Buggy Whip Computer Usage for Society's Benefit

Mr. Gates' of Microsoft and his vision about the future of software, and hardware, is admirable. However, his offering regarding the classroom setting and hardware/software potential may be misdirected. Why? Because modern teaching, like medicine, is still a people-based enterprise when so much of the process could be computer-assisted, even directed.

If teaching is defined as conveying a skill set of facts, and then learning applications of those facts; math, reading, then a computer is much more able to convey a programmed learning environment that moves students as fast as they are comfortable in going, doesn't tire or get angry at the process of correction, even motivation. An education environment designed around the technical and productive capability that the computer could deliver would be far and away the greatest advance possible. And then teachers could do the real job of teaching, helping students learn how to think; rational and reasonable thinking through the Socratesian-teacher process has everything to offer for children that we expect to be the leaders of the next generation. Our current system is focused on the wrong things, at the wrong time, even in the wrong place. Why couldn't peer networking, all live and in real time be part of the education day? Why can't we "wiki" our education process into real collaborative learning? Does it have to be in a classroom?

It's time for Education 2.0.

As for medicine, it's the same thing. We have the technological tools to enable medicine to absolutely leap forward in the health care arena; we're talking just adaptive processes, some good software, and a different mindset. The current drive towards centralized, personal medical records is an important part of the process. What precedes that record keeping and medical evaluation of what happens over time, historically, is more important.

How often do we evaluate our health? Could we do it daily with the right software-bio interface? When you get up in the morning would it be valuable for your system to record your blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and a hundred other things automatically? "Joe, your blood pressure continues to increase. It should be checked."

Could we do it monthly, every six months completely, top to bottom in a health diagnostic facility designed just for this purpose? I'd love to be able to walk through a computerized diagnostic scanner, have my blood, and eyes, and hearing checked through the automated process, get to the "checkout" desk, where Doctor Bill would advise me on the "state of health" I'm enjoying, and provide whatever information necessary regarding lifestyle choices.
Invasion of privacy? Driving force for hypochondriacs to get their health "fix"?

Maybe, but how about the other 99% that would appreciate the diagnostic and preventative care information that process would offer?

And so much more would be aided by the efficiency that technology would offer. Computer-aided diagnostics in some experiments are already "right" over 95% of the time, and don't "miss" information and symptoms that generate a real diagnosis. Doctor's time should be reserved for the treatment process, the consultative process, the personal health care teaching process.

Health may be personal, but that doesn't mean it can't be efficient!

It's time for Medicine 2.0 as well.

Now we're talking real missions for computer technology!

NOW, we're starting to see what real societal improvement could look like!