Lesson 12 - Presentation week 2

Today marks the last lesson of TWC and is also the second class dedicated to presentations. There were a total of 5 presentations and they covered a broad spectrum of topics – prosthesis, trans-humanism, sex advertising, food of the future and virtual reality.

The first presentation was on prosthesis, with a particular focus on mind-controlled bionic limbs and state-of-the-art prosthesis that are used by disabled athletes to enable them to realize their athletic potential and compete with able-bodied athletes at the most elite levels. Two issues were raised by the group which I found particularly troubling/interesting. The first – that bionic limbs which do not leave finger imprints may be used by the ill-willed to commit serious crimes such as murders. This is a profound and chilling scenario to contemplate and is a apposite example of how technology may be a double-edged sword. Although the benefits of such bionic limbs are undoubtedly extensive and would transform the lives of the disabled, such innovations are also liable to misuse which could result in devastating consequences. The second – the group was of the view that disabled athletes who are fitted with advanced prosthesis are given an unfair competitive advantage over their able-bodied counterparts and should not be allowed to participate in the same events as the latter group. The group cited the example of Oscar Pistorius, who was the first double amputee to compete at the Olympics in 2012. However, what the group failed to mention was that Oscar Pistorius had not, as one might expect in the group taking issue with the unfair advantage afforded by athletic prosthesis, won the event in which he participated in – the 400m race. Pistorius had come in last in the semi-finals and was booted out of the competition. Hence, I do not think it accurate to say that disabled athletes equipped with modern prosthesis which enable them to compete in the same events as their able-bodied counterparts necessarily have a disproportionate advantage over athletes relying on their natural limbs. Disproportionate advantage should not be the basis on which disabled athletes and able-bodied athletes are completely segregated in events – many disabled athletes dream of competing on the same level as able-bodied athletes and the fact is that there are a lot more platforms and opportunities for competition for able-bodied athletes than there are specially created events for Paralympics. This issue of advantage and the actual extent that bionic limbs enhance the performance of disabled athletes should be further investigated before any conclusive assertion should be made on it and policy implemented in proceeding on such assertions.

The second group presented on trans-humanism, and some of the material covered overlapped with the first group. Essentially, the group explored the different types of assistive technologies which complement and enhance the performance of daily activities of living of the user – from bionic eyes which help the blind to regain sight, to brain pacemakers which purportedly could overcome severe brain damage in patients by awakening them using deep brain electrical stimulation. All these technologies seem to hold great promise and are indeed intriguing. If these technologies were to be made widely available and accessible, disability would become a term of the past.

The third group presented on the topic of sex advertising – how it came about, how it has evolved and how it will develop in future, with the advent of new technologies and introduction of novel platforms on which advertisements may be taken out. I felt the website created by the group to be rather blatant and explicit, although the illustrations did thoroughly drive home the points that the group sought to make – that women were being excessively objectified in some forms of advertising and how excessively photoshopped advertisements have impacted how women and men perceive themselves and the ideal body types of both gender. I felt that the points raised by the group were especially pertinent in this day and age which witnesses increasing consumption of media and advertisements that proliferate all around us. Young children and impressionable youths are increasingly drawing their beliefs and perceptions of the world from the images and ideas portrayed by the media. The consequences of this unfolding phenomenon are especially worrying and concrete and urgent measures should be taken to address them to alleviate the harmful effects of these consequences. One example as noted by the group, was how certain advertisements by established clothing retailers which portrayed violence against women and represented women as deriving pleasure from such violence, were banned in some countries. I felt that this was a very crucial and sensible move by the government. In a time when rape is deemed to be a severe criminal offence in numerous countries, violence against women cannot be tolerated, and advertisements which, whether intentionally or otherwise, normalised such acts of violence must not be allowed to register seemingly matter-of-factly in societal consciousness.

The fourth group presented essentially on the issue of food security and how it could be enhanced, especially in countries currently experiencing acute poverty. The group identified that the main problem was not a quantified lack of food, but rather, a failure of proportionate distribution of the total amount of food produced. I completely agree with the group’s proposition and findings. It is inconceivable to me how there can be so much wastage in developed countries – expansive quantities of unsold bread thrown away at the end of each day by bakeries; uneaten food at buffets simply discarded and fresh batches prepared for the next buffet timings – when there are people who can barely scrap together one decent meal a day in the poorest countries and there are millions dying of starvation and malnutrition in the world. The technology and processes which the group explored as possible promising solutions to resolve the issue of world hunger spanned a broad spectrum, from harnessing biotechnology in the production of GM food and in-vitro meat to the use of improved agricultural technologies and processes to enhance quantity and quality of yield. I also really enjoyed the interactive and innovative mode of presentation employed by the group – the group started off their presentation with a short skit illustrating the subject matter of their presentation – that of the differing circumstances faced by farmers labouring in rural regions and “farmers” in developed countries.

The last presentation was on virtual reality and the group also started off their presentation with an innovative demonstration of how virtual reality may be employed in real life. The group presented on 4 fields in which virtual reality is currently employed – that of medical, transport, military and in the virtual world. Indeed, the value and potential of this technology is extensive and mankind is only limited by his imagination. Just consider the utility and benefit of such virtual simulation in the field of transport and surgery – novices/amateurs (e.g. fighter jet pilots and surgeons) are allowed to hone their skills to a level of competence in a harmless and safe environment before they can be deemed certified to operate in actual, potentially high-risk situations. This greatly reduces the likelihood of casualty rates and moderates the steepness of learning curves, enabling improved quality of professional skill sets.

I would rate this lesson a 10/10 for being the most enjoyable and light-hearted TWC lesson of the semester. All the groups had put in much thought and effort into their presentations and incorporated really amusing antics and attempts at interacting with the class throughout their deliveries. I also learned a lot from the extensive range of topics covered.