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Time is a funny concept when you examine it closely. What it means to one person may prove completely irrelevant to another. It has been described as non-existent, a man-made and intellectual concept, a convention of thought, a measure of change. Today it is represented in increments - of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years and so on. It is a heartbeat, the ticking of a clock, the motion of the sun and pattern of stars. It is also the source of great human frustration: “If only we had the time” “I ran out of time”, “We must get there on time”. In the here and now, time seems to be our enemy. But what of early man’s reality on time? A hunter-gatherer’s movements would not have been at the behest of scheduled meetings. They couldn’t conceive of appointments. And they certainly weren’t constrained by lunch hours. For one whose primary motivation was survival, time was only relevant in the context of daylight hours for activities including sourcing of food and shelter, and seasons in the way they affected the availability of food varieties and the necessity for sourcing greater or lesser forms of clothing and shelter. For the early agricultural worker - homo sapiens who discovered the enormous advantage of being able to propagate edible plants - time took on a slightly different significance. It became far more important to understand the important transitions of weather patterns throughout what we now call seasons and years. Very quickly, they would have discovered there were times to plant, times to harvest and times to rest areas when they’d been heavily cropped, in order to allow time for the soil to regenerate. There would also have been times for the preparation and storage of food supplies, in order to ensure that colder, less productive times did not lead to food shortages. In this period, human population began to boom, so time could also have been measured by the increase in the number of permanent dwellings which were constructed around areas of arable land. And later, time would be relevant as producers of various crop and animal products would come together on a regular basis to trade their products - the beginnings of marketplaces, no doubt appearing at measured intervals, in order to ensure the greatest number of people could assemble at once. When religion entered the equation, time would measure the frequency of assembly for worship, and probably community meetings. Time would again play a role when people began to migrate farther afield for purposes of trade - or war. How long would it take to reach another destination? When could they expect their people to return from such journeys? What might delay or stop them - either natural or human interventions? All of which begins to make time a more and more significant measure. The industrial age introduced more formal measures of time. Introducing monumental changes to the way people lived, the birth of industry meant manufacturing, mining, agriculture and transport challenged the very notion of time. While watches had evolved from spring powered clocks in the 17th century, the late 1700’s and 1800’s saw humanity take on time like a personal challenge. This was when humans really began ‘cheating’ time. Machines that made things could do so, faster, more efficiently and more consistently than humans ever hand made goods. Transport - trains and powered ships - could move people and products from A to B in a fraction of the time it once took. The sophistication of agriculture in machinery to sow and harvest crops would lead to exponential growth in available food supplies. And of course, once the gates were opened on such innovations, mankind has been frenzied in its race to discover other technologies of time efficiency. In Greenwich, England, the Royal Observatory houses a selection of some of the world’s finest clocks, from which Greenwich Mean Time is still calculated. Technology has leapt forward however, since earliest days when mean solar time was the standard measure of time - chronometers were of critical importance to sailors’ navigation. Today such precision relies on atomic clocks which use cesium to measure time within a billionth of a second each day. Another interesting facet to time during the 19th century was the beginnings of debate about the reasonable length of a working day: As the industrial revolution took off, child labour and exhausting shifts of 10 to 18 hours a day lead to huge health and wellbeing problems. Robert Owen of England first introduced the goal of the 8 hour working day around 1817. In 1848, the French were to legislate for a maximum 10 hours work daily. In 1866 in Geneva, a congress of workers was to demand 8 hours. But it was not until 1916 in Victoria, Australia, that an 8 hour working day was first legislated. If anyone has ever wondered about the Labour Day holiday we have annually, it’s actually a celebration of this milestone. Of course in 2012, the eight hour limit is a source of much mirth and eyebrow raising for many in both white and blue collar industries, regularly putting in fourteen hour days, and those working two or three jobs to keep their heads above [|water]. Today we seem to be losing as many battles against time as we win. This mechanism for the management of our increasingly diverse and full lives is seen by many as a curse, an obstacle to success. Our concepts of economics is constrained by it, as ‘time is money’. Our leisurely pursuits and family life suffer from a lack of time and attention. Prompted by curiosity and the knowledge there is potential for innovation, for new experiences, for added stimulus, life has become a race to beat time - or to stretch time so that desired experiences are elongated. We must live longer, look youthful longer, party longer, enjoy longer lasting sex. As our bodies age, we often become more acutely aware of time and its fleeting passage. Perhaps for this reason, we are less hurried, more focussed on experiencing all that is contained in the moment. We have also beaten time in terms of gadgetry that makes our days more efficient, from satellite communication to washing machines, bullet trains, digital cameras, phones that send emails and so on. We continue to challenge the passage of time measured by the progress of ageing and degenerative diseases. Thanks to public health and medical advances the world average lifespan in 2010 was 67.2 years (Neolithic man could expect to clock out at 20 years of age). But despite what Marty McFly will tell you, we cannot warp or stretch time itself. Humans have set the perimeters and as at 12:33pm (EST) on Sunday, August 5, 2012, time flatly refuses to be elastic.
 * Week 1 TIME - THROUGH TIME **


 * Week 2 - Why humanity is small and bacteria are big **

While I already knew I was insignificant in the greater scheme of things, this week’s resources illustrated just how small I am - as are all people throughout the history of humanity. As a species, we are so egocentric, so focussed on now, on things of phenomenal inconsequence. Even the most serious human challenges today are blips in time. Because the reality is, ours is a miniscule 200,000 years of existence so far, over a 13.7 billion year (at last count - see point below*) timescale. A couple of key “Wow” moments for me this week, were: > >
 * Several statements which transformed complexities into simplicities, such as the fact that chemical evolution preceded biological evolution; that life survives by replicating itself countless times on a microscopic scale; that a measly 21 amino acids make up all proteins; that genes are the masterminds of life while proteins maintain its wellbeing and that bacteria have a vital role in recycling nutrients.
 * A possible new threshold of increasing complexity to consider: The moment when life on earth moved from oceans to land-based organisms.
 * *That scientists still don’t know how old the universe actually is. What really drives my curiosity then, is how can you begin to determine the age of a universe in the first place? It’s not like it has rings or sedimentary deposits!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">And if the universe was ‘born’, what was it born //from//? What preceded it? What do scientists mean when they say ‘In the beginning there was //nothing?// What exactly is //nothing//? And then how can something form from nothing? How could a big bang take place - ostensibly an explosion - when there was nothing to set it off, no incendiary, indeed, no matter to explode?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The length of human existence is laughable when compared to the existence of simple bacteria. They had the place to themselves for around 2 billion years. (And many are still outsmarting us).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Over 99% of species that have lived on earth are today extinct.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Humans view extinction as the end. But every time, nature begins anew. Nature is an unstoppable, insatiable force!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Earth has had three key atmospheres up to now - the first being mostly hydrogen and helium from the solar nebula, the second, where greenhouse gases dominated and oxygen supplies were poor, and the third (current) an atmosphere rich in oxygen, produced by bacteria. I have newfound respect for bacteria.
 * Week 3 - SPACE - THE FINAL FRONTIER **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Having read the prescribed chapter from Ornstein and Ehrlich, it occurs to me that this major human challenge could be simply described as an issue of spacial awareness. It is not that our brains lack the capacity to process complex information and concepts which would benefit our understanding of 21 st century dangers. Nor do we lack the intelligence to develop and apply solutions. What is all seems to come down to, is our inability to view - and hold our attention on - time and space in a broad enough context that we are able to pose and resolve the longer term and more widespread challenges we face.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Our brains are hardwired to deal with only that which sits directly in front of us - we cannot extend our consciousness far enough through time and space (space in this context referring to our breadth of consciousness, rather than my flippant Star Trek reference in the subject line!) to take a long view on the problems our actions are setting up in the future. One classic case in point - governments that sell off state owned assets to raise short term revenue - unable to see that in doing so, they are cutting off long-term income supply, and that their assets are finite. There are of course, countless other examples which, funnily enough, we can all rationalise as short-sighted, yet collectively we continue repeating this illogical and self-harming behaviour.


 * Week 4 - BURIALS **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">I explored the custom of burial as one of my assignment subjects, given my recent explorations of several significant sites around Europe. Because these really offered me a remarkable insight into the cultures which established them, they form an excellent commentary on both their historical importance and our appreciation of these cultural markers in a contemporary context:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Dolmens of Neolithic cultures. In Carnac, in France’s Brittany, there is an extraordinary gathering of menhirs - upright stones - and dolmens, which were constructed to house the deceased. Their significance remains unknown. While modern humans can only marvel at the sheer strength and feats of engineering these giant, carefully placed stones represent, their tribute to a cultural past cannot be ignored. Withstanding thousands of years of environmental weathering and human movement, we somehow intuitively know they are to be respected for all time.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The catacombs of Rome. Beginning in the 2 nd century, these mass graves were constructed underground in the signatory tufa stone around Rome, which offered easy cutting yet hardened afterwards, to provide stable crypts for thousands of Christian bodies. I marvelled at the deep dedication to their beliefs that early Christians must have had, to have constructed these catacombs and maintained them - at great risk. Romans refused to allow Christians to be buried within Rome’s walls - and preferred cremation, which Christians emphatically opposed. Today the catacombs remain significant sites for the religion - exploring them is an eerie reminder that some cultural practices we take for granted today, were not so welcome in some places at various points in human history.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The fields of graves across France; a result of World Wars 1 and 2. There is no more profound reminder of the insanity of war, than row upon row of little crosses, indicating the body of a soldier who died in battle. Along the Normandy coast, throughout the region of the Somme, and in the mountains of Le Longe which divide France and Germany, thousands perished. Not all were afforded signposts at the time of their deaths, though it is a profound statement that even during battle, opposing sides would call a cease fire from the killing, to collect and bury their dead. Today these burial sites are not only an indication of respect for those who paid the ultimate price, but a ghostly reminder of the true cost of conflict. No doubt their purpose at least in part, is to prevent further insanity.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Week 5 **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There was no forum posting in Week 5. To see what I was up to, visit my Learning Journal or Weekly Assignment. Cheers.


 * Week 6 - IT'S INDUSTRY JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">In order to address the question, we must first clarify the meaning of industrialisation. In western countries of the 21 st century, the 'i' word has almost become a political mantra, to be voted for or against: Understandable because in this context, it relates to the perceived positives and negatives of previous industrialisation. However, if we view industrialisation simply as the creation of ‘industry’ - meaning commercial enterprise which generates employment, income, products or services and trade and thereby stimulates the economy, we can be more objective. In that context, I would suggest that further industrialisation does have the potential to improve our quality of life - but only if human endeavour focuses on a new tier of the economy: <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Primary Industry -** developed during the agricultural revolution

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Secondary Industry -** the industrial revolution evolved manufacturing and processing

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Tertiary Industry -** Services, which evolved to support the first two.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Now we are evolving a fourth tier:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Quaternary Industry -** Responding to both the undesirable effects of previous tiers and a new understanding of our species as responsible for the wellbeing of not only our own, but of all life forms which our actions influence, and the finite resources of our habitat. This new tier of industry would focus on ideas, on the interconnectedness of humanity, through communication, exchange, greater understanding and respect for //both// facets of a key principle of physics - ‘cause’, and most importantly, ‘effect’.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Week 7 - Unknown unknowns **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Human fascination and hunger for technology has long surpassed any point of self-regulation, in that any rational argument regarding the dangers of rampant, un [|discipline] d technical evolution can equally be met with level arguments as to the necessity for further research - even if it is just to maintain some kind of equilibrium with the former. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The other challenge is that of proven benefits: From an ethical standpoint, there is so much to be gained by technological advance, that there would be enormous backlash if it were to be restricted in any way. Bionic ears have been a working reality since the 1970's - try telling cochlear implant recipients that their access to hearing should have been delayed until all possible controversy had died off. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Just this week in New Scientist, the world's first 'transhumanist politician' - Giuseppe Vatinno - [|has been expounding the virtues of a more evolved humanity] even going so far as to suggest that becoming less human is not necessarily a bad thing, because it could weed out human weaknesses. Whilst his views are probably considered fairly radical by the general public, experts in science and technology have long pursued such notions: Hollywood films like 'AI',' 2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'Blade Runner' did not conceive of such ideas - they have merely followed a logical progression in cultural developments over the past 200 years. While there are significant risks associated with the potential for humanity-altering technology, it would be impossible to harness the imagination, research, drive and creativity of all who propel it today. Our best option is to regulate through moral agreement about acceptable perameters of change, by maintaining open and honest public discussion, highlighting advantages and pitfalls as each new technology is realised.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Week 8 - Haves and have nots **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">For a year spanning starting in August 2010, my husband and I conducted a conscious experiment, by stepping away almost entirely from the technology which had become enmeshed in our lives. We travelled to Europe and Northern Africa without mobile phones, computers, no Facebook, iPods, GPS. Our watches were analog - though we referred to the sun more often, to gauge the time of day. Our only concession was a digital camera. Colleagues and friends were horrified -so we did use internet cafes at times, just to let everyone know we were ok.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">We were not anti-technology, just annoyed by the sense that we had become a little cornered by it - along with all the permutations that represented modern, corporate life. That feeling of being a part of a machine we were no longer driving. So we decided to 'take our lives back' - it was bigger than technology, but certainly that played a part.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">We used paper maps to find our way. We dedicated our time to meeting people, connecting face to face. We dedicated ourselves to contributing to the lives of the people we met. We forged some extraordinary friendships. We ate locally grown produce in season. We attempted to minimise our waste, our footprint. We tried to drive as little as possible once we reached a destination - to stretch our legs and see the world at ground level. We worked as volunteers on farms, picking olives to make oil, tending livestock. Did we miss technology?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Yes and no.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Back in Australia, I resisted the need to pick up a mobile phone again for some time - I desperately missed my friends, but I also relished the lack of expectation that I'd always be on the other end to take calls/respond to messages. I was happy to reconnect to the web - (I would not be studying now without it!). But I tried to limit my use to the purposeful, rather than habitual meanderings which had begun to punctuate my leisure time before the trip. I missed television - but when I returned home I was so horrified by the banality of the content, I rarely now watch it! I returned to the mod cons of domestic living - the appliances, the amenities, and it's almost as if I never left... except I see things a little differently now. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">ICT is a part of my life, and an important one. It touches my every day. I do think iPhones are nifty as all get-out. I love my Macintosh. I check my emails sometimes at work (in a cafe, making coffee, that once was not possible). I love being able to Google just about anything - and get an answer (not always reliable, but mostly.) I love that 'googling' has become a verb. I realise the web is a vital tool for access to information and the ability to connect people who otherwise may not have a voice, a connection, insight. It has made information freely available and this has changed the social and political landscape for the better, though not everyone is happy about that - just ask Julian Assange.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">But I balance this with a determination not to forget what I did learn while away: That we must use ICT, and not allow it to use us. We are the masters. We decide how, where, when and why we reach to connect. And when to withdraw.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">There is much discussion in this Unit about transhumanity and I know I may be at odds with some [|perspective] s on the evolution of our species. But I contend that, if we are to remain human in essence, we must balance technology with the most human of activities: the pursuit of humanity. Our ability to genuinely, simply, physically, emotionally, spiritually touch each other. I do not think any amount of research and development can - or should - ever replace this fundamental human necessity.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Week 9 - Interconnectedness **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Although there are any number of variables which could sway the emphasis on change - or completely redefine it in a way we cannot currently conceive of - I would postulate there will not be any one great change by 2050, rather a series of profound changes which are all inextricably linked (please note, I have consciously chosen to focus on the more optimistic changes and outcomes, rather than some of the less desirable conflict and division possibilities, which are also possible): <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">* Technology - biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering of plants, animals and humans, cyberspace boom. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">* Machine intelligence - Computers so compact and efficient, they run everything - households, business, leisure, organise, educate, shopping, money, trade. Counter software biggest area of growth in crime. People recognised by machines - eliminates credit cards, toll booths, passports; retailer databases remember everything about customer - past purchases, preferences, sizing. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">* Health - science overcomes major obstacles to human health. Many diseases eradicated or managed, more accessible to more people, early detection and prevention play increasing role. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">* Education - global literacy - combined with communications technology, leads to increases in global understanding, ethics and behaviour as well as population stabilisation due to family planning, women entering workforce and access to contraception. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">* Reassessment of values. Unfulfilled by current emphasis on material wealth and social status, the world community will re-evaluate human priorities and begin to explore less tangible measures of success - happiness, health, human ethics, spiritual understanding, social justice and a responsibility for all life forms as global citizens


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Week 10 - Keep the conversation going **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">I offer this feedback to other students, in the hope it helps the development of your final Project, Integration and Collaboration reports, Extension report and wiki... <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">There is nothing harder than thinking you are doing something alone. The workload at the back end of each semester is fairly intense, and one could be forgiven for putting head down, tail up and powering across the finish line. <span style="font-family: Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">But don't forget that collaboration is not just a key part of our learning, it's a great way to simply remind yourself you are not alone. We're all going for it - and supporting each other, even if just with a quick hello email or a forum post with something of interest or an observation about study. Helping each other is the most rewarding part of learning - so please, talk! I for one, check regularly to see what's going on!