The Path to Safer Roads

I lived in the Middle East for more than 15 years. If you ask anyone who lives there to describe road safety and traffic conditions, you will likely receive a wide-eyed and open-mouth facial expression suggesting a “WHOA” response. Roads in the Middle East are built to perfection – smooth, wide, and quite often, empty. This is because you regularly encounter drivers who exceed the speed limit by huge margins in their ultra-fast cars. While you might be thinking this is the perfect venue to test drive rally and race cars, it is actually home to some of the world's most dangerous roads and the highest traffic-related death rates (Arab News, 2009).

Some of you probably use bluetooth headsets, or know others who do while driving. Many of you might think that bluetooth headsets are safe and prevent accidents by ensuring both hands are on the steering wheel. Well, bluetooth headsets and similar tools have been studied extensively and the results are quite eye-opening. Based on a study conducted by Strayer, Drews & Johnston, bluetooth headsets do not actually decrease the chances of car accidents (Strayer, Drews & Johnston, 2003). In their study, they had participants drive and talk on a phone, either with or without headsets. Later, participants were asked to recall information they saw when driving past billboards. Those in the “without headset” and “with headset” condition were able to recall significantly fewer billboards than the control condition (no phone conversation) (Strayer et al., 2003). Furthermore, those in the “with headset” and “without headset” condition had a longer reaction time when required to brake. The results indicated that, although your hand is free when using a bluetooth headset, your attention and reaction time are diminished (Strayer et al., 2003). Humans have a fixed number of cognitive resources. Essentially, whether using a headset or not, you allocate resources to process the conversation and other resources to drive. As a result, your competence in both skills is compromised when trying to multitask (Strayer et al., 2003).

Despite these results, scientists continue to find ways to make our roads safer. A new method to reduce accidents caused by in-car distractions has been developed by AT&T and researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. This piece of technology basically consists of a steering wheel that uses vibrations to communicate information rather than voice cues or directions on a map (Liszewski, 2012). For example, if the driver is supposed to turn left, a counter-clockwise pattern of vibrations will be felt in the wheel. To turn right, a clockwise pattern of vibrations would be felt. The use of vibrations is means to reduce the possible number of distractions that drivers experience (Liszewski, 2012).

This design incorporates the findings of numerous studies and applies it. Essentially, it ensures that the eyes of a driver are always focused on the road, and reduces the burden of having to listen to directions. The system is also capable of sensing when the distance between the car in the front is too little or if a car appear's in the car's blind spot (Liszewski, 2012). The steering wheel is definitely an innovative approach to make roads safer, prevent accidents, and save lives.

I think the steering wheel actually has promise. What are your thoughts about this technology? Do you think this kind of steering wheel will actually have a positive impact on road safety? Or do you think no amount of technology can make our roads safer because the real issue is incompetent drivers?

On a closing note, something my driving instructor used to tell me: “Speed thrills, but kills. Arrive alive.”


REFERENCES
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Liszewski, A. (2012). Vibrating Steering Wheels Could Provide Distraction-Free Directions. Gizmodo: GPS. Retrieved from: http://gizmodo.com/5896098/vibrating-steering-wheels-could-provide-distraction+free-directions

Strayer, David L.; Drews, Frank A.; Johnston, William A. Cell phone-induced failures of visual attention during simulated driving. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Vol 9(1), Mar 2003, 23-32. doi: 10.1037/1076-898X.9.1.23

Un-printing

Let's be honest, no one likes buying printers. As students, you most likely experienced the dilemma about whether to purchase a printer or rely on commercial vendors like FedEx Kinkos instead. I thought buying my own would be more convenient, but is it really worth all that money. Am I even saving, and if so, how much? I bought one despite my ambivalence and hesitation. What's more frustrating is when your ink runs out, and the most dreaded moment arrives – buying more ink! In most cases, the ink tends to cost a substantial amount of money (sometimes more than buying a brand-new printer itself).

What if I told you that you may never have to invest in ink again? You'd probably jump with joy. Well, that day may soon arrive. Scientists are calling it “un-printing”. The idea of “un-printing” is becoming more of a reality. Based on recent developments and discoveries, a team of scientists at the University of Cambridge claim that it is possible to remove toner from a paper and enable its re-use with the right type of laser technology (Netburn, 2012). After lots of experimentation with all kinds of lasers, including ultraviolet, visible, and infrared, they claim that toner removal and re-use is possible. This is groundbreaking news!

Furthermore, the team of researchers believe that “un-printing” will open new doors in the area of sustainability and recycling. Imagine, we could re-use paper that already has ink on it. Basically, we remove the ink from used paper, and then re-print on the paper with our desired content (Netburn, 2012). These processes are more sustainable and leave a smaller ecological footprint. While the technology is still in testing phases, and may initially cost a significant amount, it certainly sounds like a long-term investment.

Not only will this affect printer manufacturers and their revenues, but hopefully it will get them to set more reasonable prices for ink. What do you think?

Netburn, Deborah. (2012). Scientists develop the un-printer - vaporizes ink from paper. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/scientists-develop-the-unprinter--vaporises-ink-from-paper-20120319-1veat.html#ixzz1pVmWETaL

The Online Classroom

How many of you have ever looked up a video on YouTube that was related to your coursework? Maybe it was a short lesson on formal proofs using induction or it was a full lecture about linear algebra. You were probably studying for a test or exam. Chances are that you probably missed that lecture or were hoping that a different perspective could help you understand the material.

From my experience, I know that sitting in lecture trying to scribble down everything AND trying to understand what the instructor is saying doesn't work. It's hard to do both tasks simultaneously – humans aren't very good at multitasking (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95256794)! Instead, I try to just absorb the content and look at the notes that instructors post on Blackboard. More often that not, this method works. However, sometimes it's not enough because the material is really complex. This is when I turn to YouTube and utilize the power of the online classroom.

I'm sure many of you have heard of Khan Academy or PatrickJMT (if not, you should definitely check out their videos on YouTube). These are just two examples of people that have revolutionized education in the computer age. Not only have they made education more accessible, they have also empowered students. Recently the founder of Khan Academy, Sal Khan, was invited to give a TED talk about how he went from being a hedge fund analyst with 3 degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard to pioneering the Khan Academy. The video can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM95HHI4gLk

According to the TED video (these statistics are slightly dated), there are approximately 2200 videos online. Topics covered range from basic arithmetic to vector calculus. Most importantly, about 1 million students use the website every month, and between 100,000-200,000 videos are watched daily. This just goes to show how powerful the Internet is. These videos basically review important concepts that are commonly encountered at university. Students find these videos extremely helpful, because they allow students to learn at their own pace. A student can return to the video a number of times until he/she masters the concept – something not possible in a classroom.

The idea that substantial learning can occur outside the classroom is becoming more of a reality. Computers and the Internet are at the forefront of this movement, and have had a huge impact on the notion of “the online classroom”. Online courses are now offered at many universities around the world. Computers have affected a number of industries. ATMs have replaced bank tellers. Online travel services have replaced travel agents. These are just some examples. In my opinion, teachers are definitely irreplaceable, but the works of Khan Academy are definitely valuable tools and resources. It's no surprise that Bill Gates and Eric Schmidt have donated millions of dollars to the development of Khan Academy!

What are your experiences with online learning? Any thoughts?

The full article about Khan Academy can be read here:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57395106-93/tech-giants-back-effort-to-revolutionize-teaching/

Up in the Cloud

Cloud computing has been dubbed the next big thing by many tech companies and IT moguls. It has and will continue to transform the way people look at and access their information. According to the National Institute of Science and Technology, cloud computing is “the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).” It gives users access to data management services, applications, and databases, and is grounded on the assumption that users need not worry about the location of resources and how they're stored.

Watch this neat video for an explanation of what cloud computing is and how it works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_DKNwK_ms

Users can access the cloud's resources from a computer, laptop, cell phone, or tablet pc, with a working Internet connection. Imagine if all you needed was an iPad (or any tablet) and you could continue carrying out all your current tasks. In terms of saving money, this option is a no-brainer! Imagine the portability! These are just some of the reasons behind why cloud computing has created such a buzz.

On the other hand, cloud computing has also raised a number of privacy and security concerns regarding the storage and accessibility of information. Companies are wary that their information could be accessed by others, misused, and therefore leave them vulnerable. According to information from a report authored by Longhaus, an Australian research firm, cloud computing is still a work in progress. Many large companies are reluctant to embrace cloud technology and remotely store highly confidential and top secret information. The risk is too high.

Despite these risks, I think that many firms are willing to embrace, and should invest in, cloud computing as a viable means of storing information. Whether this means proceeding on a trial basis, or experiment with less sensitive information, companies should be testing the limits of this technology. Internet speeds are continually increasing and the prices for these services are decreasing. At the current rate of growth, cloud computing could become the primary means of computing, in business and for personal use. I've personally been a huge fan of cloud computing. While I'm no expert on privacy and security, or how cloud computing works, the ability of cloud technology is fascinating. Google Docs has been revolutionary. It's made online collaboration so easy. Todd Nielson, a renowned IT Executive, has written an excellent article about cloud computing and how it currently impacts society. You can read it at: http://www.wired.com/cloudline/2012/03/the-perfect-storm-for-cloud-computing/

What are your thoughts? Any comments, questions, or concerns?