Research Topics...

We live in an excessive consumer driven world. Consumers are everywhere. I am a consumer and so are you. So it would make sense that every theory or idea has roots that lead to a consumerist thought.
From the earliest times of human civilization, we have sought after an easier lifestyle; a simpler way of living. From the invention of the wheel and the mastering of creating and controlling fire, man has gotten himself into a load of trouble. And by trouble, I mean acres of trash that He just doesnt know what to do with. We can reduce. We can reuse. We can recyle. But, what good is all of that when, in the end, we are still slaves to consumerism? We are still mindless drones eager to buy. Eager to spend. Eager to produce. Eager to MASS produce. Our human nature is to be the strongest mammal in the animal kingdom. Of course, this means we need the latest cell phone and the hippest jeans.
My topic for the research paper is consumerism and its effects on the environment.

Assignment #2 MAke a Believer OUt of Me

Going back to my youth, I can remember visiting the science museum in Flushing, NY and being mesmerized particularly by the planets exhibit at the time. I was on a school field trip. Learning science as a young child was a magical experience! Building volcanoes and hiding bread under your bed to see what happens were just some of the fun and exciting activities in store for a grade school kid growing up in a busy city. But somewhere in between the model solar system and the handout of a frog's anatomy, I got lost in the science world. It was as if the magic faded. Science turned into formulas and proven hypothesis. Science and technology became embedded in our culture. The computer was no longer a fun after school club activity. Instead, it became a required class. Therefore, learning science became a mundane task. It is only through 'popular science' do the youth of today really become inspired through.
One of the longest running shows currently on television are the Law and Order series. When comparing earlier episodes with newer ones, you can see the advancement of the role technology plays in every aspect of our society. I saw an episode where they used a high tech facial recognition software to catch a criminal. Of course, this type of software wouldn't be used in such a trivial case because it would cost thousands of taxpayer's dollars and the chances of proving the defendant is guilty is very slim. However, this is entertainment! Of course, I want to see the bad guy caught because of technology. Why would we want to see a boring old show where the good guys can't catch the bad guys because they CAN'T legally use technology?

Critical Thinking Asignment #1

Is there really an "unbridgeable divide" between science and humanites? There most definitely is. However, I do not see the divide as being connected by a metaphorical bridge. Instead, I view the cross between science and humanity as a venn diagram. In this diagram there are two interconnecting circles that clearly separate the 'techno-romantics' and the 'Luddites'. However, the circles connect in the middle. This middle area is for those who embrace certain advances in technology, but also consider other advances to be harmful to human society.
In my case, I fall in the middle of the interconnecting circles. I embrace the advances in technology along with thousands of human consumers. I envy those who will be buying an IPad this year. I do believe that advances in prosthetic legs will make life significantly easier for amputees. However, where does advances in science cross the line? When do ethics come into play? Will discovering cold fusion really make a difference in terms of finding a cheap energy source. And what of time travel? Albert Einstein was an intelligent man who, if he lived for another 200 years, would probably have created a market for time hopping Fords. But would you rather watch a movie about an adolescent boy who travels back in time causing himself to never have been born in the first place, or actually learn that lesson the hard way by living it? These are questions that we have to ask ourselves.
From the beginning of human civilization, technology has played a crucial role in our advancement as superior beings. From the invention of the wheel to the invention of a touch screen cell phone, humans will always look to advance our knowledge and create more efficient ways of living. However, we must question whether we will be the ones who destroy ourselves. There is no question that our advances have led to global warming. Though, there are other causes of global warming, humans account for a vast majority of the blame. We are a society of consumption and waste. We create these smoke emitting factories, and these carbon emitting cars, and CFC emitting sprays, and unnatural styrofoams and plastics. But what happens after we are done? Nothing. These harmful wastes stay in our environment. The gases do not magically disappear. This is where we must consider a more neutral ground. It is too late for anyone to be a Luddite. Society is far too advanced for that. However, it is a dangerous world for the one lives in techno-romantic land.