There are many different views about what the future of aviation would look like or whether it will still be applicable to the future society. Despite our heavy dependence on aviation technology for security and convenience in today’s world, there are some who believe that aviation technology will give way to more advanced technologies and will soon be replaced in light of the rapid technological advancements and breakthroughs of the current day. However, as one reflects on the past history of aviation and its current day applications, one could conclude that aviation technology will not be at any rate, obsolete. On the contrary, one could imagine that by the year 2059, aviation technology would have become more personal, would still continue to play a major role in military warfare, and will still serve to enhance other technologies.

Since the first successful flight of the Wright Brothers in 1903, people of all ages, young and old alike have dreamt of owning their own personal flying vehicle. At that time, it was merely a dream; something impossible and unrealistic. However, this dream took its first step into becoming a reality when aircrafts became available for purchase to the public and flying enthusiasts were quick to obtain their own planes and flight licenses (Daly, 2003, p6). Then in 1913, this dream took another step with the development of the world’s first commercial aircraft by the Russians in 1913 (Airliner, 2009) allowing people who couldn’t afford their own personal planes, to experience flight at a lower price. These were the first milestones in the direction of personal flight. Now almost 100 years later, Companies such as Moller International have brought this dream within grasp with their M400 Skycar prototype. Although still in its testing stages, the M400 is capable of carrying up to six passengers and was developed with the intention of replacing the family car in every household (Moller International, 2008). This compact vehicle, estimated to cost only $100,000 is extremely affordable for all that it offers and because of that, we can expect flight enthusiasts to be eager to show up for work the next day in one of these vehicles. Because of it’s low price, it would be natural to think that the society will be quick to adopt this new style of transport and accept it as a part of everyday life. In light of this, we can expect that by the year 2059, we will see a large portion of humanity owning their own personal flying vehicles so much so that it would be considered a household commodity. It may not seem realistic or even feasible at this point in time, but we must remember that just within 40 years of the Wright brother’s first flight, aircrafts were already equipped and had evolved sufficiently to serve in both the First and the Second World Wars with tremendous effects. With that said, it will be very likely that one day, we will see cities similar to those in Star Wars movies; bustling with aerial highways and personal flying vehicles of every kind.

Over the years, aviation technology has not only changed the lifestyle of today’s society but also military warfare and will likely continue to do so. Sci-fi movies and stories often portray battles of the future to take place in space being fought with robotic suits or for future weapons of mass destruction to be in the form of satellites capable of attacking from orbit. Both concepts appear to obsolete the use of aircrafts in combat. However, despite these creative and interesting ideas, it is highly unlikely that aircrafts will be obsolete even with the development of such weapons. This is evident even in today’s society. Today, we live in an age of nuclear power with nations that hold nuclear weapons in their armories, capable of destroying whole cities in an instant. Despite the immense destructive power of such weapons, military aircraft are still vital components to warfare and in many cases are the key to victory on the battlefield. If we apply that argument to the future, we can also conclude that even though more powerful weapons may be developed, aircrafts will still be a necessity in order to orchestrate both offensive and defensive campaigns. This continuous need for aircrafts will only prompt them to be developed into better, more efficient as well as more effective designs. An example of this can be seen in a youtube video posted by jpicard entitled Future Aviation (jpicard, 2007) whereby future aircrafts engage one another in battle at new levels of performance, speed and power. Evidence of this is also clearly seen with the development of aircrafts such as the B2 Stealth Bomber also known as the B-2 Spirit, which was developed to carry nuclear weapons, and the F22 raptor (a modern day stealth fighter). The B2 Stealth Bomber in particular, as aforementioned, was a result of nuclear weapons capabilities. From the very beginning, the plane was intended to carry nuclear weapons and hence was developed to accommodate that purpose (B-2 Spirit, 2009). Needless to say, the development of aviation technology in terms of military application will have great effect on the societies of the world. Imagine if every jet fighter was capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Wars would be fought at whole new levels and would be a whole different ball game all together.

Building on the point presented above, it is also possible for the exact opposite scenario to occur simultaneously, I.e. for future aviation technology to shape other areas of technology, namely weapons technologies. It is very likely that with newer more efficient aircrafts, the weapons that they carry will also develop to accommodate them. One example of this found in past history is the development of the rocket into the missile by the Germans in order to destroy targets more effectively (Missile, 2009). As aircrafts grew more and more advanced, it was important that the weapons they carried were capable of shooting down aircrafts of similar performances. Similar to how new types of armor are created to stop new kinds of ammunition. Therefore, new weapons were constantly manufactured to keep up with aircraft development and also to overcome them. It can be expected then, that in the near future, we will see a new generation of weapons flooding the armories of nations around the world, each one more powerful and more effective than those of today, to serve and accompany these new aircrafts.

In conclusion, the year 2059 would be a very different world because of the contributions from aviation technologies and its development. Flight will become an even more familiar place to humanity, and we will see new planes and weapons that push the limit of science and technology as well as the limits of the human body. This future, will be one that is full of awe and yet also full of fear and danger. Therefore, we as its citizens, should pay close attention to the developments and changes that come about this developing technology.

(1170 words)

References:

1) Moller International, Skycar (2009)

Retrieved April 2^nd 2009 from

http://www.moller.com/skycar

2) Hihommy, Carter Aviation Technology

Retrieved April 2^nd 2009 from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YgZPtlSMkA

3) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Airliner (2009)

Retrieved April 3^rd 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_flight

4) Daly Janet R. & Bednarek, Michael H. (2003). Dreams of Flight: General Aviation in

the United States, 6. Retrieved 3^rd April 2009 from

http://site.ebrary.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/lib/sfu/docDetail.action?docID=10046098

5) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: B2 Spirit

Retrieved April 3^rd 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B2_Bomber

6) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Missile (2009)

Retrieved April 4^th 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile#Air-to-air

Images retrieved from:

1) Via Magazine, Planes, trains and automobiles: where are we going? (2002)

Retrieved 6^th April 2009 from

http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/planes_trains_automobiles02.asp

2) Auto moto, mad about wheels, Cell Craft turns car into aircraft: G440 flying

concept (2005). Retrieved 6^th April 2009 from

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/12/26/cellcraft-g440-flying-car-

concept_5965.jpg

A comic illustration on what the concept of Wiki’s would look like if applied to friendships!

Retrieved from:  http://xkcd.com/185/          on March 19th 2009

Since the most primitive attempts at achieving flight, aircraft technology has shaped and changed our society dramatically. This is especially true during the industrial era which began in the 18^th century. We can narrow down our focus on the industrial era by dividing it into three sub eras namely the pre-industrial era, the industrial era itself, and the post industrial era. I believe that in those respective time frames, aircraft technology spurned mankind into scientific advancement, helped define the world as we know it today, and dramatically redefined military warfare.

The pre-industrial era is regarded to be the time before the mid 1800’s. It was a time following the Renaissance period, with elaborate Victorian-style dresses, fancy balls, and large sail ships that explored the large expanse of ocean. It was also one where exploration and furtherance of any kind of knowledge was largely encouraged. It was during this period that personalities like Leonardo Da Vinci, amongst other famous inventors, conjured up theoretical drawings and ideas for flying contraptions. At the time, many people regarded the idea of a man flying as purely ridiculous and few paid attention to such ideas. Although no success in flight was ever achieved in this period of time, such ideas and concepts as well as all the research put into the science of flight contributed to the intellectual spark in society. It was because of such research that people started to question scientifically how birds were able to fly but not their man-made contraptions and thus began to analyze things from a more logical and scientific view point. Therefore, although the technology of flight did not directly have an effect on the pre-industrial era, all the attempts and experiments as well as ideas and concepts did shape the society (at least the scientific one) to some extent.

During the industrial era itself, previous technology of all sorts were now being utilized on a massive scale. Steam powered ships replaced sail ships, printing presses produced newspapers and mass produced items were a common sight. It was in this period which stretched from the mid 1800’s to the early 1900’s that the science of flight really began to shape the world into what it is today. With the Wright Brother’s first successful flight in 1902, whole nations began to turn their attention and resources to fully grasping the concept of flight. As Janet Rose Daly tells us in her work entitled Dreams of flight, competitions were often held amongst early aviators from different nationalities drawing thousands of spectators (Janet R. 2003 p.24). People were intrigued by the fact that man now could control a flying machine and the society was, and would forever be, changed. By this time, aircrafts had developed from simple wooden frames propelled by leg-powered propellers to engine mounted ones. It was not long before people started to look for ways to utilize this new technology and fairly quickly, ideas like crop dusting, forest fire patrols, and aerial surveillance were implemented (Janet R. 2003, p 36).

In addition to that, in 1926, the United States Congress approved the air mail act or also known as the “Kelly Act” (Janet R. 2003, p 44) which gave tremendous implications towards the society in terms of communication capabilities seeing that letters could now be delivered to distant places in at least half the time. Interesting enough, aircraft technology also brought around social change. To some extent, flight technology brought around some aspects of gender equality in America. This is because women were amongst some of the early aviators who piloted planes in air shows and also played a role in setting flight records (Janet R. 2003 p.33). Janet Rose also tells us in her book that racial equality was also to some extent brought about through flight as in the case of Bessie Coleman, an African American woman who despite all odds, obtained her pilot license and was allowed to fly in the United States and using her fame, pushed for racial equality (Janet R. 2003 p.33).

The effects that aircraft technology had on the society of the time were tremendous as it still is today. We must remember that the industrial era occurred sometime around WWI which incorporated aircraft into the arsenals of nations who could afford it. Although the role of combat aircrafts was not as decisive in WWI as it was in WWII, military powers recognized that aircrafts were now the key to success on the battlefield and were essential in overpowering the enemy, hence the term “air-superiority”. Very soon, borders and boundaries of countries all over the world were changed in ways not possible with mere armored vehicles and infantry. Aircraft technology had forever changed military strategies and warfare was now a whole new ball game. Aircrafts had now developed into piston engine propelled metal fuselages that carried machine guns, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. The change in aircraft technology was so great that military sea power was also redefined with the birth of carrier ships that were specially built to carry planes and maintain air-superiority at sea.

By WWII (post-industrial era), sea battles were no longer decided by the number or size of battleships but instead by the number of aircraft carriers you had. The more carrier ships you had, the more aircraft you had and that meant you had a bigger chance of sinking the enemy. However, it was in 1941, when the Japanese launched military aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor that the true power and terror of aerial supremacy was realized. As Bruce Gudmundsson, a military analyst, states in a documentary entitled The Race for the Aircraft Carrier, “…most American naval commanders come to realize that the aircraft carrier is the new capital ship, and carrier warfare becomes the bread and butter of the US navy…”(20thcenturywar, 2009). Even today, carrier ships are still considered to be a vital component of military power. Needless to say, that has had it’s own impact on our society.

There are far more implications that flight technology has had on the society worldwide hitherto whether it be political, economical or social. Some are more obvious to us such as public air transportation while others are not, like the development and improvement of military strategies. However we look at it, or whatever our biases may be, we cannot deny that over the last 200 years, aircraft technology has changed and shaped our world, both socially and geometrically, into something far beyond imagination and will likely continue to do so in the future.

(1080 words)

References:

1) Daly, Janet R. & Bednarek, Michael H. (2003). Dreams of Flight: General

Aviation in the United States, 24-44. Retrieved from

Simon Fraser University Library Database.

http://site.ebrary.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/lib/sfu/docDetail.action?docID

=10046098

2) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Airliner (2009)

Retrieved March 17^th 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_flight

3) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Industrial Revolution (2009)

Retrieved March 17^th 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution

4) 20thcenturywar. (2008). Youtube: Aircraft Carrier Documentary

Retrieved March 16^th 2009 from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPdBiHf-XYk

5) 20thcenturywar. (2008). Youtube: the Race for the Aircraft Carrier

Retrieved March 17^th 2009 from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcc6smctnhc&feature=related

Here’s what Wilbur Wright’s (one of the Wright brothers) facebook page would have looked like if facebook existed in the early 1900′s

References:

http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2223.htm

http://www.wright-brothers.org/History/Wright%20Story/wright%20story.htm

http://www.pocanticohills.org/wright/photogallery.htm

http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/img/entertainment/video/film.jpg

http://www.gardenofpraise.com/ibdwrigh.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Cycle_Company

http://www.nevblog.com/2006/05/facebook-profile-website.html

]]> http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/03/12/fictional-facebook-profile-wilbur-wright/feed/ 0 ymf8 wilburfacebook wilbur-albums http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/personal-reflection-of-a-wiki/ http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/personal-reflection-of-a-wiki/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:42:28 +0000 ymf8 http://ymf8.wordpress.com/?p=95 ]]> Personal reflection of a Wiki

The concept of a “wiki” as I’ve come to understand is a platform for information whereby multiple individuals have the ability to change and edit postings. The basic idea behind it is that two heads (or more in this case) are better than one.

In my experience with wikis, I found that it’s a good method to present information seeing that many individuals contribute ideas, facts and opinions therefore creating a deeper level of insight to the information presented. Also, I find that most mistakes made by an individual are caught and corrected thus producing relatively accurate information. However, I find that although the postings are fairly accurate, they can be somewhat bias. For example, if a fellow contributor represents a minority group in society and posts a fact which the other contributors do not agree with, that fact would be taken off the post or out-ruled if you will. Basically, wikis are a representation of the voice of the majority. It would seem as though they were a form of factual democracy whereby facts that most people agree on are true. This however, may not always be the right way to determine fact from nonsense.

As a result, I believe that the experiment we conducted in creating our own little wiki succeeded as it proved many of the points I presented in the previous paragraph. This research project would have been very different indeed if I were to have done it alone. I say this because I would have defined certain terms very differently and would have provided very different examples as illustrations. For instance, to define crowdpower and crowdsourcing, I would have quoted James Surowiecki in his article Wisdom of the Crowds instead of the existing article because I feel that James Surowiecki defines it more clearly and accurately.

All in all, I do not believe being in the same room with other contributors really changed the dynamics or outcome of the post. As it is now, the information is fairly accurate and acceptable. I believe that wikis are a good way for sharing information but also that people should be aware of its downsides.

(357 words)

Fong Yew Meng -301079525

StudioLab #2:

The Need to Communicate

Chandra Langill—301021629

Nicholas Ning—301088724

Serge Khomutovskiy—301102701

Fong Yew Meng— 301079525

Ted Reynolds—301068385

February 19, 2009

Simon Fraser University

AN ASSIGNMENT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE

TECH 114 (D202)

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

INSTRUCTOR: JAMES PHILLIPS

TEACHING ASSISTANT: AZMINA KARIMI

TECHNOLOGY IN EVERYDAY CONTEXTS

Part 1: Communication in Everyday Life

Each of our group members were asked to record their use of communication media over a span of 24 hours. We have listed each of our group member’s responses below:

1)   Tell me about the different ways that you used communication for 24 hours in your journal.

· Chandra Langill: Throughout the 24-hour period I used the Internet to do research for my assignment, I talked on my cell phone to my friend, I listened to the radio for leisure, and I also watched TV, as I like to watch the News and a few different television shows.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: Throughout the 24-hour period I used the Internet and my cell phone.

• Fong Yew Meng: Throughout the 24-hour period I used my email to check important notices, and to see if any professors or teaching assistants sent notices to me regarding class. I also used Facebook to receive messages from friends around the world. I used my cell phones to talk with my friends. I also used my online search engine for research, as well as leisurely browsing.

• Ted Reynolds: Throughout the 24-hour period I used a cell phone, Xbox 360, television and email service.

• Nicholas Ning: Throughout the 24-hour period I used a variety of technology, which included a radio, a cell phone, the iTouch, a laptop, and a PC.

2) What was the most common communication media that you used in 24 hours?

· Chandra Langill: The most common communication media that I used in 24 hours was email, as I like to check it quite often. If someone emails me from school, such as a professor or a friend from class, I would have to get back to them as soon as possible.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: The most common communication media that I used in 24 hours was the Internet.

• Fong Yew Meng: The most common communication media used in 24 hours were the cell phone, Facebook, and email.

• Ted Reynolds: The most common communication media used in 24 hours was the cell phone.

• Nicholas Ning: The most common communication media used in 24 hours was my cell phone.

3) What was the most common purpose for the communication media you used?

· Chandra Langill: The most common purpose for the communication media that I used was to keep in touch between two different people through email. If two people email each other back and forth they are able to keep in touch with each other.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: The most common purpose for the communication media that I used was for receiving updates on events, news feeds, and finding information for my studies.

• Fong Yew Meng: The most common purpose for the communication media that I used was to correspond with other people about meetings and assignments.

• Ted Reynolds: The most common purpose for the communication media that I used was to keep in touch with other people.

• Nicholas Ning: The most common purpose for the communication media that I used was to communicate and organize meetings.

4) What do you think you learned most about the role of communication media in your everyday life by keeping this journal?

· Chandra Langill: What I learned most by keeping track of the communication media in my everyday life is that I use a range of media. I do not just use one form of technology, but a range of technologies. I probably would not be able to live without technology.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: By keeping track of the media that I use in 24 hours I have learned that the Internet is an essential and integral part of my daily life. Without the Internet I would not be able to keep updated of the events happening in the world.

• Fong Yew Meng: What I learned most by keeping track of the communication media in my everyday life is that corresponding with other people, in person, is very difficult because people have to arrange times to meet, and it is very hard to do so with everyone’s busy schedules. As a result, it would be very difficult to communicate without communication technologies.

• Ted Reynolds: What I learned most by keeping track of the communication media in my everyday life was that communication technology is a vital aspect of my everyday life.

• Nicholas Ning: What I learned most by keeping track of the communication media in my everyday life is that technology is very important. Technological tools, such as a cell phone, increase the efficiency of communication.

5)   What was the most surprising thing that you learned from keeping this journal?

· Chandra Langill: The most surprising thing that I learned from keeping this journal is that the most time that I stop using technology for is thirty minutes, and that is to take time out for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: The most surprising thing that I have learned from keeping this journal is that I did not realize how much the Internet is a part of my daily life.

• Fong Yew Meng: The most surprising thing that I have learned from keeping this journal is that I do not rely on communication technologies as much as I thought I had.

• Ted Reynolds: The most surprising thing that I have learned from keeping this journal is that there is a trend towards considerably more passive forms of communication media, such as email and Xbox 360.

• Nicholas Ning: The most surprising thing that I have learned from keeping this journal is how much I use my cell phone as a means of communication.

6) What are some of the positive implications about having communication media in your life?

· Chandra Langill: Some of the positive implications about having communication media in my life are that I am able to communication more often with people. I would not be able to communicate as much with people if I did not have email because I would not have enough time. I would also not be able to survive without a TV because I like watching the news to know what is going on in our city. Without TV I would have to resort to the newspaper for any information on the news.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: Some of the positive implications of have communication media in my life is that it allows me to stay connected, updated, and aware of all of the events that are going on in the world.

• Fong Yew Meng: Some of the positive implications about having communication media in my life are that it helps me keep in contact with my friends, regardless of the physical distance between us. With this in mind, I have a sense of security knowing that I can always contact someone at anytime, when I have to

• Ted Reynolds: Some of the positive implications about having communication media in my life were the ability to multitask more effectively, and being able to easily keep in contact with people.

• Nicholas Ning: Some of the positive implications about having communication media in my life are that it helps me to stay organized, and I am also able to stay in touch with people who are important to me.

7) What are some of the negative implications about having communication media in your life?

· Chandra Langill: I will probably have corporeal tunnel from typing so much on my computer. I have also heard that people can get cancer from talking on a cell phone too often, so this could mean that I may get cancer if I talk on my cell phone too much.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: Some of the negative implications of having communication media in my life are that I am not encouraged to get out and speak with other people face-to-face. Rather, it is much easier and faster for me to just speak with people over the Internet.

• Fong Yew Meng: Some of the negative implications of having communication media in my life are that most of the technologies that I used removed an important aspect from my life, which is communicating in person. Due to the fact that I did not talk to people in person, communicating online was a very informal way of communicating with people.

• Ted Reynolds: Some of the negative implications of having communication media in my life are the inherent impersonal contact between people and being so caught up with technology that I do not make time for other activities that I actually should be doing.

• Nicholas Ning: Some of the negative implications of having communication media in my life are that it lessens the face-to-face interaction between people, which, in my opinion, makes relationships less personal. I am also unable to see other people’s expressions on their faces when I am talking to them online, which puts me at a disadvantage because I am not really sure what they are actually thinking.

 How do you think your life would be if you did not have access to communication media; please talk about both the positive and the negative things that might happen.

· Chandra Langill: If I did not have access to communication media I would I would have more social time with family. I would have to talk to people face-to-face a lot more, as I would not be able to chat online or send emails to other people. It would not be very much of a convenience, as I would have to meet people to talk face-to-face. I would not have corporeal tunnel we did not have computers. My eyes would not be as bad if I was not able to watch TV.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: If I did not have access to communication media I would spend more time talking with people face-to-face, which is actually better than talking to people online, as I am not able to fully grasp what people mean when talking online. In turn, I would become more sociable in an interpersonal way. Without being able to get information within a short amount of time, I would have to spend much more time in the library researching using books.

• Fong Yew Meng: If I did not have access to communication media I would have a difficult time setting up meetings, as it would take more of my time write to people than it would to email people, in regards to the times that I would have to meet with them. On a positive note, I would have to use my interpersonal skills on a regular basis, if I was not able to use technology as a means of communication.

• Ted Reynolds: If I did not have access to communication media I would be at a lack of instantaneous connectivity with people or information. However, an increase in more consistent, focused work would probably occur, due to less distractions, and better time management techniques.

• Nicholas Ning: If I did not have access to communication media it would definitely increase human interaction between myself and others. I think that my life would be more complicated as I would have to spend more time communicating face-to-face with people.

9) If you had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island, which one would you choose and why?

· Chandra Langill: If I had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island with me I would choose a flashlight because I would have a better chance at getting tracked down by search and rescue if I had a bright flashlight to shine above me at night.

• Serge Khomutovskiy: If I had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island I would choose a cell phone because it has GPS tracking on it, which would, therefore, make it easier to track me down.

• Fong Yew Meng: If I had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island with me I would choose a cell phone with GPS capabilities, so that could find my way around the desert island better. I also hope that the search and rescue would be able to track me down using GPS tracking.

• Ted Reynolds: If I had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island with me I would choose a cell phone because I would have a better chance at getting found by search and rescue with the GPS tracking system.

• Nicholas Ning: If I had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island with me I would choose an iPhone because I would have the ability to check the news and keep in contact with other people, providing that my phone does not go on roam.

Part 2:

INVITATIONS

• Kigali, Rwanda: We are going to send letter parcels to Kigali, Rwanda, with a return postage and envelope, in order to receive a response back from the speaker.

• We are going to use Canada Post to ship international parcels to Kigali, Rwanda. We went to Canada Post to weigh the documents and the price came to $8.10.

• Parcels will contain a letter of invitation, an envelope, basic information about the conference such as the purpose, the agenda, and a response form with prepaid postage.

• Included with the letter of invitation will be the response form. On the response form, the speaker will be encouraged to respond back with a confirmation of attendance by a certain date.

• Two months before the actual conference, a final confirmation letter will be sent to the speaker to finalize his or her attendance at the conference. This confirmation letter will once again be accompanied with a response form including pre-paid postage.

• Beijing, China: We are going to send letter parcels to Beijing, China, with a return postage and envelope, in order to receive a response back from them.

• We are going to use Canada Post to ship international parcels to Beijing, China. We went to Canada Post to weigh the documents and the price came to $8.10.

• Parcels will contain a letter of invitation, an envelope, basic information about the conference such as the purpose, the agenda, and a response form with prepaid postage.

• Included with the letter of invitation will be the response form. On the response form, the speaker will be encouraged to respond back with a confirmation of attendance by a certain date.

• Two months before the actual conference, a final confirmation letter will be sent to the speaker to finalize his or her attendance at the conference. This confirmation letter will once again be accompanied with a response form including pre-paid postage.

• London, UK: We are going to send letter parcels to London, UK, with a return postage and envelope, in order to receive a response back from them.

• We are going to use Canada Post to ship international parcels to London, UK. We went to Canada Post to weigh the documents and the price came to $8.10.

• Parcels will contain a letter of invitation, an envelope, basic information about the conference such as the purpose, the agenda, and a response form with prepaid postage.

• Included with the letter of invitation will be the response form. On the response form, the speaker will be encouraged to respond back with a confirmation of attendance by a certain date.

• Two months before the actual conference, a final confirmation letter will be sent to the speaker to finalize his or her attendance at the conference. This confirmation letter will once again be accompanied with a response form including pre-paid postage.

• Sydney, Australia: We are going to send letter parcels to Sydney, Australia, with a return postage and envelope, in order to receive a response back from them.

• We are going to use Canada Post to ship international parcels to Sydney, Australia. We went to Canada Post to weigh the documents and the price came to $8.10.

• Parcels will contain a letter of invitation, an envelope, basic information about the conference such as the purpose, the agenda, and a response form with prepaid postage.

• Included with the letter of invitation will be the response form. On the response form, the speaker will be encouraged to respond back with a confirmation of attendance by a certain date.

• Two months before the actual conference, a final confirmation letter will be sent to the speaker to finalize his or her attendance at the conference. This confirmation letter will once again be accompanied with a response form including pre-paid postage.

• New Delhi, India: We are going to send letter parcels to New Delhi, India, along with a return postage and envelope, in order to receive a response back from them.

• We are going to use Canada Post to ship international parcels to New Delhi, India. We went to Canada Post to weigh the documents and the price came to $8.10.

• Parcels will contain a letter of invitation, an envelope, basic information about the conference such as the purpose, the agenda, and a response form with prepaid postage.

• Included with the letter of invitation will be the response form. On the response form, the speaker will be encouraged to respond back with a confirmation of attendance by a certain date.

• Two months before the actual conference, a final confirmation letter will be sent to the speaker to finalize his or her attendance at the conference. This confirmation letter will once again be accompanied with a response form including pre-paid postage.

FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Ø Seeing that the conference will be held a year from the date of the given assignment, it is difficult to be certain of flight prices, due to the ever-changing economy, the fluctuating prices of goods and services, as well as foreign exchange rates.

Ø As a result, we decided to determine what the average price of flights from the respective countries would be to send the speakers to Vancouver. We did so by sending a letter to each respective country’s travel agency. It was estimated that it would cost roughly $1500.00 per person to fly to Vancouver, BC and back to their country.

Ø Therefore, a total of $7500.00 CAD will be set aside for the airfares.

à ($1500 x 5=$7500.00 CAD)

Ø After the cut off date for the speaker’s response, letters will be sent to a travel agency requesting tickets for the required flights. The cost for the letter to be sent will be $8.10. Once again, confirmation letters will be produced by the travel agency to ensure that the flight tickets have indeed been booked.

Ø When the final confirmations letters have been received from the speakers finalizing their attendance, payments will be made.

ACCOMMODATION

Ø Accommodation will include transportation from the airport to the hotel, as well as from the hotel to the airport. Also included in the package is breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the three days of stay.

Ø The speakers will be staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

Ø We will send letters and confirmation of bookings once we have received confirmation that each speaker is going to attend the conference. If the speaker does not reply back to us before the cutoff date, then the confirmation will not be valid.

Ø The letter to the hotel will include booking information such as the number of rooms required, the duration of the stay, the dates, the purpose of the conference, as well as other arrangements that will have to be made such as meals and airport pickup.

àAirport Pickup is $350.00 for a large limo bus courtesy of Vip Limo Vancouver

Ø A response slip with prepaid postage will be enclosed in the packaged envelope, which will be sent to the speaker.

Ø From the response slip, we will be able to have a price quotation for the conference room, hotel rooms, meals, and services provided by the hotel.

Ø Based on the current prices, we estimate that the cost for a three day stay at the Pan Pacific hotel will total $2,355 CAD

Ø Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided at approximately $800.00 CAD for all the speakers.

Ø The total price for accommodation will, therefore, amount to $3,155 CAD, not including

SPONSORS

Ø Seeing that we only have an allocated budget of $12,000 CAD, we would also like to invite a company, such as the Microsoft Corporation, to sponsor us in covering some of the costs.

Ø We will send a letter to the company indicating the purpose of the conference, the importance of the conference, and what impact the conference will have on society.

Ø Again, a response slip with prepaid postage will be enclosed in the packaged envelope, which will be sent to the sponsor.

QUESTIONS

Along with your detailed plan, please include answers to the following questions:

• What were the most difficult parts of the mission?

Having planned this conference a year in advance, we are not taking into account next year’s exchange rate. The travel agent told us that we could not book a flight that much in advance, due to the fact that travel agencies do not set up flights a year in advance. Another difficult part of the mission was getting the messages sent across the globe. We wanted to go with the fastest means of sending our invitations to the other countries; however, our fastest means would have been the Internet and the telephone, due to the fact that both communication medias instantly send messages.

• Which communication media would be most missed in the world and why?

The Internet and phone are the communication media that would mostly be missed in the world because it is a lot easier and faster to book a trip by using the Internet or phone then it is to send letters back and forth from one country to another. It would also take a lot more time for people to plan a trip because they would have to go to each place to book the holiday, such as the travel agency, the hotel, Canada Post. If the letters got lost in the mail, it would take a lot more time for the letters to get to another country, whereas, the Internet and telephone send messages directly to another person. It took us a lot more time to plan this trip, due to the fact that we were unable to make use of the phone or the Internet. People often give little thought to what they take for granted. It would take a lot more time to communicate through writing than it would to phone or use the Internet.

• What are the expenses for the planning and coordination of this conference? (you do not need to worry about venue expenses, food, or any other details aside from the planning requirements listed above).

à $7500.00 CAD will be set aside for the airfares.

àAirport Pickup is $350.00 CAD two-ways for a large limo bus, courtesy of VIP Limo Vancouver

à We estimate that the cost for a three day stay at the Pan Pacific hotel will total $2,355 CAD for $157.00 per night for 3 nights for 5 speakers. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided at approximately $800.00 CAD for all the speakers.

à The total price for accommodation will, therefore, amount to $3,155 CAD.

à To send letters and response forms back and forth to each of the countries it will cost us $8.10 CAD each way, which would be equal to $61.00 altogether.

Canadaà Kigali, Rwanda $8.10

RwandaàCanada $ 8.10

=$16.20

Canadaà Beijing, China $8.10

Beijing, ChinaàCanada $ 8.10

=$16.20

Canadaà London, UK, $8.10

London, UK,àCanada $ 8.10

=$16.20

Canadaà Sydney, Australia $8.10

Sydney, AustraliaàCanada $ 8.10

=$16.20

Canadaà New Delhi, India $8.10

New Delhi, India.àCanada $ 8.10

=$16.20

=$61.00 altogether

Total cost: $7500.00 Flights

$3155.00 Accomodation

$61.00 Letters sent to and from speakers

$11,066.00

]]> http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/needtocommunicate/feed/ 0 ymf8 http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/need-to-communicate-24-hour-journal-of-communication-media/ http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/need-to-communicate-24-hour-journal-of-communication-media/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:34:36 +0000 ymf8 http://ymf8.wordpress.com/?p=83 ]]> It was a challenge given to us as a class to see how our lives revolve around communication media. We were challenged to keep an accurate journal of all communication technologies within a 24 hour period. Here are some of the questions that we were to adress and here are the answers that i came up with.

1. Tell me about the different ways that you used communication for 24 hours in

your journal.

I used E-mails to check important notices and to see if any lecturers or T.A sent

notices. I also used Facebook to receive messages from friends around the world

and to see what is happening in their lives. My use of cell phones was to

correspond with friends in order to meet up and for casual talk. Online search

engine were used for research as well as leisurely browsing.

2. What was the most common communication media that you used in 24 hours?

Most common technology that I used within the 24 hour period were the Cell

phone, Facebook, and e-mails.

3. What was the most common purpose for the communication media you used?

The most common purpose for my use of communication was to correspond with

others especially for setting up meetings.

4. What do you think you learned most about the role of communication media in

your everyday life by keeping this journal?

I learnt that corresponding with others would prove difficult, if not impossible,

without communication technologies and have developed a greater appreciation for

it.

5. What was the most surprising thing that you learned from keeping this journal?

I found it surprising that to some extent, despite my admittance of the need of

communication technology in my life, I did not rely on it as much as I thought I

would have.

6. What are some of the positive implications about having communication media in

your life?

It helps me keep in contact with friends regardless of physical distances. With it, I

have a sense of security knowing that I can always contact someone at anytime

when needed (Eg when meeting up suddenly needing something done).

7. What are some of the negative implications about having communication media in

your life?

Some technologies used removed a more personal touch to conversations. Some

conversations seemed very formal. Also, I find that through non-verbal means of

communication (and visual to some extent) that relationships do not really grow in

depth.

8. How do you think your life would be if you did not have access to communication

media; please talk about both the positive and the negative things that might

happen.

Setting up meetings would prove difficult and the world would seem a larger place

without these technologies. Also, I would have a constant uneasy feeling of

possible miscommunications seeing that I would not have the power to correct them

in relatively short periods of time (Eg miscommunication about meeting place).

9. If you had to choose one communication media to take on a desert island, which

one would you choose and why?

A cell phone with GPS capabilities.

Since the beginning of civilization, man has always been intrigue by the idea of flight. Early myths and legends involving creatures that fly such as the Greeks’ Pegasus, winged fairies, dragons, the story of Daedalus and Icarus, or even angels all point us to the fact that man has always seen flying as something prestigious and deserving of awe. Even with today’s science and technological advancements, flight is something that still fascinates us. A good example of this is the superheroes that we see in comic books. Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, The Green Lantern – all have the ability to fly. This only goes to show, that flight even in today’s society is still to some extent part of our imagination and fantasy.

For the longest time, flight was only a fantasy and thought to be something beyond man’s reach. Although the Chinese discovered that they could make kites that flew around 400 BC, it wasn’t until 16^th century that man began experimenting flight through means of huge wings on their arms or other fancy contraptions (Global Aircraft, 2008). Even though the earlier attempts failed to produce flight, it wasn’t fruitless. As all science experiments go, regardless of success, the data collected from these studies were studied and led to the next generation of flight enthusiasts. In the 1800’s large kites were developed in attempts to give man wings. Some success was achieved. Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian inventor who was born in Britain flew a total of 312 feet (approximately 95 meters) by means of a rigid wing aircraft in 1891. This aircraft had flapping wings and was operated by a compressed air motor (Global Aircraft, 2008).

Other attempts to achieve flight involved hot air balloons which operated on a concept referred to as “lighter-than-air”. This concept basically stated that buoyancy applied to air as it did to water and that lighter gasses such as Helium, Hydrogen and hot air could be used to achieve lift (Citizenduim, 2008). These crafts, later known as airships or blimps marked the beginning of man’s adventures in the air. By 1880’s these airships were taking on passengers numbering around 100 and were available as a means of transport. While the race to improve and enhance the airship was going on, the Wright

brothers stole the spotlight in 1903 when they created the world’s first (functional) heavier-than-air aircraft and pushed airship technology to the backdrop. Both Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur) made history with their historic120 feet flight that lasted a total of 12 seconds (Global Aircraft, 2008). It was from here that air travel and all its possibilities as we know it began.

When the First World War broke out in 1914, the military on all sides were quick to employ aerial technology and to make use of its advantages. In the course of 10 years, the appearance of the heavier-than-air aircraft had drastically transformed from a manually-propelled-lightweight wooden frame to a motor-propelled-maneuverable-hardwood frame with mounted machine guns (Aviation in World War 1, 2009). These planes took on various roles which included reconnaissance, bombing runs, and aerial engagements. Seeing that aircrafts are still employed by military forces worldwide, it goes without saying that aircrafts proved to be a valuable weapon in the art of warfare. By 1914, the British had a total of 184 combat aircrafts which amounted to roughly 3 squadrons (Aviation in World War 1, 2009). As the years rolled by, the aircraft industry was constantly upgrading flight technology until planes were no longer made of canvas and hardwood frames but were fabricated out of Aluminum with more powerful engines. They were equipped with more sophisticated weapons, could deliver larger payloads of firepower and could travel over longer distances. These were to be the famous planes of the Second World War that would shape the course of history as we know it today.

Planes such as the B-17 flying fortress and the P-51 Mustang were revolutionary planes of the 1940’s. By this time, combat aircraft were indispensable the military. Planes had become the deciding factor of victory so much so that aircraft carrier ships were built to transport planes and to serve as a base-at-sea, able to be deploy fighters from sea. We often think that it was the atomic bomb which ended the Second World War with its unimaginable destructive power. However, we forget that it would have been impossible to have detonated those bombs over Japan without planes. I believe it would have been quite difficult to transport a 4630Kg bomb across an expanse of ocean and finally detonate it in the middle of enemy territory (Fat Man, 2009). The outcome of both World Wars would have been very different indeed had flight technology not been developed at all.

Apart from combat, planes were employed for other purposes although related to the military. Some of the responsibilities of the aircraft around 1925 included the deliver of mail (Global Aircraft, 2008). Now it was possible to have mail delivered and received at much faster rates as compared to the traditional land delivery of by ship. The aircraft industry had, without knowing it, enhanced a means of communication making it faster and more reliable. As with all technology that improves communication, peoples across large distances were better connected with the arrival of airmail and this opened new possibilities to the public.

Hitherto, the aircraft revolution had enabled man to conquer the skies and fulfill man’s desire to fly. As Marshall McLuhan said in his interview with playboy, “…technology serves as an extension of human abilities and senses…” (Next Nature, 2007, para 4). Clearly, aircrafts have given man wings to fly and new fists to throw punches with. The presence of this technology even from its early stages changed the world in the most drastic ways. It has helped define the borders of countries over the last 100 years; it has made significant economical contributions to many nations especially the superpowers, and has certainly brought about large political impacts and change.

The next step in aircraft development, as we will see in my next posting, would be to make aerial transport available to the public and how it will become a commodity of the modern world. But for now, let us simply marvel at how a simple fantasy had become reality, one that has shaped our way of life and our understanding of things. What was once a science experiment has now become a daily necessity and a multi billion dollar business.

References:

1) GlobalAircraft.org, (2008). History of Aviation

Retrieved February 10, 2009 from

http://www.globalaircraft.org © 2008 GlobalAircraft.org.

2) Citizenduim encyclopedia article, (2008). Airships

Retrieved February 9, 2009 from

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Airship

3) Wikipedia, (2009). Aviation in World War 1

Retrieved February 9, 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_in_World_War_I

4) Wikipedia, (2009). Atomic bomb: Fat Man

Retrieved February 9, 2009 from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Man

5) Next Nature, (2007). The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan

Retrieved February 9, 2009 from

http://www.nextnature.net/?p=1025

]]> http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/history-of-aircraft-technology/feed/ 0 ymf8 http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/robotics-in-contemporary-society/ http://ymf8.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/robotics-in-contemporary-society/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:34:31 +0000 ymf8 http://ymf8.wordpress.com/?p=51 ]]>

To many people, living everyday life amongst robots such as those in films like Star Wars or Wall-E may seem to be a very distant place in the future. However, as a second year robotics student at Simon Fraser University, Canada, I would disagree with such opinions. In the world that we live in today, almost everything we use involves robotics technology to some extent, whether it be a can of tuna, the clothes we wear, or the paper that we write on. Everything around us has some trace of a robot’s touch.

The field of robotics is a unique merge of mechanical, electrical and electronic, as well as computer engineering. Any object that incorporates a combination of these disciplines can be considered a “robot”. If we take a closer look, we will find that industries like assembly lines, manufacturing companies, or refineries are all heavily dependent on robots and therefore (as for today) robots wouldn’t be considered what some call a “personal technology”. These robots, taking various forms may not resemble R2D2 or Optimus Prime in any way but are robots nonetheless and have become the backbone of our society. If anyone were to disagree, I’d present them with this question: What would happen if somehow, all things with a combination of the engineering disciplines mentioned above were to stop working, if these “robots” were to simply breakdown all at once and had no hope of repair, how would our society react? I would think that our reaction would be quiet similar to panic and fear. The simplest items like cans and bottles couldn’t be manufactured. In fact, all assembly lines and factories would seize to function. Life would still go on, no doubt. But it would seem as though we had re-entered a modern version of the stone-age, living only with the “primitive” tools of today.

Today, how many of us actually interact with people for the services that we require? For example, if we want to buy a soft drink, we simply put quarters into a machine and out pops the drink. If we want to retrieve cash from a bank, we would often prefer an ATM machine to an actual bank representative. In Marshall Brains’ article entitled “Robotic Nation”, he describes how an average day is filled with the use of automated systems. This may seem usual and much expected for all of us. But then he goes on to put forth an argument which moves us to think of the social and economic outcome of such technology. The argument, as Brain states it, is that robotics technology will eliminate job opportunities in large numbers (Brain, 2008). In the aforementioned article, Brain argues that in the course of the next 50 years, robotic technology will be so developed that robots will become reliable and independent enough to dwell freely amongst humans and will infiltrate almost every aspect of our lives, taking over 50% of the jobs in America alone. According to the statistics provided by Brain, this percentage would amount to a figure somewhere in the region of 50 million jobs (Brain, 2008).

If we were to follow up on Brains’ argument, how would the economy of the future look like? Where would we generate income if no jobs were to be available to humans if indeed we were to be displaced by our own creations? Another question one might ask, is if currency (or trade, for that matter of fact) would operate as it does today with the presence of robots? Consider the effect that the great depression in 1929 had on the world due to the high rate of unemployment. Would we expect the same economic events that occurred as a result? And, if the role of currency were in deed to be different in the future, what would our solution to overcoming it be? This question is important because the way that the world operates economically now may drastically change because of robotic technology. This evidently is a negative impact on society unless we address it while it is still in its “primitive form” as Brain refers it (Brain, 2008, para. 10).

If we were to analyze robotics technology in the context that Brain puts it in using Marshall McLuhans’ 4 laws of mediawhich are : Enhance, obsolesce, retrieve, and reverse (Dilworth, 2006), we can quiet clearly see the impact of this technology. Firstly, the rise of robots in our society will enhance productivity, efficiency of production, and our standard of living. However, as mentioned above, it will very likely obsolete job opportunities amounting to millions over the next 50 years. Thirdly, this technology will retrieve human aspects of operation utilizing the multiple senses that we humans have (sight, hearing, and touch) in order to operate in a surrounding shaped and customized for human inhabitation (Brain, 2008, para. 14). In order to reverse this technology, people will have to give up some level of convenience, and actually be willing to work and engage in physical labor again. It may be more difficult than it sounds seeing that not many people would want to clean a toilet or spend all day in a dusty construction yard. But it is possible. If the society as a whole were to decide that a lifestyle of extreme convenience and comfort is bad (as the characters in the film Wall-E did), then the demand for robots would decline and humans would find themselves with jobs again. Again, this is going on the assumption that people still had to work in order to receive money and thus have spending powers.

In conclusion, we have to be very careful with the direction in which technology, not just robotics, is moving in and be able to project into the future and see the possible affects it may have on our society. Here, one must be careful to consider ethical, social as well as economical impacts of any technology. Finally, let me encourage you, a citizen of the world today, how our technological advances will change the world that we live in as well as the world that our children will inherit.

(1007 Words)

References

1) Brain, M. (2008). Marshall Brain : Robotic Nation

Retrieved February 7, 2008, from

http://marshallbrain.com/robotic-nation.htm

2) Dilworth, J. (2006). John Dilworth Art & Design:

McLuhan’s 4 Laws of Media. Retrieved February 7, 2008, from

http://www.johndilworth.com/blog/post/20

3) Siegel Robert Automotive,

Image retrieved February 9, 2008 from

http://www.siegelrobertautomotive.com/capabilities/automated.html

4) The Cinderella Man, Life During The Great Depression,

Image retrieved February 9, 2008 from

http://www.murphsplace.com/crowe/braddock/depression/depression.html