By Preeti Kumari
Navigating the next industrial revolution..
Yes, this is what the world economic forum convention (Davos, 2016) started with.
The stage is set, characters are ready and we are waiting with bated breath to enter into the fourth industrial revolution.
From robots to self-driving cars, 3D printing to gene editing, dramatic technological changes are taking place around.
Fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) is the convergence of real and the technological world. And ED has brought an exclusive insight for you into this whole new world (where it is ‘codes’ raining).
Race with the sapiens
Each time you run a Google search you are leaving behind a data trail which can be tracked and analysed (credit: supercomputers and, of course, all *genius* citizens who are our brothers and sisters). Computers are already doing these things fast and in less than 10 years are expected to reach processing power of human brains. Now, the “crown” is in real danger.
Gene Revolutionaries
Digitisation – heard Mr. Modi (our very own PM) talking about it? Though half of the population (of India) doesn’t even know how to spell it, he is keen on implementing it in India, quite ironic. But this thing is of great use. Small chips associated with your body can draw out your whole medical history and that too with just a click.
Also with gene editing technologies, cure of gene defects will become “sasta, sundar and tikauu.”
Avatar
No, no I am not describing the technologies used in the movie or praising James Cameron (though he deserves it). I am talking about the 3D printing technology. Well, I don’t know if we will see the avatar of Vishnu in kalyug, but we will definitely be able to see avatars of our body organs (courtesy- 3D printing). This technology will help in printing a look alike of the organs (in 3D) and can be used for an organ transplant. That’s pretty amazing!!
Internet of things
This is about joining everything with everything. All the devices can be interconnected. From house automation to “communication” between self-driving cars, this will bring everything on a single platform. But the huge database that is going to be generated is definitely a threat.
Dress made of Internet
Were you checking out dresses made of waste material and coochi-cooing it? Well, here we will soon have dresses made of Internet. From implantable mobile phone to range of devices for your daily workouts, heartbeat, all can be implanted on your dress. Such implants can even help tracking missing children. No tension of earning an earful for losing a mobile phone.
All this advancement definitely excites us and holds us to look forward to tomorrow. But in all this excitement are we forgetting the challenges it will throw upon us? The sheer magnitude of technological invasion in our daily lives is the matter of concern. All the lines are getting blurred and I wonder if there would be any world left offline. It seems like we are trying to change the natural world into a man-made world and the future of such world makes me skeptical.
Well, this was some basic takeaway from fourth industrial revolution. So, if you are intrigued enough, have a look at this video and much more on you tube.
Image Credits: Google
