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11 Ways Google Can Change Our World
By Kenny Rozario
Google is a large company that seeks to change the world. The amount of ideas that they have had vary greatly, some of which are mentioned here. Based on each of these ideas, fellow grade 10 students here at Turner Fenton have provided their opinions.
1. Google’s Driverless Car
The name says it all. Google’s driverless car has apparently mastered driving on highways, and recently it has been capable of driving in city streets. It has also been capable of handling situations with jay walkers and unexpected incidents. Currently, its only issues are that it does not know what to do when it sees hand signals and which car goes first at a stop sign.
“Stepping closer and closer to the realm of accident-free driving, the proposition of a driverless car has been embraced by those concerned with the safety of their loved ones. However, very few have discussed the political debate of if (and when) humans should be banned from the road in order to prevent them from being safety hazards for driverless cars. Although Google is promising that their cars will be able to avoid crashing into human-driven cars, no amount of internal testing will be enough.
Due to the false positive paradox, there may be instances where the tests that indicate the accuracy of Google's algorithms contain more false-results than true ones. This would mean that their testing environment may have a lower rate of crashing than what is true for the world.
The only sure-fire way to test something like this is to release it completely to the intended demographic, in this case, to release it to the entire world. However, this is to be expected; Google's cars will not be perfect upon release and probably will not ever be so, yet this does not mean that they are dangerous machines.
"I feel that the real problem lies within the average person's ignorance to previous attempts. People will completely disregard if the banning of human-drivers and the implementation of driverless cars has reduced the amount of accidents to 10% of their original value if a news story, such as a 3-year old who has died due to a malfunction in the car, comes up.
If society (mainly media) will be able to refrain from focusing on the negatives of new technologies and instead shine light on the positives, then I will be anticipating the changes that are soon to come.”
- Akshay Pall
2. Hoverboards
Another exemplar of how the name is self explanatory. The workers at Google X worked with the idea of hoverboards through the usage of magnets. However, the magnets tended to shift polarities, and this would result in the board being flipped over; this would be a problem and Google X considered other ideas, but concluded that it would be too expensive. But seriously, how cool would it be to have a hoverboard?
“Having a hover board would be really cool, because, who doesn't want to fly? Although balance would be crucial and it might be pricey to buy one, hover boards are cool and if I had the chance, I would love to have one. To conclude, I love the idea of the hoverboard and can't (if they — Google X — release it to the public) wait to see it in action.”
- Neha Pawar
3. Aerial Bikeways
This is something Google isn’t working on, but they had this idea in hopes of encouraging more people to ride bikes. A bike is suspended in the air (attached to a rope above and below, while being harnessed) and the rider simply follows the pathway.
“Riding bikes, back when we were younger, didn't need to be encouraged, but now as the world is becoming more technologically advanced, it makes sense to have something that encourages people to exercise and ride bikes more often. A bike suspended in the air might be dangerous though which might potentially lead to lawsuits making it's production and actual distribution hard. There might be more safety precautions like the mentioned harnesses, but litigation is still possible. In my opinion, the bike is a really good idea and should be worked on as an innovation as this is one of the most important things in modern society.”
- Nikhil Nair
4. Calico (California Life Company)
Calico is a Google startup that aims to eliminate aging and eventually death. The vast topic of death and immortality could lead into a lot controversy, but it is interesting to think that Google is willing to go this far. This company is also known for seeking to prevent, treat and cure diseases.
8. Project Ara
Imagine a modular phone- a phone where you can specifically choose each and every part. More memory or a larger battery in exchange for a smaller battery, or any other possible combination. All of this may become a possibility with Google’s Project Ara, which they are working on alongside Motorola.
“The project Ara is set to make a difference in consumer individuality. No longer is a phone restricted to certain demographics or user types- it now is universal and soon to ubiquitous. This technology is simply amazing; simple yet innovative. Personally I know this will make a large impact on my family’s dynamic, as everyone wants something different- games, camera, socializing, and myself performance. This new concept fulfills all of our needs and allows us to interact on the same platform and perhaps, even switch our parts around! This type of technology is the future of user-friendly devices.”
- Navneet Narayanan
9. Elevator to Space
Yes, Google has actually considered this. They’ve gave it some thought as it is bound to change space exploration. Obviously, there would be tremendous amounts of uncertainties to account for, but their primary issue is the materials. It is always possible that Google could return to this idea, and who knows where they will take it.
“The concept of an elevator to space seems like a very innovating idea. Providing our civilization with such an invention will expand our opportunities to learn and become aware of our own solar system. The elevator will have an significant impact on the patterns of world economy, to the environment. Even though it is an idea to be considered in today's day and age, the elevator will take a substantial time frame to complete, in which people may be negatively affected due to its construction, sudden economy status and perhaps the limit of resources (as Google will require a significant portion of our resources). From a personal standpoint, I believe that Google has introduced an excellent idea which has the potential of disrupting the world extensively between the time frame of its construction. However, positively, the invention can open doors to a whole new era of space exploration and technology.”
- Ankit Mittal
10. Android Wear
This is Google’s way of entering the smartwatch business. Android Wear is the software that will be behind bringing an Android-like operating system to smartwatches. It will interact with the user’s phone and also primarily focus around Google’s other feature, Google Now. The two smartwatches known of (that will run Android Wear) are the LG G watch and the Moto 360, both of which are currently unavailable for purchase.
“Even though we haven't seen too much about Android Wear, it seems to be going in the right direction. I currently own a Pebble Steel, and the one thing that I love most about it is the fact that it's not trying to replace my smartphone, and rather compliment it. I can see the same thing happening with Android wear, as there is seems to be an enormous push with contextual information, just like Google Now, as well deep integration of voice control. I believe that Google has a similar business model to Pebble, and I think it'll actually end up being a better experience, as Google has a lot more potential than Pebble; Google has the opportunity to integrate wear directly into Android; that's something Pebble just can't do. I'm also very excited to see what Apple is going to do with their smart watch. Many people have claimed that 2014 will be the year of wearables, and up until this point, it seems to be holding true.”
- Aditya Chugh
11. Google Fiber
Google Fiber is aiming to provide gigabit internet speeds- the fastest internet speeds ever. It is bound to change the way we consume data on the internet. Currently, it is available in a few states, but unavailable elsewhere.
“Personally, I think fiber optics is an amazing idea. Knowing it would be provided by google, it's an even better idea. That's because google would probably make it affordable and accessible for anyone. Fiber optics provides lightning fast internet, even in a blackout because fiber doesn't use electricity. It would be more expensive than normal internet, but it's worth it. I'm pro fiber.”
- Aaron Tang
Source:
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-google-will-change-the-world-2014-4?op=1
“I see the reasoning behind the motives of the company, but I would have to disagree with what they are trying to accomplish. Death, a very controversial topic, is not something that should be tampered with. Why want an extra few years of living? In my most humble opinion, I believe that we should strive to add more meaning to our years. Rather than questioning the meaning of life, ask what meaning you want to give life. If we have lived our life to our fullest, then there is no need to create such a cure! Boiled down to its very basics, Google is an intelligent company, and although I respect the drive that they have to accomplish this goal, I believe it is misplaced, in a sense.”
- Sukhraj Singh
5. Google Glass
Google’s eyewear (doesn’t actually have glass lenses, but the prism,which is the “Glass”,can be fitted for select prescribed lenses) will bring humans closer to technology. It allows users to take videos, pictures, check directions and much more through simple voice commands. Within the last year, Virgin Atlantic began to use Google Glass for checking in passengers at the airport.
“I'm uncertain about Glass. We are able tech, spearheaded by Google Glass can, and will change the world, as we will move away from smartphones and laptops to more integrated and seamless technology. Google's main initiative in developing this hands free headset was to stop us from constantly viewing life through an iPhone screen, and allowing us to experience life in the moment, while still retaining the technology we've assimilated into our daily lives - for example, you can now watch a concert with your own eyes, while still taking pictures, taking out the 'middleman' smartphone that has been attributed to ruining prototypical social behaviours.
To me, solving the evolving issue of technology consuming our lives with more technology seems cliche and ironic to me. With Glass still in its early stages as a mass market product, its pros (aiding the blind, deaf and handicapped with features that allow them to overcome disabilities, apps that can diagnose illnesses and provide relief in areas where doctors are not accessible, etc.), and cons (privacy breaches, heavier dependence on technology, etc.) can only be speculated.
Short answer: will Glass change the world? Yes. Will that change be positive? Only time will tell.”
- Avik Hasija
6. Google’s Smart Contact Lenses
These were specifically designed to aid diabetics track their glucose levels. Certain patents indicate that Google is planning to add sensors and micro-cameras to these contact lenses.
“The idea itself is a good one. There is a solid amount of potential for the product to grow and develop. However, I still have my reservations with the micro-camera and sensors. I'm sure it'll be some time before thats a reality. Given that Google's been focusing on Glass. The future does look good with this sort of a product. Google is now shifting its focus towards building physical products to compliment its intangible services, meaning that its only going to grow as technological powerhouse. This is a product to definitely watch for in the next year or so.”
- Satwik Munshi
7. Project Loon
Project Loon is Google’s means of providing internet throughout the world. They would launch balloons into the air that would then provide internet access to the two thirds of the world living without internet.
“My personal opinion on Project Loon, which is to carried through by Google, is a brilliant idea. The fact that they want to put in the effort to massively distribute internet access throughout the world is something to be marveled at. Google is going up and beyond the norm and it will change the technological world as we know it. This project will put the power of the internet at any person's fingertips and the way they are doing it is amazing on its own. Imagine just looking up at the sky and seeing a small blip of a balloon and knowing that that is what is powering the wifi at your home or your cellular device. If this project is a success, it will increase the availability of internet to almost the entire world which will in turn immensely boost communications and the ease of life for a great amount of people. And I think that Google going through with this, shows just how great of a company Google is and that they want to work for better future.”
- Robin Zutshi
