Science and Technology in the 21st Century.

            Hello!!!! (That is me shouting), I hope you all had a fun and exciting weekend, I know I didn't cos I was just at home trying to get assignments and projects done. OK! Straight to the point ....Today's post is actually taking a very different and random path, like the name of the blog EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING, you're at the wrong place if you think I am going to talk about regular stuff here.


This post is gotten off my keynote speech at our Student Conference, I and my good friend gave the Keynote speech together. It was a big deal for me, being able to stand in front of people I knew and the ones I didn't know to actually address them. It felt like a huge stepping stone for me, if you know me you should know I am synonymous with "does not have sense or stupid" (LMAO). So I was hardly ever given the opportunity to show what I could do(which is a lot btw). Which is one of the things I appreciate Webster University for, for giving me the chance to actually show that I am more than just foolishness and also for giving me the opportunity to add more to myself.


     The Theme was The double edged sword of science and technology with social media in the 21^st century . I have taken the time to edit, shorten and made it easier to ready. Originally its a 15 minute speech, L.O.L I wouldn't wanna read a 15 minute speech on a blog just because the owner felt like sharing her small achievement to be honest.

     We often hear the words science and technology, but we never really ask ourselves what exactly these words mean and how their presence affects our lives?  Well, Science is the pursuit of knowledge, it builds and organizes knowledge in the form of explanations and predictions about nature and the universe, while technology is the collection of techniques, methods or processes used in the production of products and services that solve problems and improve living conditions (like communication, to reduce human labor, entertainment, faster modes of transport etc.). To sum up this explanation, technology is the practical application of science, without science there would be no technology.

    Many liken technology to fire, simply because the same fire that cooks your meals and keeps you warm can also burn down your house. In that same vain science and technology if applied properly is indeed a wonderful tool in today’s world, but at the same time if left unattended and in the wrong hands it can have dour consequences. In this century science and technology thrives around us, almost every aspect of the human survival directly or indirectly depends on the results of science & technology. Politics, security, economy, lifestyle, communication, healthcare, education are but a few sectors impacted by science & technology.

Technology and Natural Resources
     
   Due to advancement in Science and Technology, the way we consume and produce resources is rapidly changing. We may expect our energy demand to be reduced in homes, offices, and factories, as well as in transportation in the near future, as engines become more fuel efficient and as self-driving and electric vehicles take off.  But, the demand for natural resources such as copper, gold, diamonds, cobalt, uranium, coltan, tin, etc. will increase. This would not be a problem if the countries enriched with these resources are benefiting from its natural wealth. But, people from countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are naturally endowed with large deposits of coltan and cobalt are still suffering from an economy that has nothing to show for it. 

   The DRC has an abundance of not only coltan and cobalt, but also copper, diamond, and gold deposits, which has the potential to be the engine of growth in Africa. Yet, while enriching and connecting the rest of the world with its natural resources, the DRC continues to be marred with political conflicts and violence, caused by the scramble for these precious resources. Resources which, in many cases are mined by children as young as seven years old. The global demand for cobalt & coltan is increasing, but its market remains largely unregulated as it falls outside the definition of “conflict mineral”, unlike gold, and tin.

Technology, International Security and Terrorism

Technological developments have drastically changed the way we handle Peace and Security in the 21st century. This has created new opportunities for multilateral cooperation in the areas of state-society relations, peace and conflict, international security, and global governance. But it also raises a very serious problem as these opportunities comes with the challenge of keeping up and even trying to understand the rapidly changing international dynamics. With technological advancement, we see less of manned military drones, we see more of autonomous weapons, bio-chemical weapons, etc. Given the danger of these innovations, there is a strong argument for enforcing legal prohibitions on its proliferation and use. 
     Equally important, is to establish strong norms against it. We need to come up with new sets of norms, values and thinking to meet the challenges posed by Science and Technology. 
 Technology is the foundation of our modern society, it governs almost every aspect of social dynamics today. For example, modern terrorism is benefiting from it and the effect is instantaneous and unpredictable. The cyberspace is an environment without boundaries, a place where terrorists can find resources, transmit propaganda and launch attacks.

Technology and Social Media

      Social Media connects the world, helps instant communication, fosters globalization, provides entertainment and if used properly, it is a reliable source of income for many. Social Media interactions are becoming increasingly important as technology becomes more and more human-friendly. There are now social-based operating systems and communication-oriented software applications that help instantaneous exchange of ideas among people from all over the world, which allow us to know and understand different cultures, religions in ways that were not possible before.

      BUT social media also invades our privacy and the consequences are far more serious than we think. Facebook and Cambridge Analytica are currently facing the fallout of a huge scandal involving the harvesting of personal data of many Facebook users via personality quizzes. These BIG DATA was then used to target ‘swing’ voters (people who have not decided) in the last US Presidential Election to influence their voting behavior. Similarly, the internet can be a very toxic environment, especially for the youth. There is an increasing lack of concentration in class and in our studies because of the constant use of social media and this also increases the level of alienation we feel as youth. It has become increasingly difficult to develop long lasting and meaningful relationships among us. Do you agree?

In Conclusion, from Google Cardboard to Microsoft Hololens to Tesla’s Auto Pilot - we can see that Science and Technology will never come to a halt, we have come too far to turn back. While technology does solve many problems for us, like in improving our health, we must also deal effectively with the negative fallout of technology. The choice is ours. It is our duty to find and maintain safe ways of monitoring and regulating the way Science and Technology is used by us. Sensitizing the people about the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in technology is the first step.