The Roundtable Discussion

There were four groups of roundtable discussion on Tuesday with four different issues. The first group presented the issue of hybrid vehicle. They listed out the advantage of hybrid vehicle as environmental friendly, less pollution emission, higher efficiency and higher aesthetic value. However, these advantages are rebutted by the opposition. The opposition stated that the battery and charging system of the hybrid car is not fully efficient as the common fuel car. They found the statement of the for side is not fully elaborated, especially in the terms of definition. They also stated that the hybrid cars are not appealing as the common fuel car to the consumers, and this is because the hybrid car are not as fast as the common fuel car and the price of the hybrid is much higher, so normal consumer could not afford it. However, the for side participants insisted that the hybrid car is the future of the automobile industry as the petrol depletes.
The second group presented on the topic of brain scan. The for side suggested that the brain scan should be regulated as it pervades through people’s secret and privacy, but the against side suggested that the brain scan system is useful in our daily life such as interview, crime investigation and character analysis. So does someone may want others to understand him but he is too intimidated to communicate, and they utilize the brain scan system to recognize themselves. The conclusion of this topic is that the brain scan system should be left to mature over time before it should be regulated.
The third group of the day brought out the topic of the green chemistry in this contemporary era. The for side of this topic supported that Singapore should embrace the opportunity of pioneering green chemistry in its own region as Singapore has the industrial capacity and technology capability in this area. However, the opposition side opposed with the argument that Singapore is facing population shortage and the current economic crisis deters Singapore to pick up this great challenge as the pioneer. They worried that Singapore would need the technical supports from overseas in order to success in green chemistry. Finally they came to a conclusion that Singapore should take the challenge as the opportunity to revive the current economy turmoil.
The last group of the day presented the topic of stem cell technology which arouses a lot of debates and controversy around the world. The for side suggested that the stem cell technology must be carried on in order to progress in the medical field. The opposition spurned on their idea although the stem cell technology benefits the reproduction of functional cells; they insisted that the stem cell technology is way beyond the moral limit as human has no right to act God. The hot debates boiled down to a conclusion such that the stem cell technology could be monitored from time to time to prevent its transgressions.