THE ERA OF DIGITAL EVOLUTION
The digital age is a rollercoaster that cannot be stopped. Those who have climbed aboard and embraced the digital revolution are seeing firsthand its incredible potential through the fruits of today. I’d like to share three examples of how technology has rocketed us into a time that our parents and grandparents could not have imagined.
Mobile Phones
The first true mobile phone call was made in 1973 by Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher and executive. The first hand-held device was shaped like a brick and weighed 2.4 lbs. It was called the DynaTAC 8000X and operated for a maximum of 30 minutes talk time, and that was with only 10 hours of charging! Its cost? $3,995, which is equivalent to $10,000 in today’s money. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Motorola MicroTac, a flip phone small enough to put in a shirt pocket, signaled the start of phones getting smaller. The Siemens Mobiltelefon, which resembled a briefcase, was the company’s first mobile phone. In 1987, Samsung created the SH-100, its first “handphone.” Its display was so small that text messages were impossible to see. Only the dialed or incoming number was able to be seen. A touchscreen interface was introduced in 1992. In 1997, color was added on the display. Fast-forward to today with our Wi-Fi-enabled, advanced touchscreen, multi-purpose phones, possessing remarkable speed and efficiency, a pristine camera system with enhanced low-light performance, a robust battery life, with AR and AI capabilities. Phone enhancements are not slowing down! We’re seeing advanced AI and machine learning, 5G and beyond, folding and flexible displays, improved cameras, and enhanced digital security. What an evolution!
Nanotechnology
The prefix ‘nano’ is a Greek prefix meaning ‘dwarf,’ or something very small. In the modern age, as the term is used now, it describes something as small as one thousand millionths of a meter, or 1 nm. The nanoscale range is 1 to 100 nm. As a comparison, a single human hair is 60,000 nm thickness and a DNA double helix has a radius of 1 nm. The science, engineering, and technology that utilize such microscopic materials in practical applications is called nanotechnology, and is being applied to diverse fields.
Nanoparticles and structures were used in the fourth century AD by the Romans. The Lycurgus cup is recognized as one of the oldest synthetic nanomaterials. The observed dichroism (two colors) is due to the presence of nanoparticles 50–100 nm in diameter. A similar effect is seen in late medieval church windows, shining luminous red and yellow colors due to the fusion of gold and silver nanoparticles into the glass. During the 9th–17th centuries, glowing, glittering “luster” ceramic glazes used in the Islamic world and later in Europe contained copper and other nanoparticles.
More recently, nanoscience progressed in other fields, like computer science, biology, and engineering. As astounding as it was for engineers to decrease a room-sized computer to mobile laptops and handheld phones, so engineers further designed already-small complex electrical circuits down to nanoscale level. In biology, researchers observe the behavior of a cell nucleus to study complicated biomolecules at the nano level. They have even successfully targeted tumors with several functional molecules, including nanoparticles, antibodies, and cytotoxic agents. What incredible progress!
Starlink
Starlink is an international telecommunications provider, a subsidiary of SpaceX, extending coverage to approximately 125 countries and territories through an expansive satellite internet constellation. The founder, Elon Musk, has propelled this company forward to offer global mobile broadband.
SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of September 2024, the constellation consisted of over 7,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit that communicate with designated ground transceivers. Their goal is to deploy 34,400 satellites in total. Starlink’s 9000+ optical space lasers transmit data throughout the Starlink constellation, extending continuous service in areas far from SpaceX ground stations, e.g., flights over the open ocean and polar regions. Starlink's constellation transmits 10Pb+ of daily data traffic. These lasers can sustain a 100Gbps connection per link, can connect up to 3,300+ miles apart, and maintain a mesh network with 99.99% uptime. What we’re experiencing firsthand today are the fantasies of former generations.
None of today’s innovations was thought possible 50 years ago. Times have dramatically changed and these fields of advancement are just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s take the time to investigate and understand how technology can propel our organizations forward to fulfil our individual missions. What we innovate today will be a springboard for our children’s generation.