Throughout the semester, I have learned that there are countless ways to express oneself both visually and by using written text. Some of our assignments required us to utilize the traditional method of writing in essay form to analyze a topic and express our views about that topic. Others required us to express our views utilizing different methods, such as the PowerPoint presentation I created about the importance of hybrid vehicles or the screen capture to allow us to visually describe our process of creating a composition. My favorite of these assignments was creating the visual lyrics. It was very interesting because it was up to the student to determine what the lyrics meant and to express that visually. It is not hard to imagine a large number of students choosing the same lyrics with different interpretations and all of the visualizations looking completely different. There is no work I would like to revise that I have done throughout the semester because I put a lot of effort into each assignment. I enjoyed the fact that I was able to express my thoughts creatively in different ways rather than the traditional one of simply writing.
Another aspect of the class I enjoyed was the technological focus. Beginning with the Ted.com speech to the Digital Generation paper to Microserfs, technology was looked at through multiple viewpoints and students were able to express their views as well. It was also very interesting the way technology was used in Microserfs. I also enjoyed the fact that our work was in a blog and we were able to view the rest of the class’ assignments. It was interesting to see how the rest of the class viewed the subjects we covered and their interpretations of the same material. After the class is over, I probably will not add to it. Though I read blogs probably on a day-to-day basis, I do not really see myself as a “blogger”.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Microserfs Reading Response
5. Karla says, "computers will continue to be developed . . . an 'entity is going to be created that has its own intelligence." What is Karla saying about artificial intelligence (AI)? What are your perspectives on AI?
What Karla is saying about artificial intelligence is that one day, they will mimic the ability of humans to learn and understand. They discuss throughout the book the development of computers and often refer to old computer systems and how they quickly became outdated. They believe that the development of computers will continue to accelerate and will ultimately produce technology that would be unimaginable at the time. A major part of the book is Daniel asking what his computer would say if it could speak and expresses his views with the random wording at the beginning of each section. Throughout the book, the characters discuss humans as computers and vice versa, an example being the question of computers having feelings. With the statement, Karla is simply saying that humans will one day understand their own processes so will, they will be able to translation these processes for computers to utilize. My perspectives on AI are similar to Karla’s, believing that one day, an entity will be able to make deductions and inductions based on information from its surroundings. However, it will never be human-like in our ability to process information so readily and easily. Just as we are bound by the laws of biology and our capacities to calculate, memorize, etc., computers will be bound by the abilities to which humans allow them.
3. Why do you think Coupland's characters speak in computer jargon, and use technical expressions to describe their lives and environment? How does this compare to your experiences of the workplace and home? What effect does this way of speaking have on others?
The characters in Microserfs speak in computer jargon and describe almost everything in this way because it is all they know. Their whole lives are centered on computer coding and programming and they apply what they know of technology to their everyday. I think that not only does it make them more comfortable trying to make sense of a confusing, unknown world but also brings them closer together as they are all able to understand each other and relate to one another on that level. I think this is similar to my own experiences both at home and at the workplace, and is for anyone else at well. I believe that people tend to explain things or learn things in a way that maximizes their understanding and people do this by comparing new things to what they already know. It’s very common for men to compare everyday life to sports, which is something my friends and I do daily. For example, needing a great score on the final to pass a class, one may explain to someone else, “It’s late in the fourth quarter, and I have to find a way to win.” I think speaking like this helps friends understand each other and be comfortable, as I said previously. It is a way for the common interests of individuals in a group to be materialized and to bring them together.
9. Daniel Underwood has been described as a "anti-hero" who is a "dull nobody." In what ways is this statement true? Why has Coupland used this form of an anti-hero?
This statement is true because in a lot of ways, Daniel Underwood, the main character, does not have any true aspirations or even obstacles to overcome throughout the book. To be a true hero, one must defeat an obstacle or enemy for the betterment of themselves or their surroundings and Daniel is not involved with anything like this. Throughout the book, it seems as though while he may not be completely comfortable with his life, he doesn’t do much to change it for the better. He seems to be content with the fact that while things aren’t exactly fair, there isn’t too much he can do about it. I think this explains the “dull nobody” aspect of the phrase as well. The big transition in the book was when Daniel quit Microsoft in order to work with Michael and everyone else. Even after this, there isn’t much change or drama in his life. He stated in the book that he was happy simply because of the fact that his friends and himself were all together, working for a common goal. I think Coupland used this form of an anti-hero to bring more attention to the characters themselves rather than what they were going through. This book had some of the best-developed characters of the books I’ve read. Coupland may have also used this form of an anti-hero because of the fact that having a complete family is really all Dan wanted. Dan states in the book that he likes stories where he knows what the characters want right away. Coupland however, lets us know what Dan wanted with the last words of the book: hellojed.
What Karla is saying about artificial intelligence is that one day, they will mimic the ability of humans to learn and understand. They discuss throughout the book the development of computers and often refer to old computer systems and how they quickly became outdated. They believe that the development of computers will continue to accelerate and will ultimately produce technology that would be unimaginable at the time. A major part of the book is Daniel asking what his computer would say if it could speak and expresses his views with the random wording at the beginning of each section. Throughout the book, the characters discuss humans as computers and vice versa, an example being the question of computers having feelings. With the statement, Karla is simply saying that humans will one day understand their own processes so will, they will be able to translation these processes for computers to utilize. My perspectives on AI are similar to Karla’s, believing that one day, an entity will be able to make deductions and inductions based on information from its surroundings. However, it will never be human-like in our ability to process information so readily and easily. Just as we are bound by the laws of biology and our capacities to calculate, memorize, etc., computers will be bound by the abilities to which humans allow them.
3. Why do you think Coupland's characters speak in computer jargon, and use technical expressions to describe their lives and environment? How does this compare to your experiences of the workplace and home? What effect does this way of speaking have on others?
The characters in Microserfs speak in computer jargon and describe almost everything in this way because it is all they know. Their whole lives are centered on computer coding and programming and they apply what they know of technology to their everyday. I think that not only does it make them more comfortable trying to make sense of a confusing, unknown world but also brings them closer together as they are all able to understand each other and relate to one another on that level. I think this is similar to my own experiences both at home and at the workplace, and is for anyone else at well. I believe that people tend to explain things or learn things in a way that maximizes their understanding and people do this by comparing new things to what they already know. It’s very common for men to compare everyday life to sports, which is something my friends and I do daily. For example, needing a great score on the final to pass a class, one may explain to someone else, “It’s late in the fourth quarter, and I have to find a way to win.” I think speaking like this helps friends understand each other and be comfortable, as I said previously. It is a way for the common interests of individuals in a group to be materialized and to bring them together.
9. Daniel Underwood has been described as a "anti-hero" who is a "dull nobody." In what ways is this statement true? Why has Coupland used this form of an anti-hero?
This statement is true because in a lot of ways, Daniel Underwood, the main character, does not have any true aspirations or even obstacles to overcome throughout the book. To be a true hero, one must defeat an obstacle or enemy for the betterment of themselves or their surroundings and Daniel is not involved with anything like this. Throughout the book, it seems as though while he may not be completely comfortable with his life, he doesn’t do much to change it for the better. He seems to be content with the fact that while things aren’t exactly fair, there isn’t too much he can do about it. I think this explains the “dull nobody” aspect of the phrase as well. The big transition in the book was when Daniel quit Microsoft in order to work with Michael and everyone else. Even after this, there isn’t much change or drama in his life. He stated in the book that he was happy simply because of the fact that his friends and himself were all together, working for a common goal. I think Coupland used this form of an anti-hero to bring more attention to the characters themselves rather than what they were going through. This book had some of the best-developed characters of the books I’ve read. Coupland may have also used this form of an anti-hero because of the fact that having a complete family is really all Dan wanted. Dan states in the book that he likes stories where he knows what the characters want right away. Coupland however, lets us know what Dan wanted with the last words of the book: hellojed.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Module III: The Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding the Use of Embryonic Stem Cells
In his essay, “Embryo Ethics” from Daedalus (2008), Robert P. George argues that no matter what arguments, both scientific or simple logic, are used to defend the use of embryonic stem cells for research or transplantation, there is simply nothing that can truly support their use. The author supports his position by presenting all the arguments of prominent individuals against the use of embryonic stem cells, followed by arguments used by those who support the destruction of stem cell, to which he gives his own counterarguments to dispute the claims; not once in his essay does he use religion or theology to argue against the use of embryonic stem cells. The author’s purpose is not to restate those arguments against the use of stem cells, as he only spends a short amount of time in this area, but rather chooses to repeat those arguments supporting the use of stem cells which are based on science and logic and proceeding to use the same principles used to develop those arguments to refute them. Considering the scientific knowledge required to understand the subject and its complexities and the many individuals which may not be familiar with them, George does a good job of both simplifying certain points and using analogies and common sense logic in order to allow readers without a scientific background to understand the arguments and to gather enough information to develop their own opinions.
Another essay questioning the arguments supporting the use of embryonic stem cells, “Finding ethically acceptable solutions for therapeutic human stem cell research” from the journal Ethics and Medicine (2008), John R. Meyer instead argues that the method developed by Karen Devolder which she proposes avoids the ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells. The author supports his argument by arguing that all embryos, regardless of level of development, are true human beings and should be treated with the respect given to adult human beings by disputing the claims of Devolder and other researchers that both ANTities and OARities are not organisms capable of fully developing; indeed, Meyer argues that the act of creating these entities itself is a destruction of a developing human embryo and is therefore morally and ethically wrong. Meyer’s essay has two purposes: the first is to prove that Devolder’s alternative approach to the use of embryonic stem cells is not ethically sound as she claims and the second is to argue for the expansion of adult stem cell research, which avoids the ethical dilemmas of destroying embryos for research purposes. Unlike the first article, Meyer’s argument requires a much larger understanding of embryological processes as well as genetics and may be difficult for readers without a substantial amount of biological knowledge to understand; it is apparent that the article is intended for readers of the scientific community.
While the first two articles discussed the ethics of using embryonic stem cells, the last article discusses the ethics of embryonic stem cell transplantation without developing guidelines for their use in order to ensure patient safety. “Clinical trials for stem cell transplantation: guidelines for scientific and ethical review” written by Bernard Lo et al and published in Clinical Trials (2008) concludes that clinical trials are necessary prior to the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation purposes due to the risks that come along with the procedure. The authors come to this conclusion by discussing various studies regarding the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation and the potential risks that come along with their use and later determining what steps can be taken in order to minimize these risks as to ensure that patient safety is maintained. The authors’ purpose is to develop guidelines for clinical trials that will allow researchers a better idea of the risks of embryonic stem cell transplantation as well as guidelines to make sure the benefits of the trials themselves are important enough to risk the health of their participants. As discussed, the purpose of the article is to establish set guidelines for embryonic stem cell transplantation and the article is indeed written for and intended to be read by members of the scientific community associated with the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation purposes.
Another essay questioning the arguments supporting the use of embryonic stem cells, “Finding ethically acceptable solutions for therapeutic human stem cell research” from the journal Ethics and Medicine (2008), John R. Meyer instead argues that the method developed by Karen Devolder which she proposes avoids the ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells. The author supports his argument by arguing that all embryos, regardless of level of development, are true human beings and should be treated with the respect given to adult human beings by disputing the claims of Devolder and other researchers that both ANTities and OARities are not organisms capable of fully developing; indeed, Meyer argues that the act of creating these entities itself is a destruction of a developing human embryo and is therefore morally and ethically wrong. Meyer’s essay has two purposes: the first is to prove that Devolder’s alternative approach to the use of embryonic stem cells is not ethically sound as she claims and the second is to argue for the expansion of adult stem cell research, which avoids the ethical dilemmas of destroying embryos for research purposes. Unlike the first article, Meyer’s argument requires a much larger understanding of embryological processes as well as genetics and may be difficult for readers without a substantial amount of biological knowledge to understand; it is apparent that the article is intended for readers of the scientific community.
While the first two articles discussed the ethics of using embryonic stem cells, the last article discusses the ethics of embryonic stem cell transplantation without developing guidelines for their use in order to ensure patient safety. “Clinical trials for stem cell transplantation: guidelines for scientific and ethical review” written by Bernard Lo et al and published in Clinical Trials (2008) concludes that clinical trials are necessary prior to the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation purposes due to the risks that come along with the procedure. The authors come to this conclusion by discussing various studies regarding the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation and the potential risks that come along with their use and later determining what steps can be taken in order to minimize these risks as to ensure that patient safety is maintained. The authors’ purpose is to develop guidelines for clinical trials that will allow researchers a better idea of the risks of embryonic stem cell transplantation as well as guidelines to make sure the benefits of the trials themselves are important enough to risk the health of their participants. As discussed, the purpose of the article is to establish set guidelines for embryonic stem cell transplantation and the article is indeed written for and intended to be read by members of the scientific community associated with the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation purposes.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)