E - Journal 8

World War III: a struggle for data

Often times, many Facebook users feel a sense of fear when a forgotten friend from their past suddenly appears on the friend suggestion box. How is Facebook doing this? Are they stalking their billion-something users? As suspicious it may seem, Facebook is simply making use of one of 21st century's most significant innovations: big data. Big data initially meant a mass of information too large and complex to process for not just people but also common softwares. However, with development in technology mankind now possess the ability to analyze this overwhelming amount of data to gain information such as behavioral patterns which helps predict future behaviors; and people have coined this technique "big data". Although, this Facebook uses this technique to figure out which user may know another, this is not all there is. Big data has already infiltrated into people's everyday lives as well as foretelling a future that will be helpful for mankind in areas regarding the government, businesses and consumers.

The public sector, also known as the government has the most information and resources to gather data, which also means that with the right big data method, they could easily organize their operation more efficient and serviceable. Regarding efficiency, with their ability to collect and process vast amount data, they could shorten the amount of time it takes for each different sectors to process their given tasks. For instance, repeatedly, citizens are required to fill out a form that they have already written down before in a similar sheet of paper. This is also the case for the government office workers. Many do not have access to the information that other government sectors possess, which naturally leads people to fill in similar information over and over again. Nevertheless, this hassle will be no more once the government creates a system where all the accumulated data can be collected as one, from which different divisions will find the information they need without having to unnecessarily duplicate the same form. Moreover, collecting and sorting out the information also means that the government has much higher chances at actually listening to what the public has to say. A model example of this will be the successful Obama campaign, which has taken advantage of the big data system to figure out the American voters at individual levels and how they reacted to the campaign. From this they analysts were able to discover which messages swayed the electorates more than the others. This was 2012, and now big data has become an essential tool in every political campaign. Like such case, the public sector can improve on their services as well as become more efficient with the introduction of big data.

However, to the economy unless a new technology is linked to philanthropic issues, it means nothing if it cannot bring in capital – fortunately, big data does exactly that. Before all else, it goes without saying that companies could also use some efficiency with the vast amount of data they use and exchange every day, which will eventually lead to a large decrease in operating costs. With big data they could also use customer purchase preferences, feedback or the overall pattern in ever changing trends to predict what the customers want or will be wanting in the future. Netflix is a typical example of such case. What they did was making use of the large information they had on what film their subscribers watched the most without dropping it midway, and which actor appeared the most in successful movies. The answers were "The Social Network" and Kevin Spacey, which resulted in the creation of the series "The House of Cards". Of course there were much more detailed analysis regarding the audience and the films' overall structure but nonetheless, currently, this series is facing its fifth season with about 5 million viewers. However, the number of views is not the main focus. The most crucial fact is that this allowed Netflix to attract more subscribers who are in the end another potential market of many other programs and films for Netflix. In other words, big data means money. With the right means of data analysis, any business could efficiently use their money and time to create a product that will at worst sell but not fail.

In hearing this, in the eyes of consumers, it may seem like companies or even the politicians are making profit out of their actions, but the society only works when there are profits on both sides. First of all, it is important to remember that if the government and producers are focusing on what the consumers like and want, that means that buyers will have a larger selection of goods to choose from, as well as public services that are constantly fixing its errors to the needs of its citizens. Here, public services do not just mean quickly fixing broken street lamps or filling threatening dents on the road; it also includes access to information regarding health or education that allows individuals to assess or learn themselves, as well as better traffic system according to busy hours. An even more surprising area of improvement is the work of the police. The government could detect words of distress from social network activities, or even swiftly give out information under emergencies and disasters. Plus, consumers can more easily be informed on information regarding greener companies before purchasing products. When in comes to businesses, people are already make well use of smartphone applications or online services that have implemented big data. This include the Google Map or the Naver Map which allows its users to reach destinations while avoiding traffic. Other programs include apps or websites that provides collective information on selective products such as plane tickets, hotels, restaurants and clothes, which compare prices from different sources. Such public and private services help consumers, in the end, make a better, efficient decision for themselves.

A mere Facebook friend suggestion is nothing to be surprised about when big data has and will improve people's lives in areas such as the public sector, business and consumption. Although there are still sensitive issues in regards to invasion of privacy, if these problems are to be secured, the future of big data seems infinite. Napoleon once said that "War is 90% information". If war equals winning and surviving, then the war of this and the future era will surely be fought with data. More the merrier; bigger the better. Big data is the modern weapon of success.

#3 Ways for a Sustainable Future

Plastic Society: a Murder-suicide

One million – this number is not a population of a city, or the amount of money a person needs to buy an apartment flat in New York City. One million is the estimated years it could take for a simple plastic milk container to decompose. In a world full of ephemerals this may seem like the best material to use on banknotes or to create phone cases. It certainly seems that way with almost all items in everyday use made of plastic, such as packaging, computers and even clothes. However, for the sake of convenience, people are slowly destroying the world through plastic. If mankind hopes to create a sustainable future, recycling is not enough; they need to stop abusing plastic, for it brings detrimental consequences to the environment, marine life and even mankind themselves.

In truth, people have long been aware of the fact that plastic has negative impacts on the environment. They have, for several decades, been educating people to “reduce, reuse and recycle”. However, what they need to know is the consequences of making plastics. The production of plastic spends a lot of oil – about 10% of all the oil produced, and since the creation of plastic in 1907, the use of plastic has increased over 3000%. This not only means that oil is becoming depleted at a faster rate, but also that the oil industry has partaken in increasing greenhouse gas emissions which are created during the production of plastic. In other words, plastic is polluting the air. On this matter, one may consider recycling as its solution, but they could not be more wrong. Not all plastics are recyclable, only type 1 and 2. Even those that can be recycled is only used for about 30% of the new plastic, the rest being completely remade. Another fact that should be brought to one's attention is what happens when plastics do not decompose. Apart from the fact that plastic buried underground will stay under for what may seem like infinity to an average human life span, it transmits its harmful chemicals to the groundwater and reservoirs, which in turn, naturally effects plant life. Moreover, not everybody throws away their plastics in the right places. Many tend to neglect their duty as a plastic user to keep their trash in the trash bin, but instead discard their plastic wastes wherever they may please. Eventually, these plastics find their ways into the Ocean. In fact, it has been discovered that in the middle of the Pacific Ocean there is a patch of plastics the size of Europe. This, like every other plastic waste, will release harmful chemicals into the water, contaminating one of mankind’s most important resources. Thus, it becomes apparent that plastic destroys the environment.

It would be as horrifying as it is with plastic devastating the environment, but unfortunately, plastic also destroys marine life. One of the ways that plastic tramples on the oceanic life is through fishing nets. These nets, like gigantic ice bergs, float around the oceans’ surface, while dragging its large body under water acting like a trap for marine animals as well as breaking off corals. The fishing nets, regrettably, continue to circulate the ocean current constantly choking the ocean floor. Another way plastic destroys marine animals is through plastic’s harmful chemicals. People are aware of how injurious theses chemicals can be. Hence, they choose not to eat plastic or drink hot water poured in plastic bottles. However, animals cannot choose. When plastic wastes are broken down by nature into tiny pieces, some even as tiny as plankton, they will and are being consumed by birds and marine animals. In case of birds, many have died due to guzzling plastic wastes, including baby birds that were fed with these synthetic materials. The situation is no different for the marine animals. In fact, pieces of plastic have been appearing in the bellies of fish sold in daily markets. In addition, earlier this year in Germany, the stomachs of sperm whales contained giant fishing nets, a car engine cover and many other plastic goods that should not be inside a living creature. Although this has not directly led the whales to their death, it is the unavoidable truth that marine animals and birds are becoming a victim to the convenient human life style of plastics.

Unfortunately, plastic consumption is not only entitled to marine animals but also people themselves. With marine animals eating pieces of plastics, some broken down into a molecular level, it seems obvious that people will consume plastic with fish or water as their medium. However, there are other means. One of the harmful chemicals of plastic is bisphenol A (BPA). BPA was at first created for birth control, but was deemed not effectual and thus, was shelved. However, with time it was discovered that the chemical had the ability to harden plastic. Since then, BPA has appeared in many plastic products. The peculiar fact about this chemical is that it can be absorbed through skin, receipt paper being one of the most popular BPA mediums. However, as a hormonal chemical mimicking estrogen, when BPA is consumed it may cause breast cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. It is also considered as the reason for the faster development of puberty on children. Apart from BPA there are phthalates, vinyl chloride, dioxin and styrene which are all considered to be a possible catalyst in creating cancer, as well as disrupting the human reproductive system permanently. In other words, through contact or consumption of plastic materials, people can and will die.

In order for mankind to have a future, a sustainable one where nature, animals and their future generations can survive in, one of the very first acts they need to carry out is to stop depending on plastic. Forget recycling; they need to look for ways to successfully deal with the current amount of plastic circulating the world and replacements that is bio-degradable without harming the ecosystem. If they do not make an escape from the plastic society they live in and recognize the immediate issue regarding plastics at hand, they will not only end up suffocating the earth but also their own life. It will become a world-scale murder-suicide, a plastic bomb as the murder weapon.