“Living with technology” At interview with professor Honda

2. “Living with technology” At interview with professor Honda *Professor Honda is being interviewed by YasminNandy for the TV programme science now. Nandy: professor Honda ,let’s talk about new technology and people .How are ordinary people lives being changed by technological change today? Honda: our lives have already been greatly changed and the speed of change is increasing every day. Nandy: let’s take an example.

3. Honda:think of computers andinformation technology back in the 1960s computers were certainly being used by large organizations. After they had been invented back in the 1940s However your little calculator is far more powerful than the biggest of those huge expensive machines! Nandy: so computers have got much more powerful much smaller-and also much cheaper. Honda: yes and therefore much more widely available and that has led to another thing :the internet revolution this has opened up a world of information to computer users everywhere it also means we can communicate by e-mail with anyone anywhere who has a computer and internet access

4. *Nandy:Is the computer revolution leading to other things too? Are other new technologies being developed? *Honda:yes with modern computing power many new ideas are being developed . *Nandy:tell us what's happening?. *Honda:let’s take the example of housework robots which will use enormous computing power . *Nandy:robots to do the washing and cleaning?

5. *Honda : exactly .now robot arms were being used in Japanese car factories by 1980 .But they just did one simple job very well-and that was all. *Nandy:I suppose robots that can move round freely and learn different jobs are much harder to build. *Honda:yes scientists have been working on this for many years and now there are robots with artificial intelligence that can learn simple tasks the basic research has been done *Nandy: what's the next step?

6. *Honda : it’s to turn this scientific success into something useful and this is now being done *Nandy: so housework robots are really going to be developed! *Honda : well. In around 2015 experimental prototypes will be built and these will gradually be improved finally they'll leave the laboratory and go into commercial production that'll probably happen in the early 2020s at first they will be very expensive luxuries, but as more are produced the price will rapidly fall Nandy : when that happens many lives are certainly going to be changed including mine

7. *After you read Say what these years refer to: 1.The 1960s:a time when big organisations were starting to use computers 2.the 1940s:the time when computers were invented 3.by 1980:the time when robot arms were first used in factories 4.around 2015:the time when experimental prototypes of housework robots will probably be built 5.the early: the time when housework robots will be produced commercially

8. Say what these words and phrases refer to: 1.Aftar all they had been invented back in …. Computers 2…the biggest of those huge expensive machines The computers used by large companies in the 1960s 3…..they just did one simple job … The robots arms used in car factories 4.Scientists have been working on this… Building robots that can move round freely and learn different jobs 5….but as more are produced … Housework robots

9. Answer these question : 1. What comparison does Honda use to show the recent speed of technological change ? He compares a modern calculator with a big computer from the 1960s 2.Concerning computers what four big changes have there been since the 1960s ? They have become smaller more powerful cheaper and more widely available 3.What great differences are there between a factory robot arm and a future housework robot? A robot arm can do one job very well but a future robot will be able to move freely and learn different jobs

10. 4. What does the interviewer mean when she says ….many lives are certainly going to be changed including mine People including the interviewer will not have to spend so much time on housework