Week of August 16 Blog Post

1. I don't think this world will have a generation of idiots, but I do think that a large portion of kids and young adults will be more depressed. The lack of person-to-person touch and local friendship and physical communication and body gestures will change the way people communicate. Like how once upon a time, taking off your hat was a sign of respect, but in many (non-old fashioned) places now, hats (especially beanies, thick headbands, and ball caps) are just another fashion accessory. Things change. That's what they do.
The entire idea behind the internet is that it's an information superhighway- generations of people will have knowledge of everything imaginable at their fingertips. Those that choose to utilize it won't be idiots and with a child's innate need to learn, education is going to slowly be changed by the influx of advancing technology. 

2. Unavailable :(

3. While I do agree that there's a time and a place for technology in the home, this commercial strikes me as just that-- an overacted commercial. It was nice to see those families getting along, but I know very few people who have loving, functional families and technology (the pepper grinder) isn't going to fix those that don't. 

4. While I'm not totally sure if I believe this scientist because he hasn't submitted any research paper to peer review, it'd be amazing if he were successful because he wasn't trying to design a baby- he was trying to program in an innate HIV vaccine into an embryo. With his second try 

5. I ended up looking at this link for the Times inventions of 2018. 
My top favorite contenders are the blood free malaria testing, the bee health food, the roofing that fights smog pollution, diamonds forged in plasma, and 3D printing the end of homelessness. 
Malaria is a horrible scourge in warm, tropical areas and more efficient testing could save many more lives. Pollution is killing the planet, which in turn affects all our wildlife, including our bees, which are arguably one of the most important pollinators in the world, without whom we face mass plant extinction. See this to know why real diamonds (lab grown cubic zirconia are just as pretty!) aren't worth the cost. 
And 3D printing is just beginning. It's already catching on in the entertainment and product sectors, allowing small businesses to create custom requests in the same amount of time it might take to create one mass-produced creation. Etsy and other online sellers are full of artists selling actual figures and files of things they've made online. It's only a matter of time before it goes mainstream. The amount of labor that goes into making one 3D printed house is a fraction of what it takes to pay a construction team. If this can really take root, then it'll be a huge breakthrough for those living under the poverty line. 

5. I'm not sure that the HIV vaccine will have much effect on the day-to-day lives of everyone, but it will be a huge step in the right direction for those who live with or date HIV+ people. I think that soon (hopefully) HIV will just be another vaccine to get (and it'll be saving lives, which will be a huge deal, but still. just another vaccine). 

6. Social media is more than just a way to surf the web- it's a way to keep in contact. The reason it's popular along all ages is because everyone wants friends. Everyone craves a place where they are accepted and safe. Grandparents especially crave a relationship with their children and grandchildren, which is why older generations are flocking to social media. 

These were all really interesting and while I'm excited to see where this technology leads us, I know that there's a lot of work to be done environmentally and I'm not super comfortable moving forward until we can do it responsibly.