(토요모임) [July 4, 2015] Saturday meeting topic

[Scarlet]

Howdy !

It's me Scarlett !  

This week we have 3 topics. 

◈ Should Genetically Engineered Foods Be Labeled?

◈ 9 things to do before bed that will jump start tomorrow

◈ The Internet Of Things

- Are You Ready For The Promise Of A Connected World?
- Unlocking the potential of the Internet of Things

Hope you enjoy the topics. 

With luv 

Scarlett 

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Should Genetically Engineered Foods Be Labeled?
 

November 5, 2013/ klschwartz/ GMO food

Everyone needs food to survive, but what happens when food becomes scarce? An answer to that question could be genetically engineered foods, GE foods. GE foods are “plants that have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content” (“Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful”). Today a large amount of GE foods are grown world wide, with the United States being the lead producer (“GM Crops around the World in 2011″). According to “Genetically Modified Foods: Get the Facts” , “as much as 80% of all packaged foods contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms)”, but due to the Food and Drug Administration’s GE food labeling policy you might not even know it.

Amount of GE foods grown world wide (“GM Crops around the World in 2011″).

In 1992, the United States Food and Drug Administration put into affect its policy on genetically engineered foods. “This policy provides that foods developed through genetic modification are not inherently dangerous and, except in rare cases, should not require extraordinary pre-market testing and regulation” (Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants: Science and Regulation). According to Gertsberg, this means, “genetically modified foods are regulated as ordinary foods, and not food additives, unless they contain substances or demonstrate attributes that are not usual for the product”. In short, the regulation only requires companies to label their food if substances are added or altered within the food and change the natural make-up of the product. Many American’s felt that this regulation was not stringent enough and the Just Label It movement began.

The Just Label It movement wants there to be a change in the labeling of GE foods. In September 2011, the Just Label It movement created a legal petition that was filed demanding the FDA to require labeling on all GE foods (currently 1.3 million people have signed the petition). According to their statistics more than 60 nations have labeling regulations, but the U.S. does not, even though 91% of Americans support the mandatory labeling of GE foods. The main argument associated with the Just Label It movement is that Americans have a right to know what is in the food they consume. Many parents are also concerned with introducing new genes into plants that could potentially create a new allergen and harm their children (“Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful”). Along with allergen concerns, some activists are also concerned with the effects that GE foods will have on the environment (“Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful”).

Facts based on the American population according to Just Label It (“Just Label It”).

In contrast with the Just Label It movement there are “an array of groups in many mainstream agribusiness, the grocery industry, and the biotech industry” that oppose the labeling of GE foods (“To Label or Not to Label”). These groups are mainly opposed to labeling simply because they are concerned about Americans not understanding the labels and in turn not purchasing there food (“To Label or Not to Label”). This is a problem because “labels on GE food imply a warning about health effects, whereas no significant differences between GE and conventional foods have been detected” (“Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods”).

Currently there has not been a change in the national FDA regulation on genetically modified foods, but in 2001 the FDA released Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Developed Using Bioengineering; Draft Guidance (FDA).

Examples of voluntary labeling (“Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods”)

This guidance is not nationally required by any food production company, but is highly encouraged by the FDA. That being said, “nearly half of all U.S. states have introduced bills requiring labeling” (State Labeling Initiatives”). Meaning that companies are required to follow each states bill on labeling GE foods. Unfortunately Georgia is not one of these states, but there is a statewide movement asking that genetically engineered foods be labeled. In the end there will always be people who are for or against genetically engineered foods, but it is up to oneself to learn the facts and politics associated with GE foods before they make a decision on whether they should be labeled.

What did you previously know about GE foods? Did you know that there was controversy surrounding the labeling of GE foods? Do you think that GE foods should be labeled? Do you think GE foods would be good for the future? Does it surprise you that the FDA has not changed the regulation? Do you think the Georgia should pass a GE food labeling bill?

Article source : https://eepolicy2013.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/should-genetically-engineered-foods-be-labeled/

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<Questions>

Q1. What do you know about  GM foods?

Q2. Would you choose GM food for you meal? What is the reason for your choice?

Q3. How do you think about the 'Label it movement' in America? Is it necessary or not?

       Do you think that GE foods should be labeled in Korea?

Q4. What are the advantages and disadvantes of GM food?

Q5. According to an article, GM foods is cheap but they can cause your children allergic response.

       Would you buy GM foods for your kids?

Q6. Have you ever grown your own food in your garden? How do you think about the rooftop garden?

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9 things to do before bed that will jump start tomorrow

The quality of sleep we get affects every aspect of our lives — however 40% of Americans don’t get the amount of sleep necessary for performing their best. Fortunately, with a few simple additions to your nightly routine, you can transform your physical and mental well-being and set yourself up for success. Establishing a bedtime ritual is the key to sleeping longer, better, and starting your days more refreshed and energized.

This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider UK. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

To keep up with the Agenda subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Author: Mike Nudelman is Business Insider’s editorial Graphic Designer. 

Image: Delegates rest during a break of the plenary session at the U.N. Climate Change Conference. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil. 

Article source : https://agenda.weforum.org/2015/03/9-things-to-do-before-bed-that-will-jump-start-tomorrow/?utm_content=buffer31447&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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<Questions>

Q1. Have you ever troubled with sleeping problem such as insomnia? 

       How do you deal with this symtom?

Q2. Following the article, enough sleeping enhance your physical and mental well-being.

       Can you describe your physical and mental conditions depending on your sleeping hours?

Q3. Have you ever crammed the night while you were a student? How was the results?

       Was it successful enough as you contribute to? Please share your result

       in the context of sleeping hours.

Q4. What is your routine before going to bed?

Q5. Do you think your electric gadgets distrupt your tight sleeping?

Q6. From the article, some 'Bed-time ritual tips' are recommended for better sleeping and setting

       you up for tomorrow. How many things do you follow among below 9 recommendations? 

- Unplug your electric gadgets. - Don't eat or drink late at night. - Pick a bedtime. - Never do any work in bed. - Keep a journal.

- Meditate. - Make a to-do list for tomorrow. - Create a hygine ritual. - Read a real book for enjoyment.

Q7. Do you have any other ways to get tight sleep except above 9 ways?

       Plz share them with us !

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The Internet of Things

Graphic source : http://www.talk2thefuture.com/internet-of-things-english/

The Internet of Things has dozens of definitions, but they generally all talk about using the Internet (which people are accustomed to using for email, social networking, web browsing and e-commerce) as the backbone for communication by sensors, actuators, devices, buildings, streets, machines and smart cities. 

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The Internet Of Things |

Are You Ready For The Promise Of A Connected World?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as the third wave in the development of the Internet. The 1990s’ fixed Internet wave connected 1 billion users while the 2000s’ mobile wave connected another 2 billion. The Internet of Things has the potential to connect 10 times as many (28 billion) “things” to the Internet by 2020, ranging from bracelets to cars, blurring the lines between hardware, software, and mobile.

We stand at the dawn of a new age, just as the smartphone revolutionized personal computing by creating a computer that most of us have within arm’s reach 24 hours a day. The Internet of Things promises to revolutionize computing again, by connecting and collecting data from everything we live in, drive in, eat in, sleep in and work in.

IoT devices to date have been pieces of hardware that connect to an app on your smartphone, which allows you to interact with them. The connected watch signals an important shift as it combines the hardware and sensors with the software and user interface into one device. While it still requires a connected phone to connect to the Internet, it is easy to see a future connected watch that eliminates the need for the phone entirely.

As IoT devices evolve, they will take on more “mobile” qualities and become the new home for many functions we currently rely on our smartphones to perform. In addition to making search obsolete, IoT could make the smartphone largely irrelevant in the near future.

The Internet of Things promises to revolutionize computing again, by connecting and collecting data from everything

In just a year or two, the number of IoT devices will outnumber the number of PCs, smartphones and laptops globally. Forecasts range from as low as 41 billion to as high as 80 billion connected devices worldwide by 2020.

For years people have been claiming that search is dead, but we still find ourselves on Google looking for a restaurant, searching for the best ski equipment or researching a new company. However, the promise of IoT means never having to search again. With every connected device you have, more data is collected about you, your habits, your needs and your preferences. When this data is aggregated, a complete virtual profile of you emerges. This profile will know what you need before you do.

The “virtual you” will be able to anticipate your needs, perform the necessary search, and deliver what you need, before you even have to ask. It will be able to adjust your thermostat before you realize you are too hot, or place an order for tissues before you notice you have run out. Obviously, search still happens, but it is all done behind the scenes. If the Internet of Things becomes what we believe it can be, you’ll never need to visit the Google homepage again.

Are you ready for the Internet of Things? Or are you concerned about the massive violation of privacy that such a Thing implies?

Source : http://thetechreader.com/tech/the-internet-of-things-are-you-ready-for-the-promise-of-a-connected-world/

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Unlocking the potential of the Internet of Things

June 2015 | byJames Manyika, Michael Chui, Peter Bisson,

Jonathan Woetzel, Richard Dobbs, Jacques Bughin, and Dan Aharon

The Internet of Things—sensors and actuators connected by networks to computing systems—has received enormous attention over the past five years. A new McKinsey Global Institute report, The Internet of Things: Mapping the value beyond the hype, attempts to determine exactly how IoT technology can create real economic value. Our central finding is that the hype may actually understate the full potential—but that capturing it will require an understanding of where real value can be created and a successful effort to address a set of systems issues, including interoperability.

To get a broader view of the IoT’s potential benefits and challenges across the global economy, we analyzed more than 150 use cases, ranging from people whose devices monitor health and wellness to manufacturers that utilize sensors to optimize the maintenance of equipment and protect the safety of workers. Our bottom-up analysis for the applications we size estimates that the IoT has a total potential economic impact of $3.9 trillion to $11.1 trillion a year by 2025. At the top end, that level of value—including the consumer surplus—would be equivalent to about 11 percent of the world economy (exhibit).

Achieving this kind of impact would require certain conditions to be in place, notably overcoming the technical, organizational, and regulatory hurdles. In particular, companies that use IoT technology will play a critical role in developing the right systems and processes to maximize its value. Among our findings:

•Interoperability between IoT systems is critical. Of the total potential economic value the IoT enables, interoperability is required for 40 percent on average and for nearly 60 percent in some settings.
•Currently, most IoT data are not used. For example, on an oil rig that has 30,000 sensors, only 1 percent of the data are examined. That’s because this information is used mostly to detect and control anomalies—not for optimization and prediction, which provide the greatest value.
•Business-to-business applications will probably capture more value—nearly 70 percent of it—than consumer uses, although consumer applications, such as fitness monitors and self-driving cars, attract the most attention and can create significant value, too.
•The IoT has a large potential in developing economies. Still, we estimate that it will have a higher overall value impact in advanced economies because of the higher value per use. However, developing economies could generate nearly 40 percent of the IoT’s value, and nearly half in some settings.
•Customers will capture most of the benefits. We estimate that IoT users (businesses, other organizations, and consumers) could capture 90 percent of the value that IoT applications generate. For example, in 2025 remote monitoring could create as much as $1.1 trillion a year in value by improving the health of chronic-disease patients.
•A dynamic industry is evolving around IoT technology. As in other technology waves, both incumbents and new players have opportunities. Digitization blurs the lines between technology companies and other types of businesses; makers of industrial machinery, for example, are creating new business models by using IoT links and data to offer their products as a service.

The digitization of machines, vehicles, and other elements of the physical world is a powerful idea. Even at this early stage, the IoT is starting to have a real impact by changing how goods are made and distributed, how products are serviced and refined, and how doctors and patients manage health and wellness. But capturing the full potential of IoT applications will require innovation in technologies and business models, as well as investment in new capabilities and talent. With policy actions to encourage interoperability, ensure security, and protect privacy and property rights, the Internet of Things can begin to reach its full potential—especially if leaders truly embrace data-driven decision making.

About the authors

James Manyika, Jonathan Woetzel, and Richard Dobbs are directors of the McKinsey Global Institute, where Michael Chui is a partner; Peter Bisson is a director in McKinsey’s Stamford office; Jacques Bughin is a director in the Brussels office; and Dan Aharon is a consultant in the New York office.

Source : http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/the_internet_of_things_the_value_of_digitizing_the_physical_world

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<Questions>

Q1. Have you ever heard about the 'Internet of Things' ? What is the definition of IOTs?

       What are the most controversial issues on this matter?

Q2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of those IOT technologies?

Q3. Did you watch the movie 'transcendence'? The concept of connceted world sounds fancy and

       beneficial to humanbeing due to the efficiency of technology application, however it is provoking

       me worries related to humanitarian issues. How about your feelings on this movie?

Q4. In the perspective of application of this technology, where you want to apply those technology

       is the matter of concern. If you apply this tech. into energe managmemt or

       public safety & traffic control management and etc., it would bring best benefits into the society.

       If you are a mayor of your city, where will you apply this tech in your territory?

Q5. From the article, computer can predict your future decision making by observing and analysing

       all your past behaviors using connected technological infrastructure. 

       Why people want to predict your future behaviors?

       Do you think you act based on the past habitual behaviors?          

Q6. Do you think 'Vertual yourself' can exist in the world and sustitute your own desire? 

Q7. We cannot prohibit spreading of all those fancy technologies inspite of various worries such as

       labor substitution by machine, hacking problem and pravacy infringement.

       Then, what should we prepare for the future?