So ‘Innovation: Shaping South Africa through science’ is launching this week. Here is a taster of what I’ll be talking about:
Science Journalist, Scribbler, Question-asker, Audio-wrangler, Note-taker, Tea-drinker, and (Occasional) Author
Dear Sarah wild,
Interesting discussion today by Sarah et al.
I suggested “rise of the robots” by Martin ford. “Zero Marginal cost” by Rifkin
Just a few comments and reflections. Having worked at Sandoz, LSD was originally derived from nature, just like cyclosporine which has transformed organ transplantation. Robotics, AI and Internet of things will come and are already here. It would be naive to believe that RSA can step aside. I would like to hear a debate on how South Africa can participate and simultaneously address such issues as employment when already the country has 8 million unemployed and rising as every year 500,000 pupils exit school at the age of 12. It is almost inhuman to send miners down 5km to drill for minerals, when machines do it more efficiently and more cost effectively. In other words what is the societal consequences and how to address?
Having been engaged in some scientific start ups, I would like to discuss more on how we will move innovation from University to commercial applications. the USA is brilliant at this as well as UK and CH. How can we breed a strong venture capital environment, as reliance on government grants is a death knell. Since coming to South Africa from Canada ? I have remain impressed with the academic and science standards, but….. The orientation is to publish and not to commercialization. On personalized medicines, it is happening to some extent, but is society ready to pay for it?? Re the negative comment on autonomous cars. I hope they come, particularly to South Africa so as to reduce the road carnage. Secondly people who have been restricted to drive will find new freedoms… Just as the model T did a century ago. Human ingenuity will not be replaced. Imagine if society 150 odd years ago had failed to embrace the power of steam and Faraday’s discovery of electricity, we would still be in the dark ages. These are exciting times and South Africa needs to discuss the implications particularly given its dysfunctional education system, Universities in chaos, academic brain drain to say nothing of the political chaos, a leadership that defies the law, a Parliament that also defies the law and neither are representative of the country’s citizens. Regards. Roger Trythall
Roger Trythall
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