wsc - i kms

What is The Best is Yet to Be, or Not to Be?

The phrase introducing the concept of overpromising and underdelivering in major projects, used to describe Australia's internet rollout.

What is In 2009, the Australian government announced an ambitious project to provide super-fast fiber-based Internet to 93% of the population?

It was part of Australia's initial plan to modernize their broadband network with FTTP (Fibre to the Premise).

What is First promise big things, then revise the promise to make them little things, then don’t finish them anyway?

A critical summary of how large infrastructure projects often fail in execution.

What is FTTP?

Fiber-to-the-premise, where fiber optic cables go directly to homes.

What is FTTN?

Fiber-to-the-node, where fiber goes to local hubs and existing copper connects to homes.

What is the main disadvantage of FTTN?

It is less reliable and has a shorter lifespan than FTTP.

What happened in Australia in 2020 regarding broadband?

The project was declared "complete" though many households still had substandard internet speeds.

What is the Canadian High Speed Rail situation?

Canada lacks HSR, with studies ongoing but little actual progress.

What is the “Windsor Corridor”?

A proposed Canadian HSR route between Toronto and Quebec City.

What is a major issue preventing HSR in Canada?

High costs and low population density.

What is the difference between HSR and higher-frequency trains?

HSR involves faster trains; high-frequency improves scheduling without major speed increases.

What is the "Big Dig"?

A failed megaproject in Boston plagued by delays and poor materials.

What is the Channel Tunnel (Chunnel)?

A successful undersea tunnel connecting France and the UK with both car and high-speed rail.

What is the California High-Speed Rail (CASHR)?

An under-construction HSR line plagued by cost overruns and legal delays.

What is Sejong City?

A planned administrative capital of South Korea intended to reduce pressure on Seoul.

What is Hambantota?

A city in Sri Lanka developed with Chinese investment, tied to the Belt and Road initiative.

What is NEOM?

A futuristic Saudi megaproject with autonomous smart cities and $8.8 trillion investment.

What is The Line?

A 170km planned linear smart city in NEOM without cars or streets.

What are the Khazar Islands?

A planned series of artificial islands in Azerbaijan that stalled after the oil crash.

What is the Three Gorges Dam?

The world’s largest hydroelectric dam by capacity, located in China.

What controversy surrounded the Three Gorges Dam?

It displaced over 1 million people and caused ecological damage.

What is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge?

The world’s longest sea bridge linking three major Chinese cities.

What’s a downside of the HK-Zhuhai Bridge?

It’s underused due to complex regulations and permits.

What is the New Eurasian Land Bridge?

A rail trade route connecting China to Europe, avoiding Russia.

What is kodokushi?

Japanese term for "lonely deaths" — people dying alone and undiscovered.

What is hikikomori?

Japanese individuals who withdraw from society, often due to depression or anxiety.

What is Paro?

A robotic seal used in Japan to combat loneliness in the elderly.

What is Pepper?

A humanoid robot designed for interaction and companionship.

What is the “Goldilocks” approach to social media?

Moderation in usage to balance benefits and risks.

What is parasocial interaction?

One-sided emotional connection between a media consumer and a creator.

What is the significance of Charles Guiteau in this topic?

His delusional parasocial connection with President Garfield ended in assassination.

What is Section 230?

A US law protecting platforms from liability for user-generated content.

What happened in Myanmar related to Facebook?

Algorithms amplified hate speech, contributing to the Rohingya genocide.

What is fear speech?

Speech that spreads fear (not necessarily hate), leading to harmful societal actions.

What is media saturation overload?

Emotional burnout caused by constant exposure to negative news.

What are doomscrolling and headline anxiety?

Modern terms describing compulsive news consumption and the stress it causes.

Why is the Boston Marathon bombing relevant?

People watching news coverage experienced more trauma than witnesses.

What is the negativity bias?

Our psychological tendency to focus more on bad news or events.

Why does news distort risk perception?

Repeated imagery and framing skew our sense of reality.

What is the Meta Crisis?

A term describing the compounding global challenges in economy, environment, and society.

What is the framing effect?

How the presentation of information affects decision-making and perception.

What is the economic impact of declining fertility?

Fewer workers, higher retirement age, and less economic growth.

What are “pyramids to obelisks”?

A metaphor for aging populations losing their youth bulge.

What does HSR stand for?

High Speed Rail.

What was the Black Swan theory about megaprojects?

Larger projects face more unpredictable and catastrophic setbacks.

What was the Bertha Tunnel Project?

A Seattle megaproject delayed by machinery failure and costly repairs.

What is the public perception of megaprojects?

It varies—locals may feel left out or harmed despite national benefits.

What is the Suramadu Bridge?

An Indonesian bridge project whose public perception improved over time.

Why did the Big Dig fail?

Poor materials, cost overruns, and decade-long delays.

What benefit did the Big Dig eventually provide?

Improved traffic flow and economic development in Boston.

Why was the Chunnel more successful?

It stayed under budget and remains profitable today.

What was a problem with the Chunnel?

It contributed to immigration issues due to being a “land” border.

Why is CASHR controversial?

It faces legal, environmental, and financial delays and lacks public trust.

What is the IOS in California’s HSR project?

The initial operating segment used for early testing.

What is Brightline?

A private US train company building HSR between LA and Las Vegas.

Why was Sejong created?

To decentralize South Korea’s capital functions from Seoul.

What is a “smart city”?

A city using IoT and other technologies for automation and efficiency.

Why is Sejong criticized?

It has low population and perceived inconvenience.

What makes Hambantota strategic?

Its port and airport investments by China link it to global trade routes.

What is the “String of Pearls” theory?

A theory that China is building ports to encircle India geopolitically.

What are Hambantota’s exports?

Cement, fertilizer, salt.

What is the Mahinda Stadium?

A stadium in Hambantota built for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

How big is NEOM planned to be?

26,500 square kilometers—larger than many cities combined.

What is Sindalah?

A luxury island and the first publicly opened section of NEOM.

What is “The Line” project’s vision?

Carbon-free, car-free linear city stretching 170km.

What happened to the Howeitat tribe?

They were displaced due to NEOM and some members executed after resisting.

What are some criticisms of NEOM?

Forced relocation, surveillance, labor abuse, delays, unrealistic goals.

Why did the Khazar Islands project fail?

Overspending and the 2015 oil price crash.

What is the Azerbaijan Tower?

A planned skyscraper to surpass the Burj Khalifa.

What was the goal of the Khazar Islands?

To create a futuristic "New Venice" off the coast of Baku.

What does the Three Gorges Dam produce?

The most hydroelectric power of any dam globally.

What’s an environmental impact of Three Gorges?

Extinction of the Chinese river dolphin and river erosion.

Why is the dam still considered successful?

It paid for itself in one year and offsets coal consumption.

What’s special about the HK-Zhuhai Bridge?

It is the world’s longest bridge-tunnel sea crossing.

What’s a cultural issue with the bridge?

It must support left-hand and right-hand traffic transitions.

Why is it underused?

Licensing complexity, traffic quotas, and high regulations.

What’s the Trans-Caspian route?

A trade path avoiding Russia, part of the New Eurasian Land Bridge.

Why was the Eurasian route rerouted?

Sanctions against Russia following the Ukraine invasion.

How does Japan address loneliness?

With robots like Paro, Pepper, and virtual companions.

What is hikikomori often linked to?

Declining family structures and harsh work cultures in Japan.

What is kodokushi most common in?

Younger generations who die alone and remain undiscovered for years.

What is karoshi?

A Japanese term for death by overworking.

Who is Junko Okamoto?

A critic who called Japan the “loneliness superpower.”

Who is Takahiro Kato?

A researcher studying the hikikomori phenomenon.

What is Hikari?

A holographic anime “waifu” designed for companionship.

What is Couger?

An AR headset showing AI-powered virtual companions.

What does "outsourcing empathy" mean?

Using volunteers or social workers to reduce individual loneliness.

Why might robots not solve loneliness?

They reduce human interaction and can create attachment issues.

What are Pepper’s limitations?

Repetitive content, lack of adaptability, and eventual boredom.

What is Hug?

A lifting robot for elderly care, often deemed too bulky or awkward.

What is the core trait of good care?

It is inherently human and emotional, not just physical assistance.

Why might robots increase caregiver stress?

They require setup and may interrupt natural human bonds.

What does “techno-solutionism” mean?

The belief that all problems can be solved with technology.

What is Japan’s spiritual view on robots?

They’re seen as potentially having a “soul,” promoting cultural acceptance.

What is a public health approach to loneliness?

Addressing poverty, education, and community infrastructure.

What happened to global development post-2020?

90% of countries saw declining living conditions.

What is the UNDP?

United Nations Development Programme—tracks global development progress.

What caused the “meta-crisis”?

Multiple simultaneous crises: economic, climate, social inequality.