Category: Innovation

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a fabric that can simultaneously harvest energy from both sunshine and motion.

According to researchers, combining two types of electricity generation into one textile paves the way for developing garments that could provide their own source of energy to power devices such as smart phones or global positioning systems.

“This hybrid power textile presents a novel solution to charging devices in the field from something as simple as the wind blowing on a sunny day,” commented Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering.

Flexible, breathable and light weight

To make the fabric, Wang’s team used a commercial textile machine to weave together solar cells constructed from lightweight polymer fibres with fibre-based triboelectric nanogenerators. Triboelectric nanogenerators use a combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to generate small amount of electrical power from mechanical motion such as rotation, sliding or vibration.

Wang envisions that the new fabric, which is 320 micrometres thick woven together with strands of wool, could be integrated into tents, curtains or wearable garments. “The fabric is highly flexible, breathable, light weight and adaptable to a range of uses,” Wang said.

Use of polymer materials

Fibre-based triboelectric nanogenerators are said to capture the energy created when certain materials become electrically charged after they come into moving contact with a different material. For the sunlight-harvesting part of the fabric, Wang’s team used photoanodes made in a wire-shaped fashion that could be woven together with other fibres.

“The backbone of the textile is made of commonly-used polymer materials that are inexpensive to make and environmentally friendly,” Wang said. “The electrodes are also made through a low cost process, which makes it possible to use large-scale manufacturing.”

Next steps

In one of their experiments, Wang’s team used a fabric only about the size of a sheet of office paper and attached it to rod like a small colourful flag. Rolling down the windows in a car and letting the flag blow in the wind, the researchers were able to generate significant power from a moving car on a cloudy day.

The researchers also measured the output by a 4 by 5-centimetre piece, which charged up a 2 mF commercial capacitor to 2 volts in one minute under sunlight and movement. “That indicates it has a decent capability of working even in a harsh environment,” Wang said.

While early tests indicate the fabric can withstand repeated and rigorous use, researches will be looking into its long-term durability. Next steps also include further optimizing the fabric for industrial uses, including developing proper encapsulation to protect the electrical components from rain and moisture. (Innovation in Textiles)

Summary and Possible Uses

The article from Innovation in Textiles addresses the development of a new fabric by the researchers of Georgia Institute of Technology. According to the creators, the new production technology allows the material to use sunlight and motion as energy sources, gathering solar and wind energy to charge or power certain devices, such as smartphones or GPS systems. The production of the fabric is a relatively simple process that includes the weaving of specialized solar fibers containing triboelectric nanogenerators. Thus, the material has a significant potential for gathering energy: “Triboelectric nanogenerators use a combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to generate small amount of electrical power from mechanical motion such as rotation, sliding or vibration” (Innovation in Textiles sec. 2).

The researchers highlight the flexibility of the fabric, arguing that it can be used in a wide variety of settings, for instance, in home textiles, such as curtains, or in casual clothing. One of the distinct advantages of the material is that it is beneficial for the environment, not only because of its potential to decrease the amount of energy used worldwide but also due to the environmentally friendly production process (Innovation in Textiles sec. 3). Other advantages include the possibility of large-scale manufacturing arising out of low production costs, the durability of the fabric, and, potentially, its water-repellent qualities (Innovation in Textiles sec. 4). Finally, the researchers stress that there is still a need for more tests to be conducted and for more improvements to be made. Nevertheless, the technology described looks promising and has many uses across various fields of design.

For instance, despite the fact that the creators focus more on the high-tech applications of the fabric, such as charging smartphones on the go, I feel like there would be many more uses for it in the fields where the functionality of the material is crucial, such as the armed forces. The fabric could be used to supply the soldiers with functional clothing in the field, which would eliminate the need to carry many tools needed to power devices used for communication. The light weight of the fabric would ensure its breathability in the hot regions, whereas the waterproof feature would protect from harsh weather conditions. The latter characteristic would also be useful in military camps, where there is a need to protect the soldiers’ tents from moisture. Large surfaces of the fabric used in tents could provide enough energy to power most of the equipment used in the camps, which would decrease the amount of machinery to be transported between camps and thus improve the efficiency of the divisions. Furthermore, the possibility of large-scale manufacturing would guarantee low costs of production for the government, making the use of fabric even more efficient.

Overall, the use of energy-generating nanofibers in textiles and design can have many uses and applications, ranging from interior design to armed forces supply. In each field, the benefits of this technology will be different. However, the main advantage is evident irrespective of the specific application: the use of such fabrics can have a positive influence on the environment as it represents an accessible, flexible, and efficient opportunity to save energy without major expenditures, which could be used worldwide, thus helping to save energy and resources on a global scale.

Works Cited

“Researchers Develop New Fabric That Can Use Sun and Wind to Power Devices.”Innovation in Textiles. 2016, Web.

Introduction

Nowadays, technology innovations drive service improvement efforts in multiple areas including law enforcement. Present-day police officers can use a great variety of devices including body-worn cameras, locator technologies, drones, and even social media to ensure public safety. Although many advantages can be gained by using such tools, technological advances provoke many concerns as well because the same devices may be used to commit crimes and violate the rights of others. Thus, in this paper, we will review the pros and cons of technology use in law enforcement endeavors and analyze some examples to illustrate their possible effects.

Advantages

First of all, technology allows for increasing operational efficiency and employee safety. For instance, such automatic devices as drones now can be used to access the areas where police officers simply cannot reach. The unmanned patrol and area monitoring with drones has significant strategic value because they provide real-time visual information to the police that can assist in choosing the most appropriate response to a dangerous situation without risking officers’ health and lives (Roufa, 2017).

Another frequently used device, the body-worn camera, allows recording all daily activities of police officers and, in this way, the device may control the behaviors of both citizens and the person who wears it. The recorded data can serve to justify the use of force by the police, investigate crimes in detail, and assess the overall legitimacy of officers’ actions. It can help receive additional evidence related to a legal case and, in this way, may have a significant effect on its outcome (“Police technology,” n.d.).

The police may also employ social media to solve crimes. For instance, it becomes a common practice to analyze Facebook posts or YouTube videos to locate criminals. It is observed that many criminals themselves often post information about their intended or committed crime or victims share information about crime on social media before referring to the police (“Law enforcement officials weigh the pros and cons of social media,” 2015). By detecting these hints promptly, the police can improve its crime-fighting capabilities.

Disadvantages

The major disadvantage refers to such risks associated with modern high-end information technologies as data breaching, data abuse, and hacking. Nowadays, many police departments use data security and identification systems that store biometrics and private information of individuals. They indeed help identify criminals faster and with greater precision. Nevertheless, the confidential information of millions of people can be exposed in case of a breach, and it may threaten their safety.

Data safety can be jeopardized due to both internal and external factors such as ineffective protection of data, theft or hacking by employees or individuals not related to the organization, and unintentional loss of data (Holtfreter & Harrington, 2016). As stated by Holtfreter and Harrington (2016), non-employees, third parties, and hackers are responsible for over 70% of all compromised records. However, the lack of awareness of the safety standards in police officers, as well as the use of ineffective safety protocols, can undermine the system security as well.

Utilization of Technology in Crime Commission

Identity theft, social media scams, and unauthorized access to computer systems may be considered the most common types of crimes committed with the use of technology. However, sometimes online information may also assist criminals in offline thefts. It happened in one of the recent cases when the holiday villa which F1 driver, Jenson Button, rented was robbed. The investigators suggested the robbers could identify the exact moment when they could break-in by using the location tags that the driver’s wife added to her Instagram posts (Hutchinson, 2015). It shows that criminals may use the same methods as police officers and also indicates that the storage of personal information in cyberspace is related to major safety risks.

Use of Technology in Crime Investigation

A social media information can be helpful in the prosecution of criminals as well. In the case that occurred in 2015, victims’ complaints posted on Facebook helped identify a man impersonating a police officer near Correctionville and Anthon, Iowa. The thing is that the victims stopped by this suspicious man did not refer to the police directly but instead preferred to share the plights on their social media pages, so the posts became the primary sources of information about the suspect and the circumstances of the case (Kaufman, 2015). The witnesses described the characteristic features of the man, his clothes, and the car model, and these data were extremely useful in the prosecution process.

Conclusion

Overall, it is possible to say that modern technological innovations significantly help police officers in their work. First of all, they increase work efficiency and reduce time costs associated with documentation and record-keeping allowing specialists to focus on more important tasks. New technologies described in the paper provide opportunities to improve police performance and sometimes even play a decisive role in investigation outcomes.

For instance, it is known that advanced DNA sequencing technologies allowed finding new clues in some cold murder cases that could not be resolved for years. Thus, it is certain that technologies do not hinder law enforcement efforts. On the contrary, they often accelerate progress. When all safety precautions are followed, technology may become an excellent assistant in various activities of any police officer.

References

Holtfreter, R., & Harrington, A. (2016) Employees are the weakest links, part 1: Data breaches and untrained workers. Fraud Magazine. Web.

Hutchinson, A. (2015). Social Media, privacy and scams – 3 recent cases that highlight the need to take care. Social Media Today. Web.

Kaufman, K. (2015). Law enforcement officials use social media to help solve cases, bond with communities. Sioux City Journal. Web.

Law enforcement officials weigh the pros and cons of social media. (2015). Web.

Police technology. (n.d.). Web.

Roufa, T. (2017). Technologies that are changing the way police do business. The Balance. Web.

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the topic of Industry 4.0 and it’s being a systemic innovation interplay between technical and social innovation. It focuses on possible social innovations associated with its implementation that can play an important part in the further development of society. To collect the data and fill the knowledge gap that exists in the discussed field, it was decided to conduct qualitative research and apply the method of a semi-structured interview. Having interviewed ten specialists in the field of manufacturing technology, the researchers found that there were a large number of positive consequences of the implementation of Industry 4.0 related to the life of society. In the end, the authors concluded that Industry 4.0 could really be called a concept connecting technical and social innovation. The results can be used in further research focusing on certain aspects related to this system in particular.

Introduction

There is no doubt that humanity continues developing newer technologies in order to implement certain findings related to manufacturing and science and propel the life of the society to the next level (Fukuda-Parr & Lopes, 2013). Nowadays, there are a lot of tendencies related to this sphere of human activity, and it is necessary to understand that a wide range of changes that are proposed by ones encouraging the development of these ideas touches upon not only technical but also social innovation (Borrás & Edler, 2014). The paper studies Industry 4.0 and its role as an interplay between technical and social innovation. Speaking about the topic, it is also necessary to understand that the research question chosen is justified by the research gap that exists in the field. Although there is a range of sources devoted to the concept of Industry 4.0, the role that it plays in connecting social and technical innovations has been thoroughly studied by previous researchers.

Literature Review

In order to study the topic of Industry 4.0 and define the number of features that make it a system at the confluence of technical and social innovation, it is necessary to summarize the data reported by previous researchers in the field. To begin with, it is important to mention that Industry 4.0 presents an important tendency related to the field of process technologies that involve the development and further extensive use of such innovations as the use of embedded systems, networks allowing different types of physical devices to exchange the information and provide people with extended opportunities and easier access to data and control (Oesterreich & Teuteberg, 2016). Apart from that, the discussed idea is closely interconnected to the popularization and growth of cloud computing allowing us to save resources. The problems related to the role of Industry 4.0 were studied by a wide range of researchers; for instance, Lasi, Fettke, Kemper, Feld, and Hoffmann (2014) describe it as a project with great potential in spheres related to politics, society, and economics.

Lee, Bagheri, and Kao (2015) suppose that cyber-physical systems may help to improve manufacturing processes but the concept needs additional improvements. The great role of the system in the further development of the German industry and society is also discussed by Brettel, Friederichsen, Keller, and Rosenberg (2014). The concept of Industry 4.0 involves a range of technical concepts but many works such as ones by Jazdi (2014) and Wang, Wan, Zhang, and Li (2016) support the opinion that the system will have a significant influence on every family and the market in general. According to Kolberg and Zühlke (2015), many people are skeptical towards the discussed approach but it possesses the potential to optimize value chains and implement a lean automation system. A great interest to the system is demonstrated by a few works proposing possible ways of its implementation; the latter is written by Schlechtendahl, Keinert, Kretschmer, Lechler, and Verl (2015), Stock and Seliger (2016), and Ivanov, Dolgui, Sokolov, Werner, and Ivanova (2016). The topic of interconnection between social and technical innovations has been studied by many researchers including Cajaiba-Santana (2014), Yearley (2014), and Schubert (2014) who regarded these two components to be interdependent. Taking these facts into consideration, it is possible to state that Industry 4.0 and a wide range of proposed innovations that remain essential parts of this system are supported by many specialists due to the possibility of technical progress that they may involve. Nevertheless, its possible effects related to social changes have not been studied thoroughly.

Methods

In order to study the role of Industry 4.0 project in changing the lives of common citizens of the countries where technologies proposed by its developers can be implemented, it is necessary to conduct qualitative research with the help of semi-structured interviews. This method is supposed to be really helpful when it comes to understanding the concepts (Brinkmann, 2014). In order to collect the data, the researchers decided to interview ten specialists working in the field of manufacturing technologies (Rao, 2013). According to the type of interview, certain questions required the participants to be objective whereas the last one encouraged them to describe their own expectations (Galletta, 2013). The interview included three questions; as for the first one, the respondents were supposed to evaluate whether Industry 4.0 could have a significant impact on social life. Answering the second question, the respondents were supposed to name a few possible effects that it would provide on social life. In the end, the participants were supposed to express their opinions on the practical significance of the discussed project in connection with social life.

Results

Within the frame of the research, a series of interviews devoted to social innovation in connection with Industry 4.0 was conducted. According to the answers to the first question, all the participants agreed that the implementation of innovations related to the project will have a significant influence on social life. As it is clear from the answers to the second question, its effects mentioned by the majority of the participants included the ability to decrease the necessity for solving routine problems at work, to use information technologies to prevent criminal activity and to propel customer service to the next level (Jing, Vasilakos, Wan, Lu, & Qiu, 2014). What is more, the majority of participants (80%) estimated the practical significance of the discussed project as very high, and all of them supported the idea of its importance for both technical and social development.

Conclusion

In the end, it needs to be said that studying the concept that needs further development is quite a difficult task; nevertheless, the interviews conducted within the frame of the given research allowed to prove that Industry 4.0 is seen as a concept uniting technical and social innovation. In general, the data retrieved with the help of the discussed interviews aligns with the statements made by some of the researchers discussing possible social effects of the implementation of innovations related to Industry 4.0. Nevertheless, it may be necessary to increase the number of participants during further research in order to improve the credibility of the data and evaluate the opinions on particular measures listed by the authors of the discussed project (Miguel et al., 2014).

References

Borrás, S., & Edler, J. (2014). The governance of socio-technical systems: Explaining change. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Brettel, M., Friederichsen, N., Keller, M., & Rosenberg, M. (2014). How virtualization, decentralization and network building change the manufacturing landscape: An Industry 4.0 Perspective. International Journal of Mechanical, Industrial Science and Engineering, 8(1), 37-44.

Brinkmann, S. (2014). Interview. In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp. 1008-1010). New York, NY: Springer.

Cajaiba-Santana, G. (2014). Social innovation: Moving the field forward. A conceptual framework. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 82(1), 42-51.

Fukuda-Parr, S., & Lopes, C. (2013). Capacity for development: New solutions to old problems. New York, NY: Routledge.

Galletta, A. (2013). Mastering the semi-structured interview and beyond: From research design to analysis and publication. New York, NY: NYU Press.

Ivanov, D., Dolgui, A., Sokolov, B., Werner, F., & Ivanova, M. (2016). A dynamic model and an algorithm for short-term supply chain scheduling in the smart factory Industry 4.0. International Journal of Production Research, 54(2), 386-402.

Jazdi, N. (2014). Cyber physical systems in the context of Industry 4.0. In Automation, Quality and Testing, Robotics, 2014 IEEE International Conference (pp. 1-4). IEEE.

Jing, Q., Vasilakos, A. V., Wan, J., Lu, J., & Qiu, D. (2014). Security of the internet of things: perspectives and challenges. Wireless Networks, 20(8), 2481-2501.

Kolberg, D., & Zühlke, D. (2015). Lean automation enabled by industry 4.0 technologies. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 48(3), 1870-1875.

Lasi, H., Fettke, P., Kemper, H. G., Feld, T., & Hoffmann, M. (2014). Industry 4.0. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 6(4), 239.

Lee, J., Bagheri, B., & Kao, H. A. (2015). A cyber-physical systems architecture for industry 4.0-based manufacturing systems. Manufacturing Letters, 3(1), 18-23.

Miguel, E., Camerer, C., Casey, K., Cohen, J., Esterling, K. M., Gerber, A.,… & Laitin, D. (2014). Promoting transparency in social science research. Science, 343(6166), 30-31.

Oesterreich, T. D., & Teuteberg, F. (2016). Understanding the implications of digitisation and automation in the context of Industry 4.0: A triangulation approach and elements of a research agenda for the construction industry. Computers in Industry, 83(1), 121-139.

Rao, P. N. (2013). Manufacturing technology. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Schlechtendahl, J., Keinert, M., Kretschmer, F., Lechler, A., & Verl, A. (2015). Making existing production systems Industry 4.0-ready. Production Engineering, 9(1), 143-148.

Schubert, C. (2014). Social innovations. Highly reflexive and multi-referential phenomena of today’s innovation society. Technical University Technology Studies Working Papers, 2(1), 2014.

Stock, T., & Seliger, G. (2016). Opportunities of sustainable manufacturing in Industry 4.0. Procedia CIRP, 40(1), 536-541.

Wang, S., Wan, J., Zhang, D., & Li, D. (2016). Towards smart factory for Industry 4.0: A self-organized multi-agent system with big data based feedback and coordination. Computer Networks, 101(1), 158-168.

Yearley, S. (2014). Science, technology, and social change. New York, NY: Routledge.

Introduction

The paper “Effects of innovation in the tourism industry on the quality of elderly care” is a carefully designed paper aimed at bridging the gap between the various practitioners in the tourism sector and how they (practitioners) effectively relate to their elderly clientele. Whereas the number of elderly clientele is steadily increasing, it is evident that the services provided are not changing appropriately to accommodate the dynamic needs of the clientele. This is happening despite the advancing technology. There is therefore a growing need on how the practitioners in the tourism industry can understand the need of the upcoming elderly clientele, exploit the emerging technologies and satisfy the special needs of the ageing population.

Contributory Agenda

Instead of using a case study to reveal the state of the sector, the paper takes a more general approach that evaluates the impact of innovation in the tourism sector on the wider global elderly clientele in a manner that will be easier for the practitioners to comprehend. This approach has been chosen deliberately because tourism is a complex sector that involves practitioners based within different geographical locations from their clientele but still working together for mutual satisfaction.

The major contribution of the paper is therefore an attempt to link the service providers from different global destinations (and cultures) to the special needs of their potential elderly clientele that is growing by day. At the same time, the paper aims at contributing significantly as a guide to the elderly tourists who spend large amounts of money and time seeking providers who would perfectly understand their special needs and offer them at affordable rates. The paper offers these two important contributions through a suggestive approach where integration of technology is introduced as the missing link that can bring the two important tourism players together. The paper, therefore, brings out the idea of an innovative business approach as the solution towards meeting the specific needs of the aging members of the global population.

Through a review of appropriate literature, the paper carefully guides the practitioners towards understanding how innovative tourism can be integrated among the tourism products to meet the special needs of the elderly through the appropriate use of emerging technologies. The research findings clearly inform the practitioners and their aging population clientele on the different innovative products and the different available rates around the globe. The findings are believed to contribute greatly to the significance that the practitioners in the tourism industry will accord to the innovation and integration of emerging technologies.

Conclusion

The real revolution in the tourism sector can only be realized through the improvement of the internal dynamics of innovative responses to the special clienteles’ needs and the adoption of a proactive attitude towards embracing modern technologies in the tourism industry. The paper has endeavored to educate the practitioners in the sector on improving efficiency by taking advantage of the technology and also directs the elderly clientele towards the service providers who are already taking advantage of the innovations.

Once embraced, the concept advocated by the paper will promote an industry whose mandate will be closely knit with the virtues upheld by many societies in extending quality care to the elderly population. The paper is therefore a “must-read” for every practitioner and clientele who are committed to seeing quality service provision to our senior members of the society.

Disruptive innovations are the innovations that are aimed at creating new openings of market as well as open new networks in the market. In this regard, they tend to replace an existing technology through the improvement of the products or services that were offered earlier (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012). This could translate to companies acquiring new customers who tend to understand the new technology and how to use the services and new products.

Additionally, disruptive innovations tend to lower prices in established markets even after changing the services that had been offered in the market previously (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012). Based on the above, the current classroom could suffer if they do not keep track to the current technological advancement and current innovations.

Market share could be one of the major reason attributed to lack of innovative spirit in many companies.Further, it could also lead to slow and sluggish online innovation.Further, this could be attributed to the fact that many companies opt to maintain their status quo or even fear that they could not cope with the stiff competition in the industry. As a result, many consumers could eventually settle to technologies that are rather imperfect (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012). Additionally, this could result to slow rate of growth in innovation and technological advancement in the classroom.

The current classroom could suffer the same fate as IDAC and IBM main frame because they require the new technology but due to insufficient funds to cater for the new technology they could not be in a position to adopt the new technology (Evans, 2002).

Additionally, the education sector tends to innovate at a slower rate than the user of the products who are the students. Further, when companies innovate at a faster rate than the consumers, the consumers could view the products as too expensive and complicated and hence could prefer to use the one they had been using before (Evans, 2002).Additionally, many companies tend to embrace the new innovations because they ensure that there are high profitability because the consumers are always willing to pay an extra cost for new products which is viewed as superior compared to the former.

Disruptive innovation is advantageous because it could allow consumers who formerly could not have afforded to purchase new products. Further, there could be a shift in purchasing power because a product or a service that was enjoyed by a given group of individuals earlier becomes affordable to a large number of people (Evans, 2002). Disruptive innovation is helpful to majority of the consumers because the prices of the services and products could be affordable by everyone including those who could not have previously afforded it.

Initially, disruptive innovations could not appear appealing to majority of companies because there could be low profits coupled with markets that are small in size (Manu, 2010).This could further mean that initially the market share could drop resulting to company making significant losses but later it could make big profits. Innovations could be termed as sustaining if they are related to technological change and on the other hand they are termed as disruptive if they are capable changing the market in question.

The current classroom could suffer if it does not keep in track with the current technological advancement. In addition, the market share could reduce if other companies could keep advancing technologically.Additionally,companies could sometime be hurt by disruptive innovations even if they really embraced technological advancements (Manu,2010).Further, the companies could view these markets as too small which on the other hand is reciprocated by high profit margins.Additionally,it is vital for the companies to heed and understand disruptive innovation because they could sometime affect even well managed companies.

References

Evans, N. D. (2002). Business innovation and disruptive technology: Harnessing the power of breakthrough technology– for competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Manu, A. (2010). Disruptive business: Desire, innovation and the re-design of business. England: Gower.

Reiser, R. & Dempsey, J. (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (3rd Ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Summary of the Article

The article entitled “What’s Your Best Innovation Bet?” by Melissa Schilling explains how companies can predict future trends of technology based on the evolutionary process. The invention of technology is a challenging venture because it requires consideration of key trends and dimensions of technology and alignment with the future needs of customers. Since technology is dynamic, innovations ought to be versatile and in tandem with the technological tide, which improves and becomes competitive with time. Inaccurate prediction or lack of prediction is costly because innovations become outdated and exit the market before generating substantial earnings. For example, in the music industry, the evolution of compact disk and music formats changed the use of CD, DVD, and MP3 players. Therefore, the article holds that the understanding of the evolutionary process of technology and the dynamic needs of customers is critical in designing innovations that would become relevant for a considerable time.

The article describes a three-step process of designing and refining innovations to meet future needs of customers. The first step entails identification of key dimensions of innovations that drive the progress of technology in a certain field. According to the article, “selecting useful technology to examine depends on industry knowledge and common sense (Schilling 4). The knowledge of the industry identifies key dimensions, whereas common sense aids in designing innovations. The second step involves the location of the dimension in the utility curve. Since products have a utility pattern, which elucidates the trends of their use in the markets, companies ought to locate the position of their innovation in the utility curve. The utility of some products increases exponentially then levels off or increases gradually, then exponentially, and levels off, or remains constant throughout a given period. In the third step, a company should focus on dimensions with a significant utility. The focus would enable companies to identify their target market and create competitive products.

Critical Evaluation of the Article

The analysis of article shows that it presents the problem of the study clearly. According to Schilling, the creation of innovations is challenging because it requires accurate prediction of unforeseeable market trends and future utility (4). Essentially, the article recognizes the dynamic nature of markets and changing consumer needs, which requires accurate prediction to enhance the utility of products for a long duration. Moreover, the analysis of the article shows that it asked the right question regarding the nature of innovation that would meet the future state of technology and consumer needs. In the title, the article asks that:- “What’s your best innovation bet?” (Schilling 2). The article fits well with previous studies because it elucidates factors and processes that organizations ought to consider. However, the article did not consider the role of marketing the adoption and application of innovations. Current studies emphasize that marketing plays a central role in overcoming barriers and promoting the adoption of innovations (Gupta et al. 5678; Kharchuk et al. 52). Thus, consideration of marketing is integral in understanding dimensions of technology and trends of customer needs.

The study employed case study methodology, which matched well with the problem of predicting technology trends and consumer needs. Case study methodology is appropriate because it provides empirical data with high internal and external validities for they reflect the reality of innovations in various industries. In the analysis of case studies of Sony, Philips, and innovative products in the technology dimensions, such as glucose monitoring, sports television, financial data, and academic publishing, the article demonstrated the application of the three steps in the conception of promising products (Schilling 8). Evidently, the analysis of these promising products shows that their respective companies identified technology dimensions, focused on optimal dimensions, and created innovative products.

The review of the findings indicates that the article reported its findings in a consistent and clear format. The article arranged its findings according to the three steps of creative innovations that meet future trends of technology and consumer needs. Each of the steps had its findings demonstrated from case studies. Ultimately, at the last step, the article focused on selected promising innovations in the technology areas of glucose monitoring, sports television, financial data, and academic publishing, which met the right technology dimension, appropriate location in the utility curve, and focused on key concepts of products. The article did not overlook important data for it presented cases to demonstrate the practicability of the three steps in identifying innovations, locating their positions in the utility curve, and focusing on lucrative dimensions. Although the article presented valid and reliable findings, it did not acknowledge and explain the existence of limitations. Overall, the article presented findings logically for the data came from reputable case studies. Moreover, the data and findings are convincing for there are no notable fallacies that the article presented.

My Opinion

I agree with the findings of research that organizations ought to predict trends of innovations and dynamic needs of customers while creating and designing innovations. Critical analysis of innovations shows that companies that do not consider future trends and dynamics of technology and consumers experience huge losses as their products do not last in the market. A significant factor in the article is the use of case studies in elucidating and demonstrating the essence identifying technology dimensions, locating their positions in the utility curve, and focusing on lucrative dimensions. The cases of Sony and Philips in designing and creating music equipment formed the basis of the study. The identification of the major dimensions of technology, namely, speed, reliability, durability, comfort, versatility, fidelity, portability, convenience, usability, efficiency, and cost, is key in creating and designing innovations that meet future needs.

The Contribution of the Article

The article provides a significant contribution to knowledge because it indicates factors that determine the utility of inventions, which are the trend of technology and consumer needs. In this view, the article recommends organizations to consider trends in technology and consumer needs while designing and creating their innovations. Given that companies incur losses when they create innovations that do not last in the market, this article offers practical steps of ensuring that innovations remain relevant and generate maximum utility. Since the three steps suggested by the article are practicable, they would enable organizations to identify technology dimensions, locate their position in the utility curve, and focus on key dimensions.

Suggestions to Improve Research

To improve the internal and external validity of the findings, this research needs to include modern innovations as case studies. Moreover, since the focus on innovation alone does not guarantee a product to meet future needs, this research should consider the role of marketing. As demonstrated by other studies, marketing determines the adoption and use of innovative products(Gupta et al. 5678; Kharchuk et al. 52). Thus, the inclusion of modern case studies and the role of marketing would significantly improve the validity and reliability of the findings.

Works Cited

Gupta, Suraksha, et al. “Marketing Innovation: A Consequence of Competitiveness.” Journal of Business Research, vol. 69, no. 12, 2016, pp. 5671–5681.

Kharchuk, Viktoria, et al. “The Analyses of Marketing Strategies for Innovations.” ECONTECHMOD. An International Quarterly Journal on Economics of Technology and Modelling Processes, vol. 1, no. 1, 2014, pp.49-54.

Schilling, Melissa A. “What’s Your Best Innovation Bet?” Harvard Business Review, vol. 95, no. 4, 2017, pp. 1–9.

Impact of COVID-19 on the SPA Industry

The SPA industry, along with the overall hospitality sector, has suffered from the restrictions imposed following the Covid-19 outbreak. Accordingly, the sector has to rearrange its activities in order to adjust to the new reality (Navarette and Shaw, 2020). The pandemic poses a range of challenges, to which organizations must respond effectively.

The Four Seasons SPA has been affected by the same negative factors its global counterparts have. Centorrino (2020) states that the world has faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic. The SPA industry has been placed under particular restrictions, as their role is not deemed as essential, while it creates favourable conditions for the transmission of the virus. For example, Han (2020) investigates a major COVID outbreak, which began at a local SPA facility. Four Seasons venues are located globally, but international travel has been experiencing extraordinary restrictions, following worldwide travel bans.

Kitamura et al. (2020) refer to the example of the Japanese tourism sector, which has seen a 93-per cent decrease in foreign visitors. In order to respond to the new challenges, Four Seasons had to reorient its activities, focusing on its unique online shop of quality linens and bedding (“Four Seasons at Home,” n.d.) This way, the company offers remote services to its guests while adjusting to the new pandemic-determined reality.

Analysis

While the COVID-19 pandemic has entailed major challenges for the industry, new development opportunities emerge. In fact, the companies, which manage to utilise the innovation potential created by the restrictions and the growing importance of the online environment, can achieve substantial success. In the modern business environment, innovation is determined by four P’s, which are Person, Product, Process, and Press (Figure 1).

In the case of Four Seasons, the company’s management represents the Person aspect. Smith and Wallace (2020) emphasise the importance of positive employee experience in the SPA industry, as people must remain motivated to develop a new product in such challenging times. Accordingly, the product of innovation will be the unique, technologically advanced experience for the customer of Four Seasons. The Press aspect concerns the business environment, which is currently determined by the pandemic and its lasting consequences. Finally, the process of innovation reflects the spirit of the product, comprising new IT solutions.

Developing a comprehensive cultural web will be another important point in analysing the prospects of Four Seasons in the era of COVID-19. The Cultural Web paradigm comprises six points presented in Figure 2: Stories, Rituals and Routines, Symbols, Organisational Structure, Control Systems, and Power Structures (Mind Tools Content Team, n.d.).

First, Four Seasons has an impeccable reputation in the sphere of SPA and hospitality, which is why its customers expect services and products of exceptional quality. Second, the company’s logo is its primary symbol, making it recognisable worldwide. Third, as Four Seasons is a multinational company, it has a strict hierarchy at all levels of interaction, making it tightly controlled both globally and locally. Finally, the company’s management wields power over potential innovations, but, according to Four Seasons, all decisions are made in the light of customer experience (“Information Regarding COVID-19 Situation,” 2020). Therefore, the customers determine the culture of Four Seasons, along with its development and innovation strategy.

Modern innovations are highly demanding in terms of technological aspects, as their development rates have reached unprecedented levels. The current COVID-19 pandemic has entailed restrictions, which aim at reducing interpersonal contact to a minimum (Rodríguez-Antón and del Mar Alonso-Almeida, 2020). Simultaneously, people and entire organisations have recognised the vast potential of the online environment. Accordingly, the innovation potential of Four Seasons relies on the Internet and its immense opportunities in terms of global communication and product distribution.

As mentioned prior, the present situation prevents Four Seasons from accommodating as many customers as previously, and SPA facilities barely function globally. Consequently, the company can reorient its activity toward an online shopping system, offering its customers familiar comfort of the renowned chain even amid a pandemic. Four Seasons has the required technological means, as the Internet creates an opportunity for organisations to ensure the stable functioning of such systems without large expenditures. However, further implementation of advanced technology may be more demanding in terms of knowledge and IT solutions. Overall, the innovative path of Four Seasons is highly promising in terms of potential benefits at a low cost.

The organisational network of Four Seasons is large, comprising a chain of hotels and SPA facilities across the world. The history of the company began in 1961 when it opened its first hotel. Isadore Sharp, the founder of Four Seasons, remains the chairman of its Board, ensuring the original vision behind the company continues to determine its development and innovation (“About Us,” n.d.). Overall, the chain comprises over eighty hotels across the globe, but the vast majority of them are Four Seasons’ franchisees.

Therefore, while the Board plays a role of paramount importance in setting the strategy and making the policies, many aspects of the company’s functioning depend largely on local facilities. Within the organisational network of Four Seasons, local hotel and SPA managers remain crucial elements of the system, ensuring the connection between its customers and global policies of the franchiser’s Board. Therefore, local representatives will be pivotal in the process of innovation, as the exact action plan for each location may vary depending on the area’s particularities.

Reference List

About us. (n.d.). Web.

Centorrino, G. (2020) ‘Covid-19 and the search for the common good: the case of Parmon Spa (Italy)’, Sustainability, 12(16), 1-23. Web.

Four Seasons at home. (n.d.). Web.

Han, T. (2020) ‘Outbreak investigation: transmission of COVID-19 started from a spa facility in a local community in Korea’, Epidemiology and Health, 42, e2020056. Web.

Information regarding COVID-19 situation. (2020) Web.

Kitamura, Y. et al. (2020) ‘Evaluation of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Japanese tourism industry’, Sustainability, 12(24), pp. 1-22. Web.

Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.) The cultural web. Web.

Navarette, A. P. and Shaw, G. (2020) ‘Spa tourism opportunities as strategic sector in aiding recovery from Covid-19: the Spanish model.’ Tourism and Hospitality Research, pp. 1-6. Web.

Rodríguez-Antón, J. M. and del Mar Alonso-Almeida, M. (2020) ‘COVID-19 impacts and recovery strategies: the case of the hospitality industry in Spain’, Sustainability, 12(20), 8599. Web.

Smith, M. and Wallace, M. (2020) ‘An analysis of key issues in spa management: viewpoints from international industry professionals’, International Journal of Spa and Wellness, 2(3), pp. 119-134. Web.

Introduction

Although there have been many technological innovations in the twentieth century, two of them, viz. Multilanguage media and worldwide shipping technology stand out from the rest with regard to their impact on the lives of individual users, society in general, and in international relations. Multilanguage media allows people to interact and access information that would otherwise be inaccessible, while worldwide shipping technology has the same effect as people can order materials from online stores regardless of one’s location. This paper analyzes some of the ways in which these two innovations have changed societal dynamics.

Impact of Multilanguage media and international shipping technology on society and international relations

Technological innovations evolve as time passes and mostly the advancements have a gradual impact on individuals and society as a whole. However, the evolution of Multilanguage media tools such as newspapers and cable television and worldwide shipping has occurred at a faster pace than most other innovations in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The pace at which the advancements have occurred has had various effects on society and trade.

Social interaction is one of the main aspects that multi language media has revolutionized. In the nineteenth century, most people were mainly concerned about learning their own indigenous language with only a few countries teaching foreign languages. This move was mainly due to the lack of necessity for other languages considering the fact that most people operated their affairs within a specific locality.

The development of Multilanguage media technology has however enhanced the need for people to interact with others in different geographical regions for various reasons. For instance, the occurrence of events in one country that leads to subsequent events in other countries necessitates the need for people in those countries to interact and generate solutions. A good example of such a scenario would be the occurrence of the global financial crisis in 2007. Although the event originated in the United States, its effects had a worldwide scale. Broadcasting the news in English, as is the national language in the US, would have denied people in other countries the chance to understand the occurrence of the event and its effects on other economies.

However, courtesy of Multilanguage broadcasting of the event, most people were in a position to comprehend the magnitude of the crisis. As one of the resultant effects of such broadcasting, people develop an interest to learn other languages to aid them in conducting personal interactions with others in other regions and obtain first hand information on world events. The integration of Multilanguage media on communication devices such as mobile phones and computers has eased multilingual interactions further, thus leading to the development of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter (Kelsen 89).

The application of the Internet in interpreting other languages has enabled social media users to interpret different languages without necessarily having to undergo special training. Multilanguage media is part of the reason the current pace at which globalization occurs is fast.

Another aspect that has changed primarily due to the invention of the two options is the relationship between individuals in different geographical locations. Nowadays, people talk about “virtual relationships”, which is a derivative term that describes the nature of relationship where people mostly interact through devices as opposed to personal one-on-one relationships (Saylor 34). It is now possible, and to some extent normal, for people to conduct relationships entirely through social media applications.

Thanks to the need to learn different languages and interact with people from all over the world, enhanced by Multilanguage media, people are now capable of developing relationships regardless of their geographical distance. For instance, online dating is now a normal form of courtship thus replacing the initial form where people would need to meet in order to get to know personal details about each other.

Through tools such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and Skype, people are in a position to share personal information about themselves with others, regardless of their location. The integration of the Internet into mobile phone devices has made it possible for people from different continents to talk and share experiences with one another thus enabling the creation of a relationship amongst people who have never met physically. This aspect has also increased the number of interracial and intercultural relationships worldwide, thus enhancing globalization.

The third important aspect that has experienced the effect of the two devices is ease of access to information and increase in international trade. Given that Multilanguage media provides access to information on events in various regions, it is now easy for individuals to conduct objective analysis with regard to favorable trade regions. Multilanguage media enables individuals to understand aspects that influence international trade in other regions including culture, politics, and the economy (Cohen and Schmidt 213).

For instance, an American citizen seeking to set up a business in Saudi Arabia does not need to learn Arabic to gain access to relevant information. Interpretation of business news from the region through Multilanguage media enables the individual to access relevant information and make objective decisions on the viability of setting up a business in a region with a different cultural, political, and economic background from what he or she is accustomed to in life.

Another element of international trade that has benefited from Multilanguage media is the enhancement of diplomatic relations between countries. Multilanguage media has enabled people to understand various cultures and subsequent national policies with international impact, thus enabling leaders from different nations to compromise on issues they do not necessarily agree.

However, Multilanguage media bears certain disadvantages, with the main one being the fact that access to information about other regions may have negative impacts on such nations, as is the case during political turmoil. In such a scenario, access to information on the events of a country undergoing political turmoil reduces its trade opportunities and puts the government’s private issues on the international spotlight. Such effects are part of the reason why most governments prefer to limit the accessibility of local media to the international community.

One of the main aspects that worldwide shipping technology has affected with regard to international relations is the speed at which transportation of goods occurs by enhancing efficiency in international trade dynamics. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, shipping of goods was a preserve of seaway application leading to unnecessary delays and complications in transporting perishable goods. However, with the integration of airways into shipping and the use of advanced storage facilities in ships using seaways, shipping is now easier, faster, and more efficient as is the case with companies such as DHL Express (Hill 72).

The use of computerized data storage facilities also ensures that there are fewer mishaps in relation to recording information concerning goods. Importers and exporters now find it easier to keep track of their goods regardless of their geographical location. Given the efficiency that worldwide shipping technology has created, there has been a rise in international trade with traders from all over the world gaining access to goods for sale in their geographical location, without having to oversee the transfer of the goods personally from one region to another. This aspect provides stark contrast to procedural measures for reduction of risk undertaken in nineteenth century shipping business.

Secondly, the changes in shipping procedure and technology has resulted in the requirement for most countries to establish advanced security procedures at entry points, mostly in airports and shipping docks. This situation is resultant of the fact that as shipping methods advance, so do methods to fraudulently smuggle goods into other countries including narcotics and firearms. Most governments have had to enact stringent security measures to ensure the maintenance of security within their borders without necessarily limiting the trading activities that occur throughout the year (Hill 112).

Lastly, as advanced shipping technology has increased the number of goods shipped in countries all over the world, countries have deemed it necessary to construct appropriate amenities such as storage and transport facilities. Benefits of such infrastructural improvements are applicable to other fields of trade such as the transport industry. In conclusion, integration of Multilanguage media and worldwide shipping technology has the overall effect of improving international trade, both in amount and efficiency. Governments have to make necessary policy changes including changes in taxation and security policies to ensure the smooth running of trade without compromising on national security and diplomatic relations.

Works Cited

Cohen, Jared, and Eric Schmidt. The New Digital Age: Reshaping the future of people, nations and business, New York: Knopf Publishing Group, 2013. Print.

Hill, Charles. International Business, New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print.

Saylor, Michael. The mobile wave: how mobile intelligence will change everything, Boston, Da Capo: Press, 2010. Print.

Technology Standard (1): Technology Operations and Concepts

1. The attached artifact is an article about augmented reality and how this innovation can be used in education. The use of innovation in science and other subjects can help observe 3-D models for a better understanding of how they work.
2. The artifact demonstrates that I am aware of the innovative technologies and know the contemporary changes in the world of innovations. Moreover, the understanding of the innovations and the vision of their perspectives in educational needs is proof that the standard is met.
3. I will learn more about augmented reality and the items which have already been created in the learning needs. Moreover, I will try to get more information about the benefits of using augmented reality on different subjects and whether students are ready to implement this innovation in classes or not.

Technology Standard (2): Planning & Designing Learning Environments

1. The attached artifact is a Unit Plan devoted to the parts of speech. It demonstrates the standard under discussion as it is a lesson plan. This artifact shows what resources are going to be used and how the lesson should be organized.
2. This artifact demonstrates that I have met the standard perfectly. I have designed a lesson that identified the technologies which are going to be used and predicted how they are going to be used.
3. I will learn how to plan and design the work of students with a better outcome. I will also try to understand how to make sure that the planning resources are interesting for students and how to design the most reliable and necessary plan for students.

Technology Standard (3): Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum

1. The poster devoted to the parts of speech is used as an artifact that demonstrates the third standard. This poster helps me understand students’ creativity and the desire to use computer software and other programs for making tasks.
2. The poster meets the standard as being an example of how a project should be completed, students will try to make it better and use other technologies to be the best. The work with computer software and programs help students learn more and develop their creative thinking.
3. My future goal is to learn how to encourage students for using more innovative technologies, motivate them for making creative tasks. I want to learn how not to spoil the desire for using technologies due to complicated tasks.

Technology Standard (4): Assessment and Evaluation

1. The artifact which demonstrates how students’ knowledge is assessed and evaluated is a rubric that points to the requirements which must be met. This rubric helps us understand what is going to be assessed.
2. The standard is met and this artifact perfectly demonstrates it. I can assess and evaluate students’ knowledge in a full way. I can understand whether the requirements were met using grading the items which were met.
3. I am going to learn more about the innovative technologies which may be used while assessing students’ work. The issues which may help me increase students’ productivity should also be checked.

Technology Standard (5): Productivity and Professional Practice

1. Grading students’ achievements are the best way to meet this standard. The grade book is an artifact that demonstrates this standard. Using the Excel computer program, I can consider not only the grades but also average points for each student and the whole class.
2. This artifact meets the standard as students’ achievements are the best activities that point to the classes’ productivity and teachers’ professional skills. The artifact points out that students have good knowledge, so my productivity and performance as a teacher is good.
3. In the future, I would like to know more about innovative technologies which may help me assess my productivity and professional practice. I will also learn about the methods which involve students’ feedback. I also want to know more about how to use the results of the assessments for increasing productivity and professional practice.

Technology Standard (6): Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues

1. Even though the artifact under discussion does not demonstrate the standard in the full volume, it ideally points to health issues. The health problem connected with writing or typing for a long time is considered.
2. Describing the repetitive strain injury, this artifact demonstrates one of the problems students may face while working on a computer or writing for a long period. The problem is deeply researched and the conclusion about the necessary steps to prevent health issues is drawn.
3. I will learn the issues mentioned in the standard to make sure that I have managed to meet them and can teach students. Professional development should be a continuous process, so I will learn not only about the human issues but also about other points discussed in the standard.

Top Innovations in Human History

One could hardly imagine the modern world without devices that people use in their everyday life. They make our existence more convenient, comfortable, and efficient. However, these inventions result from the years of investigations that promoted the development of human thought and triggered scientific evolution. Besides, there are also some innovations that had an overwhelming impact on the history of humanity.

The first one is the discovery of electricity and the possibilities for its usage in everyday life. Being a macro-level innovation, it altered the image of the world and introduced numerous opportunities for its further development. The second significant discovery is the creation of the combustion engine as it introduced the new era. The third one is the usage of penicillin to heal patients suffering from various diseases (Grabianowski para. 6). The controlled use of fire is another important innovation. Finally, the creation of money altered the world greatly and conditioned the development of the market. All these discoveries could be considered macro-level innovations as they changed the world.

If to speak about electricity, its investigation was a long-term process that demanded great intelligence and practical skills. For this reason, it is difficult to determine a certain innovator as many people contributed to the development of the issue. Thales was the first to notice this phenomenon while William Gilbert introduced the term electricity; finally, Benjamin Franklin created the first theory related to this issue and introduced the new era (“History of Electricity” para. 8).

This innovation could be taken as radical as its impact on society could hardly be overestimated. Nowadays, life is unimaginable without electricity as it has obtained new features that made it one of the main modern resources which could hardly be replaced by something else.

Top Innovations in the UAE and the MENA Region

The MENA region has a very bright history which is characterized by the appearance of numerous ancient states and unique cultures that conditioned the development of scientific thought. Moreover, being one of the regions with a rich cultural heritage, the given land has always been considered one of the main suppliers of new inventions. In these regards, it is possible to highlight three main discoveries that had a great impact on the whole world.

The first one is coffee which was firstly made in Yemen in the 9th century. The famous drink helped Muslims to spend nights worshiping their God. Nowadays, one of the most popular goods which are used all over the world. Coffee became one of the main symbols of the modern era, and its importance is evidenced by millions of people consuming the product. Furthermore, algebra is another invention that changed the course of our history. It is difficult to trace the origins of this knowledge; however, numerous scientists agree that it was studied in the MENA region. One realizes the significance of this invention and the effect it promoted on the further evolution of various fields of science as modern progress could hardly be achieved without the basic knowledge of algebra (Sterns para. 5).

Finally, decorative cosmetics were invented to emphasize the beauty of rulers in Egypt. All these phenomena had a great impact on society and could be considered macro-level ones. Unfortunately, at the moment, the given region does not show great scientific progress and does not provide new practices or tools that could change the world (Osman para. 7). However, the realization of the great competitive advantage conditioned by innovations might contribute to the further development of the region. I believe that I should also participate in the process and promote the evolution of science.

The Role of Innovation in Human History

It is obvious that innovations have a great impact on society and trigger the process of change that alters the traditional approaches and introduces the new practices. Very often, these shifts in practices could not be accepted by the community, and it prefers to ignore them. However, this approach conditions isolation and stagnation that results in the collapse of this very community. For instance, feudal Japan did not accept the firearm as its idea contradicted the values appreciated in society. The honor code emphasized the usage of swords as the only weapon that should help a noble warrior in battle (“Samurai and bushido” para. 9).

That is why the country was not able to resist invaders who used the newest weapon and destroyed the Japanese army. This case perfectly demonstrates the impact mentality of a certain community has on the acknowledgment of a certain invention.

Cogitating about the role of inventions in history, the Roman Empire should also be mentioned. Being a civilized country that promoted the development of science and technological progress, it was the dominant force in the ancient world. This fact is evidenced by the absence of communities that we’re able to resist Quirites. The relations between the Empire and barbarian tribes could be considered the best example to prove the idea.

Numerous barbaric tribes were not able to conquer the Roman Empire because of its dominance in military, cultural, and political spheres. Besides, innovations played a crucial role in this opposition. Romans devoted great attention to the evolution of military science and created the professional army equipped with the best weapon and headed by talented commanders (“Science and Technology in Ancient Rome” para.5). That is why technologies and innovations served as the guaranty of the prosperity and dominance of the Roman Empire.

Potential Negative Consequence of Innovations

It is widely accepted that innovations have a great positive impact on the evolution of society and promote its further development. However, there are numerous discoveries in which nature could be considered contradictory as their appearance resulted in numerous problems, conflicts, and deaths. Everyone remembers the aftermath of nuclear strikes. This fact introduces debates about the negative consequences of innovations.

If to speak about the business world, it could be considered on the of the spheres that change dramatically. The appearance of new practices results in significant changes in some traditional approaches. These alterations are focused on the improvement of the companys functioning and its efficiency; however, the usage of the new practices also conditioned the failure of the enterprises using the old ones, and hundreds of people lost their jobs (Pianta 5). That is why it is crucial to consider the consequences of the implementation of a certain innovation.

Additionally, innovations in the health care sector could be taken as the most ambiguous ones. It is conditioned by the nature of the given sphere as it deals with human life. There are several concerns related to the given issue. First, a number of modern approaches appeared due to inhuman experiments that caused a lot of deaths. For this reason, the question of the price of innovations appear. Secondly, some of the modern discoveries might contradict the ethics and accepted values (Shaughnessy para. 6). Finally, there are numerous examples of when various medicines were used for some other purposes. Still, there are many innovations that had a pernicious impact on society and introduced a great threat to its security.

The above-mentioned spheres are not unique ones as the progress impacts all fields of human activity and introduces significant changes to the functioning of various enterprises, organizations, companies, institutions, etc. However, the further development of technologies and sophistication of the approaches towards digital devices introduce the problem of certain sciences evolutions practicability.

For instance, the development of the food industry resulted in the creation of harmful nutritional supplements that have a great pernicious impact on the health of a person. Moreover, the evolution of the chemical industry promoted the appearance of numerous artificial materials that do harm to the environment (Sveiby et al. para. 8). Resting on the given facts, it is obvious that certain limitations should be introduced to monitor the state of science and possible outcomes of a certain invention. Humanity has entered the era of digital technologies, and it is vital to be able to stop as once these inventions could destroy us. Hadron collider or artificial intelligence already poses a great threat to our security as no one could predict the results of their functioning (De Looper para. 6).

Altogether, humanity should reconsider its approaches to innovations and make a pause to analyze the aftermath of the further evolution of various devices or approaches. Otherwise, one day we will not be able to perform some kind of activity because artificial intelligence will decide that we do not need it and deprive us of this opportunity.

Works Cited

De Looper, Christian. “Is Artificial Intelligence Really A Threat To Humanity?” Tech Times. 2015. Web.

Pianta, Mario. The impact of innovation on jobs, skills, and wages. 2004. Web.

Shaughnessy, Haydn. The Positive and Negative Equity of Innovation Cultures. n.d. Web.

Sveiby, Karl-Erik, Pernilla Gripenberg, Beata Segercrantz, Andreas Eriksson, and Alexander Aminoff. Unintended and Undesirable Consequences of Innovation. 2009. Web.

Samurai and bushido. n.d. Web.

Science and Technology in Ancient Rome. n.d. Web.

Osman, Sara. Unlocking Jordan’s science potential. 2013. Web.

Sterns, Olivia. “Muslim inventions that shaped the modern world.” CNN. 2010. Web.

Grabianowski, Ed. 10 Inventions That Changed the World. 2013. Web.

History of Electricity. n.d. Web.