‘The perception of a narrow mind is statistically
more likely a misconception’
- © Technocity
With
that quote in mind, let’s try to find an answer to the following question. What
is Technology? How does it feel like when I ask this question? Thousands of
answers flocking in your mind but none actually able to peep out of that small
hole. How narrow or wide do we choose to focus our search?
5 lac tech blogs; 50 million people subscribed to those
blogs; 3 billion internet users in the world;
2.5 billion Google searches today, 72% are technology related; 110
million $ spent on video games today; 250 million MWh energy used today; 51
million barrels of oil pumped today; 7 billion is the current world population.
http://www.worldometers.info/
Back to the question now. Let’s try to answer this
question by resizing one of the answers to fit in that narrow hole. So is it
about the new tablet in market or is it
about the latest version of android? It is in fact about all these things but
is it only about these things? The problem with human brain is that we can
percept one thing in a zillion different ways. All these ways can however be
categorized into narrow minded approach and broad minded approach. We will deal
with both these situations through the course of this article.
Technology is
the evolution of an idea. It’s a vision of a visionary and a pre composition of
an artist. It is an inspiration that facilitates or improves. It is a tool to
ensure a better future. Most importantly, it is an object that just won’t fit
in your fist no matter how big you are. When I hear this kind of thing, it puts me in mind of some James Cameroon’s
production intent on wrecking masses, putting the world in misery for a better
future. Needless to say, it’s nothing like that. Stressing on natural resources
to sustain future and making the world a feasible planet to live on, how can
you rationally put all your stakes on one side of the coin? But that’s not the
case we are scrutinizing here.
I am not painting a halo but the fact is that we, especially Indians,
are easily content. Our desire to expand the horizon of mind is suppressed by
narrow mindedness and lack of knowledge. Oh! Please don’t flash that iPhone in
front of your screen or I should say, in front of your tab. Let’s stop talking
in loop and move straight to the point.
How many of you are interested in being a graphic designer? With
computer playing an eminent role in graphic designing, handmade art lost its
ground. 3D graphic designing is changing the face of the world due to immense
growth of modern architecture. Graphic Designing is a vast and booming field.
It’s the only field where success is directly proportional to your creativity. However,
People still prefer engineering over choosing designing as a career. Why shouldn't they? After all, engineering is a much more stable option than
designing. Ever wondered why? How many institutes and organizations can you
name which teaches or produce state of the art visual F/X? Heard about Autodesk
Maya? Luxology? Houdini? Zbrush? Cinema 4D? 3DS Max? (Graphic designers may
find it offending, apologies from my side) The basic architecture is very
limited in our country, even if it is there, output is absent. You have an
entire Internet at your exposure with information about each and every bit of
those softwares. 90% Indians will watch a movie made on these softwares and
appreciate it with all their heart. Ever tried to learn how to make one? These
are the direct applications of phenomenal advancement in computer hardware (and
software) my friend!
Think about the reasons why we can’t produce a single Hollywood
standard (technically) sci-fi or animated movie, this will be the end of this
section.
NID Ahmedabad, DSK
Supincofom Pune, ICAT Chennai, MAAC Andheri are some of the reputed animation
and designing institutes in our country.
Gaming is another example, still hung on Counter Strike and most
wanted? Pace up, World has moved to a different dimension. LAN gaming died 2 years
ago and multiplayer gaming is the new standard. Calling in all the Comp. Science
branch students doing engineering. This is the field where the skills you have
learned are put to test. Free SDKs are
available but how many of you know how to work with them? Remember, iPhone 4 cost 35k so don’t give all
that ‘poor config PC’ crap.
Let’s open another pore. Everyone knows how to use ‘Shazam’ on your
android mobile. Very few know how to make that app. Of course that’s how it
should be. Now let’s introduce a third dimension. How many of you WANT to know
how that app works? (Question is for general audience) Any statistical figure?
Or is it too small to ignore? I can see that pore opening up slowly. Purpose solved!
So yes, you are an engineer. This means that you have the utmost
knowledge of technology as you are the very creator of it. I am curious to know
how you keep up with it. I mean, the books you worship are written 4-5 years prior
to current time. Things MIGHT change in 5 years. I conducted a survey few
months back asking (nearly 150 student engineers) ‘Are you linked with any
society or club in your college or outside it which can help you cover this 5
year gap?’ Result is alarming! A staggering 71%! Yes this is the number who
voted for what was expected (or unexpected). It’s absolutely correct that our
grades will fall if we try to move in another direction apart from engineering,
time is a necessary evil. It’s hard to find time to focus on anything else
apart from what is related to your course. ‘General knowledge’, the word maybe
of least importance to many, but it will be shocking and worth a dive if we go
deep into it. [refer to 2nd last para]
Technology is not just a box filled with toys
(gadgets), it is as expanded as our environment and as complex as our brain.
Human beings are considered to be ever evolving specie, but are we so
handicapped that we have to assign a machine to carry on further steps of procedure
of evolution? Quantity is outweighing Quality in our country which is a very
serious issue. Let’s shed some more light on this, keep your view wide while we
go through it.
CORRUPTION!
You may wonder why out of thin air this term marks its appearance for the first
time in our journey. Here is my take: Inflation, crippling govt. policies,
increasing crime rate, increasing scandals, unemployment, everyday strikes and
riots, politicians fighting like cats and dogs; it can make a good rap I tell
you. So here is the culprit! The be all and end all of all our discussions. Look
at China, an epitome of success, definition of technological advancement. Tiny
creatures, small eyes, expressionless face without a hint of freckle (not being
a racist). A land serving home for 1,338,299,500 humans, regarded
as titans of technology. How come they achieved so much in so little time? Cheap
labor? Yes, mandatory –everybody graduate high school? Yes, the citizenry are required to work seven days
a week? Yes, NIL complaints by citizens? Yes. Well, quite a lot
of reasons. What about INNOVATION? I don’t think there is any need to cite
examples of the same. Country serve home for almost any kind of job and the
very backbone of this nation strives on innovative and creative ideas and a
hardworking and dedicated labor. Why do you think I am discussing all this with
you? The point is that development of these nations is credited to the people.
The work which serves as their career is treated as merely a skill in our country.
Their government is supporting them, that’s one thing, but they know about
these things and have the potential to develop a market out of it, is another.
If you blame corruption, red tapism and weak government for our country being
still regarded as a developing nation then the very people blaming corruption
for their lack of knowledge should also be blamed equally.
Engineers design things to solve problems or improve already provided
solution. Let’s not go into Einstein, Newton, Tesla, Edison and the likes, that
will be boring I guess. Nicole
Richard, for example, is using Lego kits to fire up young minds all over the
world with the possibilities of technology. Chieko Asakawa is making the Web
accessible to the blind. Kevin Hardy is part of a team attempting to send a man
to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot in the world’s oceans.
And Brent Bushnell is creating complicated machines with a simple purpose: to
delight and enthrall. [spectrum.ieee.org]
Now don’t be a hero and start researching
on some out of the world technology that will change the world (how ironical).
The point is, read such news and REACT. Be a crusader if you want. Isn't it far
most interesting than knowing which tablet is next on shelves and what rocked
at CES 2012? Hmm…maybe not….but you get the point.
Globalization has affected every aspect of our life be it economy,
culture, market, technology, thinking and innovation. It has given us an
opportunity to keep up with the world and excel towards a better future by
learning new skills. My point is that if we think at the student level, had
there been something which could inform us of what’s the current status of
market, how to sell our products and what kind of products are currently in the
market and weather the technology about which we are learning is profitable in
future at all or whether there is a better replacement for it. Of course you
will get to know all these once you are hired by a company, but it could have
saved that gap between theory and implementation and most importantly the
knowledge of current trend and technology altogether.
Content is enough for producing healthy discussions so
let’s end it here. You may notice that I am not writing any conclusions in my
article (yes another amateur writer who keep on insulting people of his country
without providing any solution). But wait! If you think so, then my friend! All
my time in writing this article is wasted sadly, and you still belong to former
category.
0 comments:
Post a Comment