Public Policy

Public Policy is the means in which government maintains order within the state by addressing the needs of its citizens through appropriate actions which are described within the constitution of that state, it thus can be accurately seen as a collection of laws, mandates and regulations. (Shaxton, n.d.)

Technologies involved in Industry 4.0

7D Hologram technology

A process whereby which an image is captured converting it into a hologram through the use of 7 parameters, the reasoning behind why 7D Holograms have a variety of dimensions is due to the hologram is captured from a variety of positions which surround the scenery in which the hologram will be displayed. Each position is described in 3D space with each position viewing direction captured in 2D, an additional two parameters are included in order to capture time and intensity. (Jagtap, 2016)

3D Printing   

3D Printing is seen as the creation of solid objects through the use of digital files which area computer aided design (CAD) which are created with the use of 3D modelling software as well as with additive processes whereby layers of materials which are a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object are added until the desired creation is achieved.

Nano Technology

Nanotechnology is the study of science, engineering and technology which are conducted at a nanoscale it is thus the ability to see as well as the control individual atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology has a potential in the creation of computers and communication devices more powerful than the ones at our current disposal. It may also serve to be applied in the field of medicine through the use of nano-robots which theoretically will serve as antibodies to seek out and destroy bacteria and diseases within the human body however they are strongly opposed and for now remain as a concept in theory.

The Internet of things

The internet of things can be seen a system of interrelated digital devices, animals or people in which they are provided with unique identifiers which enables them to transfer data over a network without the need for human to human or human to computer interaction. A thing in the internet og things may be seen as a person with a heart monitor implant or a car which has sensors to alert the driver when a tire might be low on pressure (Friess, 2013).

Poverty as a societal divide

 The World Health Organization describes poverty as an undermining range of key human attributes including health for it is the poorest of the poor who suffer the worst form of health (Anon., 2017). Due to their socioeconomic positon it is the poor who are the most exposed to personal and environmental health risks and their lack of adequate healthcare only further worsens their situation and once exposed to illness this can further reduce the income that is earned within a household, reduce productivity ultimately creating a diminished quality of life which further helps to increase poverty.   

Conclusion

Within a developing nation such as South Africa Industry 4.0 will only increase poverty, yes as a means of advancement for human technology  it will achieve this, however South Africa is seen as one of the top countries in the world whereby the gap between the rich and poor is vast, many south Africans relay on government aid such as grants in order to sustain their livelihood and with the introduction of Industry 4.0 which will no doubt be expensive as corporate companies at the end of the seek to make a profit. Thus for those facing poverty in the country all the aspects of industry 4.0 will be seen as a luxury. It will also leave many people jobless as the use of automated machinery will be an option in which employers look into thus leaving people particularly those with low skilled jobs without a source of income.  

References

Anon., 2017. World Health Organization. [Aanlyn]
Available at: http://www.who.int/topics/poverty/en/
[Toegang tot 30 March 2017].

Friess, D. O. V. &. D. P., 2013. Internet of Things: Converging Technologies for Smart Environments and Intergrated Ecosystems. s.l.:River Publishers.

Jagtap, R. R. D. &. H. P., 2016. 7D Holographic Technology. International Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and Communication, 4(1), pp. 67-70.

Shaxton, M. M. &. L., s.j. Understanding and Applying Basic Public Policy Concepts, Guelph: s.n.

 

 

SSA MWALE

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When most people think about the word designer, the first think to pop into their heads is either someone who deals in the fashion world or someone involved in home décor. However Mr. Gavin Mageni reminds us that we all designers in our own right.

The problem now lies in that how can one design? If they have no idea on where to even begin.

When the youth of South Africa finally complete their matric studies and head off into any form of higher education, a majority are left puzzled by the question of “what do I really want to do with my life?” and this question leads to many of them either changing their initial courses they enrolled into, due to that they cannot process what is being taught and this can be contributed to the lack of background knowledge on the subject and thus they either end hopping around various other courses so that they may find what really drives them or dropping out altogether.

Why is that though this question seems to be a common occurrence amongst the youth of today?

The root problem seems to lie in the secondary phase of education and the opinions of society at large, for when a person finally enters high school they are given a limited range of subjects to study from with a heavy emphasis placed on subjects such as physics and accounting.

These subjects are important however though are not for everybody as all children are unique and may have a different passion that drives them but might be forced by their parents to take them as they could want their children to either one day study to become a doctor or engineer, as society holds such positions in life in high regard mainly due to the wealth and statues they can give to an individual.

Unfortunately due to the high volume of youth choosing to study such mainstream fields, finding a space can sometimes prove to be difficult and those who end up graduating struggle to find to employment as positions in their respected professions are limited and a so a chasm is created whereby we have more people with degrees but only a small number of them are employed.    

So how can the problem be fixed?

In my opinion schools should add more subjects within their curriculum in which students can choose from however still remaining with the compulsory subjects such as Math’s and English. These extra subjects should serve as a foundation for the vast array of courses available out there study once done with matric. As children we grow up being encouraged to envision our careers in the future as anything imaginable so why should that type of thinking stop once we get older, education and society should continue to allow such thinking so that we may all become the designers we were meant to be.