5 in 5

http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/ibm_predictions_for_future/ideas/index.html

I find these 5 predictions for how technology will positively affect our lives in 5 years (that will be 2019 since its ALMOST 2014...can you BELIEVE it?) to be very interesting and worthwhile listening to the brief videos about each.

I am especially impressed by the predictions of how computing will address the needs of the individual in the areas of education and wellness. I am hopeful that by 2019 individuals, families, educators, and local school decision makers will have learned the lessons of the failed education model of central government controlled, cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all, college-prep, no child left behind policies. It is predicted that advances in technology will help identify the teaching methods that work best for each student and then allow them to learn at their own rate the knowledge and skills that are needed to achieve personal development and career preparation goals that they and their families choose, not some central government bureaucrat. I like the idea of exposing each student to the basics of a variety of topics and then allow them and their parents, with optional input from career counselors, to choose additional optional learning modules that support their interests and goals. (select graphic to view enlarged version)

Another area of predicted advances is that of disease prevention and treament. It will be possible to analyze a person's genetic makeup and identify inherited predispositions to certain diseases or health conditions and then tailor individualized health treatments and lifestyle guidelines to minimize these problems. This includes individualized gene treatments to combat person-specific cancerous stem cells, not just the tumors they create.

I attended a fascinating presentation at work about a week ago by a Dr. Nezami who offers a new kind of cancer treatment called MTET (Molecular Targeted Epigenetic therapies). MTET replaces or supplements traditional chemotherapy that attempts to "treat" general classifications of cancer in a shotgun fashion with broad range of toxic chemicals. Since not all breast or skin cancers are alike, MTET treatments are tailored to the individual's specific needs by analyzing and targeting the specific cancers of THAT person. In a nutshell, Epigenetics is the study of how to change the behavior of genomes without modifying the underlying DNA. Rather than attempting to kill cancer cells (and healthy cells, also) by damaging their DNA or disrupting vital communication pathways using toxic chemicals, epigenetic therapy attempts to change the behavior of cancer cells by blocking chemical changes to DNA, including a process called methylation that turns genes on or off. The advertised results were so dramatic that they bordered on being too good to be true. This is a new alternative cancer treatment that is being offered as a covered option under our company's self-insured wellness program. There must be something to it since it is being actively communicated to employees by the HR Department of our fortune 250 company. This is definitely something I would thoroughly investigate before I would subject myself to chemotherapy.

http://www.allcancercare.com