Author: Bilal Kathrada
Chapter 3: A Degree in Egg Making
A guy goes to a university and says, “I want to learn how to make an egg.” So they said to him, “we’ve got the perfect degree for you!” And they proceeded to tell him about the amazing Degree in Egg-Making offered by the university. Apparently, the degree was really good, and was the most comprehensive course about eggs. To complete the degree, he would have to do the following modules: • First and foremost, he would have to know: “where do eggs come from?” To answer that question, he would need to study Biology 101. • Then, there are so many different types of chickens, and to understand the different types of chickens he would need to do Ornithology 101. • The egg business is a massive, multi billion dollar global industry. To understand the egg business, he would need to do Economics 101. • To understand how the egg goes farm to table, ? He would need to do Logistics 101. • Then, there is the question that has plagued people forever, is, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Since it is a philosophical question, he would have to study Philosophy 101. • Next, to understand why the egg is shaped that way, and why it is so strong, he would need to do Engineering 101. • Then, to understand which were the different cultures that used eggs and how do they use them, he would need to study Anthropology 101. • To learn who were the first people to eat eggs, he will study History 101. • To learn what it means when somebody says “egg on your face” he would need to study Literature 101. The guy enrolled for the cause. Three years later he went to his professor and he said, “Sir, I still don’t know how to make an egg.” So the professor retorted, “Well you don’t expect me to teach you, do you? I’ve never made an egg in my life!” The above story is obviously fictitious, but it is a very good illustration of what goes on at universities around the world. It highlights the dilemma that most university students face: that their main needs are not being fulfilled. They may be learning some very interesting concepts, but are those concepts in line with their objectives? Most likely not. And it is the same with school. I’m not saying learning Shakespeare or Calculus, or the European Renaissance are bad to learn; what I’m saying is, we need to get our priorities in order. The truth be told, none of those subjects prepare you for the real world in any way. We need valuable, real-world, marketable skills. A person spends 12 years of their lives at school, only to come out unemployable because they don’t have any marketable skills. Can they get a job with the knowledge learned over 12 years? No. Do they have any useful skills like how to do their taxes, service a car, change tyres or cook a meal? No. Any interpersonal skills like communications and conflict resolution? Nope. Twelve years. TWELVE WHOLE YEARS. What purpose does school serve? Ken Robinson put it very accurately, when he said, “The whole system of public education around the world is a protracted process of university entrance.” What he meant was, that school does not serve any purpose other than to enter university. But is university the answer then? Clearly not. The vast majority of students coming out of universities don’t even have marketable skills. That is why we have so many unemployed university graduates. So, the net effect is that we spend 12 + 4 = 16 years of our lives basically learning stuff that will not likely benefit us. Sad. And yet, at my school, IT varsity, we are able to take a student from zero to software developers in one year. Just one year. But people go 16 years through the education system and still come out unemployable. Something is horribly wrong. And what is wrong is that education has let us down. Previous Chapter | Table of Contents
Chapter 2: Rich Man, Poor Man
The one was a software developer. No, I don’t think I’ll call him a software developer because this guy was a bit of a hack. I’m a software engineer and I know, and not to insult him, but I know that he was a hack in a sense, that he came up with an idea and he learned enough code to develop that idea and that’s about all he knew about software development. Now this guy went on to sell that product he made and he became a multimillionaire. He started a business around it, he sold it, he became a multimillionaire, sold the business and became even wealthier. On the other hand, I was speaking to a group of young people one time in in a conference, and I asked people to introduce themselves, to tell me what their professions were. The one young man stood up and introduced himself, saying, “I’m a photographer who is unemployed.” Immediately I was taken aback by that. How could a person have such a valuable skill and still be unemployed? So I asked him, “why are you unemployed?” He said, “well no one will give me a job.” I asked him to show me some of his work. He pulled out his camera. Very smart camera, very smart equipment all around. He showed me some of his work. And this guy was really good. He had studied at university photography, he had lots of practice, he had done lots of work on his own. But here he was, unemployed. Do you see what I’m getting at here? One one hand, we have the amateur who became a millionaire through his skills; and on the other, we have the professional who is really good at what he does, but cannot get anywhere. What is wrong here? What is wrong with this picture? I mean the amateur didn’t even go to university, he didn’t study at any college. He just self-taught himself to code; while the professional with a degree in photography with all that experience, with all that equipment, couldn’t make a go of his life. His lightbulb would not light up. Now this goes back to what I mentioned in the previous section. You see, the amateur didn’t just have those technical skills. He had a very limited set of technical skills. But behind that he had what I call the “hidden skills”. He had those hidden skills that came to the fore and pushed up the technical skills and made a go of it, made a success of it, and that’s what enabled him to start that successful business. The professional photographer, on the other hand, thinks just like millions of people around the world, just like the man in the in the story about the light bulb. He thinks that his light bulb is going to ignite magically on its own. He thinks that his technical skills is what is going to get him that job. No, it’s the hidden skills that are going to get him that job and he’s the kind of person who needs to work on those skills. He needs to work to develop those hidden skills before he can go and make a success of his career. Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter
Chapter 1: The Light that did not Glow
A long time go there was a villager who left his village to go into the city and to meet some family of his. It was a time when the city was introducing electricity to homes, and the house that he stayed in was recently fitted with electric lights As you can imagine, this villager found this the most amazing thing in the world! Every time he touched the switch, the light came on. Touched the switch again, the light went off. For a person who was used to just candles and lamps his whole life, we can imagine how fascinated he was by this. He decided to take this miracle home with him. What he did was, he found an electric store and he bought a light bulb, a light fitting, and a switch. On his return home, he called the entire village and he said to them, “this is what I found in my travels to the city. I saw this miraculous situation where you just touch that button and the light comes on. There’s no need for lamps, there’s no need for candles, there’s no need for fires. And and this is a true miracle!” Naturally, everybody wanted to see it, so he decided to give them a show. He attached the light fitting to the ceiling of his lounge, and stuck the switch onto a wall. He was ready for his big reveal. When he was done he called the entire village, and he said to them, “today you’re going to see a miracle. And that miracle is going to be the miracle of light!” He was quite a showman this villager. He stood at the switch smiling, and as everybody watched with eager anticipation, he slowly raised his arm towards the switch, paused briefly when he touched it, and then he finally pressed it. What do you think happened? Nothing. Why? Because this guy only brought with him the parts of the lighting systems that he could see, only the visible parts of the lighting system. He couldn’t see that behind the switch there’s cabling that goes all the way to the light. He couldn’t see that there was a power station somewhere that was supplying power to the house, and that power is coming into the switch and through the switch to the to the light bulb. And so his light didn’t work, obviously. Now this is the first chapter of my book and I decided to start with this story for a very good reason. And that reason is because there are millions of people out there who are just like this villager. They have lightbulbs that just would not ignite. You are likely one of them. But I don’t mean it in a literal sense. By lightbulbs I mean skills, abilities or passions. You might be one of those millions of people who have a university degree, or some valuable skills, or a passion for something, and you are wondering: how do I make this light up? In other words, how do I make a successful career out of this? How do I land my dream job, or start a successful business around these skills, abilities or passions? How do I navigate the uncertain times we live in, a time of technology and artificial intelligence, a time of rapid change? How do I find success despite all the challenges? Are you one of those people? Maybe you are a web designer. Or you are a chef, an artist, a writer, a carpenter or a lawyer. Maybe you have a passion for gardening. Or you are concerned about the environment. Or you want to tackle world hunger. Or you are crazy about health and fitness. Maybe you been through formal studies at a university; or maybe you’ve just built up your skills informally through years of practice. Maybe you have nothing more than a passion for something, with no qualification or experience. It doesn’t matter. What matters is, how do I light it up? You could be anyone, in any walk of life. Maybe you are in school, wondering about your career. Maybe you are in a job, but you find yourself stuck in a rut. You are not happy, and you want a change. You dream of something else, but you just don’t know how to get it. Maybe you are a single parent who wants the freedom to spend more time with your kids. Whatever your current place in life, whatever your age, you have a burning question. How do I light it up? With all the doom and gloom in the media, you might even be wondering, “is there even a place for me in the future? Will I be able to earn a decent living?” I have some terrific news for you: yes, there is a place for you, and yes, you CAN translate your skill, qualification, ability or passion into a very successful and rewarding career. But how? This book is all about that. Its aim is to show you: That your current skills, abilities and passions are great, but not enough to ignite your career. That you need an additional set of skills that you were not taught at school or university. What those skills are, and how to use them to achieve your dreams. So let’s get going, ok? Table of Contents | Next Chapter
What is a Technology Stack?
Hi I have received a question: “What stack are you using?” What are they referring to and how do I answer this? Answer: A stack is a group of technologies used to build a complete software solution. As you know, there are a number of technologies and languages used to build any app. For example, you will use HTML for the structure of your pages, CSS for the style and JavaScript for the logic. But that’s all only on the front end, or the user-facing side of your app. There is also the ‘back end’ of your app, the part that the users don’t see, but those parts do all the heavy background work like storing data, images, videos etc. This is like the bottom of the iceberg. The back end system can be built using any one of a number of different programming languages, and each language has its own group of technologies, or stacks. For example, you can use the LAMP stack which comprises of Linux, Apache, MySQL and the PHP language. Or you could use the Java stack which would typically be Java, Spring, MySQL and JPA. There is also the .Net stack which comprises of the C# language, SQL Server, and the .Net framework. The various stacks, though different from each other, do more or less the same thing. Not only that, but most have many similar features. Hence if you learn one stack well, it will be fairly easy to learn and switch to another stack. Fyi, IT varsity used to focus on the LAMP stack previously, but we will be introducing the .Net stack in 2021. This is partly due to the ease of learning.
Lockdown 21 day Coding Challenge
In view of the lockdown due to #Covid-19 I’ve decided to release a series of Coding tutorials for people with no coding or technology experience. By the end, we will build quiz app.
South Africa’s Smart City – Not such a smart idea?
At his recent State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa outlined plans for the new Lanseria smart city in Gauteng, which will be developed over the next 10 years. This is what we know so far : The smart city would be connected to other hubs by a bullet train. It aims to fix apartheid-era spatial policies – According to Gauteng Premier David Makhura :“The city is about building a society based on human solidarity, where no one is left out and no-one is left behind,”. The megacity is will be able to house between 350 000 to 500 000 people and will have both residential and businesses. The commercial sector would focus on manufacturing, logistics and business. In keeping up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the city is hoped to be at the forefront of new 5G technology. With its focus on technology and innovation, the smart city is expected to be the location for jobs of the future. According to the President : “It will not only be smart and 5G-ready but will be a leading benchmark for green infrastructure continental and internationally,” The smart city will be centered around Lanseria airport and be a stop-off hub for travelers to neighboring towns. Ramapohsa’s vision is to have this city connected to others by bullet train. It will be a “green city” with its development and existence having as little environmental impact as possible. n both their speeches, Ramaphosa and Makhura said the city will be a “green city” whose development and existence will have as little environmental impact as possible. Rainwater harvesting and solar panels will make the city less reliant on harmful energy sources. According to Makhura : The city will be promoting climate justice and taking action to protect the environment, for the sake of future generations.” Remember the President’s speech of SONA 2019? “I dream of a South Africa where the first entirely new city built in the democratic era rises, with skyscrapers, schools, universities, hospitals and factories. This is a dream we can all share and participate in building. We have not built a new city in 25 years of democracy.” While the smart city concept is a noble and viable approach and may be the answer to propelling South Africa into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, many skeptics feel that it is just another “frivolous waste of money pipe-dream”. One can’t help but hear the silent scream of the people living in a country bent and bowed by poverty, inequality, appalling health care, unemployment, rampant crime and poor living conditions.
Bioprinting living cells
Imagine being able to go to a hospital and get spare parts for your body, as you would go to a spares shop to buy parts for your car. Do you need a new nose, ear, kidney or heart? Or maybe you need a patch of skin to cover up a blemish? No problem – they will be able to supply and install. Thanks to the field of biomedical technology, huge strides are being made in the world of medicine, but few are as amazing as the field of bioprinting. Bioprinting is a field where body parts of living things are printed in a lab. This is possible thanks to 3D-printing technology, which enables us to convert computer models into real, physical objects. In 3D printing, a three-dimensional computer model is developed of the object we want to print. This model is then sent to a printer, just as you would send a document to print on paper. The difference with 3D printers is that, instead of using ink to print two-dimensional pictures, they use materials like plastic polymers, epoxy or metals to print three-dimensional objects. These materials are added, layer by layer by a special nozzle – very much like a baker using a nozzle will add layers of icing to a cake – until the modelled object is complete. Bioprinting is almost identical to 3D printing, but with a key difference: instead of using plastic polymers and metals to 3D print objects, they use actual living human cells to print human organs. Scientists at institutes like the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have developed the technology that allows them to print human parts, and are now working to improve that tech. To create a body part for a patient, the scientists will do a scan of the patient’s existing body part and create a 3D model of it on a computer screen. The part will be carefully designed so it is an exact replica of the original, otherwise it might not fit or in the case of an external organ like an ear, it might look different from its pair, leaving the patient with two ears that are different in size. Once the design is completed, the next stage is to extract cells from the patient’s body. These cells will then be replicated in a lab in sufficient quantities to produce enough raw material for the organ. This raw material of human cells is then fed into the printer, which uses it to print the organ which will be transplanted into the patient. Current organ transplant methods are extremely challenging. Even though organ transplanting has come a long way since Dr Christiaan Barnard’s first heart transplant in 1967, there are still a number of challenges. For one thing, it is very difficult to find suitable donors. If a donor is found, doctors need to check if there is a match between the donor and the recipient, based on blood type and other factors. Only if there is a perfect match, can doctors attempt a transplant. But there is still no guarantee that the transplant will be successful. Once the transplant is complete, there is a strong chance that the recipient’s body will reject the organ, even though it was from a matching donor. In fact, about 50% of transplanted organs are rejected within 10 to 12 years. That is an extremely high rate. The great thing about 3D printed organs is that, first, there is no need to search for a donor since the organs can be printed on demand within hours. Second, since 3D printed organs are made from the patient’s own cells, there is little to no chance of them being rejected by the patient’s body. Although the current technology only allows us to 3D print certain organs like ears, in the near future we will be able to 3D print pretty much any organ, with the possible exception of the brain. As bioprinting technology advances and it becomes cheaper to produce organs, it will undoubtedly transform the medical industry. Imagine being able to get a brand-new replacement for just about any part of your body? Perhaps a time will come when bioprinters will become so cheap and accessible that any hospital will be able to afford them. Organs will be printed on demand and within hours, completely cutting out the lengthy times patients have to wait for matching organs, which often puts their lives at risk. Then, instead of trying to heal existing body parts that were damaged through accidents or infections, perhaps doctors might just opt to replace them altogether. Many scientists are already thinking beyond just patients on Earth; they see bioprinting as one of the key factors that will make colonising other planets possible. A colony living on Mars, for example, will not have access to hospitals and organ donors, so bioprinting will be ideal. When Dr Joseph Murray performed the first successful organ transplant (of a kidney), in Boston, US, in 1954, I doubt he could have imagined where technology would take his field.
IBM’s AI Suitcase to help visually impaired people
A group of Japanese companies is developing a suitcase-shaped robot that uses AI to help visually-impaired people to travel independently. Tech giant IBM, in partnership with four other companies, is developing a prototype suitcase that will use artificial intelligence to help guide visually challenged people. The company is working with Alps Alpine, Mitsubishi, Omron, and Shimizu on the smart suitcase. The prototype, which is a suitcase-shaped robot for now, was ideated by IBM fellow Chieko Asakawa, who herself has vision problems. According to Japanese national newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, the AI suitcase will scan the user’s location and map data to identify the best route for them. It will also guide them through voice and haptic feedback, transmitting vibrations on the suitcase handle. The robot will also alert the users of approaching people and places nearby, like cafes, etc. though the audio system. Chieko Asakawa, an IBM Japan fellow who has vision problems, came up with the idea when she was pushing a suitcase during a business trip. She realized that adding sensors to the device could help visually-impaired people to walk around more safely. “It’s impossible for visually impaired individuals to walk around town alone freely and safely,” Asakawa said. “I want to make that possible.” Developing the AI suitcase The project will bring together different expertise from a range of companies. IBM Japan will be responsible for the AI, Alps Alpine will provide haptic technology, Omron the image recognition and sensors, Shimizu the navigation system, and Mitsubishi the automotive technologies. They established a consortium to improve accessibility and quality of life for the visually impaired, whose numbers are rising due to age-related declining vision and eye diseases such as glaucoma. A study published in the Lancet Global Health medical journal predicted that the number of blind people in the world will triple to 115 million by 2050. The consortium believes that the AI suitcase will help them to be more independent. The group will first conduct pilot experiments to identify the requirements for a prototype device, which will be opened to the public in June 2020 at a commercial complex in Tokyo. After the pilot, they plan to roll the suitcase out in airports, commercial complexes and other indoor facilities. before further refining the technology for outdoor use.