Session 11

Session 11 and 12 are both presentation weeks!!

This week 3 groups presented their websites.

1. Futuristic buildings

The group talked about the futurist of buildings. I like the layout of their website as the design is really appealing. The group started off with discussing about the history of materials used to construct buildings. The early day’s people prop woods together to make a simple makeshift house for shelter. Later came the use of clay then followed by concrete. Currently, the exterior of buildings are usually made of glass to increase the aesthetic appeal. The group pointed out that the usual buildings that we now have are not resistant to natural disaster. In the case of a natural disaster, it would cause the building to crumble killing many lives. There was a lot of discussion about using sustainable materials to construct buildings. The group also looked at the buildings from different countries. I particularly like the design of Japanese homes. I prefer simple houses like those from the past where the houses are built lowly with nature surrounding it. However, this is not possible in Singapore where there are lands constrains and hence high rise buildings need to be made. The future of Japanese homes is especially interesting as it would incorporate technology and nature. The homes would be 100% eco-sustainable and this would benefit the world greatly. Imagine if the electrical needs of a home can be supported by harnessing the sun, this will greatly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. They did a great job with the website and the presentation was great!!!

2. Clean technology 

The group analysed the different case studies of the how some countries rely on clean technology. They also gave many different types of clean technology mainly the more common ones like solar and wind. However, they also mentioned about tidal energy which I think is great as they widen their scope of analysis. I feel that nuclear energy needs to be handled very carefully. As what the group mentioned, the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown has caused devastating impacts to both humans and the ecological system around the area. These compounds seep into the soil and are not easily removed and can remain underground for centuries creating harm spreading across generations. The group also pointed out that in the midst of shifting towards renewable energy, some countries are faced with other problems. For example, in China the three gorges dam had been constructed only to bring negative consequences to the area around it. Although the three gorges dam has indeed help to generate hydropower, it faces criticism. The dam slowed down water flow and the decrease in water flow causes an increase in pollution. The waste that could have been flush out using the water is now sunk to the bottom of the river. China is also investing heavily in the renewable energy sector as it foresees that China would need to tap on this energy to continue to allow the growth of industries. I think they group did a good job and their research was in depth to explain each part!!

3.Nanotechnology

The group created a website that is very easy to understand and interactive. They went through the different applications on nano-technology and focused on the part on nano-technology affecting the medicine industry. When nano-technology is applied to medicine, there is really a overhaul in how patients will be treated. There will be a rise in customized treatments and the side effects on different people can also be reduced. Nanotechnology can also be used to prevent cancer. Nano size particles can be added into sun screens so when it is being used, these particles would be absorbed into the skin and form a protective layer. The impacts of the use of nano-technology is also explored by the group during presentation. The growth market for this technology is still wide as there has not been any countries that is using it extensively as of now. Hence, in the future, this sector has the ability to create many jobs. The group also brought up a point which i think is relevant to consider. If nano-technology becomes the norm and is easily accessed, it would allow people to make their own mini-weapons that are capable of mass destruction. Hence, it needs to be decided who can have access to this technology. I think the group did a great job in exploring the different implications and the presentation was interesting!!

Overall, I learnt a lot from this session and I am looking forward to the next one in which my group will be presenting! :) 

Personal Rating: 10/10