nature or the long hours we spend on the computer without exercising or even the fact that improved technology which were meant to make our lives better such as handphones, computers and MRI machines, actually produces radiation that in the long run has harmful effects on the body. However I feel this is about personal choice, therefore it is more the lack of discipline on our part to find that balance rather then it being a negative impact that technology brings.

So for me, a key takeaway from this is how do we find that balance? So that technology and world change does not bring the demise of the human race.

An issue for further discussion was the quote that was written on the white board. “Technology is easy but people are hard” We all agreed with it but we never really dug deep into why it was so? Sometimes technological progress is hindered due to moral or religious issues. Which begs the question, when do we draw the line because it is impossible to please everyone, for instance on the topic of cloning or abortions. I hope we will have the chance to discuss this.

The class out of a 10 was a 7. It was a good start, nothing too heavy but a lot of thought provoking questions to get us started and allow us to be more vocal in the future.