SECME Essay
Throughout history, each generation has produced new and vital innovations to help further man's knowledge of the world. From the first discovery of fire, to the first few steps on the moon, each coming generation has brought progression and innovation to the table. However, technology has brought forth many changes; some that have proven difficult to overcome. The up and coming generation has had many changes to adapt too, perhaps making them the most versatile of them all, allowing them to be able to think diversely, think innovatively, and be able to adapt easily.
Perhaps the most crucial tool for survival is being able to adapt easily. Throughout history, mankind has used innovations to help them survive and allow them to prosper into civilizations. Though Darwin's natural selection - the adaptation of a species body to aid its survival - is a major factor in versatility, the idea that there is a beyond is what governs this generation. In previous generations, societal views about what was considered "acceptable" restricted the lines of exploration, bounding it within the Christian Coalitions code of ethics. But because of this generation's predecessors pushing the boundaries and weakening the societal constraints, exploration has become venerable. Today, new discoveries conjugate praise and extolment, instead of punishment.
Leaving prejudices and other mind barriers in the past, this generation uses their creative talents and abstract thinking to bring a new twist to exploration and the development of new technology. The field of Nanotechnology is a perfect example of this, as such ideas would have never been considered in the past. Nanotechnology makes our lives easier by condensing the amount of physical space and human brain power required to accomplish a task.
The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Competition prepares young explorers for these types of tasks, with "NanoQuest" as the challenge and theme for this year's competition. The Elementary and Middle school competitors spent months engaging in studies related to the field of Nanotechnology to prepare presentations for the competition. The actual robotics competition simulated the use of nanotechnology in the human body. Through this experience, the competitors are exposed to a real life introduction to Nanotechnology at the youngest comprehendible age possible.
With an abundance of scientific resources, it is almost overwhelming to begin to think about what can be done with such resources. The new generation of explorers posses the analytical dexterity required to make practical use of these resources. Although the energy usage problem has been identified many years ago, the challenge of creating feasible alternative energy sources has been brought to the playing field of younger explorers. With many youth energy conferences occurring nationally to debate concepts and pool ideas, it is probable that the next innovative method will not come from a top research company or a well known university, but possibly a high school science fair.
As a known proverb states, "Necessity is the mother of invention." From the perspective of the explorers of the next generation, this mentality is also true for innovation. Humans now have all life's necessities, but explorers now face the challenge to improve upon them. Explorers utilize their imaginative thinking skills to prove ideas that may have once been considered bogus, such as wireless technology. Although wireless telegraphy has existed for almost a century now, explorers have used innovative methods to expand upon these concepts, experimenting with the wireless transfer of many types of information and medium.
The young explorers of this generation have had to endure many changes. But because of these changes, this generation has perhaps become the strongest to ever exist by allowing them to think diversely, think innovatively, and be able to adapt easily. No longer do the young explorers have to rely only on their education from school to be successful. In current times, explorers of this generation are investigating what college professors have studied for years, mastering the new fields rapidly with ease. In the past, no one would have ever considered allowing a teenager to experiment with rocket science and complex physics problems, but now, they are common studies at summer science camps and major topics of discussion in high school classrooms. The explorers of this generation have pushed the education boundaries to the limits, forcing educators to expand the curricula to cater to the spark of interest.
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