critical thinking blog assignment #5

   The topic of my research paper is the promises and perils of technology in todays world. I will be researching the good and bad that today's technology has brought us both physically and mentally.
The authors of my first source are Hirose Nasato and Kenichi Ogawa. The name of the article is called Honda Humanoid Robots Development. The journal is Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. I found this source on Jstor. Relevent information that this source provides is the advancement of technology in today's world. The spin of this source is the development of ASIMO (the robot) and improving life in human society. The same way honda made cars, motorcycles and power products, they too wanted to take up a new challenge in mobility in 1986. The main concept behind the robot was to develop a more viable mobility that would allow robots to help and live in harmont with people.
    This articles adds alot of information to my paper because it shows what robots are capable of doing. It also shows how technologgy has advanced severely. I chose this article because the documentary really captured my attention. That is the first reason as to why I chose it. This article also gives us alot of information about robots which to me is extremely important because alot of people are scared of them. I think the main reason people are scared of them is because they dont interact with them everyday. People fear the unknown. Finally, this source fits my research paper topic because it shows us somehing good that has came out of technology and what it has done for us.

    The second source I chose is What Is It Like To Be A Robot? and it is written by Daniel C. Dennett. The journal name is The American Institute Of Biological Sciences and I found this source on Jstor. Relevent information that this source provides us with the ability to get inside if a robot;s mind. Mc. Farland (scientist)ultimate goal was a robot that can be held accountable and to whom things matter. In other words, a robot with subjectivity and values. The spin on this article was basically showing how robots can act just like humans. They can identify danger, call for help when needed, and even saving energy supply for the next day.
    This source fits in my reasearch paper topic because I'm going to talk about some of the bad taht has came from technology. This is a perfect example because peoples jobs have been taken away due to robots. The companies save more money and they let people go. I chose this article because the first one I chose leans more towards by robots are good in our society and this one gives us more of an idea as to why the creation of robots isnt such a good idea.

BLOG POST #5

The vision of the Future in the New York World's fair of 1939 : Utopia vs. Reality

 I believe that the vision of a "perfect" superhighway future in the 1939 World's far was more hype than reality as the fair created real problems with its vision of suburbia and cars. The reason for this being is that the whole things was envisioned sort of dream-like. "Inside the perisphere you step off the escalator onto one of two balcony rings rotating slowly in opposite directions, one directly above the other. As you step onto the balcony you are inside a short tunnellike section, but you soon rotate out the tunnel into the great awesome space of the perisphere itself." (Gelernter 17.) This quote is one of the many that are made up from the author's imagination. I feel as if the story was easily created into the reader's mind because of the visuals and colors that were incorportaed into the reading.

   Altough there was quite a lot of creativity put into The Lost world of the Fair, it did bring a vision for fast transportation into the story The Building of a Superhighway Future at the New York World's Fair by Paul Mason Fotsch. In this exhibit, like the fair as a whole, it emphasized hope for the future at a time when daily life for many contained fear and uncertainty. It was expected that the new technology would help to bring on a better future, and the progress of technology was embodied in the rapid progression of cars in the Futurama. Even though an advancement in technology and trasnportation sounds great, alot of bad came from it as well. The growth of automobile production was increased, which meant more fumes were let out into the ozone layer, even though a suburban development was being conjured up, it also endangered the environment that surrounds us. It congested an unhealthy environment of the city.

    To conclude, even though David Gelernter brought us something out of the ordinary and amazing to read (in my opinion) it was more of a hype rather than a reality. It brought creativity to future technological ideas that are only seen in films. Although this was unrealisitc, it did create real problems with the vision of suburbia. In the sense that even though a fast pace highway would take people to their location extremely fast due to the nature of the "fast paced" highways's some bad had to come from it. This brings me to the position that alot of people are in now. Jobs have been jeopardized because robots (technology) can now do the work for human beings. Yes, technology might advance us but from everything good, must come something bad.

Critical thinking blog post 4

           Technology is all around us and has evolved more and more as the years have passed us by. I saw the video clip about the robot with actual human features and I thought it was pretty amazing. We have seen technology change and get better everywhere from medicine and even movies. One big thing that people still havent gotten used to is robots. I believe that people have a fear of robots because they don't know much information about them. When the word robot comes up, people automatically think about movies where the robots are destructive and scary.
           I enjoyed this youtube clip because it was so realistic. The robot portrayed in this video is so human like which made it more likeable but at the same time it made me a little scraed. I only say this because the human expressions that the robot was showing were uncanny to those of a real persons. For example, teh robot would open its eyes really wide to show an expression face of being suprised or even squint its eyes and smile to show happyness. It would also slant its eyebrows and mouth to seem upset. It's almost unbelieveable to look at because those are the same faces people make. For a machine to emulate that, its almost unbelieveable. The biggest fear people have about robots is that they somehow think they are going to take over us but, like I said before, people fear what they don't know. Robots and technology have saved thousands of lives all around the world. Robots are used for important surgeries such as heart surgeries. The small pieces that are used as little claws are essential for fitting into small spaces. Robots also are essential in case of a disaster. They rescue you. For example, Katrina and the floods in New Orleans.
            I dont think robots have became acceptable to most people. I say this because people are not around robots everyday. They mainly see them in movies and think of them as being these big metal machines with nine arms that are ready to attack. I think the majority of people who have given up fears of robots are people who work in the medical field or rescue searches. People who use robots in everyday life or perhaps people who study and build robots. People who are comfortable around them because its nothing new to them. An average person doesn't come across a robot normally so you would understand where the fear comes from. Just like when I take my dog out for a walk, he barks at streetcats he sees because he's not used to seeing them. In order for people to get accustomed to robots, they need relationships and trust just like people have with other people.
           Since James Cameron's "The terminator" in the 80's, alot has changed. People are starting to understand the uses of robots, and the good that comes from them. They learn that not all robots are "cyborg assassins." People have come to understand that robots are not here to kill people (like in the movie) but, to help people. I believe that the more we learn about robots and what they can do for us, the more peopel will accept them. In the future, I believe that robots will be accepted because they will be a great vision for our promises. We;'ve gotten so far already by saving lives with them so just imagine the possibilities that they can do for us in the future. They will probably be get things done faster and make our lives easier just as technology has now with the internet.

critical thinking blog #3 lib 200

               For my research paper, I was thinking of writing about Science and Technology: Promise and Peril. My two choices are to talk about the promise of the internet versus its possible negative effects on our attention span, and/or physical or mental health or the promise of artificial intelligence  versus the dangers and problems for loss of labor. In the first topic I can talk about how much time people spend on a daily basis using technology and what we get out of that. I can also talk about how much times have changed. Children now a days rather stay in and play video ga,es rather than go outside and play in a park. Technology has been the lead cause in childhood obesity in the United states. In the second topic, I can talk about how far technology has come to the point where people are being replaced with computers because it saves companies money and people are left out of jobs. Both of these topics are great choices for me because we are surrounded by technology everyday of our lives. I can talk about how technology affects us as a population or as individuals. I believe these are both good topics because they are things that people can relate to.

         Ultimately, I think I am going to write about the first topic. The promise of the internet versus its possible negative effects on our attention span, and/or physical or mental health. This argument has alot of topics that I can cover. I will be able to talk about the lack of verbal communication with people because of texting and facebook (just to name a few.) I will also be able to talk about the wonders that the internet has done for us from finding long lost family members to letting us listen to music the minute after an artist decides to drop it. Everyone benefits from technology and everyone suffers as well.

LIB 200 Critical thinking blog

      The kind of science and technology I want to talk about is time travel in the movie Dejavu (staring Denzel Washington.) This movie does not show real science, but it is inspired by scientific possibility, which is what science fiction normally does. I think the science in the movie has been dumbed down for the viewers because it wants to show the "cool" effects. The directors of the movie make the whole time traveling concept appealing by having a ferry filled with crewmen from the USS Nimitz and their families blown up in New Orleans on Mardi Gras. Denzel is then brought in to assist in the massive investigation, and gets attached to an experimental FBI surveillance unit, one that uses spacefolding technology to directly look back a little over four days into the past. While tracking down the bomber, Denzel gets an idea in his head: could they use the device to actually travel back in time and not only prevent the bombing but also the murder of a local woman whose truck was used in the bombing? I believe that by doing this, it grabs the audience's attention. For my chosen imaginiative I believe that it does give me a sense of awe because the movie was amazing. Anyone who I know who has actually seen the movie has given it a great review. The way they use new forms of technology in the movie makes you feel like you are right there at the scene of the investigation. I would have to say that it inspires me because the movie is so mind blowing that it really does start to make you think. Can this possibly be done in the future? Can scientists go back into time to stop future occurances? I know it sounds bizaar but, think about how much of a better place the world could be. I dont think my response to the imaginary text is typical because most people would think that is crazy talk. I see it like this, If we can rewind live Television, and replay it, then why can't we go becak into time and fix things? Technology has taken us so far so I can only imagine where it will take us years from now. I am not sure if most people in The U.S. would have the same reaction as me because everybody has a different mind and way of thinking. What I might think is normal others might think is crazy. I believe that serious science is harder to sell to audiences than science fiction because most people probably won't understand it. People pay more attention to things that they can understand or to things that capture their attention. However, I dont think there is a limit to what kind of science can be ‘popular’ with audiences because as I stated before, everyone has a different opinion on everything. What might capture one person's eye might not catch anothers. One type of science that I can say is popular in this age is networks that help you communicate with people. Almost everyone I know has some kind of webpage whether it be facebook, twitter, or tumblr. These webpages help us give out our opnions on everyday subjects as well as helps us stay connected with one another.

science and humanities

     Hello class. My name is Jennifer Melaik and  I am a liberal arts major here at Laguardia. I graduate after this semester so I plan on going to a four year college after. I am not sure what I am going to take up but, I am leaning more towards social work. I believe I am more of a humanities person because I like working with people.

     I think science is a wonderful thing because it has helped us in so many ways. For example, the internet alone has made it much easier for people to find out news and get work done. Science is also amazing because it has helped us find cures to diseases and helps us save lives. In my opinion science has been a downfall to this economy as well because it has taken away alot of people's jobs. I think that most people in the United States feel the same as I do. I think people have been torn over science and technology. It is bittersweet. We appreciate everything that technology has to offer but, at the same time it is harmful.

      I think science and technology has been a blessing for us. There are many people who I belive are still overwhelmed by technology. My mother is one of them. She is very oldschool. To the point where she can barely use a cell phone. I think that scares people because its something new and they are so used to what theyknow. New things scare people. Science and Technology for others is the best thing ever. There are people depend on technology for everything. This we see everyday with cellphones and computers. People use these gadgets to write papers, communicate with others, look up information, hear news and etc. If a tower happens to be down and they get no signal, they dont know what to do with themseles. These are things people are already accustomed to.

       Personally, I am very greatful for science and technology. The two combined have helped us get so far in life. We are able to do things not that we couldn't before like Skyping, or texting. Even something so simple like getting to a location. We are able to do this because of science and technology. I like technology alot and im very greatful for it but, sometimes I feel like thats all that people know. For example, nobody really talks on the phone anymore. People keep in contact by texting or by going on facebook. Which is where my love for humanities comes in because im a "people" person and I like doing hands on things the old way with paper and pencil. One thing I would say that bothers me the most is when professors ask to hand in the homework or an essay typed. I know this sounds silly but, I rather just write it out myself. I honestly only go on the computer for homework only. Im not one of those people who can be glued on the computer or television for hours.In school I have always had trouble when it came to science classes. Chemistry and Biology have probably been the classes I have struggled the most with. But, English is my strongest subject which explains why I prefer humanities over science.

        I feel like technology has also been a large additon to the number of obese people in America. Kids dont go out and play in the park anymore. Instead, they play video games and burn no calories. So there are good and bad points to technology and science. Some better than others. To me, the cure for diseases has been the most important. It has helped save alot of lives and has healed those in pain.Technology is everywhere around us and I know that we are just going to advance as the years go by. Those who are stuck in their old ways have to break away from that and realize that this is the world that we live in now.    

My Final

         

Why God is not Omniscient in the Book of Genesis

          The Bible has been one of the most famous books throughout the

world. Even if someone has not actually read the Bible, they have at least

heard about it. If you have ever been to any hotel in New York City, you

have noticed that they keep a Bible in the draw that is right next to the

bed. I am not sure the reason behind that because not everybody

believes in God but, other writers as well as myself believe he does and I

have noticed the placement of the Bible a few times from my own

experience. “God not only has revealed himself in what can be observed

in nature, and in human life, but he has even more specifically shown

himself in the Bible.” (Marilyn Adamson) The Bible has been passed

down from generation to generation. The Bible is made up of verbal

stories passed down from the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is the Greek

name for the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Hebrew Scriptures as

canon are divided into three sections, and Pentateuch is the first one.

They are the writings that were given to Moses. There are even some

Jewish groups who believe that the Pentateuch is the most important or

perhaps the only important part of their holy writings since they were

 given to Moses himself. One thing that is clear to me is that God

appears to be omnipotent throughout the majority of the verses and texts

in the sense of having unlimited, universal power and force. He is

all-powerful and all mighty. He shows us how strong he is and he also

shows us just how powerful he can be. However, to be omnipotent on

another note is having total knowledge and knowing everything infinitely.

We really cannot prove that God even exists but, I believe that God in

Genesis is not omniscient.

          The Bible was finalized 539-334 B.C.E. (before the Common Era.)

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and then translated in

hundreds of languages in order for people of different cultures and

ethnicities to understand. Nothing seems to be impossible for God. This

we can see right from the start in the book of Genesis when he created

the universe and everything in it.”God created and sustains the universe

and, in particular, the human race. The nature of the creator/creature

relationships is central in understanding God’s dealings with human

life” (Bill Moore.) As I read and analyzed the Bible I realized that God is

portrayed many different ways. He has many different characteristics

and shows a ton of emotions. Each chapter reveals something different

about him. The one chapter that I wanted to focus on specifically was the

book of Genesis being that it was the beginning of time and creation. I

think that this chapter is important because it really points out a

number of quotes that backs up my beliefs. That’s why I decided to talk

about his omniscience in this chapter. One question that has been

brought up for decades is is God really omniscient? I believe that God is

not omniscient. Everybody does have their own opinion on this but; I

believe I have found a few quotes directly from the bible that makes me

believe he is not. Why not give us the whole truth about life from the very

beginning? As you may know, the Bible has two testaments, the New

Testament and the Old Testament. Something I find so interesting is the

fact that the Old Testament was canonized in 90 A.D. Meaning, scholars

decided which stories were going to be put into the actual bible. This

makes me wonder, why wouldn't they add each and every story? Were

they trying to hide something from us? The Bible is hundreds and

hundreds of pages long so why leave a couple more out? Most

importantly, why would God even allow this to happen if he really is

omniscient? Wouldn't he want everyone to know everything he did? Or

did he want it to happen?

                    Genesis (the first creation story) made me believe that God is

 not omniscient because after creating everything in the world; it says in

the Bible that God said “And God saw that it was good.” This quote is

repeated after every verse in the first chapter of Genesis. If God really

thought everything was good then why did he want to destroy his

creations? In Genesis 6:5-7 God said “The lord saw how great man’s

wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the

thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The lord was grieved that

he had made man on earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the

Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of

the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground,

and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them.” If God really

is omniscient, don’t you think that he would of known what was going to

happen eventually? He had this sadness in his heart, to see what

mankind had become. Anytime somebody regrets something, it means

they wish they would have never done it to begin with. Speaking of

regret, in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27, it says “God created man in his

own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he

created them.” When creating something in your image, why would you

want to destroy it with time? That is another reason that makes me

believe he is not omniscient.

 Genesis (the second creation story) basically made me look at

things differently because not only is that the first chapter that

starts off the Bible but, also points out what makes me believe that

God is not omniscient. I say this because first God creates Adam and

after seeing that Adam was lonely, he decides to create animals for

Adam. He created birds and many more. He thought that the animals

would keep Adam company and would make him happy. To my surprise,

this was not enough to keep Adam satisfied because he was still lonely.

Then, that is when God created Eve for Adam. After creating Eve, Adam

was definitely content. “The Lord said, “It is not good for a man to be

alone. I will make a helper suitable for him “Now the Lord God had

formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the

air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and

whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the

man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the

beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the

Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was

sleeping he took one of the man‘s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib. He had taken out of the

man, and he brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:18-22).This makes me

really think. If God really does know everything then don’t you think he

would of known that animals weren’t going to be enough for Adam?

Think about it. He really thought that the animals were going to be

enough for Adam but, he was wrong. God was also surprised to see that

Adam was not happy with the animals. He made it seem like the animals

were going to be more than enough. He had to do things over twice. That

is one of the first things that stood out to me.

          Another thing that stood out to me during the creation story in the

book of Genesis was the fact that God told Eve not to eat from the tree of

knowledge but, she went and fed him fruit from it anyway. This was very

selfish because they were told that they could eat from any and every

tree expect for that one. Strongly disobeying God. Even though the snake

had a lot of fault in it and used its craftiness to persuade Eve to feed the

fruit to Adam, the fact that Adam ate from it happened. So again, if God

really is omniscient then he would have known that Adam was going to

eat the fruit even after being told not to. After this happened he was very

disappointed because he thought that they would obey him and his

rules. The fact that he was so disappointed makes u believe that he is

not omniscient even more because he made it seem like he was not

expecting this at all. Almost like the whole thing caught him by surprise

and off guard. “The Lord God said to the woman (Eve) “What is this you

have done? “(Genesis 3:13). One thing I noticed about this quote is that,

I am not sure if that was an outcry or a question. Either way, if he was

omniscient he should have known exactly what happened. The funny

thing about this is that Adam basically blamed things on God because he

created Eve and she was the one that made him eat the fruit. One more

thing I found interesting was the fact that God created every single

creature including the snake that convinced Eve to eat from the tree.

People talk about the snake being portrayed as the devil being that it is

so conniving and sneaky. It is such a coincidence that the animal just

happened to be a snake because it was said that the snake was the

craftiest of the bunch. One notion that gets brought up in the creation

story is that perhaps the snake is an interpretation of Satan. If this is

true then that would mean that God created Satan because the snake is

an animal which God created. Why in the world would God create evil?

That doesn’t make any sense. Either way, shouldn’t God have known

that Adam was going to blame Eve? I just really don’t think it was in his

plan for Adam and Eve to eat this fruit because God ended up punishing

Adam and Eve with hard labor and child bearing for being both

disobedient and selfish.

         

Two more examples of God not being omniscient are brought up in

Genesis once again. God called Adam asking where he was. After eating

the fruit of knowledge Adam and Eve hide and God calls out for them.

“The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was

walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord

God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man,

“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-10). If he does know everything he would

have known where they were. If you look at the quote carefully again, he

has a question mark at the end which signifies that it is a question

meaning he did not know where they were. Also God tested Abraham

(one of his prophets) to see if he really loved him or his son more by

asking Abraham to sacrifice his son and use him as an offering to show

his love for God. “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you

have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son I will

surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars

in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take

possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all

nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Genesis

22:16-18). When God tested Abraham this really saddened me because

Isaac was his only son, and to do that to him it was very heartbreaking.

Just to know that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son as an offering

for God says so much. At the end of the day he was willing to put God

before anybody. Abraham really loved God and respected him because I

don’t know anybody that would sacrifice their only child. That takes a lot

of guts. Abraham loved God enough to do this and if God was omniscient

he would have seen this from the beginning. Why make him go through

all that heartache? To see Abraham go through this pain and toy with his

emotions was not right to me. Abraham did not even hesitate one bit; he

listened to God and was willing to do it. Put yourself in his position. How

would have you felt having to kill your only child to prove the love of your

creator? Hard position right? I bet Abraham must have felt a ton of

weight off his shoulders after God told him that it was just a test.

         

“But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the

men were building. (Genesis 11:5.) This is a quote that was used in the

Bible when the people of Israel were building the Tower of Babel. It

clearly states that God had to come down to see what the people were

building. If he really knows everything and can see everything from

anywhere , then why would he have to come down from the skies to view

what was happening?  Wouldn’t he be able to see anything from

anywhere if he was really omniscient? This quote just shows me that he

had to come down in order to see things for himself. You know how

people always use the saying “Don’t believe it until you see it.” This is

how I interpret this quote from the Bible. This quote also made me start

to think about prayers. I say this because if God had to come down to

see things for himself then, does that mean he can’t hear our prayers?

Are we supposed to say our prayers out loud in order for him to hear

them? No one can prove this but, if it is true then that just gives you

more to think about because everybody has this notion that he is

supposed to be able to read minds and know everything that goes on in

our minds.

          I know that there are people who might disagree with me and say

that God is omniscient and I believe that they would bring up the notion

of God being the creator of everything; therefore he controls everything

and knows everything. People might think he is omniscient in the sense

he can see every outcome of every choice that we make, and he can

influence our decisions, and try to push us towards the right future.

There might even be some people who disagree with God’s existence. Yes,

I agree that God is the creator of all but, as powerful as he may be I think

the book of Genesis as well as Bible scholars have helped me prove my

point and back up my beliefs. The world today is imperfect, full of

suffering, not just because it is necessary for us to appreciate goodness,

but because God still cannot comprehend every bad thing that will

happen. Omniscience is all knowing infinitely wise. God has not proved

to be all knowing especially in the book of Genesis. There is more

evidence that shows God is not omniscient. If you were to read more into

the rest of the stories that the Bible holds you would find this evidence.

“If God is a “perfectly undifferentiated, completely homogeneous,

immaterial essence,” and if God works in any sense within the realm of

physical law, then it follows that God can neither store nor process any

information, much less be omniscient.” (Greg Tidwell)