Question 1: What are your goals and ambitions in life? How do you plan to achieve them?
Growing up, I was fascinated by the Renaissance of Europe. Exponential gains in math, science, and the arts — all completely unprecedented coming out of the Dark Ages. This represented a true testament to humanity’s ingenuity.
Since then, however, we have begun to witness yet another unprecedented wave of innovation. Since the Internet’s invention 34 years ago, the information and technology age has rocked the world arguably more than the classical Renaissance did.
Silicon Valley: the true heart of this New Renaissance. This area in Northern California represents perhaps the greatest hub of innovation the world has ever seen, attracting flocks of ambitious individuals who vow to change the world.
It has long since been my dream to start or lead a major technology company, helping pave the way for human advancement of unthinkable proportions. I am now studying Management Science & Engineering in the heart of the Valley, I am closer than ever to realizing this dream. The stated purpose of my field of study is that it aims to
integrate engineering, business, and public policy. These are precisely the skills and disciplines which will immensely help me contribute to the momentum of Silicon Valley. Halfway through my college education, I have been working endlessly to succeed academically, develop real-world skills, and joined like-minded people who wish to pursue the very same journey.
Surrounded by the likes of Facebook, Google, and more, I am constantly reminded that anyone can contribute to the world’s next great advancement. Whether it will increase the human standard of living, create new abundance for the entire world, or simply bring us closer together, the next big thing needs as many hands on deck as possible.
Technology is the means by which so much new and productive change has occurred in recent decades, and I can help my communities and society as whole by helping to push this movement onward. Organizations like Facebook have made billions of new connected relationships possible, some across my very community and even family. Organizations like Google have given those with internet connection (a fortunately growing number) the gift of nearly all human knowledge at their fingertips.
Brilliant technology companies are engines of immense contribution to human society. My goal is to have as big a hand in this progress as possible, and my studies are helping me achieve just that.
Question 2: What is your vision for your future home? What new technologies do you expect to see?
It has been a long day at work, and my self-driving car has just arrived back in my driveway. As I step up to the door of my future home, I am not reaching into my pockets for keys. Facial recognition technology has already recognized who I am, and welcomed me into my home.
Need I adjust the air conditioning? Nope. My IOT (Internet of Things) connected Nest air conditioning system has learned my preferences ever since I moved in, virtually always anticipating my arrival and cooling the house to my preferred temperature.
I sit down on my couch and prepare to unwind for the evening. “Alexa, please play a random episode from Season 3 of The Office!” Now fully-integrated with the smart home, my Amazon Echo works with my TV to deliver that exact request, leaving me laughing with Jim and Dwight almost instantaneously.
“Ok Google, bring me chips and salsa from the kitchen counter!” Luckily for me, miniature home-drones (courtesy of future-Google) are now capable of picking up and delivering items from anywhere in the house to me. I need not walk to the kitchen for my snack, and I certainly do not have to run to the other side of the house to retrieve my iPhone that I left in the bathroom.
You might be concerned that all of this smart technology renders me lazy, and will lead to the demise of my health. Fortunately, my smart refrigerator works with my phone to track my physical activity throughout the day, making recommendations as appropriate. It also tracks exactly what I eat, down to the number of calories, percent daily values of each nutrient/vitamin/mineral, and even breaks down what I still must eat in order to fulfill my five food groups for the day.
As I am brushing my teeth before bed, my smart mirror displays other health metrics it has analyzed throughout the day, monitoring my heart rate, weight, hydration levels, number of steps, and more. I put my toothbrush back into its container, which happens to be an ultraviolet germ-killing chamber.
Finally, I hop into my bed, which contorts in shape, firmness, and temperature to my exact preferences with perfect memory foam. “Play Pink Floyd,” I say out loud. I am immediately surrounded by beautifully acoustic classic rock until I doze off, at which point the biosensors in my pillow recognize this and shut off the music. My smart alarm clock is also integrated with the bed and mattress. It tracks my automatic unconscious movements and wakes me up exactly when I am in my lightest stage of sleep, so I can start off the next day rejuvenated.
