The Sustainable Solution to Our World’s Pressing Problems | Aisa Mijeno | TEDxiACADEMY
Summary
TLDRThe speaker discusses the exponential growth of technology over the past decades, highlighting the invention of transistors and the birth of the Information Age. Despite technological advancements, there remains a significant disparity in access to basic needs like clean water, electricity, and internet connectivity, particularly in developing economies. The speaker questions whether technology alone is the solution to the world's pressing problems, referencing the Industrial Revolution and its environmental impact. They share personal experiences of witnessing simple machinery improve the lives of communities in Vietnam and the Philippines, emphasizing the role of creativity and innovation in addressing challenges. The speaker introduces a 14-year-old from Malawi who built a windmill from scrap materials, and their own invention of a salt lamp system, both born out of necessity and creativity. They conclude that human values are the key drivers for using technology to solve global issues, advocating for a holistic approach that addresses basic human needs and empowers communities to take charge of their own development.
Takeaways
- 📈 **Exponential Growth**: The rapid technological advancement in recent decades, especially since the invention of transistors and the birth of Moore's Law, has led to an exponential growth in computational power and data access.
- 🌐 **Digital Divide**: Despite technological progress, there is a significant disparity in technology access, with many people in developing economies lacking basic infrastructure like clean water, electricity, and internet connectivity.
- 🏭 **Industrial Revolutions**: The speaker reflects on the progression of industrial revolutions, noting the environmental and social costs, and questioning whether technology is ultimately destructive to the planet.
- 🔨 **Ned Ludd's Legacy**: Reference to Ned Ludd, who symbolizes resistance to industrialization, suggesting a need to consider the human and environmental impacts of technological change.
- 🌟 **Positive Impacts**: Technology has also brought about numerous positive changes, such as megastructures, moon landings, improved literacy, increased life expectancy, and enhanced logistics.
- 🍜 **Local Innovation**: Simple machinery and local innovations, like a rice noodle machine made from recycled materials, can significantly improve productivity and quality of life in rural communities.
- 🧵 **Grassroots Creativity**: Creativity, as seen in traditional weaving and other crafts, is a powerful human expression that can be a key to solving problems, suggesting that technology is just one aspect of human ingenuity.
- 💡 **Human-Centered Solutions**: The founder of an NGO from Bangladesh emphasizes the importance of human values in addressing core problems, suggesting that technology should be used to support and amplify these values.
- 🌱 **Sustainable Innovation**: The speaker shares their own experience of creating a salt lamp system, motivated by the challenges faced by people without access to electricity, highlighting the role of innovation in sustainable solutions.
- 🌍 **Global Connectivity**: The power of technology is seen in its ability to connect people globally, as evidenced by the Egyptian revolution, which was facilitated by social media.
- 🏆 **Beyond Trophies**: The speaker argues that human values should be prioritized over accolades and credentials, as they are the true drivers of altruistic goals and the most compelling force for positive change.
- 📖 **Education and Experience**: A young innovator from Malawi, despite limited formal education, was able to create a windmill using local resources, demonstrating how creativity can be molded by experience and necessity.
Q & A
What is the significance of the 'hockey stick' growth mentioned in the transcript?
-The 'hockey stick' growth refers to the exponential technological advancement that occurred in recent decades, particularly following the invention of transistors and the establishment of Moore's Law. It symbolizes a rapid increase in technological capabilities and their widespread impact on society.
What marked the beginning of the Information Age according to the speaker?
-The beginning of the Information Age was marked by the successful communication between a client and a server by Tim Berners-Lee, which led to the revolution of the World Wide Web.
What are some of the problems that developing economies are facing despite technological progress?
-Developing economies are facing problems such as lack of access to clean water, inadequate infrastructure for communication and data sharing, and limited access to electricity and lighting.
How many people worldwide are reported by the World Bank to not have access to clean water?
-According to the World Bank, approximately 780 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water.
What is the speaker's perspective on the role of technology in solving the world's pressing problems?
-The speaker believes that while technology has the potential to solve many of the world's problems, it is not the sole solution. Human values and creativity play a significant role in addressing these issues, and technology should be used in conjunction with these values.
What is the historical reference to Ned Ludd and its relevance to the speaker's discussion?
-Ned Ludd was a figure from the 18th century who famously smashed a stocking frame, leading to a revolt against machinery. The speaker uses this reference to illustrate the historical tension between technological advancement and its impact on society.
How did the speaker's experience in Lao Cai province, North Vietnam, influence their views on technology?
-The speaker witnessed a simple machine made from recycled materials that significantly improved the productivity and quality of life for a community of 50 households. This experience demonstrated the transformative power of simple technology and innovation in addressing local needs.
What is the 'salt lamp' lighting system that the speaker created?
-The 'salt lamp' is an innovative lighting system that uses ocean water or salt water as a medium to activate and power up LEDs. It can also charge low-power mobile devices and was inspired by the challenges faced by people in obtaining kerosene for light.
What does the speaker believe is the key to solving the world's most pressing problems?
-The speaker believes that human values are the key to solving the world's most pressing problems. They argue that technology should be used in conjunction with these values to create a scalable solution that can bring about positive change.
How does the speaker describe the importance of human values in the context of technological development?
-The speaker emphasizes that human values should be at the center of technological development. They argue that values such as self-respect, dignity, and community empowerment are crucial for sustainable development and should be integrated with technological solutions.
What is the speaker's final message regarding the direction of innovation?
-The speaker's final message is that innovation is accelerating at an exponential rate and it needs to be directed with human values. They stress the importance of ensuring that technological advancements align with and serve to enhance human values for the betterment of society.
Outlines
📈 Exponential Technological Growth and Socioeconomic Disparities
The first paragraph discusses the exponential growth of technology, particularly over the past few decades, with significant milestones such as the invention of the transistor, the establishment of Moore's Law, and the advent of the World Wide Web. Despite these advancements, there is a stark contrast in the availability of technology, especially in developing countries, where issues like lack of access to clean water, electricity, and internet persist. The speaker reflects on the role of technology in solving global challenges, referencing the Industrial Revolution and the need for a shift in focus towards human values as a driving force for positive change.
🌱 Grassroots Innovation and the Power of Human Values
The second paragraph emphasizes the inspiring role of technology in transforming lives, from a small community in rural Vietnam to the broader societal changes catalyzed by social media in Egypt. The speaker questions whether creativity, rather than technology alone, is the key to solving the world's problems. They share personal experiences and stories, such as the innovative windmill built by a young Malawian and the development of a salt lamp lighting system, to illustrate how creativity, molded by experiences and hardships, can lead to impactful solutions. The paragraph concludes with the assertion that human values are paramount, and when combined with technology, they can serve as a powerful tool for positive global change.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Technological Growth
💡Moore's Law
💡Information Age
💡Digital Divide
💡Innovation
💡Human Values
💡Grassroots Innovation
💡World Wide Web
💡Industrial Revolution
💡Environmental Catastrophe
💡Luddite Movement
💡Salt Lamp
Highlights
The exponential growth in technology over the past few decades is highlighted by the invention of transistors and the birth of Moore's Law.
The successful communication between a client and a server by Tim Berners-Lee marked the beginning of the Information Age and the World Wide Web revolution.
Despite technological advancements, there is a disparity in technology access, particularly in developing economies.
780 million people lack access to clean water, 1.4 billion are not connected to the power grid, and four billion people are without internet access according to the World Bank.
The speaker questions whether technology is truly the key to solving the world's most pressing problems.
The Industrial Revolution and its subsequent transitions have led to rapid development but also environmental catastrophe and economic disparity.
The speaker shares a personal story of witnessing the impact of simple machinery on a rural community in North Vietnam, which improved productivity and quality of life.
Technology has brought about significant improvements in literacy, lifespan, and declining mortality rates.
The role of technology is evident in changing lives, from small communities to large-scale social revolutions, such as the Egyptian awakening through social media.
The speaker visited Sagada, Philippines, and observed the intricate craft of weaving on a wooden machine, highlighting the importance of grassroots innovation.
Creativity, as a human expression, may be the key to solving pressing problems, with technology being a tool for implementation.
The story of a 14-year-old from Malawi who built a windmill from scrap materials exemplifies creativity born out of necessity.
The speaker's own innovation, a salt lamp lighting system, was inspired by the challenges faced by people in obtaining kerosene for light.
Human values are identified as the most profound motivator for using technology to attain altruistic goals and change the world for the better.
The founder of an NGO from Bangladesh emphasizes the importance of providing basic human needs to marginalized communities as a holistic approach to development.
The speaker concludes that innovation should be directed with human values to ensure technology is used for the betterment of society.
Transcripts
okay so let me start by showing you this
one powerful slide here which I believe
summarizes the technological growth and
an advancement that happened over the
past centuries but what's even more
compelling about this slide if you try
to notice the hockey stick is the
exponential growth that happened only a
few decades ago with the invention of
transistors the birth of Moore's law
that the successful communication
between a client and a server of 13
berners-lee which marked the Information
Age and the revolution of the World Wide
Web and the rest was history we even
have a more powerful computational
device and access to data now that what
we had with a space shuttle which landed
on the moon almost 50 years ago given
this send a technological transition
that happened over the past decades it
is tremendously surprising and quite
bothering to see the disparity of
technology particularly in developing
economies like ours that despite the
amazing progress in science and
technology unfortunately we are still
experiencing problems ranging from lack
of access to clean water infrastructure
that supports communication and data
sharing and a problem that our
organization is trying to help address
people's lack of access to electricity
and lighting according to World Bank
they're about 780 million people who
don't have access to clean water 1.4
billion people are not connected to the
power grid four billion people without
internet access and makes up the world's
poor and because of this in my recent
participation from a forum I realized
and I've started asking myself this
question its technology really the key
to solving the world's most pressing
problems it has almost been three
centuries since the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution this transition
included going from hand to
dachshund methods to machines new
chemical manufacturing and iron
production processes the increasing use
of steam power the development of
machine tools and the rise of factory
system which paved the way for rapid
development and the Second Industrial
Revolution which enabled the third
Industrial Revolution and now we're
coming to the fourth exploiting massive
resources which cost environmental
catastrophe disparity among economies
until we finally admit to ourselves that
technology is actually destroying this
planet but before we transform into a
nearly died as reference to Ned Ludd if
you're familiar with Ned Ludd who
smashed a - stacking frame in license to
England in 1779 which led to the
revolution of men against machine let me
also tell you that technology did
several wonderful amazing things
technology that we could have never
imagined or achieved from megastructures
two men on the moon improving our
well-being from the increase in literacy
the longer lifespan the declining
mortality rate
not to mention logistics the growing
efficiency in the transportation
communication and data access this this
only tells us one thing technology is
not a problem going back almost a decade
ago I was fortunate enough enough to be
part of a volunteer program in Lao Cai
province North Vietnam and their how to
get to Lao Cai province takes about
eight hours by train and then you have
to go on foot two hours more and then we
had to traverse mount fansipan which is
the highest mountain in Indochina to set
up a camp which is going to be our
dwelling for the next three weeks and
there I saw this very interesting piece
of machinery here I asked one of the
villagers what the machine was for and
then I learned that the machine was for
creating rice noodles so being naturally
curious I spent some time and ham around
the place and observed the people every
single day and I noticed that this
of machinery here made out of Buddha
mentoring materials actually feeds the
entire community of 50 households this
piece of machinery here made out of
recycled materials bring about 25%
productivity because people no longer
need to travel to the nearest town to
buy themselves rice noodles they get 50%
savings because people harvest and
create their own rice noodles and yield
more crops because there are more people
in the village who can work day in and
day out in the farm so the unforeseen
impact of simple machinery simple
innovations such as this one is truly
inspiring the role of Technology clearly
seen from my new things changing the
lives of a small community in rural
Vietnam to the Egyptians awakening its
people with a revolution that was
created through social media there is no
doubt the power of technology is
inevitable yet I still find myself
asking the same question when I went
home to the Philippines I visited Sagada
and I watched a Weaver and I wondered
how she does this intricate the science
on a fabric using a wooden machine as
she pushed and pulled a wooden stick and
match it with her foot on the pedal
colorful thread start popping up as a
pattern of the fabric was formed no
matter how I concentrate full side full
consciousness and as she wave our arms
and foot around I still wasn't able to
grasp how the fabric was made it was
just amazing and then I went out and saw
a wooden bicycle on the street being
paraded by a native of the area and as
someone making all Istanbul and there I
realized that the Philippines has even
more of this grassroots innovation there
I started asking myself if the key could
be creativity its technology just one of
the creative human expressions it's
creativity alone the key to solving the
world's most pressing problems and if so
where does creativity come from the
first time I read about this 14 year old
from Malawi I was really inspired by him
he never went to school only read books
from a random library created by the
missionaries yet he was able to build a
a windmill enough to power up appliances
using blue gum trees bicycle parts and
metal materials that are collected from
the local scrapyard now this is
creativity creativity molded by
experiences and his was relevant and
significant because the motivation to
create was out of difficulties hardships
and deprivation living in a small island
or a small village in rural Africa and I
believe it was the same creative process
that I had experienced when I went up to
the mountains which inspired me to
create salt lamp a lighting system that
makes use of ocean water salt water as a
way as a medium to activate and power up
LEDs and even charge low-power mobile
devices like your cell phones and
smartphones so this is a video clip that
you can see on how a salt one works and
I was motivated and inspired to do this
after learning the challenges of the
people just to get kerosene for to have
light at night but there is this one
thing that I have observed and recently
realized that creativity is just a
product of something more profound and
this should be the center of how we do
things this should have more values than
the awards trophies academic credential
certificates that we have this should
this we should take advantage of because
together with technology its scalable
and these are human values human values
are the biggest motivation to move
forward it brings everything together
it's the most compelling drive for
people to attain altruistic goals and
weak technology it's going to be the
greatest tool to change the world for
the better when I met a founder of an
NGO from Bangladesh it occurred to me
how human values are the key to solving
the world's most pressing problems her
stories were testimonials
of this the NGO she found this is a
value based organization with a holistic
approach towards development because
without providing the marginalized the
isolated communities with basic human
needs such as food water lighting
sanitation you are not making them part
of the system we need to give this
people self-respect we need to give
these people human dignity because only
they can help themselves out of poverty
only the community can be the guardians
of the environment they live in
addressing the problem right from the
very core which something that has been
innate and already within us is the most
logical approach and with technology the
movement will be even more intensified
so I'm going to leave you with a code a
principle and a matter of mine
innovation is accelerating at an
exponential rate and we need to ensure
that it is given direction with human
values thank you for listening and maybe
have a wonderful afternoon
[Applause]
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