Category: Effects of Technology

Many people in today’s society are consumed by the constant technological advancements; however, these advancements do not always have positive effects. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury highlights a dystopian society in which technological advancements have caused their society to go downhill. Bradbury’s concern on technology is coming true universally with many being addicted, constantly distracted, and achieving less in school because of technology’s influence.

Countless amounts of people are becoming addicted to technology, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and increase the suicide rate. There have been “[associations] between internet addiction” (“Internet Addiction Linked to Self-Harming”) and depression in youth, as well as “higher rates of depression [and] anxiety” (Peukert et al). For students, researchers found a connection “between internet addiction and self-injurious behaviour” (“Internet Addiction Linked to Self-Harming”) even saying this behavior is now “twice as likely” (“Internet Addiction Linked to Self-Harming”). People who use an electronic devices for over 5 hours a day show “48 percent had suicide-related outcomes” (Kelly “Teen Suicide Rate Suddenly Rises”). The suicide rate went from “32 percent in 2009 to 36 percent in 2015” (Kelly “Teen Suicide Rate Suddenly Rises”) for males and from “40 percent in 2009 to 45 percent in 2015” (Kelly “Teen Suicide Rate Suddenly Rises”) for females. Smartphone and social media usage skyrocketed from “58 percent in 2009 to 87 percent in 2015” (Kelly “Teen Suicide Rate Suddenly Rises”) with 14% more likely than others to feel depression. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury describes how the handymen get “9 or 10 [cases] a night” (Bradbury 15) of people overdosing on their sleeping pills. The main character, Montag, even points out they “have everything [they] need to be happy, but [they] just aren’t” (Bradbury 82).

The society portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 shows how consumed the people are in technology, just as many people in today’s society become easily distracted by technology while driving or in school. Bradbury points out two key examples of technology, “little seashells, the thimble radios” (Bradbury 12) used to continuously occupy the person’s mind, and “the TV parlor” (Bradbury 19) used to entertain everyone for hours on end. Distracted driving is a problem in our society with “more than 3 million drivers” (Marshall “Everybody Uses Their Phone While Driving”) using a cellphone “on 88 percent of their journeys” (Marshall “Everybody Uses Their Phone While Driving”). Some people, like the members of The Slippery Slope political party, disagree with the use of texting bans using evidence showing “accidents actually increased after the ban” (“Inconvenient Truths to a Ban”); however, the risk without the ban is much greater. On average drivers spend “3.5 minutes on the phone per one hour trip” (Marshall “Everybody Uses Their Phone While Driving”), when “two seconds can increase the risk of an accident up to 24 times” (MailOnline “Drivers are More Distracted”) 3.5 minutes can increase the risk of an accident up to 2520%. School is another subject technology is affecting. Student’s use of technology “for non-learning reasons” (Schaffhauser “College Students More Distracted”) went from 30% and “rose to 34 percent” (Schaffhauser “College Students More Distracted”). Students used “fighting boredom [as] the most common reason” (Schaffhauser “College Students More Distracted”) for using technology in class, but “eight percent in 2013” (Schaffhauser “College Students More Distracted”) reported to never using technology in a distracting way. These numbers dropped “to three percent for 2015” (Schaffhauser “College Students More Distracted”) with more students becoming distracted from school.

With the increase of technology in schools via computers, there has been a decrease in scores for digital reading and in mathematics. Computer’s introduction has been more of a “distraction rather than an aid” (Glance “The World Learns a Lesson”), but some argue “teachers were not adequately trained” (Glance “The World Learns a Lesson”) to incorporate technology in teaching. Scores show “students who use computers very frequently at school do a lot worse in most learning outcomes” (Glance “The World Learns a Lesson”). Bradbury predicted in Fahrenheit 451 “English and spelling [would be] gradually neglected” (Bradbury 55) and digital reading scores prove this. An OECD powerpoint on Students, Computers, and Learning shows more than half of the countries surveyed are doing worse than expected in digital reading and students with computerized reading are only scoring moderately. Slide 41 of the powerpoint shows the decrease of mathematical performance as schools continue to use computers and technology to teach (“Students, Computers and Learning”).

Ultimately Bradbury’s ideas are becoming a reality in today’s society. With people becoming addicted to technology comes with negative mental side effects, distractions from many tasks, and decrease in school related scores. Fahrenheit 451 shows us technology is destructive and our society is proving Bradbury right, if we do not limit our technology use our society may become their society.

What is Robotics? How does robotics work? Will Robotics technology actually be able to take over the future of technology? Robotics is the Technology that involves the design, maintenance, and use of robots. According to https://careers.stateuniversity.com, “Robots are directed by microprocessors, which are tiny computers that are installed in these machines.

Why were robots created? Robots were originally created to make life easier for humans and advance technology and help humans understand the power of technology. Robots were created in many different forms for different reasons. Here are a few examples; 1) wireless vacuum, the wireless vacuum makes it easier for people to get their floors clean without having to be connected by a cord that only lets you go a certain length. 2) A drone (a flying robot), a drone was created to be remote controlled through the software that is installed into the drone. 3) Polar robots, were created to take the place of an arm (if a person loses an arm). According to The Fourth Age by Byron Reese, “The ancients had many extraordinary technological breakthroughs, but since they lacked the technology and a process for publishing and disseminating information about them, they were quickly forgotten.”

When many people think of robots usually science fiction, and action movies come to mind, for example, Star Wars, Terminator, and Wall-E. Robots in movies are usually portrayed in many different ways, but they are rarely ever portrayed in how they are used in real life. Robots are micro and macro machines that are capable of carrying out routine and complex actions due to complex programming. Over the past 100 years, robotics technology has advanced beyond imagination. Robots went from being able to tell time and entertain society, to now being used for performing surgery, space exploration, manufacturing, and many other functions.

How was robotics able to evolve to this level of intelligence? According to https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/history-evolution-robots-robotics-pathfinder-hal-nadine.html, “The first modern robot was made in 1810. It was a soldier with an automatic bellow (a device with an airbag that emits a stream of air when squeezed together with two handles) that could blow a trumpet. The creator was Friedrich Kauffman from Dresden, Germany.”

After the first modern robot was officially made robotics began to evolve throughout the years. They became bigger, better, more intelligent, and more efficient as technology progressed. As robots begin to grow in size they also grew more intelligent, they seemed to be taking over the world. Robots have slowly yet surely been taking over the world. Everywhere you look these days there seem to be robots at every corner. For example, when you go to the store you see the robotic vacuum cleaner, toy robots for kids, etc. Robots are taking over the modern world. Artificial Intelligence is highly disputed and feared among society for its far-reaching capabilities and ramifications upon humanity. The question on the horizon is whether an intelligent robot take over humans. How smart can we make these artificial robots? Programing emotions into machines and giving free thought to nuts and bolt pieces may yield disastrous for mankind or be the beacon of hope we need. Only time may tell as we continue making huge strides in Robotic technology every day.

As robots have been slowly invading our industrial world people have been starting to all ask the same question. Will robots take over our jobs? If they do take our jobs when would it most likely happen? According to https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/26/robots-could-take-over-20-million-jobs-by-2030-study-claims.html “These findings should not lead policy-makers and other stakeholders to seek to frustrate the adoption of robot technology. Instead, the challenge should be to distribute the robotics dividend more evenly by helping vulnerable workers prepare for and adapt to the upheaval it will bring.” Even though some people may worry that their jobs will be taken over by robots they should also keep in mind that no job lasts forever. Robots were created for a reason, even if most of the population doesn’t know why.

Can robots think? Can they be conscious? Robots can do a variety of different tasks. Over the years robots have advanced tremendously and some scientists think these advanced robots would be able to have the ability to think on their own. Scientists do not predict that robots will be able to think for themselves they are just hunks of metal without a brain. Without a brain, there is no other possible way for the robot to be able to think on its own.

The three big questions in robotics technology are, what will robots be capable of in the future? Will robots ever be able to think by themselves? Will robots steal our jobs from us? No one can give an accurate answer to these questions because future technology is unknown. That doesn’t mean that we can’t observe these things as time goes by. Technology changes every day, no one can predict what will or could happen, technology is an unknown cycle that we help advance every day.

Why do humans desire to have robots? Humans desire robots because of the three D’s kind of jobs. Dangerous, dirty, and dull. To be honest, you could add another four D’s to them disliked, demeaning, draining, and detestable. Humans want to give all of these jobs to robots because they do not have any interest in doing them. Humans are lazy creatures who rely on robots to do their jobs for them. In humans’ view of the future, the factories will run themselves, and all of the requirements needed in life can be met without any human labor.

Do humans have a fear of robots? Human’s primary fear of robots is that humans will have to compete with these robots that they created because they have a fear that robots will take over their jobs. They are afraid that if we continue making robots this advanced that we could end up with a permanently sedentary world.

What is one of the main problems with AI robots? The first problem AI robots have is vision. When humans install a camera in an AI robot all they are able to see is a kaleidoscope of millions of specs of light and colors. This is a problem, because if all they see is just a bunch of specs of color how will they be able to tell the difference between similar things?

A big problem that AI robots have are having to sense where they are. This is both a sensing challenge and an AI challenge. Robotics haven’t even formulated the best practices to do this. Then there is the problem of powering the robot, especially if you want the mobility that batteries enable. Another big problem that AI robots have to face is interacting with objects. While robots are physically stronger than humans and operate in more extreme environments, at present we are a lot more agile across a wider range of tasks.

What happens when the AI robot malfunctions? According to The Fourth Age by Byron Reese, “Digital and mechanical systems are made to be duplicated, errors might be more systematic and harder to detect.” Machine failures have a large potential to cascade. Malfunctions in AI robots can be very dangerous and sometimes deadly for our society. According to TheRegister.com, “robot surgeons have killed 144 patients, hurt 1,391, and malfunctioned 8,061 times.” Most people would look at these numbers and see robots who have taken and injured lots of lives. The real question they should be asking is how many lives have human surgeons lost? According to HTTP://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-many-die-from-medical-mistakes-in-us-hospitals/, “In 2010, the Office of Inspector General for Health and Human Services said that bad hospital care contributed to the deaths of 180,000 patients in Medicare alone in a given year.” When people see on the news that a robot accidentally killed someone, or was the reason that they died, they immediately blame the robot. Well technically speaking it wouldn’t necessarily be the robot’s fault.

There are many things that we should consider when an AI robot a malfunction and someone gets hurt. We humans in society shouldn’t be so quick to blame robots for everything.

Abstract

This project aims to explore the overall importance of space exploration in today’s world and society that has been growing more and more curious every decade that passes and what potential benefits it can offer but also what costs this exploration can have. These benefits could range from medical research using the useful aspect of zero gravity to mining asteroids that contain minerals that our world has been mined free of. However, exploring space is no easy task and many new developments in technology have been made since the first spacecraft, Sputnik 1, entered space. One of these developments has been ion drives which is a relatively unused advancement in thruster technology but what I believe to have huge potential in helping exploit the vast figurative “goldmine” that exists beyond our planet’s atmosphere.

Introduction

Space exploration has an undeniably huge amount of potential benefits but at what cost do these benefits come at and is it “worth it” to keep investing the hundreds of billions of dollars that have been invested in space exploration and other developments just from Nasa in the last decade. There are people who share the opinion that we currently have too many problems here on Earth: poverty, overpopulation, a diminishing supply of fossil fuels that we currently rely heavily on and the list just keeps going. Hence, they believe we should first focus on Earth’s problems before investing in space. I will assess both sides of this argument and determine whether I believe the money invested in space missions is justified or whether I think it should be adjusted. Following this I will also decide how big a role ion drives could play helping us acquire the benefits that space has to offer.

Before I begin exploring and assessing the importance of space exploration in our continuously developing world I should first define what space exploration actually is. Science Daily says “Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space, both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft.”. However, this definition may at first seem restricting to how many benefits space exploration but this is not the case at all. This is because it is often assumed that all space exploration can offer, in return for the billions of dollars invested, is some data and images about planets in our solar system. Although this is often the main objective/direct benefit of most space exploration missions, many other advancements and technologies that are used in everyday life can come as an indirect benefit from these missions. This is why I need to try to value all the benefits that come from space exploration and compare this to the money and resources invested into the missions in the first place.

Ion drives are a method of propelling spacecraft through space and due to their high efficiency,could help lower these costs; they also have some distinct features that could allow us to explore further into space than ever before.The idea for ion drives was conceived in the early 1900s but due to the low thrust of ion drives; they are only operable in a near, or more ideally, a perfect vacuum because an atmosphere’s resistance negates the thrust from the ion drive. Hence, to be able to test the thruster; a vacuum would be needed as well as, ideally, a gravity-free zone because it is best to trial technology in the place where it will be most commonly used. This of course, leads us to one solution, we would first need to be able to enter space to test the drives to their fullest extent so when we first reached it in 1957, the previous concept became a much more realistic idea and just a decade later ion drive technology was able to be tested in space. In recent years, ion propulsion has also found itself other uses; including being used to keep low earth orbiting satellites from descending into the surface.

Basic principle

Not all ion drives operate the same way and there are several different thrusters which have been engineered slightly differently, with the main difference being the field used to accelerate ions which varies from electromagnetic to electrostatic fields. The process of achieving thrust occurs when atoms are bombarded by a beam of electrons to knock out an electron from the outer shell of the atoms, hence forming positive ions, which are positively charged particles, whilst in an electrostatic field and they are guided through a grid of negative charge that accelerates the ions. Finally, a neutralizing ray is fired into the accelerated ions after they leave the thruster to stop them from being attracted back towards the grid which would prevent the thruster from accelerating. {NASA, 2019}

Chemical rockets

Again, not all chemical rockets are identical but I will explain the principle behind how they are able to achieve acceleration. At the base of the rocket, there are either multiple or just 1 large combustion chamber that is filled using pumps with propellant from the main fuel supply which is usually liquid hydrogen, however, this can vary. An oxidizer is then added which causes the fuel to ignite which forms a gas. This has a much higher volume than its corresponding mass of liquid or solid propellant and this causes a huge amount of pressure to build. Following this, the pressurised gas is ejected out of nozzles and this pushes the rocket forward due to some fundamental physics that is explained by Newton’s third law, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. {Grc.nasa.gov, 2019}

Why would we use ion drives rather than the most common type of propulsion system, the chemical propulsion system?

The main advantage of an ion drive is its efficiency as the exhaust velocity of ion drives is typically 10 times that of a chemical propulsion system’s exhaust velocity (Exhaust velocity is the velocity at which the propellant is expelled from the thruster). The secret to the efficiency of ion drives is actually no secret at all but it just hides behind the laws of motion discovered by Sir Isaac Newton over 300 years ago in 1686. Specifically, it’s the 2nd and 3rd law that we are most interested in here. As an example, I’ll use the Dawn spacecraft’s ion thruster to explain how the different newton’s laws allow ion drives to work. Dawn’s propellant was xenon and this was specifically chosen due to its high relative atomic mass and its inert property {Rayman, 2013} {Rayman, 2007}. Note – Lighter elements are avoided as despite the fact they are expelled at faster speeds than heavier elements, after calculations the mass has a larger impact on the resultant force applied to the spacecraft. Also, being a noble gas, it meant that xenon had a full outer shell which prevented accompanying atoms from easily forming bonds, most importantly it won’t form covalent bonds with other xenon atoms to form diatomic molecules like some elements in other groups will do, eg. Cl2, O2, F2 etc.

To start the process of generating thrust; both delocalised electrons and xenon atoms must be supplied into the ionisation chamber, then an electron which has been fired into the chamber by an electron beam will collide with a xenon ion which causes an electron to be knocked out of the outer shell of the xenon atom and this will cause a positive xenon ion to be formed. This positive ion is then accelerated out the end of the thruster by the electric field that surrounds the ionisation chamber and the negatively charged grid that the ion passes through. As these ions are accelerated, F = m * a, shows that each ion will have had a force applied to it by the ion thruster. Because the electric field and the negatively charged grid applied a force on the xenon ion to accelerate it, the xenon ion will apply an equal force in the opposite direction on the ion drive. It is this process that causes the spacecraft to accelerate but this acceleration is almost immeasurable because the mass of the ions which are expelled are so small which must mean that the force applied to the ion was also minute. The acceleration of the spacecraft is therefore very small as the force exerted on the spacecraft is extremely small and the mass of the spacecraft is large hence the small acceleration.

Lit review

The sources that I have used; have supplied me with essential information and data which have allowed me to construct arguments around my various topics within the focus of my dissertation. My sources come in a large plethora of different styles which include dissertations, scholarly articles, reliable websites and even the logs of NASA missions.

First, I had to gain a strong yet basic understanding of how both ion drives and chemical rockets work. For this, I looked at a wide array of websites until I located the most suited source which ended up being from NASA’s website. I believe this to be a reliable source as they are a large and well-respected government agency that I don’t believe would have a reason to be biased when explaining the mechanics of both methods of propulsion, especially as the details were not opinion based and therefore weren’t subjective. Furthermore, the information on their website matched with the other websites which I had previously looked at, which gives me the confidence to say the information is correct.

As I began to explore the Dawn mission as an example of how ion drives can be used in space exploration, I decided to use NASA’s data that they gathered as well as some of the logs on Dawn’s progress. Although I have already mentioned that I believe NASA to be a reliable source, they would have a reason to be biased with this information as it would appear better for them as an agency if the mission that cost millions of dollars was a success. On the other hand, I don’t think NASA has been unreliable in this situation as they have thousands of images that DAWN precured on its mission which they have made readily available to the public which they could have kept private if the images weren’t as successful and knowledge inducing about the orbited masses as they were claiming. There are also logs of DAWN’s progress all throughout its journey which highlight what the were aiming for in the succeeding months of the mission. Marc Rayman is the author of these logs, as well as the author of another source I used during arguments surrounding ion drives. From multiple sources that agreed, I found he was the director and chief engineer of the DAWN mission in NASA’s JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab). He has been very well educated and many people, myself included, trust his reports to be factually and statistically correct. Moreover, his reports published by UPI; a very successful and well established publishing agency which further supports the validity of his reports. Being enthusiastic about the mission is part of his job but from the sources I have used, I don’t believe he has been particularly biased as all of the claims he made are supported by evidence and also by NASA.

Discussion

About half a century ago, the first ion drive was built and yet only in the last decade or so has this method of propulsion started to become more widely recognised. A reason for this could be that despite some useful properties, including efficiency, the very small thrust prevents them being used when acceleration is required to be large. It isn’t just the low thrust that has stopped ion drives becoming a more conventional method of propulsion. Although many tests have been carried out, it isn’t cheap to put ion drives in practice and just like lots of other technologies; the risk that potential adopters perceive can delay the progress. However, once this barrier has been overcome and the technology is first tested then the risk of failure is seen as far less; resulting in a much faster development in this technology. For ion drives a big step in its development was the agreement reached in the early 1990’s between Russian, European and American space industries to give chase to the advancement of ion propulsion technology.

Not everybody believes that the benefits we get back from space exploration is worth the cost and in a survey conducted in 2018 carried out by the Pew Research Center in the US found that over a quarter of those surveyed believed that it was not essential for the US to stay a world leader in space exploration. {Pew Research Center Science & Society, 2019}[image: ]

I understand their viewpoint as the only direct benefit we get back from space exploration is scientific knowledge and it is practically impossible to place a price on this knowledge. Depending on your view on space exploration and similar topics you will value this data at different values which would leave the question of ‘Are the benefits of space exploration worth the cost’ unanswered. For example, I can understand why the DAWN mission that cost $500 million in total would not be seen by everybody as a worthwhile investment as all it returned were some images of a couple of asteroids in the asteroid belt. However, these images accompanied by other data gathered by the other scientific instruments aboard DAWN allowed scientists at NASA to come to these conclusions, “Among its accomplishments, Dawn showed how important location was to the way objects in the early solar system formed and evolved. Dawn also reinforced the idea that dwarf planets could have hosted oceans over a significant part of their history – and potentially still do.” {NASA Solar System Exploration, 2019}. This knowledge represents something much greater than just another fact about our solar system. It shows how much progress the human race has made to be able to travel to other planets and gather information on them that can help us picture what they looked like millions of years ago.These successful missions can help motivate global culture . It is this type of innovation that can inspire new generations to quite literally reach for the stars .

One benefit of exploring deep into space is that we create the first line of defence for Earth. Although unlikely it isn’t impossible that a large asteroid could cause some serious damage to Earth, for example, something similar to the dinosaur extinction that happened 66 million years ago could happen. If probes deep into space could identify large asteroids then their path could be calculated and a collision course could be predicted and then from there, we can work on disrupting its course to miss Earth. Although this may sound far fetched, appear to be something seen in a sci-fi movie and you may just assume we would be safe; this has actually become a genuine plan to combat this potential hazard. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART for short is a plan announced by NASA to be launched in 2021 and in 2022 it is set to collide with its targets “a binary asteroid system—that is, a “double asteroid.” This system, named Didymos, has a main body (“Didymos A”) about 750 meters (2,460 feet) in diameter and a satellite (“Didymos B,” though it also has an extremely informal nickname of “Didymoon”) 160 meters (525 feet) or so in diameter.” {NASA, 2019 [2] }.

Nasa has decided to utilise the use of Solar electric propulsion in the form of ion thrusters which has been developed from Dawn’s ion thruster design to achieve a velocity of around 6.6km/s at the point of impact, Nasa believes at this speed and with a mass of 500kg the test should be able to alter the “speed of the moonlet in its orbit around the main body by a fraction of one percent, but this will change the orbital period of the moonlet by several minutes – enough to be observed and measured using telescopes on Earth.” {NASA, 2019 [2]}. Although this change in speed may seem irrelevant to the overall speed of the system: if this change occurred a year before a potential collision it could be enough to divert the asteroid’s path to miss Earth.

Despite the clear benefits of preventing catastrophic damage which could almost certainly involve the deaths of millions if not billions of people varying on the asteroid’s size; the cost of said redirection is not going unnoticed. However, I will discard the cost as a discouragement because if avoiding potential extinction/global destruction is dependent on preventing the collision then it would only be logical for all of the Earth’s gathered resources to be used to prevent a collision as failing to do so would result in there being nobody to . Furthermore, even if explosives were taken with the rocket to further maximise the redirection of the asteroid’s path; if it wasn’t identified as a threat early on enough we may not be able to generate enough disruption to the asteroid’s path to prevent a collision. This is a perfect example that shows us how the first step in preventing a hazard from occurring is to first identify the hazard. Now I have all these details, it is clear that to maximise our chances of avoiding a collision we need to distinguish any asteroids that present a risk to our planet. This is where I believe that the qualities of ion drives can be used. Firstly, they can be used to propel probes far into deep space to locate asteroids, which may propose a threat to earth, that we aren’t able to locate from current telescopes. Secondly, new ion propulsion systems, which are able to achieve much higher power outputs and therefore much higher thrust than a more common ion thruster, can be used to help accelerate the payload spacecraft (responsible for colliding with the asteroid) up to an extremely high velocity to cause a force as large as possible to the asteroid.

.There are many exploration missions within our solar system that require multiple orbits around a planet or other celestial bodies and the mission may even aim to visit multiple targets to gather information. Dawn is a perfect example of this because it visited 2 targets and also completed many orbits around both the largest and second largest asteroids in the asteroid belt found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Dawn travelled a total of 6.9 billion km or 6.9 * 10^12 m. These type of missions favour ion propulsion due to a couple of main reasons. Firstly, long-distance missions take a long time to complete which suits ion propulsion as they can generate small amounts of thrust for extremely long periods of time, it can take years for ion drives to reach the maximum velocity. Despite it taking a long time to accelerate, over a mission that could take over 5 years to complete, the spacecraft using ion propulsion will have completed it faster. Also, if we were to use chemical rockets for long-distance missions, then a large proportion of the rocket’s velocity would have to be generated in a burst of a couple of minutes. This presents a problem in that a small error in the rocket’s initial angle could result in a vast change in direction needed later on in the mission. With ion propulsion, this is not a problem as the acceleration is achieved over a long time which will allow minuscule adjustments to be made to keep the spacecraft along its desired path. After considering this, it is apparent to me that ion propulsion should currently be the chosen method of propulsion for missions that are either a long distance away from Earth or that require a large change in velocity. “Ion thrusters have proven to be a suitable and efficient alternative to conventional propulsion systems.” {Kawnine and Kawnine, 2014}

An example of the success of ion drives is the Dawn mission that was being directed through our solar system over the span of over 11 years from Sept. 27, 2007, until its fuel supply ran out on Nov. 1, 2018, and was left in an uncontrolled but stable orbit around its second target, the dwarf planet, Ceres. It is considered a very successful mission and was able to gather data on two celestial bodies, Vesta and Ceres.

However, I have only tried to give a value to the direct benefits and I haven’t yet considered the indirect benefits of space exploration. Missions into space can have some very important indirect benefits because of the unique nature of space that we cannot commonly explore in many different ways here on Earth.

‘If you like spin-off products, why not just invest in those technologies straightaway, instead of waiting for them to happen as spin-offs?’ The answer: ‘It just doesn’t work that way.’ Let’s say you’re a thermodynamicist, the world’s expert on heat, and I ask you to build me a better oven. You might invent a convection oven, or an oven that’s more insulated or that permits easier access to its contents. But no matter how much money I give you, you will not invent a microwave oven. Because that came from another place. It came from investments in communications, in radar. The microwave oven is traceable to the war effort, not to a thermodynamicist. (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Space Chronicles, W.W.Norton & Company, 2012, p.210.)

This is another argument for why we should continue with missions into space as they have the potential to produce technology for a field that we weren’t even trying to improve. In fact, in

About half a century ago, the first ion drive was built and yet only in the last decade or so has this method of propulsion started to become more widely recognised. A reason for this could be that despite some useful properties, including efficiency, the very small thrust prevents them being used when acceleration is required to be large. It isn’t just the low thrust that has stopped ion drives becoming a more conventional method of propulsion. Although many tests have been carried out, it isn’t cheap to put ion drives in practice and just like lots of other technologies; the risk that potential adopters perceive can delay the progress. However, once this barrier has been overcome and the technology is first tested then the risk of failure is seen as far less; resulting in a much faster development in this technology. For ion drives a big step in its development was the agreement reached in the early 1990’s between Russian, European and American space industries to give chase to the advancement of ion propulsion technology. {ISECG, 2013}

Problems with ion drives

An argument for ion drives not being suitable for exploration far away from the sun is that at this current moment, ion drives are also known as solar electric propulsion. This is because they need a supply of electricity to keep the electric field operating as well as to first the electron beam into the ionisation chamber. This electricity is generated using large solar panels that harness the light emitted by the sun. However, as we move further away from the sun towards the edge of our solar system there is a huge drop off in how much power the solar panels can generate. This is because of the inverse square law that states the intensity of an effect, in this case, light intensity, changes in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the source. This would mean that when a solar panel at the distance Neptune is away from the sun is compared to a solar panel at the distance the Earth is away from the sun the solar panel at Neptune would receive an intensity 19^2 smaller or 391 times smaller than the intensity received at Earth.

As Earth becomes more developed, our need for resources will increase and although we may be able to find alternatives for some finite resources, there will be a limit to how many resources there will be alternatives for. For example, over the last 50 years, the world has produced the majority of its electricity by burning fossil fuels. However, as fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource; we are limited to how long we can use them as they take millions of years to form naturally. To combat this we have developed several sustainable methods of generating electricity. These include; solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and more. However, fossil fuels are not the only non-sustainable resource; there are also many valuable elements and raw materials found in our World’s crust that have become less and less expendable {Ritchie and Roser, 2019}. A perfect example of this is platinum that is used in jewellery, aeronautics, and weaponry but used even more commonly in the hard drives of computers {Rsc.org, 2019}. This makes platinum extremely valuable and millions of dollars are spent trying to mine the rare Earth metal. As we continue to mine the platinum, it is essentially used up and as we are almost always unable to find an alternative substance that can be used as effectively to the original substance that has become scarce. We are also unable to create platinum without the centre of a star and I don’t think we are going to be able to find an alternative method of creating elements any time soon. This leaves us with only being able to use platinum that has already been formed within the limits of our technology. Nevertheless there has been so much advancement in our technology that space is now an available source and additionally there is a dwindling supply of platinum ore deposits on Earth which is forcing companies to look elsewhere for rare metals. As this is the case; I think it is only fair to assume that if a large deposit of platinum or other valuable substances was to be found and could be mined at a reasonable cost then it would gather attention from a lot of companies. This is indeed the case when some large NEA’s (Near Earth Asteroid) were thought to have huge supplies of rare earth metals including platinum. Although it would be very expensive to mine any potential asteroid, due to the small inconvenience of not being able to drive to any mining sites, if the right asteroid could be correctly scanned and analysed then its value can be estimated to ensure that an expensive trip of transporting mining machinery is not wasted.

This is another argument for why ion drives are the key to unlocking the benefits of space as they provide the sustainable thrust that can then be used on just one spacecraft to orbit and scan the composition of multiple asteroids that are thought to have valuable content. Nonetheless, even if mining asteroids does become reality ion drives could only be used for the details I have mentioned. If it came to moving large pieces of machinery, although ion drives could be used to assist the transport, it would be primarily moved using chemical rockets that can provide high thrust and chemical thrusters would also be used to land the machinery. Therefore ion drives will only have a small use in this potential sector of the expanding space industry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. {Grc.nasa.gov, 2019} – Rocket Thrust. [online] Available at: https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/rktth1.html [Accessed 16 Jun. 2019].
2. (International Space Exploration Coordination Group, 2013) – International Space Exploration Coordination Group (2013). Benefits Stemming from Space Exploration. pp.1,2,11,12.
3. {JPL – California Institute of Technology, 2018} – DAWN BY THE NUMBERS. [image] Available at: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/infographic.view.php?id=11364 [Accessed 23 Jun. 2019].
4. {Kawnine and Kawnine, 2014} – Short Review on Electric Propulsion System: Ion Thruster. Undergraduate. Lulea University of Technology.
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6. {NASA, 2019 [2]} – NASA. (2019). Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission. [online] Available at: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart [Accessed 18 Jun. 2019].
7. {NASA Solar System Exploration, 2019} – Quick Facts | Toolkit – NASA Solar System Exploration. [online] Available at: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/dawn/mission/toolkit/quick-facts/ [Accessed 23 Jun. 2019].
8. {Pew Research Center Science & Society, 2019} – Majority of Americans Believe Space Exploration Remains Essential. [online] Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2018/06/06/majority-of-americans-believe-it-is-essential-that-the-u-s-remain-a-global-leader-in-space/ [Accessed 23 Jun. 2019].
9. {Pultarova, 2019} – Ion Thruster Prototype Breaks Records in Tests, Could Send Humans to Mars. [online] Space.com. Available at: https://www.space.com/38444-mars-thruster-design-breaks-records.html [Accessed 16 Jun. 2019].
10. {Rayman, 2007} – The Dawn Of A New Year Calls For A Certain Escape. Washington: United Press International.
11. {Rayman, 2013} – Dawn’s Ion propulsion 10 times more efficient than conventional chemical propulsion. Dawn News. Washington: United Press International.
12. {Ritchie and Roser, 2019} – Renewable Energy. [online] Our World in Data. Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/renewable-energy [Accessed 18 Jun. 2019].
13. {Rsc.org, 2019} – Platinum – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. [online] Available at: http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/78/platinum [Accessed 26 Jun. 2019].

Introduction

Ray Bradbury’s science fiction short story, “The Veldt,” serves as a cautionary tale about the negative implications of excessive reliance on technology. Published in 1950, the story portrays a futuristic world where an advanced virtual reality nursery becomes a catalyst for the downfall of the Hadley family. In this literary criticism essay, we will explore the theme of technology in “The Veldt,” analyzing its implications, symbolism, and the warnings it presents regarding the potential dangers of unchecked technological advancements.

The Nursery as a Technological Enabler

In “The Veldt,” the nursery is an advanced technological invention that acts as a surrogate parent, offering entertainment, education, and a seemingly infinite array of possibilities. However, its uncontrolled access and limitless capabilities raise concerns about the negative consequences of overreliance on technology. Bradbury highlights the nursery’s ability to fulfill every desire of Peter and Wendy Hadley, leading to a detachment from reality and an unhealthy obsession with the virtual world.

Escapism and the Loss of Human Connection

The nursery’s virtual reality setting allows Peter and Wendy to indulge in their wildest fantasies, creating a sinister African veldt where their parents meet a gruesome fate. This represents a form of escapism from the complexities of real life, leading to a disconnection from human relationships. The story underscores the dangers of using technology as a means to escape personal struggles and responsibilities, which can ultimately erode genuine connections and emotional bonds.

Symbolism of the Veldt

The veldt within the nursery holds symbolic significance in the story. It represents the unchecked desires and primal instincts that technology can unleash. The savage imagery of the veldt serves as a metaphor for the destructive potential of unregulated technology and the dangers of succumbing to our darkest impulses. Bradbury’s portrayal of the veldt underscores the need for moderation and control when it comes to incorporating technology into our lives.

The Dehumanizing Effect of Technology

“The Veldt” also explores the dehumanizing impact of technology. As the Hadley family becomes increasingly reliant on the nursery, they lose touch with their emotions and empathy. The automation and convenience provided by technology strip away the essential qualities that make us human, rendering us passive consumers of entertainment. This critique of technology’s ability to devalue human experiences encourages readers to reflect on the importance of maintaining our humanity in an era dominated by machines.

Warning against Unregulated Technological Advancements

Bradbury’s story serves as a warning against unregulated and unrestrained technological advancements. He highlights the potential consequences of blindly embracing technological innovations without considering their impact on human relationships, personal growth, and societal well-being. “The Veldt” calls for a critical examination of the role of technology in our lives and emphasizes the need for responsible usage, setting boundaries, and prioritizing human connection over virtual experiences.

Conclusion

“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury offers a compelling critique of the negative aspects of technology. Through the depiction of the advanced nursery and its consequences on the Hadley family, Bradbury warns against the dangers of unregulated technology, excessive escapism, and the erosion of human connections. The story serves as a timely reminder to exercise caution, moderation, and ethical responsibility in our use of technology. It prompts readers to reflect on the potential pitfalls of becoming too reliant on machines, encouraging us to maintain a balance between the benefits of technological progress and the preservation of our humanity. “The Veldt” stands as a timeless literary work that continues to resonate with readers, reminding us of the perils of unchecked technological advancements and the importance of staying grounded in the face of rapid technological change.

Science fiction, first emerging following the development of modern technology, seems to enjoy tremendous popularity among people nowadays. According to Lynch (2018), Science fiction was the genre most welcomed by subscribers in Netflix. Netflix also foresaw continuous demands for science fiction. For some people, science fiction is merely a way of entertainment, but it is more valuable than this. It also conveys messages to the present-day society, offers us a glimpse of the possible future and excites children’s imagination and curiosity.

To begin with, science fiction mirrors the underlying problems of today’s society. Many fictions stemmed from everyday occurrences. For instance, Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games trilogy, claimed to be inspired when skimming through the reality shows and then the Iraq war footage, whereupon she was struck by the distressing relationship between the media and the war nowadays, which later became the main theme of the trilogy (Armitstead, 2012). Similarly, from Ender’s Game which discusses the child labour and slavery problems, to New York 2140 which focuses on the climate change and unabated rising sea levels, science fiction stories are not based on the castle in the air (Ortiz, 2019). Instead, the crux of many science fiction stories give rise to profound considerations about common social phenomena at the time and stimulate social discussions. In this respect, science fiction offers more than just entertainment.

Besides, science fiction is a window to peek into the possible future. Many a time, what writers have proposed in the sci-fi stories raised scientists’ awareness and shed light on the development of modern technology. For example, HG Wells, one of the ‘fathers of science fiction’, foretold the invention of many objects that are taken for granted in our modern lives from lasers to automatic doors through sci-fi stories such as War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. Hugo Gernsback, after whom the ‘Hugo’ Science Fiction Awards was named, imagined the advent of machine translation and bone conduction hearing aids in 1911. Bone-anchored hearing devices successfully became commercial six decades later, while machine translation materialized in 1990 (The Guardian Labs, 2018). Technology largely improves our lives, and science fiction plays an indispensable part in pointing out the direction for technology.

However, many argued that children and teenagers, as the major target readers for science fiction, are neither adults sophisticated enough to develop a deep understanding about social problems, nor scientists who seek inspiration to make an invention. Therefore, people gradually develop a mindset that reading sci-fi is not of much use to children. People become extremely anxious when children read only science fiction stories instead of classics and literature, which improves vocabulary and writing skills (Denby, 2016). However, science fiction incites children’s imagination, curiosity and helps foster their creativity, too. Based on the research, curiosity seems to be the most important trait contributing to children’s success at school (Brueck, 2017). Thus, both science fiction and classic literature are necessary for children, yet in different aspects. Therefore, people cannot arbitrarily claims science fiction is useless.

In conclusion, apart from offering readers pleasure and a form of escapism, science fiction has additional virtues including reflecting real-life problems, guiding scientific developments, and stretches children’s imagination and curiosity. These merits are what make science fiction irreplaceable and valuable throughout history all the way into the future.

Well, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a science fiction based on its systematic connotations of possibilities and breakthroughs in technological advancements. Science fiction in its entirety entails living the future in rather unimaginable conditions of the present that can only guarantee any such future achievements based on grit. It is therefore a logical projection of the future informed by the desire to advance in knowledge and technical understanding on a specific subject of interest (Sam Moskowitz).

Ernest Cline brings out this aspect of science fiction in his book through the one Wade Watts; a thirteen-year-old teenager who sets forth to unveil the hidden Easter egg in the OASIS that was created by James Halliday prior to his death. With the promise of inheriting the immense powers and control that the successful venture of hunting for the hidden Easter egg would bring, the task, though bound by all manner of impossibilities, hardly blinds his efforts to pursue the course. As underpinned in science fiction that puts more emphasis on the power and capacity of intelligence, wade comes in as the epitome of knowledge in the promise of a better future (William G Contento).

Given his poor background that would perhaps hinder his progress, he goes on to break the chain of such circumstances through his visions and dreams of a better future. Just as science fiction persists within the trials and storms of time, the five years of unsuccessful hunting for the hidden Easter egg had no place in the plot. The possibilities of ultimately breaking the ice birthed by the desire for knowing more dominated the progress of the course (Tymn Marshall).

Likewise, science fiction portrays a case of progress within an intricate web of challenges and impossibilities. It also thrives on a backward environment that forecasts no possibilities of achieving the set goals. In his case, Wade had hideouts within the overcrowded trailer that served as his habitat. This is where he escaped the wrath of his thieving aunt as well as the bullies that would often pull him down. He also grabs the opportunity to attend a virtual high school in programming within OASIS in his quest to find the Easter egg. This clearly brings out the aspect of science fiction in thriving within the desire to go an extra mile in fruitful undertakings (Joe Sanders).

The progressive nature of science fiction is well manifest in Wade’s hunt for the Easter egg. On his first breakthrough in emerging the first in decoding the first clue that subsequently finds the first key, he sees the light of the day that births the impetus to press further in realizing the other keys. He thus depicts the notion that possibilities are not limited to a reserved few who seem to possess stronger financial muscles like the innovative online industries that held the monopoly of technology of the time. The innovative online industries too record their progress in finding the second key in a highly competitive progress (Green, Scott E).

Based on envisaged possibilities, science fictions present a tendency to end blissfully. Characterized within a chain of experiential achievements and challenges alike, the power of creativity in navigating within such systems is well brought out. As Wade ends the plot in finding the third key through creatively choreographed plans and decisions, his story is one of artistic perplexity based on discernable evidences. Wade employs a powerful blend of various elements of science fiction in his plot to realize more (Sam Moskowitz).

References

1. Sam Moskowitz, (2017). The immortal storm: A journal of the history of science fiction fandom, pg 46-78.
2. Joe Sanders, (2018). Science fiction Fandom by the Greenwood press, pg 3-56.
3. Green, Scott E, (2019). Contemporary science fiction, fantasy and horror poetry by New York Greenwood press,pg 90-130.
4. William G Contento, (2016). Science fiction, fantasy and horror, pg 23-89.
5. Tymn Marshall, (2017). Research guide to science fiction studies, 90-154.

Intro

Mankind has always been curious, from discovering new countries back in time to searching the ocean below the earth. Now through advancements in technology, our curiosity has taken control and the void of space has peaked our interests. This has brought some arguments as to whether it is worth the cost and the risk to human life to explore and understand space. Are there benefits to ordinary people on earth? Should this money put into space programs be used for things on earth like reducing poverty and hunger? Is it worth the risks? Space programs still go ahead despite these risks and we as a human race are now looking to go to the moon. After this, the next step is to travel to mars and even populate it. How does this all benefit us?

Pros

Space exploration helps us on earth in many ways as well as expand our knowledge of the universe. New technologies are created as well as medicines to and further cures to illnesses on earth. Jobs are created from this area and it inspires new generations to explore the sky above. Many innovations from space can even protect earth from extinction level events like meteors striking the planet.

Much of the research obtained was from NASA’s official site so the data is reliable. Some of it is recent projects that have occurred, some is from future projects that will occur, and the rest is from past projects that have been successful and helped us on earth.

Exploration into space benefits us on earth. Satellites in the atmosphere allow us to communicate with people across the globe and ask for help anywhere at any time. Satellites can also monitor weather and extreme weather events to help in the future to prevent more deaths and help more people. These satellites need international cooperation to create and maintain which brings mankind closer together. Jobs are created from the line of work which help people on earth, and it helps the countries’ economies as well. Satellites can also monitor asteroids to see if they will hit earth and if they do, they can divert it. (Space X has thought of a satellite that might be able to protect earth from these large rocks. Exploring space can help us find alternative means of energy other than fossil fuels. The sun can be explored further so that we might be able to harness its’ solar energy more efficiently. Space exploration can give us a perspective on the earth and that we need to protect it. We can monitor greenhouse gases and try to reduce the effects of global warming. New technologies are created from the exploration of space and we can learn more about the earth and the universe around us. We could discover the meaning of our existence.

An example of way space innovation can help protect earth is to redirect asteroids from crashing into earth and causing devasting effects. DART, the double asteroid redirection test, will be the first ever method of trying to redirect an asteroid that is on its way to crash into earth. DART will launch in 2021 and crash into asteroid 65803 Didymos’ small moon in 2022. This will change the orbital period of the moon by 4.2 minutes which we will be able to measure and record the effects on earth through telescopes. If this works, it will tell us that a dangerous asteroid comes close to earth, we will be able to redirect by a small collision.

Another way that technology created for space is benefitting us here on earth is that the Galileo satellite constellation is not only providing GPS, but it is also being used to relay SOS calls to first responder. This saves roughly 2000 lives a year and in the future all satellites could have this ability to save many more lives. SOS calls could be relayed from anywhere even without places with signal.

Plant powered sensors have also been developed that send signals to space to satellites. This could help provide sustainable energy, although the plants don’t create a lot of energy now. This could therefore reduce the effects of climate change. For farms in remote places, devices can be connected and allows them to send and receive data from satellites. This can tell farmers how well their crops are doing and report on weather. This can help farmers produce the greatest yield possible and inform retailers about potential harvest. This will therefore improve quality of life of people in remote places and businesses.

Cons

Space may be an interesting place to explore but it is very dangerous and hostile. There is a high risk of death when entering space from rockets malfunctioning to the deadly radiation in outer space. Is this risk worth the reward?

If aliens do exist, our recent presence into space could alert aliens to our presence. They could be more advanced and want our natural resources. We might not be able to stop them. The ventures into space are very costly and could be used to improve life on earth like building new infrastructure and solving poverty and hunger. A lot of fuel is consumed in the process of launching and maintaining spaceships which can potentially create a lot of greenhouse gases and use up precious finite resources on earth. This creates big environmental costs. It is easier to get satellites up into space than to take them down so to get rid of them, satellites just burn up in space. The debris then stays in the upper atmosphere, creating a shield of space rubbish around the world. This travels at very high speeds and can cause serious damage if collisions occur. If this rubbish builds up too much, it can trap us in the earth and never allow us to escape. If we move planets it will leave a lot of litter behind. There are no agreements for the precious resources in space so when we explore further into space and find these resources, wars could break out between countries for these resources and potentially see an end to humanity. We could also bring back harmful resources that could destroy the planet. Many of these disadvantages are theoretical as they may not happen, and others are rare like rockets exploding. The chance of these disadvantages happening are rare but is the effect of these happening worth it?

Not all space launches are successful. Some (although rarely) do explode when launching off into space from malfunctions or errors. This causes death to the astronauts on board which is the greatest risk for going up into space. The slightest errors can cause these events so everything must be exact for the rocket to be successful. The fatality rate of going up into to space is 3.2% is which seems low but not many people have been up into space. If more people go up into space, the rate could jump up. During space flights, 15 astronauts and 4 cosmonauts have died. Also, 11 astronauts, test pilots, and other people have died during tests and training. There has also been many near misses that have occurred that could’ve led to death

Conclusion

Overall, from the research obtained, the benefits outweigh the risks for space travel, and it seems like the next step in human advancement. The argument that we should focus on earth and not other planets is a valid point, but the technology created from space travel benefits humanity as well as advances our understanding of the universe. The costs involved are a small price to pay for the advancement to mankind and the new knowledge we could obtain about us and the universe. Space travel is constantly changing and advancing, and we will be able to go deeper into space every decade. The next step is moon then mars. New colonies will be created, and humans can advance and maybe one day colonise planets outside our solar system. Advancements in space travel protect earth and benefit everyone on it. Space travel gives us humans the drive to expand our knowledge and technology faster than ever before and it seems to give us purpose to explore the unknown. It can help us understand why we are here.

Have you ever thought about what your smartphone has done to you? Smartphones are addictive, and a popular technology commonly used by most of the population. In the article ‘Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation’, Jean Twenge discusses how smartphones are causing troubling issues among the new generation. Twenge, in fact, gives insight to the readers of her article by giving many examples of the issues that come along with the smartphone. Twenge’s main point of her article is to get her audience to understand the harmfulness of this new electronic device. This article over her many side effects of the smartphone and the change in this generation is mostly accurate.

Depression

Twenge claims that “the more time teens spend looking at screens, the more likely they are to report symptoms of depression”. In 2011, for the first time in 24 years, Twenge’s article gives the fact that the teen suicide rate was higher than the teen homicide rate. Smartphones are causing teens unhappiness; all screen activities are linked to less happiness. Not everything on technology is a happy item, a lot of it shows troubles and upsetting pictures. Not only does social media show negativity, but cyberbullying is also a growing problem in 2019. Not a true explanation of why others find it comforting to make mean and harmful comments. Also in her article, she states: “One study asked college students with a Facebook page to complete short surveys on their phone over the course of two weeks. They’d get a text message with a link five times a day, and report on their mood and how much they’d use Facebook. The more they had used Facebook, the unhappier they felt, but feeling unhappy did not subsequently lead to more Facebook use”. Facebook was causing unhappiness. Facebook sends multiple notifications a day that many people don’t care to see. It was irrelevant notifications that were eventually just annoying others and making it frustrating, which will cause unhappiness. If teens got out of the house, even doing homework at a library or after school activities, teens cut the depression rate down significantly. They won’t be paying attention to their smartphones, they most likely won’t even think about it because they are keeping their minds busy with other interests. Smartphones have become an addiction; teens can’t seem to put them down. Maybe it’s a getaway from the outside world.

Sleep

Twenge states in her article that “smartphones are cutting into teens’ sleep”. Many teens now sleep less than seven hours a night, when psychologists state teens should be getting about nine hours of sleep. Twenge states in her article that “fifty-seven percent more teens were sleep deprived in 2015 than in 1991”. Not only that, smartphones have a very strong ability to disrupt sleep. Usually, phones stay within arm’s reach next to a teen’s bed. How many notifications do you think pops up on a phone in the middle of the night? Your phone vibrates or lights up and more times than less, teens will wake up to the notifications, disrupting their sleep. The article states that “teens who read books and magazines more often than the average are less likely to be sleep-deprived”. But the charm of shrewd phones is frequently as well much to stand up to. Not only can no sleep lead to sleep deprivation, but it can also lead to depression, or as Twenge puts it, “phones could be causing depression which leads to lack of sleep”. Sleep deprivation begins to keep increasing among teens. Not as it were it rest hardship substandard, but it is likely connected to heap issues. Counting compromised considering and thinking, helplessness to sickness, weight pick up, and tall blood weight communicated within the article. Maybe teens just get sidetracked on their smartphones they lose track of time, and the next thing you know it’s 2 a.m. and you’ve lost track of time watching funny cat videos on YouTube.

Responsibilities

Twenge says that “putting off responsibilities of adulthood is not an iGen innovation, Gen Xers were the first, but iGen brought back the tradition”. In the article, Twenge talks about the employment rate for teens, the ability to get a job is easy. But teens are starting to just rely on their parents to supply everything for them, and the parents agree. Twenge says in her article that “childhood stretches well into adulthood”. Not being mature enough to get a job is not this generation’s tradition. The generation of the 1990s was the first to put off the job responsibility of teens. Teens are putting off adulthood and it’s making teens immature. They are starting late. Teens are now acting younger than they are. For example, an 18-year-old acts like a 15-year-old, and a 15-year-old acts like a 13-year-old. But teens are just doing this by themselves. Teen influences and changes in the economy take a huge role in how teens act. Parents are stating that teens should not go out and get a job and just rely on them so they can stay home and study. But are they studying? Teens stay up in their rooms and have no social contact with their families, just under the same roof. But what could they be doing in their room? Are they studying or on their addictive smartphones? Since everything is given to teens nowadays, they believe they don’t need a job nor need to take on responsibilities such as an adult.

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, Twenge’s thoughts and facts about smartphones affecting our generation are very well supported by the claims she stated. I feel like she had very detailed explanations for all her claims, but she neglected to discuss the actual good sides of the smartphone. Smartphones are just used incorrectly. Most teens in this generation use smartphones to their advantage in social media. Teens try to fit in and run off of influence by others. When smartphones have the nice perk of actually being useful. A lot of civilians use phones for work, and navigation, they bring information to our developing world, keep track of your near doctor’s appointments, music, etc. Yes, I do believe that smartphones are negatively impacting the growing teens who are soon to be in adulthood. Twenge’s claims are very true, smartphones have very depressing side effects from their misuse. Not only do I believe the false use of them will only get worse, but smartphone addiction will begin to increase significantly. If parents limited their teens’ time on technology, attempted to get them pursued in sports, get into the church, etc., teens would spend less time worrying about what is on their phones and more worried about what’s happening in the world.

Citation

1. Twenge, Jean M. “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”. The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Mar. 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

Introduction

Space exploration has always been a popular topic of discussion ever since the launching of Apollo 11. Even more recent, Elon Musk’s space program, SpaceX, has announced that they will be sending citizens to space which demonstrates that through a variety of space related events, society has been swayed into supporting space exploration. In fact, Pew Research Center, a non-profit fact tank located in Washington D.C, found that eight in ten Americans believe that space exploration is essential for the United States and that the space station has been a good investment for the country (Pew News 2018). Through analyzing the current status of society, many may wonder about societies suggestions on the future of space exploration. However, space programs have been silent for several months due to lack of communication and the government forcing it to shutdown. The government shutdown has been detrimental to space exploration by creating fear amongst the people in society, preventing the creation of advanced technology, and raising the chances of shutting down private space exploring programs.

Societal Shake Up

Space exploration has been a major topic that society has depended on for thousands of years. It has kept society out of chaos and encouraged nationalism. The Catholic church used the topic of space in order to keep society out of chaos. The Catholic church had analyzed the Bible literally which caused society to believe that the Earth was in the center of the universe. Various popes claimed to have viewed the stars revolving the Earth which supported the Catholic church’s literary understanding of the bible, allowing the church to have control over society. Halting space exploration would create fear in society which can be seen through the 2018 U.S government shutdown. The government shutdown has caused NASA to halt which implies that “about 95 percent of NASA employees won’t be able to go to work… [and NASA] won’t be able to keep tabs on NASA missions and discoveries as closely; the folks responsible for running NASA TV and keeping the agency’s website updated will be furloughed for the duration of the shutdown”(Wall 2019) explains Michael Wall, a senior writer at Space.com that has wandered through California’s Mojave Desert with scientists on NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity mission and helped launch balloon missions through Earth’s auroras in Alaska. Majority of people that work for NASA will not be able to receive income for the duration of the government shutdown which indicates fear in society. The halt of space exploration would additionally cause fear in society which can be seen through the launch of Sputnik during the cold war. The American public was in fear when they realized that the Soviet Union was ahead of them in space exploration and concluded Sputnik could be a spying tool. The American public was fearful due to the fact that the Soviet Union had better technology which was a direct factor of the leisurely progress of the U.S space program. Sunday Morning, a news branch part of CBS that hosts interviews, found from Von Hardesty, the curator of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, that “[President] Eisenhower took a lot of the heat for that because although he tried to reassure the country, everything he said seemed to exude complacency, inertia and inactivity”(Cbs 2007).

Lack of Advancement of Technology

The lack of funding has been keeping space programs from rapidly developing new technology to get into space. NASA’s promise of space colonization has not been fulfilled but seems to be possible in the coming decade. However, if funding of space exploration was halted, plans for the future would be destroyed and advanced technology would be impossible to create. NASA has contributed to airborne travel by efficiently creating planes and experimenting with projects. In one case, NASA was able to create the X-43A which was a plane that was able to travel at approximately 7000 mph. Brian Dunbar, the Senior Researcher for Advanced Materials in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch with a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University, states that “The X-43A/Hyper-X program accomplished several important goals. It provided the first free flight data on scramjet engines. It also showed the predictive tools used to design the engine were accurate. They could then be used to design more advanced scramjets with longer burn times”(Dunbar 2017). NASA was able to devise new theories for the perfect jet through experimental flight. These theories were used to advance space shuttles and make existing planes run with efficiency. A sudden halt in funding would seize the advancement of planes and would be detrimental to society for it would crush the possibilities for citizens to go into space.

Fall of Third Party Organizations

The inability to create technology is a factor of reduced or no funding which also can lead to the shutdown of private space exploring companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Loren Grush, a senior editor at The Verge explains that, “A shutdown won’t have a big impact on the space agency’s biggest projects, but commercial companies like SpaceX — which rely on NASA and other government hardware — may suffer schedule delays”(Grush 2018). This implies that SpaceX relies on NASA for resources and although SpaceX and the government are not directly connected, the cutting of funds would affect third party programs. Additionally, Courtney Albon, the senior editor for aviation and space at Inside Defense who graduated from American University in 2008, where she studied journalism and sociology, explains that “SpaceX successfully launched its upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket booster on Sept. 29, the first of three launches scheduled this year to qualify the company’s booster to fly Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle-class launches for the Air Force. Col. Kathleen Cook, an Air Force Space Command spokeswoman, told Inside the Air Force in an Oct. 17 email that a stop-work order issued to Aerospace Corp. during the shutdown slowed the service’s process for qualifying the launch as eligible towards the company’s EELV certification”(Albon 2013). Without NASA’s support, SpaceX had trouble in attempting to obtain EELV certification, an approval for launch on the United States Air Force Launch Program. SpaceX eventually launched the Falcon 9 but would have been able to launch earlier if NASA had been able to support. In order to prove SpaceX’s reliance in NASA, Samantha Masunaga, who covers aerospace for the Los Angeles Times and is an alumna of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and UCLA, stated that, “NASA has long been SpaceX’s most important customer, providing contracts to deliver cargo and eventually astronauts to the International Space Station. And the Hawthorne company will need NASA’s technical support to achieve the first of its grand ambitions in deep space”(Masunaga 2017). Without the government supporting NASA, third party space exploring programs are sure to fall.

Conclusion

Due to the shutdown of the government, the space explorers have been followed up by a majority of unintentional negative consequences. To prevent the failure of space exploration, space programs should be more transparent in their actions so the public can be confident in supporting space exploration. As a solution to the lack of funding, Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author, science communicator, and Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, suggests that “doubling NASA’s budget”(Chow 2016) would be the best solution. With an increase in budget, NASA would be able to execute deep space missions and asteroid mining and return with enough material to compensate for the money consumed to asteroid mining. However, this cannot be executed unless space programs become transparent and convince the public that space exploration is worth investing in. Thus, the fate of space exploration lies in the hands of NASA and SpaceX to come up with a solution to become more transparent in their actions in order for space exploration to be seen as one giant leap for mankind.

Works Cited

1. Albon, Courtney. “Government Shutdown Stalls SpaceX EELV Launch Certification.” Inside Missile Defense, vol. 19, no. 22, 2013, pp. 7–8. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24787998.
2. Cbs. “How Sputnik Changed America.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 30 Sept. 2007, www.cbsnews.com/news/how-sputnik-changed-america/.
3. Chow, Denise. “Boosting NASA’s Budget Will Help Fix Economy: Neil DeGrasse Tyson.” Space.com, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2016, www.space.com/15310-nasa-budget-future-space-exploration.html.
4. Dunbar, Brian. “X-43A Hyper-X.” NASA, NASA, 10 May 2017, www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/HyperX/index.html.
5. Grush, Loren. “What a Government Shutdown Will Mean for NASA and SpaceX.” The Verge, The Verge, 21 Jan. 2018, www.theverge.com/2018/1/19/16910378/government-shutdown-2018-nasa-spacex-iss-falcon-heavy.
6. “Majority of Americans Believe Space Exploration Remains Essential.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 6 June 2018, www.pewresearch.org/science/2018/06/06/majority-of-americans-believe-it-is-essential-that-the-u-s-remain-a-global-leader-in-space/.
7. Masunaga, Samantha. “Don’t Expect a Space Race between SpaceX and NASA. They Need Each Other.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2017, www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-spacex-nasa-20170301-story.html.
8. Wall, Mike. “Government Shutdown 2018: How It Affects NASA.” Space.com, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2019, www.space.com/42823-nasa-government-shutdown-plan-2018.html.

I undoubtedly believe that advancements in technology are necessary for our future. A famous writer/inventor named Arthur C. Clarke once said “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The fantasies have turned into reality, and what used to be impossible has become possible all because of windows of opportunities created by technology, could you imagine a society of cavemen?

Right now, you are reading this on a smartphone, tablet, etc. Now think how often you use any sort of this technology, it’s constantly in our lives and society is advancing because of it. Now with advancements, we can read the entire dictionary with the press of a couple of buttons, and we have access to TV shows, movies, and games. This sort of technology millions now use has become a standard in today’s society.

Every time we advance with technology, windows of opportunity are opened. Even schools have started implementing this mobile technology to communicate with students without being face-to-face, which is currently crucial during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Technology is vital, it has made working towards goals, personal and as a society, much easier. The current world is characterized by technology. I could not imagine myself with technology. According to the AIFS (Australian Institute of Family Studies), 79% of all Australians over the age of 15 have access to the internet with an astounding 96% of 18-24 year olds using a mobile device. With such a large demand for internet service, it has created opportunities for more jobs and businesses.

A common counter-argument to technology is that robots are replacing people’s jobs. However, in the US 7 million jobs have been lost to machinery but this has allowed the emergence of a new 33 million paying service jobs. Along with that, there is more job flexibility as the internet alone has made jobs such as social media influencer/manager, or app developer. Not only that but technology is now assisting current jobs such as architects, they now use software and 3d printing to make drafts and test the stability of buildings before creating an actual blueprint. Technology has also created large businesses like Commonwealth Bank in Australia, and with the creation of digital banking storing large amounts of cash has become much safer. Technology has the power to boost economies. According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), 95% of businesses have some sort of online presence.

Many benefits have already been listed but an extremely important benefit of technology would be the health advancements. Humans have managed to find ways to cure many common, rare, and extreme diseases. Many items and disposable products have been made to ensure good health and safety. A very notable piece of technology would be the vaccine, made to prevent diseases and create immunity. At the beginning of the 20th century, humans expected life span was in the late ’40s, today it stands at about 72 years, and in Australia about 83. Scientists credit this miraculous leap in lifespan to humans’ ability to use technology and create cures, vaccines, and antibiotics. Some simple items such as the band-aid are pieces of technology.

Whether you like it or not, technology is and will be a part of our lives. Advancements in technology are increasing our chances of survival, space flight seemed impossible centuries ago but was soon conquered by science. What Niel Armstrong said when he landed was possibly the most accurate thing he could have said. The future of technology has many possibilities, maybe we will eventually have space tourism, or gesture-based computing just like Ironman did, but one thing is for certain, advancements in technology will always be necessary whether it’s to save lives or make current ones easier.