Seldom before have I been left so dumbstruck as after watching this brief video. I was so intrigued and alarmed by the statements made that I have shared the site with many students and even teachers. Just today, I showed the site to my math and business teachers, as well as most of my classmates. The first day that I visited the site in our library, my principal happened to walk in and he watched it as well. He wrote down the web address of the site and told me today not to how it to anyone else as he plans to do something with it soon, whether with students or teachers I am not sure.

I found the title to be rather appropriate. “Shift” certainly and uncontrollably happens. This phrase reminds me of the saying, ‘the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes.’ These statements in today’s society cannot possibly describe the “exponential” growth and change we now witness. Attaining information is becoming almost instantaneous, and the amount of information available is multiplying swiftly.

Honestly, the video left me feeling very inferior and incapable. From the data provided, it seems as though the United States soon may not dominate the globe. China’s sheer numbers are breathtaking (I especially liked the “one in a million” bit), and India is not far behind. As the presentation stated, China has more honors children than we have children total-what an advantage! Not to mention, the U.S. is 20th in internet penetration. Considering that the United States is the wealthiest and supposedly most advanced in the world, this is quite staggering news.

Regardless of what is occurring in countries overseas, the advance of technology is something that people across the world should be aware of. The transfer of any amount of information over any distance is virtually effortless; only the “switches” to sort and receive such a mass amount of data must be modified.

The presentation also illustrated how reliant and comfortable we have become on and with technology. Think back to the nineties when cell phones were the size of tissue boxes. Now, the world sends text messages whose amounts daily surpass the human population. In America, one in eight couples married met online. Nearly three billion searches are placed through Google each month.

Because of technology, occupations are modifying as well. As the movie claimed, the ten jobs in highest demand in 2010 did not exist in 2004. Additionally, technology is becoming better at such a rate that the material taught to first year tech students will be outdated before they receive their Bachelor’s.

Most stunning of all were the slides reserved for the end of the show. Within two decades, a highly affordable (especially if inflation continues) computer will be capable of computations beyond the human brain. In four decades, a computer costing the same amount will be capable of computations surpassing the entire human race.

It is apparent that the global society has unleashed enormous powers. Jobs are becoming increasingly replaced by computers and robots, and it appears as though this trend will continue. After watching the presentation himself, my math teacher told us about a proposition for robots to tech in classrooms. After comparing the material I am exposed to to that even one generation prior, I can hardly imagine what my children will be learning in grade school. I think the new television series “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” clearly illustrates that point.

As far as U.S. history is concerned, our past success does not dictate our future. Federal funding is not being allocated where it should. After all, we spent less than half of what Nintendo spent for research on educating our citizens last year. With the changing times, education is the key to maintaining a superpower role. As individuals, we must be prepared for vast contrasts to the past, and for the induction of newer and more efficient information into our society.

Rick Walters