IB ITGS - 11. Environment
Information Technology provides opportunities to understand our environment.
Useful to record data automatically from sensors without human intervention for a long time.
They can be helpful in:
Predicting climate.
Monitor seismic and volcanic activity.
Record data on the surface of other planets.
Monitor the state of nuclear reactors.
Intensive care in hospitals. Record vital signs.
Flight data recorder: position, velocity, altitude.
Monitor contamination levels.
Aid in sports, such as car races.
It can record a large number of variables with high frequency.
It works over significant periods of time.
Computers don’t get tired.
Integrity: computers don’t make mistakes.
They can output data that is easy to read through graphs.
It works in unstable environments.
It’s autonomous.
Analogous data: continuous. They record physical data.
Digital data: discreet. They record numbers.
Digitalization: the conversion of analogous data to digital data.
Sample frequency: how many times are samples of digital data taken from analogous data per second.
Sample precision: the number of data that shows the most accuracy.
Remote sensors: recollection of data in large distances.
They use remote sensing techniques:
RADAR: radar detection and ranging.
LIDAR: laser imaging detection.
SONAR: sound navigation.
Pictures of other planets.
Monitor climate in large areas or areas with difficult access.
Natural disasters.
To calculate temperature on the ground and in the atmosphere.
Monitor enemy buildings.
Monitor the radiation in nuclear weapons.
Monitor demographic growth.
Online maps: maps in high resolution that are available for public use.
Satellite navigation systems: give the exact place where the user is in real-time so they can calculate routes to the user’s destination.
Virtual globes: 3D models of planets.
A geographical information system (GIS) is similar to a virtual globe but can store and analyze large amounts of information. They can also include additional information, such as volcanoes, crime patterns, migration routes, police stations, polar ice caps, etc.
A global positioning system (GPS) tells you where you are on Earth.
Privacy.
It can reveal the location of military bases to the enemies.
It can be a source of information for terrorists, such as the location of nuclear plants and airports.
Use of resources for manufacturing.
It can become obsolete quickly, producing too much waste by discarding old devices.
Use of dangerous chemicals: workers can suffer from cancer or other birth defects.
Too much energy is consumed.
They store large quantities of information (search engines and cloud space), but they also consume too much energy through cooling devices, power to make them work and to keep many backups.
Also known as e-waste.
It is what has reached the end of its useful life. If it is disposed of incorrectly, it can release harmful substances, such as arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Recycling these devices can also be dangerous or too expensive.
To avoid producing too much e-waste:
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Information Technology provides opportunities to understand our environment.
Useful to record data automatically from sensors without human intervention for a long time.
They can be helpful in:
Predicting climate.
Monitor seismic and volcanic activity.
Record data on the surface of other planets.
Monitor the state of nuclear reactors.
Intensive care in hospitals. Record vital signs.
Flight data recorder: position, velocity, altitude.
Monitor contamination levels.
Aid in sports, such as car races.
It can record a large number of variables with high frequency.
It works over significant periods of time.
Computers don’t get tired.
Integrity: computers don’t make mistakes.
They can output data that is easy to read through graphs.
It works in unstable environments.
It’s autonomous.
Analogous data: continuous. They record physical data.
Digital data: discreet. They record numbers.
Digitalization: the conversion of analogous data to digital data.
Sample frequency: how many times are samples of digital data taken from analogous data per second.
Sample precision: the number of data that shows the most accuracy.
Remote sensors: recollection of data in large distances.
They use remote sensing techniques:
RADAR: radar detection and ranging.
LIDAR: laser imaging detection.
SONAR: sound navigation.
Pictures of other planets.
Monitor climate in large areas or areas with difficult access.
Natural disasters.
To calculate temperature on the ground and in the atmosphere.
Monitor enemy buildings.
Monitor the radiation in nuclear weapons.
Monitor demographic growth.
Online maps: maps in high resolution that are available for public use.
Satellite navigation systems: give the exact place where the user is in real-time so they can calculate routes to the user’s destination.
Virtual globes: 3D models of planets.
A geographical information system (GIS) is similar to a virtual globe but can store and analyze large amounts of information. They can also include additional information, such as volcanoes, crime patterns, migration routes, police stations, polar ice caps, etc.
A global positioning system (GPS) tells you where you are on Earth.
Privacy.
It can reveal the location of military bases to the enemies.
It can be a source of information for terrorists, such as the location of nuclear plants and airports.
Use of resources for manufacturing.
It can become obsolete quickly, producing too much waste by discarding old devices.
Use of dangerous chemicals: workers can suffer from cancer or other birth defects.
Too much energy is consumed.
They store large quantities of information (search engines and cloud space), but they also consume too much energy through cooling devices, power to make them work and to keep many backups.
Also known as e-waste.
It is what has reached the end of its useful life. If it is disposed of incorrectly, it can release harmful substances, such as arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Recycling these devices can also be dangerous or too expensive.
To avoid producing too much e-waste:
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
