www.winners.info - Life Science And Technology Entrepreneurship.

By Clive Simpkins

Years ago, Holmes & Rahe crafted the first formal measure of theimpact of stress on people. At the top of their list are eventslike the death of your life partner, a divorce, serious illnessand the like, all the way down to something simple like gettinga parking ticket. The valid notion underpinning the stressmeasurement scale is that each time we encounter change, we haveto adapt. When we’re in charge of the change it’s fine.Theoretically (unless your partner’s nagging you to get it done)to mow or not to mow your grass shouldn’t cause stress. Becauseit’s a decision or action under your control. It’s the thingsover which we don’t have control that cause stress. Today, morethan anything, it’s the speed of technological and sociologicalchange that is a significant stress driver for developed economyinhabitants.

Some examples: There’s an emerging right-wing political movementin Europe and Australia. Based largely on a racist,anti-immigration platform. Recently, people who detest FrenchPresident Jacques Chirac had to vote for him in order to preventrabid right-winger Jean-Marie Le Pen from becoming FrenchPresident. An unthinkable prospect but it nearly happened!

On the medical front, bio-engineering permits astonishingmedical interventions. Cryo-therapy (liquid nitrogen) havingfailed on sun damage lesions (courtesy of the then SADF) on myface, I’ve just finished using a high-tech cream which attacksonly the sun damaged cells. Thermal scans of the brain can tellus unequivocally if someone is lying. Vocal patterns measured oncommercially available software running via the modem on yourcomputer can do the same as you’re talking to someone. It’sbeing used in fraud and corruption prevention around the world.

Ozone pumped over decaying tooth enamel renders bacteria inertand reduces the need for drilling. An algorithm ‘reads’ yourdog’s bark and via a little liquid crystal screen on Rover’scollar, can tell you whether he’s bored, hungry, wants to playor is afraid. Mobile phones have irretrievably changed the livesof millions of people. International media networks allow us totrack what’s going on around the world in a matter of minutes.Personal digital assistants (PDA’s) and notebook computershaven’t put more time in your life. All they do is let you doeven more in the little time available.

Recently conceptualized self-destructing DVD’s, hold promise asthe answer to music and movie pirating. Once you’ve viewed orlistened a maximum of twice, they’ll become unusable.

When the Americans finished bombing Afghanistan, entrepreneursin Kabul didn’t plant veggie gardens; they started buildingsatellite dishes so they could share in what’s going on aroundthe world. Hungry people maybe, but even more info-hungry.

People bring class-action lawsuits against fast food vendors andcigarette manufacturers, airlines and reality TV show producers.All in an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for their ownchoices and their lives. It’s always easier to blame someone orsomething else. Genes are increasingly being indicted foreverything from alcoholism to hyperactivity and over-eating. Inmany instances if we adequately managed our senses, we’d saveourselves the trouble of looking for external ‘causes.’

In fulfillment of futurist and author John Naisbitt’s‘High-tech, high-touch’ predictions of years ago, we’re choosingto die not in ICU’s, but in hospices or in our own homes.Computer driven customer relationship management (CRM) programsnotwithstanding, good old fashioned customer contact is stillthe best service differentiator in business. In fact, it’s sorare that we consider it exceptional when we experience it.Companies receive awards for transparency and corporategovernance instead of merely running to an ethical script bydefault.

Disease travels around the globe and spreads in twenty fourhours by piggy-backing on aircraft passengers. Surveys show thatmore and more people feel that they’re not living fulfilledlives. A recent BBC survey of viewers and listeners indicatedthat ninety two percent of British people felt they were in thewrong (and unrewarding) job or career. A terrifying statistic.

These are just some of a myriad examples revealing how our worldand therefore our lives are being affected by technologicaladvance and the speed of change. It’s essential that we takecharge of the facets of change over which we do have control.That we make decisions about which uncontrollable ones we allowto influence our lives. That we choose to live using change andtechnology to our advantage. That we don’t passively allow ourlives to be dictated to and driven by, technological change. Useit. Don’t let it use you.

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com