Technological Developments In The Next 20 Years - Research Paper Example

Insert Technological developments that will change our lives in the next 20 years We live in an ever-changing world. Back in the early 19th centuries you could not imagine that one day it would be possible for an individual to order stuff online, pay bills and even connect with friends and families in different geographical locations. However, with time, this has been made possible through the invention of new technologies and the continuous refinement of existing technologies to come up with more convenient and advanced technologies. Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and cliff berry gave the world the first digital computer back in 1942, one that used vacuum tubes and did not even have a central processing unit. If you try comparing berry’s digital computer against the digital computers of our time today in terms of both performance and looks, you will find that there is a very large difference (Bort 1). Modern computers are much more refined and advanced to fit our needs today. In addition, what does this tell us? Well, it shows us that technologies have been getting better over the decades and will keep developing changing lives across the globe. The internet is one of the technological developments that will definitely change our lives over the next 20 or so years. The technology which acts as a platform for us to carry out a vast number of activities including social networking, shopping, banking and lest we forget the variant databases that we can access anywhere on the face of the globe. Online statistics from the internet live stats shows that an estimate 3billion people use the internet (Internet Live Stats 1). That is a staggering 40% of the world’s population. However, this number is continuously rising, and it will keep doing so because more and more people are getting to learn how to use it and are discovering more uses for the technology. Many developed nations are already way ahead in the use and application of this technology, but the rest of the third world and developing nations are still at their infancy stage. A developing nation such as South Africa instance has seen its universities and colleges equipped with facilities, which will allow students to be able to carry out academic activities online. Obviously, this was long incorporated to the American education system but back in Kenya, they are just getting to grips with the internet as an academic tool (Jones 34). This means that the internet is going to change greatly the lives of people over there. Other than academic purposes, the internet will continually change lives in the near future due to the various purposes it plays such as research. Cloud computing is yet another technological development that will forever change how we store data now and in future. Though it is still at its infantile stage in many areas of the globe, the technology has already been widely applied successfully in developed nations (Computer Hope 111). The functionality of this technology is that clients will be able to store their data on a cloud server, and they can access them at any time they so wish. This technology will make sure that your data cannot be vulnerable to unintended loss of any kind. It eliminates huge risks to data; that is why it has considered fundamental in our lives both today and in future (Martinon 1). Closely related to cloud computing is another technological advancement known as parallel computing, it grants many possibilities including graphics rendering and even facial recognition. The world today is facing yet another problem, global warming. It is actually considered as a disaster in the making all thanks to human activities. Particularly, the motor vehicle industry has been attributed as a major contributor to the depletion of the ozone layer, which causes global warming. So what can be done? Obviously, we cannot ban the use of automobiles because we badly need it, which leaves us with a constant struggle to improve the industry instead (Internet Live Stats 1). Recently, technological advancements have come in handy to help us salvage the situation in the automobile industry. Engine manufacturers have now started integrating car engines with computer systems that will ensure the effective use of fossil fuels and vastly reducing CO2 emissions generated by motor vehicles. The global warming crisis is also leading to a paradigm shift in the automobile industry (Bort 1). Electric and hybrid vehicles are gradually taking over the place of conventional petrol powered vehicles and by doing so, there will be a significantly reduced carbon footprint generated to deplete our atmosphere (Computer Hope 45). These technologies will no doubt change our lives in the coming future. The telephony industry has seen technological development over time, and it is not about to stop anytime soon. Developers are constantly coming up new and amazing software programs that power our smartphones in ways we could never imagine. Smartphone manufacturers to be integrating more sophisticated hardware that grants unimaginable possibilities such as the multiple core processors and stunningly clear cameras (Jones 23). The current trend in the smartphone industry means that there will be truly amazing creations that will change our lives. Autonomous software programs or what has come to be known as artificial intelligence could soon be integrated into a number of our systems enabling them to carry out selected activities on our behalf. The development of smartphone programs like SIRI shows us that we are already started with the process of making artificial intelligence a reality and not just a leaf from a science fiction book (Martinon 1). Generally, the world is seeing an ever an ever-changing state of technological advancement. This can be majorly attributed to the never-ending human endeavors in trying to come up with solutions to problems. As much as technological advancement is concerned, it has the positive side like the ones mentioned above then there is the dark side of it, for instance, cybersecurity issues like hacking. We cannot ignore the fact that there is a rising threat to our systems. However, a wise man once said that good surpasses evil and, therefore, the world should expect to see positive life changing technologies that better our lives. Works Cited Bort, julie. World Network. 7 December 2009. 7 June 2015 . Computer Hope. Computer Hope. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Internet Live Stats. Internet Live Stats. 4 August 2010. 7 June 2015 . Jones, paul. "Forbes Newspaper." Technology insights 1.1 (2012): 2-45. Martinon. Entreprenaurial Insights. 10 august 2014. 7 June 2015 . Prynne, Miranda. The telegraph. 8 January 2013. 7 June 2015 . Read More