Science & Technology

Areas of Concern:
1. Communications- Computers, Entertainment, Information Technology,
Surveillance/Security, Information Revolution
COMPUTERS
- Most businesses in Singapore have computerised systems to facilitate transactions. The larger the firm
in general, the more sophisticated the equipment (eg. Citibank, BHP-Biliton).
- Still a number of traditional businesses like provision shops and small bakeries which see no need to
use computers.
- Schools have also jumped on the bandwagon with IT labs and computers and Internet access made
available to students. (under IT Master Plan instituted by MOE)
ENTERTAINMENT
Online gaming has taken off in Singapore, with Internet cafes sprouting up all over the island and free
broad-band access in many places.
- IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore) has been supporting the annual World Cyber
Games since it first started in Singapore in 2001. Another e-sports tournament, the Asia-Pacific
REPLAY 2010 Dawn of War II Tournament was held in Singapore in Jan 2010. It featured
competitors from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
- Blogging is also part of the online entertainment scene.
-

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Video-conferencing and Skype are regularly used in business communications or even on a personal
level. Most households have access to a personal computer, which facilitate these.
SURVEILLANCE/ SECURITY
Virtual world technologies are used in military training by the U.S. military. Companies like
Forterra Systems work with military groups to develop training simulations.
Other developments in military technology include GPS guided missiles, robotic military technology
and more sophisticated and powerful weaponry.
For surveillance, technology is used in video surveillance, GPS tracking, satellite surveillance. These
can be adapted for commercial or home use to safeguard homes, offices and protected zones.
- Singapore's strategy to secure the infocomm environment is encapsulated in the two Infocomm
Security Masterplans managed by IDA.
The Infocomm Security Masterplan 2 (MP2), launched in 2008, is a five-year roadmap which aims to
build upon the achievements of the first Masterplan by enhancing the tenacity of our economy against
cyber-attacks, thereby boosting the confidence of investors in choosing Singapore as a strategic and
secure location for their investment. The Infocomm Security Masterplan (ISMP), launched in Feb
2005, was a three-year strategic roadmap that focuses on developing infocomm security capabilities to
enhance Singapore's national level efforts to protect the country against external and internal cyber
threats.
- Singapore was among the first nations in South East Asia to establish the Singapore Computer
Emergency Response Team. As part of IDA's effort in creating a conducive, innovative, and
competitive infocomm environment, SingCERT is a one-stop centre for security incident response in
Singapore. It was set up to facilitate the detection, resolution and prevention of security-related
incidents on the Internet.

INFORMATION REVOLUTION
Information Revolution describes current economic, social and technological trends beyond the
Industrial Revolution.
It includes the use of technology in areas such as e-commerce and building an information database
for knowledge-based economies.
The IR has implications for employment (fewer highly-skilled workers are needed, as opposed to
many lowly-skilled ones) and workplaces (working from home or anywhere where one has Internet
access is now possible).
It also has great psychological and social impact; computer skills are more valued- generation gap
between the young who are adept at it and the elderly who are not has developed.
Just as the Industrial Revolution transformed the world two centuries ago, the Information
Revolution will transform our lives in the next millennium. The challenge for us in education is to
exploit the exciting possibilities that Information Technology offers to prepare our people for this
information revolution. (RAdm (NS) Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education, Singapore and
SEAMEO Council President, 2000).
-

Singapore has transformed itself in the education, business and military sectors through the use of the
IR. Its youths are mostly computer-literate, through emphasis on IT in schools, and many adults are,
too. This has positioned Singapore to be an IT and business hub, attracting foreign investments with
its high-tech infrastructure and computer-savvy workforce.

2. Medicine Drugs, Surgery, Medical Facilities & Equipment, Alternative Medicine

Future medical technological breakthroughs will build from the incredible progress made in
nanotechnology, biotechnology, computers, the information learned from deciphering the human
genome and other scientific and technical areas.
- Singapore built state-of-the-art biomedical research parks:
The Biopolis, a biomedical research complex of seven buildings that houses 2,000 scientists, working
in close partnership to develop, fund, and build life science companies and facilities.
Medicine:
DRUGS
- Many major pharmaceutical companies have set up their regional headquarters and manufacturing
plants in Singapore, attracted by the excellent physical and regulatory infrastructure, global
connectivity and skilled manpower available.
E.g. Global pharmaceutical companies: Abbott, GlaxoSmithKline, Lonza, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfizer,
Sanofi-Aventis and Schering-Plough.
These companies operate multi-purpose plants with the capability to manufacture a wide range of
active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), biologics and nutritionals.
E.g. Novartis announced in 2007 that it will be building its largest manufacturing plant in Singapore.
This S$1.02 billion plant will produce cutting-edge drugs made from living cells.
E.g. GlaxoSmithKlines (GSK) investments include a development facility with a S$100 million
extension manufacturing some of its latest respiratory products, a S$50 million drug technology
centre and a new S$115 million R&D pilot plant to cater to its extensive pipeline of new chemical
entities.

MEDICINE
- The National Heart Centre Singapore is currently the only Asian site to have started in the CARE II
Study which evaluates the use of the CardioMind SparrowTM Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent System
(Sparrow Stent), an improved version of the current stents in the market.
- Other breakthroughs in surgical techniques for Singapore include a new orthopedic technique to tackle
the high failure rates associated with conventional methods of mending Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ)
dislocations and sophisticated keyhole surgery with just one strategic cut and no visible scarring.
Singapore has also emerged as a top regional eye specialist centre for advanced corneal transplant and
implant procedures. With success rates topping 90%, the country also serves as a training hub for eye
surgeons worldwide.
Medicine:
Medical Facilities & Equipment Recent inventions include nanotubes which can sniff out cancer agents
in cells and nanosensors which can smell cancer. Children with autism can use alternative keyboards
to communicate with their families and the world. Other technologies that already exist, are under
development or are predicted by experts include biosensors, home/ self-monitoring devices, virtual
medicine, computer-aided diagnosis and neural stimulation.
The future holds the possibility of a chip, strategically placed in the brain that could prevent epileptic
seizures or allow someone who has lost a limb to control an artificial arm just by thinking about it. Also,
for the future of human reproduction, scientists at Cornell University have grown mice embryos in
man-made, bubble shaped wombs, which are artificial wombs (mechanisms that are used to grow an
embryo outside of the body of a female).
Singapore: Medical Facilities in Singapore are well-established and easily accessible by one and all.
Singapore has private as well as public hospitals and specialist centres for the benefit of its residents
and citizens. Singapore is also a centre to attend to and treat medical problems with traditional Chinese
medicine too.
The specialist centers for providing specialized treatment related to blood diseases, dental problems,
skin care, cancer, cardiac disease, neurosurgery, eye diseases and mental disorders are available. Some
of the public specialist centers are National Skin Centre, National Cancer Centre, National Heart
Centre, National Neuroscience Institute and Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital. Wellestablished and top market private hospitals in Singapore include Gleneagles Hospital and Camden
Medical Centre. The Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre offers highly specialised
oncology treatment.
Singapore also houses many rehabilitation centres and nursing homes for the aged and senior citizens
who require treatment and post illness care. Some of them include the Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare
Centre and Saint Andrew's Community Hospital. The Ren Ci Hospital endeavours to provide medical
care and assistance to the needy and old aged people irrespective of religion and race.
Medicine:
Alternative Medicine
Complementary and alternative medicine refers to medical products and practices that are not part of
standard care. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy and allied health
professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists, practice. Alternative medicine means
treatments that you use instead of standard ones. Complementary medicine means nonstandard
treatments that you use along with standard ones. It encompasses therapies with a historical or
cultural, rather than a scientific, basis. Some therapies include homeopathy & naturopathy,
acupuncture, hypnotherapy, detoxification, reflexology, TCM, bone-setting, jamu and Ayurveda.

Singapore: Singapore, being an Asian country, is home to numerous traditional healing practices. The
question arises whether these are considered alternative as opposed to traditional, given our cultural
and historical heritage. However, it must be noted that Western medicine is considered the norm in
Singapore as employers and schools generally only accept medical certificates or claims from clinics
which practice Western medicine. Still, traditional medicine has always been fairly popular with
Singaporeans. Reputable TCM clinics include those under the Eu Yan Sang and Ma Kuang brands.
Biotechnology: General Information
Biotechnology, broadly defined, is using living organisms to solve problems or to make products. From
this definition, one could say that biotechnology has been practiced by human society for a long time, in
such activities as baking bread, brewing, breeding crops or animals.
Today, it is still biotechnology, but scientists have a better understanding of cells, biological molecules,
proteins, DNA and other building blocks of life. Scientists are now using nanotechnology to manipulate
life at the atomic level.
Some of the current and predicted capabilities of biotechnology include ending world hunger, creating
foods that are better for you and last longer and disease and pest-resistant crops, slowing of aging,
biological fabrication of clothing, plastics, and building materials and ultra-strong, lightweight
materials.
Biotechnology: Genetics &
Gene therapy
The Human Genome Project refers to the international effort to discover all the human genes and make
them accessible for further biological study. Many consider this project to be the most significant
scientific undertaking of our time. The ultimate goal is to improve human health. Genetic manipulation
refers to altering the genes of cells and organisms and genetic engineering means creating new genes,
proteins and organisms.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. In the future, this
technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patients cells instead of using
drugs or surgery. Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including replacing a
mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene, inactivating, or knocking out a
mutated gene that is functioning improperly and introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a
disease. Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases (including
inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the technique remains risky and
is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective. Gene therapy is currently only being
tested for the treatment of diseases that have no other cures.
Singapore: The Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) was established by the Singapore Cabinet to
examine the legal, ethical and social issues arising from research on human biology and behaviour and
its applications and to develop and recommend policies ...on legal, ethical and social issues, with the
aim to protect the rights and welfare of individuals, while allowing the Life Sciences to develop and
realize their full potential for the benefit of mankind. The Human Genetics Subcommittee is under its
umbrella.
Some breakthroughs include the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) scientists making the
groundbreaking discovery of genes that increase the likelihood of causing a form of inflammatory bowel
disease and Singapore scientists discovering new concoction to reprogramme cells into pluripotent
stem cells. The GIS focuses on areas of research such as cancer biology and pharmacology, stem cell and
developmental biology, infectious diseases and human genetics. Its mission is to use genomic sciences
to improve public health and public prosperity. The GIS will pursue the integration of technology,
genetics and biology towards the goal of individualised medicine.
Biotechnology: Stem Cell Research Because of their combined abilities of unlimited expansion and

pluripotency, embryonic stem cells remain a theoretically potential source for regenerative medicine,
designer organs and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Cures could be for diseases such as
Alzheimers Disease, stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons Disease, spinal cord injury, Sickle Cell
Anemia, congestive heart failure, liver regeneration, hepatitis and skin diseases.
Singapore: Singapore allows stem cells to be taken from aborted fetuses or discarded embryos, and
these embryos can be cloned and kept for as long as 14 days to produce stem cells. Players in the
industry include the Singapore Cord Blood Bank and S* Bio. For the latter, cancer research involving
stem cells is done. Local business, ES Cell International, claimed to be the first company to produce
human embryonic stem cell lines commercially in a way that made them suitable for clinical tests. The
GIS attempts to identify and manipulate stem cells to create cures for diseases in various projects under
its stem cell research portfolio.

3. Biotechnology Genetics & Gene Therapy, Stem Cell Research, GM Food

4. Energy Alternative Sources, Green Technology
5. Science & Society Science and Humanity, Euthanasia, Crime & Forensics, Personal
Technology, Surrogacy
6. Business Development Business intelligence, Silicon Valley, Research & Investment
7. Innovation & Exploration Space Exploration, Nanotechnology, Robotics, Artificial
Intelligence, Transportation
http://tjcjc1gpgws.blogspot.sg/2010/09/science-tech-info-notes.html
Types of Technology:
1. Digital technology
2. Energy technology
3. Green/Environmental technology
4. Information technology (and ICT)
5. Media technology
6. Medical technology
7. Transport technology
8. Food technology
9. Space technology
10. Nanotechnology
11. Biotechnology
12. Defence technology

A.
-

Effect on Work and Employment

Creation of new jobs
Displacement of jobs
Telecommuting

Consider:
Lines between home and work blurring, what are the implications on the employee?
(i) Employee expected to be on call/working 24/7 regardless of where he may be.

(ii) Difficult to maintain work-life balance

B. Effect on Relationships
-

Social glue

Consider: Does emphasis on online communication necessarily lead to social isolation

-

Social problems and piracy

(i)

Piracy

(ii)

Private or public opinion

(iii)

Internet Addiction

(iv)

Predators

(v)

Identity Theft

C. Effect on Identity
-

Multiple Identities

Anonymity

D. Effect on Education
-

Accessibility to information

Consider:
With the increasing access to information, how has the role of a teacher changed?
-

Digital Divide

E. Effect on Healthcare
-

Going against Nature/Playing God

Producing Designer Children

F. Effect on Environment

G. Effect on Society
-

Impact on rich and poor

H. Effect on Politics
-

A surveillance society

Consider: How does the use of technology for surveillance infringe on our privacy?
-

People Power

I. Effect on the Economy

http://h1-gp-words-words.blogspot.sg/2010/01/science-and-technlogy-contentnotes_09.html

POSITIVE IMPACTS
1. More Safe
2.
NEGATIVE IMPACTS
1. More Dangerous

- Access to information that allow users to know of opponents weak points

e.g. Osama Bin Laden, mastermind of sept 11 2001 attacks, analysed New Yorks
weak points without being physically present.
- Creation/Development of weapons
e.g. perpetrators of the Boston bombings learnt how to create bombs in the form
of rice cookers from the Internet

e.g. chemical, biological, nuclear weapons development

- Invasion of privacy and access to confidential information
e. g. Edward Snowden leaked out NSA information to public and has caused an
uproar among Americans, CISPA can be easily bypassed
- The problem of hoaxes/rumours/misinformation spreading like wildfire,
causing citizens to be unnecessarily disoriented
e.g. White House twitter account got hacked and message that it was attacked
went viral = sudden change in stock market numbers