Larry's Tech Talk
Seven Billion
24/10/11 20:02
Last week had to be a tough week for dictators and deceitful leaders all over the world. So what really contributed to the fall of Muammar Gaddafi? We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s good to be King”. I’m not so sure about that anymore.
The Libyan people just couldn’t be kept in the dark any longer. Technology has reached levels that allow communication and information to flow freely to people around the world, and that includes Libya. And if the king can’t keep his citizens in the dark, he might have some splainin’ to do. Note to world leaders, whatever you do will be shared, scrutinized and communicated to billions of people. Good, bad or otherwise, the people have a world wide web! The days of the telegraph are gone. Information is being shared around the world at lightning like speeds. There is nowhere to hide.
I like to watch a weekly show called CBS Sunday Morning. There was a short segment this week that really caught my attention. It should have been titled, “A Great Time to be Alive”. It pointed out something very true and kind of scary. The world’s population will reach 7 billion sometime around this coming Halloween, (that is next week). Instead of reporting on the negatives going on, the show objectively focused on the positive aspects of 7 billion people sharing one planet.
The overall message of the segment was that right now is really the best time in history to be alive. The author based his premise on 4 factors; lifespan, healthcare, economic opportunity, and literacy. Sure, I know our current economy is down but compared to 250 years ago, things aren’t so bad. And how did we get here? Technology has reached levels that allow communication and information to flow freely around the world at lightning like speeds. Hey is there an echo in here? That’s what I was thinking. So will more people cause more problems or will more people solve more problems?
Gifted and skilled individuals now have the tools to collaborate with colleagues and almost anyone with an interest, around the world at a moments notice. Think about world-wide collaboration and the possible advances in healthcare. And in Libya’s case, freedom vs. oppression? Hmmm, we saw what the now informed people of Libya decided. Maybe think of your computer and the internet as communication devices. “The pen is mightier than the sword” is and old and wise quotation. If the pen is powerful, a keyboard must be a pen on steroids! Make keyboards available to billions of people and you will have a very informed powerful planet. Power to the people, Right On!
Our cell phones can be used as portable cameras to capture photos and videos and then send the graphic information to anyone. We have laptops, desktops, tablets, PDAs that effortlessly give us information and allow us to share our experiences in real time. If you can type g-o-o-g-l-e, you have access to almost any topic that you can think of. And the world’s networks are getting faster and faster.
It took over 2000 years for the world’s population to reach one billion. It took 110 years to reach 7 billion. What will the population be 100 years from now? Your guess is as good as mine, but I do know that technology will need to play a big part in keeping our planet safe and peaceful. Time will tell if more people will cause more problems or solve more problems. But speaking as one of seven billion, I have to say, it’s a great time to be alive!
The Libyan people just couldn’t be kept in the dark any longer. Technology has reached levels that allow communication and information to flow freely to people around the world, and that includes Libya. And if the king can’t keep his citizens in the dark, he might have some splainin’ to do. Note to world leaders, whatever you do will be shared, scrutinized and communicated to billions of people. Good, bad or otherwise, the people have a world wide web! The days of the telegraph are gone. Information is being shared around the world at lightning like speeds. There is nowhere to hide.
I like to watch a weekly show called CBS Sunday Morning. There was a short segment this week that really caught my attention. It should have been titled, “A Great Time to be Alive”. It pointed out something very true and kind of scary. The world’s population will reach 7 billion sometime around this coming Halloween, (that is next week). Instead of reporting on the negatives going on, the show objectively focused on the positive aspects of 7 billion people sharing one planet.
The overall message of the segment was that right now is really the best time in history to be alive. The author based his premise on 4 factors; lifespan, healthcare, economic opportunity, and literacy. Sure, I know our current economy is down but compared to 250 years ago, things aren’t so bad. And how did we get here? Technology has reached levels that allow communication and information to flow freely around the world at lightning like speeds. Hey is there an echo in here? That’s what I was thinking. So will more people cause more problems or will more people solve more problems?
Gifted and skilled individuals now have the tools to collaborate with colleagues and almost anyone with an interest, around the world at a moments notice. Think about world-wide collaboration and the possible advances in healthcare. And in Libya’s case, freedom vs. oppression? Hmmm, we saw what the now informed people of Libya decided. Maybe think of your computer and the internet as communication devices. “The pen is mightier than the sword” is and old and wise quotation. If the pen is powerful, a keyboard must be a pen on steroids! Make keyboards available to billions of people and you will have a very informed powerful planet. Power to the people, Right On!
Our cell phones can be used as portable cameras to capture photos and videos and then send the graphic information to anyone. We have laptops, desktops, tablets, PDAs that effortlessly give us information and allow us to share our experiences in real time. If you can type g-o-o-g-l-e, you have access to almost any topic that you can think of. And the world’s networks are getting faster and faster.
It took over 2000 years for the world’s population to reach one billion. It took 110 years to reach 7 billion. What will the population be 100 years from now? Your guess is as good as mine, but I do know that technology will need to play a big part in keeping our planet safe and peaceful. Time will tell if more people will cause more problems or solve more problems. But speaking as one of seven billion, I have to say, it’s a great time to be alive!