The Future of Wireless Technology- 5G

                Stop for a moment and think about how many things in your home are wireless?  How often do you use wireless technology?  Do you remember when wireless technology was only a dream? Where is wireless going in the future?    

The latest from Apple

                This week The Economist shared the latest advancements in what has now been called 5G wireless, in other words fifth generation wireless.   This new form of wireless technology is predicted to penetrate the air waves in 2020.  A quick look at 5G shows that this advancement focuses more on transferring information rather than a person's voice.

                A sense of urgency drives this wireless technology.  The faster it is perfected and delivered the sooner people will gain access to large amounts of information.  

                How large is large?  The current 4G system of wireless technology streams  10-100 Megabits per second.  5G will look at streaming 1 Gigabit per second.   That means 1000 Megabits per second ( a Megabit is 1/8 of a Megabyte).  Hopefully under the new system we will be able to stream videos  with 4K-8K formats on our mobile devices.   

First time leaving home on wireless technology

                 5G also introduces a global standard. It will create the means necessary to keep your personal phone and phone number, no matter where you are in the world!

                Do you want to communicate with people who speak a different language? 5G has it covered.   This wireless technology will strive for seamless language translation.   5G just took the meaning of globalization to a whole new level.   

How about in home wireless- that was an upgrade

                Unfortunately,  this new wireless system will need a new form of transmission.  The current optical-fibre are not capable in transmitting the reach of this new wireless technology.   To make 5G possible it will have to be sent through super high or extremely high frequency waves. 

Remember the wall phone?

                However, these waves can be blocked easily by walls and such.  Therefore, cellular towers will need to be placed closer together and have more antennas.   Thankfully, it is being considered how to make these look less obtrusive.   

"Operator give me..."

                Earlier I mentioned that there is a greater emphasis on information than voice.  But isn't information a voice in itself?  Though we might not be hearing a audible voice, what voices are we listening to through this medium that is connecting us to the rest of the world?

                Is there really a urgent need to have access to oodles of information at our finger tips?  Is a greater connection to the rest of the world pulling us away from the world and people that are around us?

                What would God have us do?  How does he want us to spend our time? What are positive outlooks on globalization in light of Scripture?  Lastly, how can 5G wireless technology be used to aid in Bible translation and share Jesus Christ with the nations?  To be continued...

Resources : The Economist, ComSoc Technology News,  MacDailyNews 

Climate Change- Weather or Not?

Next Friday is a day I'm sure we've all been waiting for.  The first day of Spring.  The birds are singing, the trees are budding, and most importantly, the snow is melting.  If I asked you what causes the snow to melt, what would you say? I don't know about you but I vote for the sun.  Last week I couldn't help but capture this reality through my window, as a host of icicles began melting in the face of the afternoon sun. 

                A study done by the University of Southern Denmark caught some attention in the news this week.  The study announced that the earth's orbit/rotation around the sun is the utmost cause of global climate change. It took rocket scientists to figure that one out.

                In recent years the hype about global warming, or what has now been termed global climate change, has kept the attention of scientists and politicians alike.  Back in 2009 there was an incident where scientists "dumped" raw data concerning temperature changes; not presenting all the information.  

                More recently in January, Paul Homewood covered in his Notalotofpeopleknowthat blog that scientists around the world have been fudging the temperature records to indicate that global warming is happening.  In reality it has been getting cooler.  This was of course met with opposition, and factcheck.org  made sure that people knew that anything Homewood reported was incorrect. 

                Factcheck.org conveyed that the U.S. Department of Commerce Inspector General  and the Environmental Protection Agency  investigated the situation and found no errors or manipulation.  But then of course the government couldn't find the Lois Lerner emails either. 

                In light of all this information swirling around us, what should we believe?  First, we need to understand that climate change has been happening for many many years.  People used to call it weather.  If the climate didn't change we wouldn't have our seasons.   Second, the closer or further away the earth moves from the sun in its orbit will cause change in climate. 

               Third, although people are not the cause of climate change, we can effect it if we are not good stewards of what God has given us.  We should be knowledgeable consumers.   Lastly, we need to live with the understanding that natural air patterns, volcanic eruptions, rock plate movements, and more, also contribute to changing weather.   Watch this video. 

For additional insights check out this article. 

Robear from RIKEN

         At one point in your life you may have slept with a teddy bear in your arms, but did you ever consider that one a day you would leave your bed in the arms of a teddy bear? 

                Enter Robear.  Last week RIKEN(the largest scientific research institution in Japan) announced that they are working  on a robot that will be used in the nursing care field.  This teddy bear looking robot would aid in lifting people from their beds, placing them in wheelchairs, and helping them stand up.  RIKEN has worked on similar projects in the past, but Robear stands out from the rest for two reasons.  

                First, it moves with speed and precision.  This is due to its use of actuators(motors responsible for moving and controlling) with a low gear ratio.  These motors also allow the robot to sense the force of the patient on itself and then gage its motions to make them more gentle.  Robear also includes three kinds of sensors that contribute to making gentle movements.  

                Second, Rober is light weight in itself,  making it easy to use.  At the same time it is able to lift around 175lbs.  This is extremely beneficial. One of the reasons Robear is being considered is that care givers have gotten lower back injuries from lifting people.  Robear would be light weight for care givers to use and it could perform heavy lifting tasks.  Check out the video below to see Robear at work.

                Robear may sound great and I am positive that this advancement can help in the nursing care field, but there are a few other things to consider.  I spoke with some elderly relatives about this new technology and their first response was  annoyance.

                 Why do robots have to take over jobs that are meant for people?  They expressed that human beings need human contact.  A robot cannot be compassionate.  They cannot understand how you are feeling from one day to the next.  The times when you need people the most, the last thing you want to see is a robot.  It was also made clear that this is true for people of any age.

                Having listened to family members  who work within the nursing care field, I know that care givers are concerned about how to best meet the needs of the people they work with, without injuring themselves.  Sometimes they need help moving or lifting someone, but no one else is around.

                Robear could be extremely beneficial in relieving the physical and mental stress that accompanies these kinds of situations.  At the same time they know that meeting the emotional needs of a person is just as important as meeting their physical needs.  This can only come from the human touch. 

                I personally feel that this technological advancement can be beneficial, but it should never replace human contact.  God created us to be relational.  This is one of the characteristics that points to people being made in the image of God.  In Genesis chapter two God made it clear that it was not good for man to be alone.  So, no matter how far advanced we become in technological equipment, we should never let it take away from the relationships God wants us to have with each other and Himself.

Resources: RIKEN,  Tech Times, The Corner News, Bible ESV