Chemistry of Nostalgia And Applications Of Advancement Of Technological Innovations In Our Lifestyle

Dr. BHASKARCHAKRABORTY Professor of Chemistry Sikkim Government College (NBBGC) An Extension Centre

Nostalgic feelings of our generation

Feeling of human beings in connection with affection, love and entertainment varies from decades to decades as far as our essential technological assistants and advancement facilities are concerned. For example, in our past, radios, black & white televisions and landline telephones were the primary means of communication and entertainment. We used to listen national and local news in the morning and evening regularly in radios to be in touch with national and local developments. Televisions offered a visual medium for various entrainment programmes including, weekly serials, news, films, filmy songs (chitrahar) and non-filmy songs as well as our most favourite sports events. Landline phones connected homes and families as well as businesses for communication. In a nutshell, these technologies played a significant role in shaping our social and cultural landscape of the time. They provided us with access to information, entertainment and communication. They were a key part of our daily life in those sweet days.

Why new scientific advancements are mandatory in our life?

With the advancement of scientific innovations and technologies from late nineties and in early 21^st century we have been finding and experiencing many new means of entertainment, communication transaction systems. Initially, we took time to adopt and familiarize ourselves with these new innovations and adopted most of the concepts and innovations as well as started applying in our daily life as well. Our next generation as expected quickly adopted the new innovations and techniques and in practice they are far more advance than us. So, it’s clear that failing to adopt new technologies may lead to reduced efficiency, increased costs and disadvantage in the market. We may face challenges in our professional lives as we may become less proficient with new technologies. Though we may have our nostalgic love and feelings for our old electronic items and other devices but there is no other option if we don’t familiarize ourselves with modern amenities and technological procedures at present. We may have so many examples where many multinational companies and business farms could not update with new technologies and failed to survive with new companies in the market. 

We all know the famous Kodak film company.  In 1997, Kodak had about 160,000 employees and about 85% of the world's photography was done with Kodak cameras. With the rise of mobile cameras over the past few years (10 – 15 years), Kodak Camera Company is out of the market. Even Kodak went completely bankrupt and all his employees were fired.At the same time many more famous companies had to stop themselves because they also couldn’t adopt new technologies to stay in competition with new companies. Few examples are: HMT (wrist watch), Bajaj scooter, Onida TV (once known as:neighbor’s envy-owner’s pride), Murphey (radio & tape recorder), Nokia mobile phone, Yellow ambassador (taxi).None of the above companies had bad quality. Why these companies could not survive? Simply because they could not change themselves over time.

Our generation nostalgia

Even 15 years ago, STD/ISD telephone booths were in running conditions across the state and country. With the advancement of communication technology (Android phones, Whats App & Facebook), now we can connect nationwide calls and even ISD calls. Even without using calling facilities we can use “Whats App” or “Messenger” in Facebook for calling our near and dear ones abroad. So the uses of STD/ISD booths are no longer required in the cities and few of them are continuing in the village areas with additional facilities like TV and mobile recharge vouchers. Famous Bajaj scooters are replaced by “Scooties” because they are easy to start, mileage is good and very easy to handle and almost maintenance free.Once upon a time “Ambassador” car was regarded as a VIP car and luxurious one. Slowly they were used as “Taxies” in the premier cities of our country including “Gangtok” (1988-1996) along with “Fiat” Taxies. Due to their costly maintenance and heavy oil consumption, “Maruti-Suzuki” cars were replaces as “Taxies” in many cities from late nineties and even in Kolkata where “Yellow Taxi” is still considered as “Heritage Taxies”.  Our favourite HMT (Hindustan Machin Tools) and Titan wrist watches could not survive in competition with the advent of “Smart wrist watches”. Simply because these new stylish wrist watches are multifunctional and their prizes are within the limits of middle class people too. A modern smart wristwatch includesfitness tracking, notifications and sometimes even mobile payment capabilities. Smartwatches can monitor steps, heart rate, sleep patterns, and other fitness metrics. “Android phones” & “i-phones” have replaced “Bar phones” as they possessmultifaceted communication and productivity tools, offering a range of functions beyond basic calls and texts. These include accessing the “Internet via web browsers”, managing email accounts, using a camera for photos and videos, installing and using a vast library of apps from the “Google Play Store” and adjusting various settings to personalize the device.

Modern age technologies & applications

Android phones and i-phones have brought the whole world in to our finger tips starting from managing “E-mail accounts, Video calling in emergency, Whats App or Google Meet for video conversations, Google Maps, navigation, photo management and many more functions”. These phones of built-in high megapixel cameras easily replace cameras like “Nikon & Cannon”. Capturing self-photograph’s known as “Selfie” is also a new attraction in Android phones and other smart phones as well. Like Android phones, “Smart Televisions” with a very thin width replaces other convention television sets simply because these smart televisions possess all modern features where not only conventional television shows are enjoyable but also we have the facilities to watch and enjoy new films (which are in theatres) via web connectivity, various “Web Series” and many more

Android mobiles can be also connected to a smart TV to create an Android TV experience.

The definition of money is also changing. In today’s scenario we usually don’t go to bank for “Cash withdrawal” purpose because majority of transactions are done by “android phones”. Banking works are now limited in depositing cheques and other official purposes only. Even for having cash at night, we may use our nearest ATM’s. In today’s concept, money has become "Plastic money". Credit card and debit card is also becoming less important and are in limited use.It’s because we use frequently the “Apps” like “Paytm”, “UPI” & “BHIM” for monetary transaction in our “Android Phones’.

At the present moment we probably can't think how much the world could change in the next 10 years! And today's 70%-90% jobs will be completely over in the next 10 years. We are slowly entering the era of "Fourth Industrial Revolution". For example, “UBER”is just a software name. They have no cars of their own. Yet today the world's largest taxi-fair company is UBER. “Airbnb” is the largest hotel company in the world today. But funny thing is they don't own a single hotel in the world. There is minimum work for new lawyers in America today because legal software called “IBM Watson” can advocate much better than any new lawyer. Thus, almost 90% of the new American lawyer will not have any jobs in the next 10 years. The remaining 10% will be saved. These will be for 10% experts. The future picture of new “Doctors” is also not very encouraging because AI (artificial intelligence) aided technicians may also be able to identify and diagnose diseases. “Watson software” can detect cancer and other diseases 4 times more accurately than humans. Computer intelligence will surpass human intelligence by 2030.90% of today's cars will not be seen on the roads in the next 20 years. Leftover cars will either run by electricity or by hydrogen/CNG/CBG-hybrid mode. The Gasoline consumption will decrease and oil producing Arab countries will slowly become bankrupt.

In future, if we want a car to book, we have to ask from a software like “Uber”. As soon as we book a car, a completely driverless car will come and park in front of our door. If we travel with several people in the same car, the rent of a car per person will be less than a bike.Driving without driver will reduce the number of accidents by 99%. And this is why car insurance will stop and car insurance companies will be in minimum number.

So should we adopt and change our lifestyle with these all new technological developments?

My answer is we should follow hybrid mode in the adoption of modern scientific technologies in our life. We should not follow the new methodologies completely. This is because once we become habituated in these technologies we shall carry out plenty of transactions using apps as well as engage ourselves in android phones, laptops for a longer period of time. This process in our daily life will destroy our social relationships with friends, relatives as well as our communications and involvements in the society will decrease. Further, we can’t avoid falling in “Cybercrime traps” during many transactions and other applications which may lead to dangerous situations unknowingly. Therefore using transactions within limits is advisable and apps as well. Moreover, if we engage ourselves always in these modern scientific apps and their applications, we may feel ourselves lonely especially at old age when we need assistance of our friends as well as near and dear ones always in our life. So we should follow both our earlier methodologies and must be familiarize ourselves with the new technologies because our nostalgic feelings will always helps us to remember our younger day’s lifestyle and make us happy.