Prior to this course, I was a fair balance between the modern techonology, the sciences, and the humanistic perspective. I do agree I probably maybe have leaned towards humanism, but instead of being mroe embrasive of the new developing technologies, I have become more cautious. This course has challenged me to question more of the devloping projects and products come up with instead of how I usually simply accept Apple has come out wth a new product or whatnot. I am able to draw more connections between the different types of sciences and technologies. It was also interesting to learn about the history of how the idea of living in the suburbia and working in the city came to be. I am born into the rush of developing techonology and do not know what is is like prior to this who period of mechanics. Learning about where the rush had come from open my eyes to a new perspective as to not only to observe human culture and their roots but the roots of the sciences and technological advancements as well that effects humans so strongly. The amount of development is more impressive than I knew, especially with the robotics and genes mutation, but I am also cautious about how they use such technologies and how they get there.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Blog #7 Critical Thinking About a Scientists Life and Work
Rosalind Franklin was the real discoverer of the
double helix DNA structure. Unfortunately due to her nature as a woman, she was
looked down upon the scientific community and credits went to James Watson and Francis
Crick. Their work was actually based off of hers. The office politics had
hidden her talents away and ignored an award she deserved. Unfortunately,
the Nobel Peace prize is only giving to those who are living. There should be
exceptions. In the comic strip from the coursepack, Rosalind was portrayed as a
very intellectual woman who did not have time for petty drama
or irrelevant cases. There was a frame where, Watson and Crick had
thought they discovered how the DNA structure would look like and made a model,
while in face they actually heard it at one of her conferences. However even
when they tried to reconstruct the idea, it was still wrong. Rosalind yells at
them saying they have to quit with wasting her time and they should stop
messing around.
Even after several decades,
many people still believe Rosalind should’ve been credited with eh discovery.
In one of the documentaries shown in class, it shows a lab report where Watson and
Crick had added their names to her report by hand. Lab associates knew she was
the brighter one but was not credited for her work. Most of the time, she was
looked down upon because she was one of the first women scientists to make such
a breakthrough. In the beginning of the comic strip from the reading, the
scientists at the lab were surprised their new associate was a woman and that
she even understood anything they were saying. But she eventually proved them
wrong and even though Watson and Crick stole her work, she acted honorably
shaking their hands to congratulate them on the award they got for it.
Blog#6 Sharing and Reflecting on Two Resources
I have decided to go with the perils and promises of AI and robotics.
1st source:
Reporting., Michael M. Grynbaum; Robert Gebeloff Contributed. "$239,000 Conductor Among
M.T.A.'s 8,000 Six-Figure Workers." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 June 2010. Web. 20 May 2013.
Some workers are paid more than expected. This article can help in support of reducing employees for robots to save money and debt by the MTA. It seems as though replacing humans with robots are cost effective. however, with their budget margins being so far, how could they risk spending that much more on the programs? The MTA needs to regulate the overtime requests by the employees to give a fair employment to the other employees who need more hours. Surprisingly some of their workers are being paid six figures when their base pay are usually under $100,000. Condustors seem to reject the one person operating the trai idea, but are giving the MTA no alternative to turn to to save money all the while building the 2nd ave line.
2nd Source:
Belford, Aubrey. "That's Not A Droid, That's My Girlfriend." The Global Mail. The Global
Mail, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 May 2013.
There is a large gap between the acceptances of robotics in the Japanese culture versus the Western Civilization. Japan is more accepting and has become more open to developing more advanced robots as in America people fear the worst from them. This article puts into perspective the romanticism toward robotics because of cultural differences. some people have displayed a strong sentimental attachment to their devices with AI programming. The government has displayed a strong interest in developing geriatric assisting robots. Some of the robots are already in progress but parts of ti still need tweaks because it needs more of a environmental sensory. One of the things Japan fears with these robots is that it goes haywire and isnt cautious enough with the senior citizens.
1st source:
Reporting., Michael M. Grynbaum; Robert Gebeloff Contributed. "$239,000 Conductor Among
M.T.A.'s 8,000 Six-Figure Workers." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 June 2010. Web. 20 May 2013.
Some workers are paid more than expected. This article can help in support of reducing employees for robots to save money and debt by the MTA. It seems as though replacing humans with robots are cost effective. however, with their budget margins being so far, how could they risk spending that much more on the programs? The MTA needs to regulate the overtime requests by the employees to give a fair employment to the other employees who need more hours. Surprisingly some of their workers are being paid six figures when their base pay are usually under $100,000. Condustors seem to reject the one person operating the trai idea, but are giving the MTA no alternative to turn to to save money all the while building the 2nd ave line.
2nd Source:
Belford, Aubrey. "That's Not A Droid, That's My Girlfriend." The Global Mail. The Global
Mail, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 May 2013.
There is a large gap between the acceptances of robotics in the Japanese culture versus the Western Civilization. Japan is more accepting and has become more open to developing more advanced robots as in America people fear the worst from them. This article puts into perspective the romanticism toward robotics because of cultural differences. some people have displayed a strong sentimental attachment to their devices with AI programming. The government has displayed a strong interest in developing geriatric assisting robots. Some of the robots are already in progress but parts of ti still need tweaks because it needs more of a environmental sensory. One of the things Japan fears with these robots is that it goes haywire and isnt cautious enough with the senior citizens.
Blog#5 Midterm Practice
The concept of creating an advanced future through the use of technology is influential, but i do not agree with General Motors' "Futurama" exhibit portraying the perfect utopia. "Futurama" contains many displays of the super highways and advanced technology that any normal being in 1939 could get excited for. However, General Motors could not have foreseen the dire effects such a progress it has made on Earth. Gavin Schmidt and Joshua Wolfe, the authors of, "Climate Change: Picturing The Science" brings attention to the effects of such industrial development.
In the "Futurama" pamphlet, the General Motors chairnamin introduces the exhibit as a,"realization of the fact that 'the world of tomorrow'...serve as a constructive 'investment in the future' for everyone, everywhere" (Futurama, 13). The chairman builds up the excitement as if this event is the proper way to go to invest in our future. Continuing o with the pamphlet, it would use phrases such as, "Futurama the most breath taking achievement" (14). and "This vision of the 1960 dramatizes possible highway progress-higways to new horizons of aocuntry's welfare and happiness"(19). The initial quote about "Futurama" is very enthusiastic and the second quote seems to reassure the public that this is the answer to the improvement of mankind's welfare and happineness. All of this is nothing but hype and marketing not simply to invest in the future but the future of General Motors because GM would be the producer of the products.
Although GM continuously became suscessful, the environment around us is deteroiratinfg because of such development. The chairman of GM states, "history shows that the progress of civilization has run parallel to advancement in transportation" (Sloan 13). He tries to connect society's imporantce of transportaion into society's development. However, in the words of Schmidt and Wolfe, "We take for granted the ways in which we have adapted to the current climate" (schmidt and wolfe, 45). Without conciousness of society's actions, the climate changes because of us and we continue to adopt accordingly to the climate. The concept of "Futurama" has become so blind to the possible outcomes of its effects because all they focused on were the convenience to the people and the progress towards their version of "utopia", a place where everyone uses their products.
In the "Futurama" pamphlet, the General Motors chairnamin introduces the exhibit as a,"realization of the fact that 'the world of tomorrow'...serve as a constructive 'investment in the future' for everyone, everywhere" (Futurama, 13). The chairman builds up the excitement as if this event is the proper way to go to invest in our future. Continuing o with the pamphlet, it would use phrases such as, "Futurama the most breath taking achievement" (14). and "This vision of the 1960 dramatizes possible highway progress-higways to new horizons of aocuntry's welfare and happiness"(19). The initial quote about "Futurama" is very enthusiastic and the second quote seems to reassure the public that this is the answer to the improvement of mankind's welfare and happineness. All of this is nothing but hype and marketing not simply to invest in the future but the future of General Motors because GM would be the producer of the products.
Although GM continuously became suscessful, the environment around us is deteroiratinfg because of such development. The chairman of GM states, "history shows that the progress of civilization has run parallel to advancement in transportation" (Sloan 13). He tries to connect society's imporantce of transportaion into society's development. However, in the words of Schmidt and Wolfe, "We take for granted the ways in which we have adapted to the current climate" (schmidt and wolfe, 45). Without conciousness of society's actions, the climate changes because of us and we continue to adopt accordingly to the climate. The concept of "Futurama" has become so blind to the possible outcomes of its effects because all they focused on were the convenience to the people and the progress towards their version of "utopia", a place where everyone uses their products.
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