1)
a) When I watched that video, I was amazed how easlily he seemed to accept having to do the "next best thing". He had his list of goals, and when one didn't work out, he made the best of it, changed the goal, (but did not eliminate the idea of the goal). I think a lot of people, once they realize that they cannot do something, give up on it alltogether (like the astronaut thing....so he didn't actually become an astronaut, but he did find a way to make it into the vomit comet). I have done that too, in the past, and it always seemed like "i missed out" because I did not achieve the goal I had set a while back. Maybe coming up with something close and related to it, and pursuing it, would have kept me on my original path (or close to it) as well as not feeling like i completely missed out?
b) the topic that I will work on is based on the following idea:
does the way we think about the future and what it will be like depend on our age/what generation we are?
I will ask people of 3 different age groups (9th graders, people "my age" (30's and 40's), and people over 60. I will ask them the same 9 questions that I have come up with. I will then look at and compare the results and see if views are similar, different, or what other things i might find when analyzing the answers.
2.
The Future of Birthcontrol:
this is a blog about not really the future of birthcontrol (in class, we talked about it being mandatory one day), but reasons why it may not ever get to that point....something to consider when looking at this scenario. it is really talking about the malthusian (or here, neo-malthusian) theory, stating that eventually we will deplete our resources and face starvation. The writer describes the original theories, with a little historical background, and then states why they do not subscribe to this theory. they give many examples to explain why , in their opinion,
http://socyberty.com/history/advocates-and-opponents-of-malthusian-theory/2/
Future of computer processing of human language:
I liked this article because it is good for providing background inforation of natural language processing. it is very detailed, and goes through the prupose, strenght and weaknesses, the details fo speech recognition, explains key terms, etc.
The problem is that it is a bit dated (their latest reference cited is from 1997), and probably does not include current technology. It also does not address really the FUTURE applications of this technology except in the very last sentence when it talks about robotic systems.
http://www.hit.ac.il/staff/leonidm/information-systems/ch68.html
Future of online and virtual education:
This is a website for an already existing virtual school in Utah. I liked it because, in a nutshell, explained how the concept works in the real world. This page is not very long, and does not have a lot of information, but talks about issues that would come up when considering the topic of virtual schools in the future, like how much time it takes to go through the classes, how graduation works, how taking tests works, etc.
as a teacher i found it very interesting that a school like this already exists.
http://www.schools.utah.gov/ehs/
3)
a)
I think houses of the future will change from what they are right now. In the beginnings, houses were built simply as shelters. Then more functions and conveniences, like bathrooms, kitchens, were added.
Some building in the present have sensors that turn on lights when someone enters the room. Air conditioners work on thermostat that sense when the temp is too cold or hot.
This technology could change in the future and include sensors that sense when food or other household items are needed.
Then, I think sensors can and will be used to monitor not just the house itself, but the people inside it. It could monitor body temperature, heart rate, movements, etc.
it could then periodically send that (health) information to a medical facility. In case of a drastic change, it could alert emergency services.
Also the internal environment will change according to the sensors. Calming lights/sounds could be played, and scents could be dispersed if a person is deemed "upset" or aggitated. Energizing ones in the mornings if less than appropriate movement is noted.
b) Applying the principles of TRIZ to the house of the future
Beforehand cushioningPrepare emergency means beforehand to compensate for the relatively low reliability of an object.
The house monitors your health, knows your baseline, and knows all your medical info so it can relay it to emergency/medical professionals, or give you advise/talk to you what to do if you are in trouble.
DynamicsAllow (or design) the characteristics of an object, external environment, or process to change to be optimal or to find an optimal operating condition.
The house will continue to monitor who is there to adjust to their preferences in temp, humidity, etc. Also it can adjust that if there are many people in the house, it knows to run the air more to keep it cool.
Another dimension
Use a multi-story arrangement of objects instead of a single-story arrangement.
Built-in technology and interfaces: The computer system is behind the wall, as opposed to a computer sitting in a room. instead of having one device for each type of technology in the house (many remotes, controls, etc), all are integrated in one unit, and can be "reached" via voice commands.
Periodic actionInstead of continuous action, use periodic or pulsating actions.
the house will "sweep" the environment periodically for information, say every few seconds/minutes
*Blessing in disguise* or *Turn Lemons into Lemonade*Use harmful factors (particularly, harmful effects of the environment or surroundings) to achieve a positive effect.
Use the waste created in the house to fuel it (for energy). Heat produced can be stored.
FeedbackIf feedback is already used, change its magnitude or influence.
Change sensitivity of a thermostat when cooling vs. heating, since it uses energy less efficiently when cooling
Cheap short-living objects
Use paper-based products for towels, etc. to reduce laundry, and then they can be used in creating energy for the house (see above, #22)
Color changes
Make walls be able to change color, or become transparent, to see what's behind them ( to make it easier to check for leaks, wiring issues), or to hide or make the TV blend in when you don't want to see it. ALso, this could reduce the need for wallpaper/painting if wall color could be changed by the push of a button.
Composite materialsChange from uniform to composite (multiple) materials.
use lighter, cheaper, and easier to produce materials when building the house (fiberglass frames vs wood).
Merging
build units of houses that stack together (similar to apartments), have "rooms" you can just add to the top of the house if you need more space. remove and change them if you want to.
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