Technology Technology has made our lives busier, not better. HFDYA with this statement? A. 1.

Acknowledge that improvements in technology have led to increases in efficiency and productivity, thus making our lives better. Eg. Through advances in the areas of communications and transportation, the world has become smaller and is connected in new ways. Globalization would be impossible without the technology we have today. 2. Paradoxically, it is exactly because technology has allowed for greater efficiency that we have become better. Eg. Iron rusts with disuse, stagnant water loses its purity even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.- Leonardo Da Vinci. Mankinds inability to remain idle means that we now would want to accomplish more in the same amount of time, making life busier. Multitaking. 3. Elevated expectations as a result of advancement in medical technology results in us becoming busier to meet those expectations. Eg. In hospitals, medical technology, medical staff are busier (???) 4. Technology fails, creating more problems when glitches occur. This is especially bad if we are over reliant on technology. Conclusion: Technology in itself should serve to aid us in our work and in doing so, free up our time for leisure or other purposes though this is not always the case. From the other essay + Communications sector Eg. Smart phones to enable one to stay contactable 24/7 extends ones working hours to an almost infinite extent. Indeed, the mobile communications device owned by a large majority in developed nations, enables all of us to stay connected constantly, a function which would ostensibly be a boon especially to businessmen and others whose jobs require them to be constantly be in touch with those they work with. Decline in work life balance.

+ Efficiencies to allow for a much faster pace of life. Areas of robotics and computer programming Results in us squeezing more tasks into our schedules

Fast paced world of instant gratification, loss of time to smell the roses

Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons. (R. Buckminster Fuller) How far is this true? Thesis: While I agree that some technological achievements have been attained as a result of less-than-altruistic motivations, it is surely unfair to apply a blanket label to all technology and claim that all of it has been obtained for the wrong reasons, for there are numerous instances in which technology has been inspired by a genuine urge to improve Mans quality of life; in many of these cases, in fact, humanity has been left better off. + In support of the statement, the pursuit of warfare demonstrates the gaining of new technology for wrong reasons Some of the most major technological breakthroughs have resulted from countries quests to attain military might Eg. 1940s WWII and the Atomic Bomb Destructive effects of the Atomic Bomb, shows that the reasons for acquiring such technology was to exert the threat of utter destruction on other nations This can be construed as a wrong reason Despite the fact that nuclear technology would be useful in solving mankinds energy woes since its a form of non-polluting clean energy.

+ Commercial interests behind many technological can also be considered as a wrong reason Commercial sponsorship is responsible for a lot of technological research and development Eg. Pharmaceutical companies often stake their money on a single patented drug to fully exploit its commercial advantages, like Pfizer and its Viagra Eg. Microsoft develop its technology to monopolize the market by eliminating the competitors. The American government took up an anti0trust suit against them for this very reason. Because the technology acquired is not for the good of humanity as a whole but primarily for the private financial benefit of a few smart entrepreneurs, some might argue that technology has been developed for the wrong reasons.

+ Despite the fact that many technological advances have been motivated by wrong reasons, they may not be necessarily bad. It is perhaps unfair to expect every researcher to be altruistic Even in the areas of military technology, it is understandable that countries take up arms to protect their own people. Theory of Mutually Assured Destruction tells us that as more nations start defending themselves, we may still get some measure of security through mutually deterrent effects.

+ There are many other right reasons Economic growth, standards of living for the general good for mankind Efficient industrial processes to raise total output while cutting costs Technology also helps to provide for peoples basic needs. Eg. Newater, GM food Eg. Smallpox vaccine Eg. Stem cell research to treat the debilitating and degenerative ailments such as cancer, brain tumors and Parkinsons disease. the society. Eg. The internets developer Sir Tim Berners- Lee chose not to patent his discover so that this useful tool could be made readily available to

+ Technology in response to external threats is no doubt a good reason Eg. In areas like combating infectious diseases, the eradication of smallpox via its vaccine, equipments to predict occurrence of natural disasters

+ Technological breakthroughs to overcome natural obstacles. Invention of the aeroplane and WWW to overcome geographical boundaries.

+ Case where technology developed for the right reasons ended up being used for unethical purposes. But this is due to selfish exploiters; the technology had morally right motivations. Argue that overall, technology was attained in response to human problems, or to overcome human limitations.

B. Thesis: While man is indeed in the midst of acquiring more new and innovative technologies to aid him in his endeavors, some aim to serve a good purpose whereas others seek to cause many problems. That, after all, is the very nature of technology a double edged sword that man can use for good or malicious intent. 1. Establish yardstick for comparing right technology and not-so-right ones. - right is a very subjective notion - right in this essay is defined as having intended purpose of good and being beneficial 2. Mankind has misused beneficial technology. - Issue of Atomic Bombs, it was excessive, Japan was losing the war already, a more defensive position could have been adopted by US instead - The Atomic Bomb is inhumane, costing hundreds of thousands of lives in that single instant of impact, one which can still be felt today in terms of radiation sickness and horrendous genetic mutation of survivors. - This shows man seeking to dominate his fellow man using weaponry derived from technology technology that was meant to protect and not destroy - Technological advances in the past decades have indeed been misused, resulting in greater magnitudes of destruction. 3. However positive effects of technology must also be recognized, especially in the frontiers of medicine. - DNA recombination. With the workings of organisms at a microscopic level subject to human manipulation, man has been able to solve several medical problems. - Eg. Growing and cultivation of human insulin in E. Coli bacteria allowed men to mass produce the hormone. This has led to diabetics becoming much better off. - Eg. Stem-cell technology can help diseases like Alzheimers disease.

4. Advances in technology in their application in the life sciences form the basis for biotechnology today. - One of the pressing problems of this century was the shortage of food supplies. UN study in 2003 showed that approximately 30 million peoples die in a year due to famine, and the situation is unlikely to change in the near future. - GM food to increase yield and health value (Golden Rice) Conclusion: It can be seen that while humanity has acquired all the right technology for good reasons and manipulated the right technology to his advantage, presence of individuals who exploit technology for their self-interest has made the right technology work for the wrong purposes, resulting in many of the problems we see today.

Is the pursuit of nuclear technology desirable in todays world? A. Thesis: Nuclear technology, though highly useful to humankind, is steadily losing its relevance and desirability in todays world. + Advantage of nuclear technology in its application to the energy industry. Depletion of oil, and the rise in oil and gase prices showed that we need to seek alternative energy sources. Nuclear technology is useful, and has been able to solve many developed countries energy woes. More efficient and expedient methods of producing enriched uranium would certainly be a desirable outcome of nuclear technological research as the demand for nuclear energy increases.

+ Furthermore, uranium is still not a renewable resources, nuclear waste remains a problem It would be a groundbreaking and beneficial development if methods of deenriching uranium was created to help make nuclear power a truly green energy source.

+ The pursuit of nuclear technology remains highly dangerous Eg. Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, Japan Nuclear energy has potentially destructive effects Association with the Atomic Bomb would also see that it is of little appeal, and we desire to replace it as soon as possible.

+ Nuclear technology has indeed been eclipsed by recent breakthroughs in the energy industry Eg. Wind, water and solar power are not viable alternatives Eg. Germanys decision to take all nuclear reactors offline by 2025 and replace them with a new type of highly efficient, reduced pollution coal fired plant shows that ultimately the safety of population centres must take precedence even in the pursuit of reducing pollution. Environmentalism and technological advancement in other areas have made the pursuit of nuclear technology obsolete and much less desirable today.

+ Nuclear weaponisation is severely detrimental to global stability and is highly undesirable given the ethical concerns and political risks involved. Arms race then Arms reduction , and non-proliferation treaties

Pyongyangs 2007 nuclear test and Tehrans insistence on pursuing peaceful nuclear research have resulted in embargoes. Evidently. The pursuit of nuclear technology has lost its desirability in the world today.

+ In areas of weaponry, nuclear weapons are also losing their relevance. Biological and chemical agents are being developed as new WMD. Eg. 2001 Anthrax attack on Capitol Hill and the preceding Sarin gas attack on Japans subway system are indicators that biological and chemical research has been much more open to such abuse. Focus shifts to countering those weapons instead of nuclear weapons.

Conclusion: Nuclear technology is losing its relevance due to the changing times, and it would largely undesirable to pursue it any further today. B. Thesis: From a secular and environmental perspective, the answer would be yes provided there is support from political institutions to regulate such technology so that human health would not be at risk. + The pursuit of nuclear technology remains highly dangerous Eg. Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, Japan Nuclear energy has potentially destructive effects Association with the Atomic Bomb would also see that it is of little appeal, and we desire to replace it as soon as possible. But these are isolated incidents from the past, we must not forget the innumerable benefits that nuclear technology has brought us in the fields of medicine and energy production

+ With the knowledge that radiation from nuclear technology is highly dangerous, all workers exposed are not required by law to be adequately protected. + Nuclear technology remains as one of the most highly regulated fields of research Eg. Only one in fifteen proposals of nuclear research are approved by the US department of energy and nuclear physics compared to one in fifteen proposals in the field of genetic engineering. Given the number of safety nets imposed in the field, pursuit of nuclear technology might not be as dangerous but more desirable

+ Nuclear power to solve energy woes

Nuclear energy is able to reap efficiency levels as high as 80% compared to wind and microalgae production which are only able to provide energy at efficiency levels of 20% and 40% respectively.