Will technology end the world?

With the way technology has been advancing it seems as if anything is possible. For many people this is a frightening situation, especially when dealing with any kind of weaponry. Just recently an article was put out about a heat-beam ray gun which uses a heat-beam to help control unruly inmates at an LA jail (Watkins). Just one generation ago no one would have thought that a ray gun was possible to make, just something you may see on Star Trek.

To make it worse with enemies all over the world fighting and striving to develop new technology on how to kill each other more efficiently. If every country is racing to develop the best weapons when we already have nuclear weapons that can destroy entire countries what is next. This video explains it quite simply.



Although the video is a bit comical, and exaggerated it points out a potently possibility that may have to be dealt with at some point in time. Even with our current technology we can already destroy the world, what happens when we improve it even more?



The end of the world [video]. (2006). YouTube. Retrieved 5 Sept 2010. .

Watkins, Thomas. ACJ. LA authorities plan to use heat-beam ray in jail. 27 Aug 2010. 5 Sept 2010. .

A Cure for AIDS in Our Lifetime?

One huge hope for science that I have is that scientists will be able to find a cure for not only AIDs, but for all deadly diseases and infections. I think that it is safe to say that most people know at least one person who has died from a disease or infection that has no cure. I also think it is safe to say that these people would love there to be a discovery to cure the disease which killed their loved one. The unfortunate part is that scientists are not optimistic about finding cures to such diseases. This article talks about how scientists are not even sure if there will even be a possibility of find a cure "in the next 20 years" (McNeil). It is somewhat sad that scientists are not hopeful, but that does not mean that a cure will not be found.

McNeil, Donald. "After Long Scientific Search, Still No Cure for AIDS." The New York Times, 9 May 2010. Web. 5 September 2010.

Laurel's Hope for Science

Being a middle school education major, I have a lot of educational hopes surrounding science for the future. Rather than technological advances being a distraction, (students texting during class, going on Facebook instead of paying attention, etc), I hope to see science create some great educational tools. I would like to see science advance to a point where laptops are accessible and affordable for all students. While I know very little about video games, I think it would be safe to say that there aren't many entertaining educational ones. I hope that more entertaining, educational video games will be created will be created in the future.



While I know there are financial limitations on the research being done, I'd like to see more medical advances in the future. I'm not talking about unnecessary advances like designer babies or a pill to make your hair grow in straight, curly, or wavy,(read article here), but rather cures, or at least remedies to relive the symptoms of diseases and ailments(Mid Brain). Along the lines of medical advances, I'd like to see more of a push to develop more environmentally friendly products. One reason I feel people shy away from environmentally safe products is the higher cost associated with them. I hope that scientists develop more wallet friendly ways to save the planet in the future.



One hope I have regarding science in the future is that marine biologists explore more of the ocean. The ocean makes up 70 percent of the earth, and human eyes have only seen 5 percent of it (National Ocean Service). Who knows what could be down there?






Sources

1.Brain, Mid. "For Straight Hair Just Swallow A Pill." Web log post. The Beauty Brains. 12 Jan. 2010. Web. 4 Sept. 2010. .

2.Story Teller Media. "Part 1 Monsters of the Deep." Youtube. Story Teller Media, 20 Dec. 2008. Web. 4 Sept. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVnh3NKJsuI.

3."To Date We Have Explored Less than Five Percent of the Ocean." US Department of Commerce. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 4 Sept. 2010. .