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.

Week 10 / Dosage 9

Brief Overview/Summary:

This week we focus on emerging and future technologies. It was quite a general and broad discussion but the main crux of the discussion was how humankind create great innovations and the implications of emerging technologies. We touched on the drivers for the development of emerging and future technologies namely, market driven R&D, technology driven R&D, creation of demand from supply, mass media and advertising and the 4 “smarts”. Moreover, we talked about areas of emerging technologies that hold great potential such as nanotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence systems.

 

Interesting Observation and Ideas:

Mass media and advertising, why is it a driver of emerging and future technologies? Well for one thing, mass media and advertising greatly impacts ones perception of everything around us, and the best (or most vulnerable) part is that we can be influenced unknowingly. In one way or another the mass media instills in us perspectives of the future, it is a medium through which our wants and desires are formed and our needs are shaped. In actual fact, mass media and advertising is not only a driver for emerging and future technologies, it can drive almost any kind of technology and shape how the world changes. For example, it could promote the use of solar panels in television programs where the use of solar panels is a norm. Lifestyles and cultures could be enhanced through this medium to develop a sustainable environment. The mass media and advertising is not just a platform for product showcase, it is a platform for technology and world change.

 

Prof opened the class today with a couple of videos. One of them was based on the use of plastic in the world. What I found most interesting about this particular video was not about what convenience the plastic has and could bring to us, but how human beings have transformed plastic from a material that was once frowned upon into one that could change the status quo. Humans have the ability to make the impossible possible with the help of free minds. Plastic was once a material that was not recommended due to its non-renewable aspect which contributes to various world problems. Now, plastic is made from renewable resources and it itself is easily recyclable. This development in plastic has uncovered many possibilities that could change the world. Devices could be made up of plastic, making it flexible and light. Plastic sensors in clothes could be developed to monitor health. The use of plastic could replace the use of silicon and other materials in so many aspects. With further R&D, the development of plastic will change the world.

 

One of the emerging technologies I found amusing was nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matters usually smaller than 1000nanometers in length. Can you imagine what the manipulation of something that small can do? Nanotechnology has the capability to manipulate molecules of a material and change the outlook of the product. Imagine having the ability to change pencil leads into diamonds (both made from carbons). With nanotechnology, it can be possible. In the future, nanotechnology could become sophisticated enough that products could be changed from one product to another. If this happens, products would be largely recycled to attain a more desirable product, lesser waste would be produced and use of resources would decrease. This is just one of the many implications the development of nanotechnology could bring about.

Presently, there are so many technologies advancing and a number possessing great potential. With that said I feel that the main question now is how we can merge these technologies together to further maximize its potential and usefulness to society. However, with greater potential comes greater possibilities which means that the threats from these technologies are greater as well.

 

Key Takeaway Points:

Implications of the technologies are of greater importance than the technology itself. How it impacts societies, culture and the economy. (A point which has been stressed on since the start of the course)

 

Man’s commitment is key in transforming his imagination into reality. Anything that we can imagine can come true, all it takes is commitment to our cause.  Dreaming is an art that is lost in many, for some it may not seem like much but for others it is this which distincts them from the rest. Having the ability to dream is priceless. – Shien Tah

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

Issue for further discussion:

More implications of the emerging technologies could be discussed. In today’s session we did name many emerging technologies but we did not manage to discuss their implications in depth.

 

Personal Rating:

8/9.

Session 8/Week 9

Brief Overview/Summary:

Energy and World Change. The topic for this week is pretty self-explanatory. Session 8 examines the path of energy usage and development and its implications on the world. One especially important feature in the world that affects energy is economic growth. High economic growth is desired by many countries, but it can no longer be attained in a way similar to the past, where considerations made to the environment and future were at a minimal. The world now has to achieve economic growth in a way that does not compromise the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. Basically, humankind is in a race against time to achieve sufficient renewable energy resources to be sustainable, before it is too late.

 

Interesting Observation and Ideas:

There are various drivers for energy and world change. The need for higher energy consumption due to rising population and the need for sustainability and renewable energy resources are more significant ones. China is one of the many countries affected substantially by these drivers. As a result China is currently leading the investment in renewable energy. China was responsible for almost one-fifth of total global investment, spending $52 billion on renewable energy in 2012 (Forbes, 2012). Another country that has taken a big step in renewable energy is Brazil. In 1970s Brazil started to increase the production of sugar cane and created the gasohol program. Vehicles and machines were equipped to function using alcohol based fuel. Presently, electric light no longer exist in Europe, the filament lamp is too inefficient a device which causes the waste of large amount of electricity. All these steps that people from all over the way are taking is a bid to attain renewable energy and be sustainable in the near future.

Another driver is the cost of resources. The more limited the resources, the more expensive it would get, as demand outweighs supply. Hence, as natural resources get more expensive people start to seek for cheaper sources of energy. However, the current prices of natural resources do not take into account the opportunity cost. The opportunity cost refers to factors like the time taken for the natural resources to form. If the opportunity cost is taken into account for fossil fuels/mineral resources taken from the ground, the prices of these resources would be very different from what it is right now. The market price does not reflect the true price, it is kept artificially low. (Just an interesting point from class)

One of the considerations in energy and world change is energy security. Energy security simply means having enough energy supply. Modern lifestyles require us to have excess energy to function. Modern devices use up a large amount of energy. In Singapore, without power the whole island will be in darkness, most of the country probably would not be able to carry out their daily routines. Thus, as the need for energy security grows, the need for sustainable energy resources increases. Efficiency in energy utilization has to be maximized as well to increase energy security. Increase efficiency of energy utilization, means lesser energy needed with the same output. This is one are, in addition to renewable energy sources that humankind has to look into.

Many countries depend on energy as a source of income, like Nigeria and Middle Eastern countries which are heavily dependent on petroleum for their incomes. These countries have to diversify their economy so as not to get caught in the ‘oil trap’, as oil/petroleum is a limited resource.

For humankind to yield the maximum potential technologies to attain sustainable and renewable energy, humans need to stick by a few principles. First, humans must accept the idea of renewable energy and be committed to its cause. Secondly, humans need to put away their differences and collaborate with one another in countless of ways to be able to fully utilise the technology and resources it possesses. Thirdly, humans have to continually seek for better forms of innovation/technology and not stay stagnant. Surely there are many other principles out there, but these are the few major ones that humankind face challenges sticking to.

 

Key Takeaway Points:

Biotechnology is an area closely looked at in recent times. Plants are the primary energy source on earth. Photosynthesis of the plant is the main process which gives us energy. Hence energy on the earth comes from the sun.

Humans have made a mistake of using biomass as a source for energy for a long time. Wind and Photovoltaics can generate a much greater amount of energy. This tells us that although humankind constantly makes progress, humans should always continue to seek for further improvements.

The sun provides more energy to the Earth in one hour than humankind uses currently uses in a year. If humankind can capture this energy from the sun it would definitely sustainable. The answer to the problem faced is staring us right in the face. (Sometimes the answers to our questions might be closer than we think.)

 

Personal Rating:

8/9. A good stimulating session after the recess week. Interesting presentations too.

Individual Topical Paper : Draft

The Development and Future of Contact Lenses

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/is 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 and economic effects.

1          Introduction

Since time immemorial, 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 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 the defect of 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 occurs when the eye is unable to clearly focus on the images from the outside world. The result is blurred vision, which is sometimes so severe that it causes visual impairment. The four most common refractive errors are myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia. 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. Refractive errors cannot be prevented, but they can be diagnosed and treated with corrective glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. WHO estimates that there are still 153 million people worldwide living with visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive errors. This figure does excludes the people living with uncorrected presbyopia, which is expected to be of a significant 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, Aravind, Pradhan, 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, 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 contact lenses were actually fabricated and worn by people.

A contact lens is a thin lightweight device that is placed directly onto the cornea of the eye. It is used in for corrective, cosmetic or therapeutic purposes. Contact lenses have various benefits for wearers, such as appearance and practicality. Many people choose to wear contact lenses as opposed to eyeglasses as they do not steam up, they provide a wider field of vision, and they are more suitable for a number of sporting activities (Bedinghaus, 2009). There are generally two categories of contact lens, soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens (FDA, 2013). These two categories will be further explored in the later stages. 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.

2          Historical Perspective

Many contact lens historians credited Leonardo da Vinci with describing and sketching the first ideas for contact lenses in 1508. They believed that his book Codex of the Eye, Manual D, written in 1508, introduced the optical principle underlying the contact lens. The underlying principle was the alteration of corneal power. Indeed, Da Vinci did describe a method of directly neutralising corneal power, by submerging the head in a bowl of water (figure 1). However, Da Vinci did not mention of any mechanism or device for correcting vision, instead he was primarily interested in learning about the mechanisms of accommodation of the eye (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. 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, then on himself and finally 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 high 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. For the soft lens, hydrophilic gels, specifically hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was introduced as a new substance used to manufacture lens. 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).

Nonetheless after the developments made in soft, 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.

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 reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is a major cause of severe vision loss for people over the age of 55. Past research have suggested that maintaining a higher level of macular pigment appears to have a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration. 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 developed contact lenses that darken in response to ultraviolet light. These 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. 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 account for 90 percent of all eye medication, but they are inefficient. Doctors estimate that only up to 7 percent of the eye drop medication is actually absorbed into the eye. 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. Drug-dispensing contact lenses serve to solve these problems. Recently, researchers have created a contact lens that is able to deliver a high concentration of antibiotic at a constant rate for more than 30 days. The drug-dispensing contact lens would not affect the wearer’s vision, because the drug containing portion of the lens is shaped like a doughnut (Figure 2) (Leggett, 2009). With this invention, many eye related medication can be replaced or complemented with it.

3.3       Cosmetic Lenses

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 created the world’s first contact lenses embedded with diamonds and gold (Figure 3). The lens is designed in such a way that it would not stop oxygen from getting to the eye and can be customised to correct any visual impairment. It is also said to be comfortable to wear, with the lens being able to hold water in front of the cornea to soothe 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 blurry vision, pain or redness, increased sensitivity to light 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.

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 created a biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. 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 the windshield. 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. Governments can also implement policies to promote competition in the contact lens industry, which encourages technology advancement and reducing cost at the same time. 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       Economical 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 large, as the population of the world continues to grow.

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.

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. With the advancement in technologies and growing concepts, contact lens could one day be a dominant technology of the world.

Session 7/Dosage 7

Brief overview

Week 7, the last week before the recess break. This week we covered blue, white and green biotechnology as we did so for red biotechnology last week. Why is biotechnology so important? Biotechnology is one of the significant factors that can guide us to a path of being sustainable. Not only that, it enhances ways of life, improve healthcare and modifies products. Ultimately, it provides new solutions to old problems. Another question would be why is biotechnology so relevant? This is because all life forms share many common elements. Traits or genes from one life form could be applied to another. In this session we cover the applications and implications of biotechnology in the marine, industrial and agriculture industries.

Interesting observation and ideas

Prof showed us a video where humans were depicted as a strain of virus ‘attacking’ planets. Implying that we are merely exploiting the earth’s resources and not interested in saving the earth. This was the case for mankind in the past, but now humans have a revised perspective on the earth. The human race is at the threshold of change. There has been oncoming spurts of technologies in recent decades. The implications it brings with it paints a bright future for the survival of planet earth. All we need to do is apply these technologies in the appropriate ways and not misuse them for our selfish wants.

Urbanisation definitely has Pros and Cons. Pros being increased accessibility and maybe a better standard of living. While cons could be higher cost incurred, and the inability to grow your own food. It seems that the pros outweigh the cons as an increasing amount of people are moving to cities. Hence, demand for resources would rise. More food, electricity and water is needed to satisfy the growing urban population. Yet, Humans cannot afford to increase their rate of consumption of natural resources, in fact they have to reduce the rate. This is where technology, more specifically biotechnology comes into play. Developed technologies in the agriculture industries are put to use. For example, Genetically Modified (GM) food is widely produced. Poultry farming has also been cultivated to meet this increase demand. Over 70% of seafood are fish farmed. In addition some of the fishes are GM ones, yielding more meat and maturing at a faster rate. Nevertheless, some still question the impacts of these practices. Are there unforeseen long term effects?

Thus the increasing popularity of organic products. Though organic products are chemical free and are believed to be healthier than non-organic ones, it still has drawbacks. Organic farming has lesser yield, it is less productive and takes up more land to produce the same yield as compared to other forms of chemically aided or GM crop farming. Would humans continue to embrace organic farming in the future when land is limited? It is possible with the concept of vertical farming. Vertical farming is a concept where farming is carried out in skyscrapers or buildings. Although it is an uncommon method of farming, the idea has existed since early 1900s. Farming could be headed this way.

One peculiar thought came to my mind when one of my peers was presenting. Although we were taught as individuals not to let any food on our plate go to waste, does finishing up our food allow for equal distribution of food in the world? By finishing up our meals, not really. Individuals at private sectors hold more power to even the distribution of food. The food industry has always had the mindset of ‘more being better than less’. It would rather have excess than be short of food. Personally, I feel this attitude holds a large fault in causing uneven distribution of food globally.

Watched a video on super cows. The concept of selective breeding is manifested to produce muscular or meatier cows. Artificial insemination is used in this case. The sperms are analysed one by one to select the ones with the specific gene or the ones which are more favoured. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmkj5gq1cQU

Key takeaway points

1)    Distribution of food/resources is vital to end inequality in the world.

2)    Human beings have been changing situations/circumstances to satisfy ourselves, but now we are doing so to satisfy the needs of future generations.

3)    Selective breeding has occurred for years. Biotechnology just enhances it.

Issue for further discussion

Less developed countries lack scientific capacity and capital. Is this a big issue in biobusiness/biotechnology? What are it’s implications?

In the future where technology and knowledge is of great importance, will there be higher barriers to entry to industries such as agriculture?

Personal rating for session

8/10.