SCS News and Views: The future of technology

by Jamie Williamson, SCS 8th grade intern

Technology is a powerful and scientifically engaging resource that drives us to innovate and help make our lives better. I am most interested in the kinds of technologies that are less common, like home/lifestyle technologies and medicine. But the truth about everyday gadgets like smartphones is that most people spend loads of money on the newest tech like the new iPhone, the latest software for your tablet, and the biggest 70 inch Samsung flat screen TV on the market. But is technology more than just that? Why do we all want the newest tech gadgets right when they come out?

Lauren Hart is the Director of Engineering at Primus Power, a company that is designing a battery that can be installed on a power grid. The battery enables renewable energy sources to operate harmonically on the grid. When Mrs. Hart first had science class, she pretty much knew at the time that she wanted to work in the tech industry. Mrs. Hart believes communication on all levels, email, smartphones and social media, is the most revolutionary part of technology currently.

But what can happen is that technology may not always be helping us; it may make us too connected. “Technology has changed so much in our everyday lives. But with these devices, people are almost TOO connected.  Many people feel disabled or incapacitated if their phone isn’t within arm’s reach, which is a worrisome level of dependency,” wrote Mrs. Hart. Phones are a good source of communication, but may be distracting us from what we are really doing. If you are eating dinner at a restaurant with friends and all you do is check your phone, the conversation you are having with your friends may not be going very well. Your phone seems to almost be a part of you, and when it isn’t around, you feel like a part of you is gone. But really, if it isn’t with you and you are not in a dire situation, turning that phone off and putting it away is really the best option in a conversation.

Medical technology is making great advancements, with the help of Google. Without heart rate monitors and special medical computers, many people would die more easily and more often. A medical news website called MedGadget published an article on Nov. 4 about Google and its entrance into medical technologies. “Just a few months ago, the tech giant partnered with Novartis to license a glucose measuring smart contact lens,” wrote the website. Google already makes many types of products, so this will hopefully be another useful creation that will be used in the medical field.

Technology does not always take on the form of a screen. Some of the coolest tech isn’t held in your hand or used in hospitals, it flies in the air above us. Drones are incredibly powerful aircraft that are used quite often in the military to scout ahead and capture what is below on the battlefield with cameras. They are used mainly for the reason that they are unmanned and can be controlled behind the lines and far away. According to wired.com, “almost 1 in 3 U.S. warplanes is a robot,” so less pilots run the risk of being shot down.

Drones are not only used in warfare, they are also starting to take a role in large companies like Amazon. Amazon has announced Prime Air, a delivery system that is aimed to get packages to customers in 30 minutes or less using “unmanned aerial vehicles.” The company says Prime Air will take some time, but they’ll be ready as soon as the FAA grants Amazon permission.

But could drones be the best option? Drones will save lives in wars, but could potentially kill more if they are used to pinpoint a target to shoot missiles at. But another potentially bad reason is privacy. Drones will unfortunately be used to spy on people, and do you really want to be captured on camera by an aircraft you don’t know is there? Probably not. This could lead to many new laws regarding drones, and it all boils down to one statement: A drone is not a toy, so it should not be treated like one.

The last type of technology I think is quite interesting is home/lifestyle technology. My family recently purchased a Nest thermostat, a learning thermostat that is built by Nest Labs which is now owned by Google after a $3.2 billion purchase. The thermostat learns your household habits and can detect motion in front of it, which is how it learns when you are around. It can also be controlled by an app on your smartphone when you aren’t around. Nest can also track your energy usage and the best part is, all of these features are built to help you save money. The thermostat’s learning and auto schedule features can end up saving you around 10 percent on your energy bills, but this varies greatly depending on where you live and your habits about how often you are home.

Technology is a wonderful thing. I learned it is more than just a phone or TV, and that it is useful in many ways. Technology is always expanding and new things are always being invented. There’s one thing you can always be sure of in the technology world, and that is that technology will always become better with time.