Why some youth and workers in Singapore are in distress

Click HERE

In a fast-paced society like Singapore, the constant focus on results and productivity has taken a toll on our teens and working adults. Just think about the relentless tuition and the rise of school holiday internships for school-going youth to increase their marketability. Working adults, on the other hand, face the pressure of meeting performance targets in a culture where prompt responses are now mistaken for efficiency and productivity

social comparison, dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, and the “fear of missing out” are direct risk factors for emotional distress, mental disorders and lower emotional stability.

Technology such as e-mails, online conferencing platforms and even instant messaging on smartphones has created a pervasive work environment that does not respect time, location and space. Night-time, weekends and holidays have lost their protective aura where one could legitimately disconnect and disengage from work.

For qns on mental wellbeing and youth....

What could Singapore’s energy mix look like in 2035?

Click HERE

Give this a read -- if you have the stamina......

Qn: ‘Fossil fuels should no longer have a part in the production of energy.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

Israel-Hamas war: Beware of the cheap fake videos on the Internet

Click HERE

Good read of how social media influences our views....and the issue of fake news....

When TikTok and X become news sources on the Israel-Hamas conflict

Click HERE

A good read on how social media influences our perception of reality....

South Korean women get short hair to push back against anti-feminists, some get called ‘gross’

Click HERE

For qns on appearance and discrimination against women....

Study finds large disparities in pre-schoolers’ test scores based on parents’ income, education

Click HERE

Relate to how meritocracy actually widens the gap btw the haves and have-nots....

Qn: Assess the extent to which all people in your society have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. (Cam. 2023)

Singapore sets aside $800m to help seniors age well at home, in their communities

Click HERE

For many seniors, their biggest enemy is social isolation and loneliness. That’s when your health really deteriorates. We want them to be socially connected.

Volunteerism is a very important way for seniors to feel that they can continue to contribute to society and the people around. It will be a core function of the AACs to drive senior volunteerism

For qns on ageing and loneliness......

Qn:  ‘People who undertake voluntary work do so more for their own benefit than for the benefit of others.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

1,000 NUS students befriend seniors as part of course to encourage volunteerism

Click HERE

inform them of government schemes and activities, and better understand their needs.

Qn: ‘People who undertake voluntary work do so more for their own benefit than for the benefit of others.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

Recycling is not the only answer to plastic pollution

Click HERE

Qn: Should plastic be banned? (RI J2 MYE 2023)

Is Singapore’s healthcare primed for a bigger, older population?

Click HERE

For qns on ageing, esp in Singapore's context....good angle on technology's role in tackling healthcare....

How artificial intelligence will transform fame

Click HERE

Note opening with a BANG using listing of examples:

Hollywood had been at a standstill for half the year, until studios agreed on Nov 8 to offer striking stars protection from robotic rivals. Living artistes were nudged down this week’s music charts by a dead Beatle, resurrected by AI. Actors like Scarlett Johansson and authors like John Grisham are suing tech firms over the unauthorised use of their image and words.

In a sea of choice, audiences rely more on recommendations, both algorithmic and human, which funnel them towards the most popular content. AI promises even more choice, and thus even higher search costs for audiences, who will continue to gravitate to the handful of stars at the top.

AI-powered dubbing is already allowing actors and podcasters to speak to foreign audiences instantly and in their own voice. It will soon be standard for video to be edited so that their lips match the new language, too. In-demand actors may get more work because AI removes the perennial Hollywood problem of crowded schedules, allowing stars to perform alongside each other while not being together at all. Digital Botox will increase actors’ shelf life and even enable them to perform posthumously. Disney has acquired the rights to the voice of James Earl Jones, 92, so that Darth Vader can scare children for generations to come.

Sport, perhaps the most AI-proof, flesh-and-bones spectacle there is, has seen its value to media companies soar in recent years (meanwhile, no one watches computer-powered chess, though its best players could beat any human)

For Qns on AI....

In regulating AI, we may be doing too much and too little

Click HERE

Note the use of an interesting anecdote to open with a BANG....The anecdote should be followed by the point it is making, before u go on to react to this point using INDEED and/or HOWEVER.....

When US President Joe Biden signed his sweeping executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) last week, he joked about the strange experience of watching a “deep fake” of himself, saying: “When the hell did I say that?” The anecdote was significant, for it linked the executive order to an actual AI harm that everyone can understand – human impersonation.

Qn: Should limits be placed on the development of artificial intelligence? (ACJC Prelim 2023)

The unstoppable rise of the nanny company

Click HERE

Qn: Corporations, instead of the state, should be responsible for the wellbeing of people.

Books3 dataset, used to train AI, contains works stolen from Singaporean authors

Click HERE

Qns: 

1. To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)

2. Should limits be placed on the development of artificial intelligence? (ACJC Prelim 2023)

Starting a start-up: From failing General Paper in school to building space rockets

 Click HERE

had an Achilles heel – General Paper. It was a subject which he consistently failed until his A-level exams, where he passed it with flying colours. The question posed that day was: “Can space research be justified these days?” “When I saw that, I just sat back and told myself that I got it. I decided to write it in my own way, and ended up getting an A

Founded in 2017, Equatorial Space Systems provides space access at reduced risk, cost and environmental impact. Its patent-pending technology, a fuel formulation dubbed “HRF-1”, can eliminate up to 90 per cent of costs and 69 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

He said he draws inspiration from his father, a commercial pilot, and the 1995 film Apollo 13, which starred Tom Hanks. These influences shaped his childhood and also served as the driving force behind the creation of Equatorial.

Qns:

1. Do films offer anything more than an escape from reality? (Cam. 2014)

2. Consider the view that spending money on space travel cannot be justified

in today’s world. (Cam. 2023)

3. Can space research be justified nowadays? (Cam. 2011)

Public outcry over construction near Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay

Click HERE

Qn: To what extent does ecotourism encourage environmental conservation? (ACJC Prelim 2023)

Repurposed bus hotel in Changi Village opens for bookings for stays from December

Click HERE

The buses were upcycled and repurposed as luxury suites, and they now sit on the 8,600 sq m property next to the popular Changi Village Hawker Centre.

They are still in good condition, so why should we just scrap them? Why are we throwing things away when we are able to recycle?

This remarkable project is not just another hotel,” he said. “It is a testament to our commitment to sustainability, creativity and revitalisation of historic Changi Village.”

government agencies that had supported the project...MTI’s Pro-Enterprise Panel had supported WTS in identifying a suitable space for the idea and facilitated the discussions with the SLA and Singapore Tourism Board.

For qns on sustainability....

Qns: 

1. To what extent does ecotourism encourage environmental conservation? (ACJC Prelim 2023)

2. ‘Corporations, more so than governments, are the key to a sustainable future.’ What is your view? (SAJC Prelim 2023)

More COEs from future peak years to be brought forward to tackle supply trough: Chee Hong Tat

Click HERE

Qn: How far are countries today borrowing from the future? (CJC Prelim 2023)

Is a US$500 marathon shoe you can race in only once worth it?

Click HERE

Nike has long dominated the marathon racing shoe market with its Vaporfly line. A carbon-fibre plate in the midsole stores and releases energy with every stride. That, combined with a midsole foam called Pebax, catapults long-distance runners forward, improving times around 4 per cent compared with average shoes.

It is well established in sports science that the lighter the shoe, the faster the runner. The weight difference between an Evo 1 and a Vaporfly might shave around 20 seconds off a marathoner’s time

For qns on the impact of tech on sport....

Qns: 

1. Is fair play still possible in sport today? (DHS Prelim 2023)

2. ‘Winning at sport is due to wealth, rather than talent.’ Comment. (RI Prelim 2023)

K-pop star G-Dragon questioned by South Korea police for alleged drug use

Click HERE

Qn: Evaluate the claim that sports personalities make good role models for young people. (Cam. 2023)

Badly behaved bus commuters: Are earbuds part of the solution or part of the problem?

Click HERE

the belief that a lot of the social ills we see today are tied largely to a loss of social capital. ... a decline in civic engagement and social interaction.

attribute some of the erosion of social capital to technology. ....At the heart of it is that earbuds have made spontaneous social interaction nearly impossible.

So spontaneous conversation has become difficult everywhere. Common spaces are no longer common; they have become a collection of private spaces. People slowly stop to think of a bus or a gym as a space to be shared with other people, but instead, a space to be colonised for personal intentions. Some of my friends tell me even the home is not a common space because all the ears are plugged there too. It has also catalysed personal media. Everyone, even in the same household, sometimes even in the same car, watches different shows, listens to different music and reads different sites.

We have become very good at being together and yet, alone. And I believe actually being together and being conscious of the needs of other people is an essential building block of not behaving selfishly in public.

Sometimes, maybe it is okay to open ourselves to the outside world, to be part of the community at large, to take in the same sights and sounds as everyone else around us.

=For qns on tech causing loneliness, alienation, isolation and selfishness, lack of social graciousness....

=Relate to 2022 'A' level GP Compre AQ on smartphones transforming public into private space

=note the closing BANG making reference to something mentioned earlier in the article....

Qns: 

1. To what extent is technological innovation desirable? (MI Prelim 2023)

2. ‘Modern technology has made us more vulnerable than ever before.’ Do you agree? (TMJC Prelim 2023)