STeph's NewTech Blog

2006-05-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Assignment MT3.3

“I cleaned off my desktop”

I use this metaphor a lot when I delete unnecessary files from my computer and the computer I use in the graphic design studio. The metaphor compares a physical desktop full of papers and office supplies to the files and programs that are accessible on your computers “desktop” at all times (just like those papers and supplies are readily available to you.) Instead of using a cleaner to wipe off the desktop and organizing and putting away the papers and supplies, cleaning a computer desktop involves removing files or putting documents in their proper folders. In both situations that outcome leads to a cleaner, more open and organize desktop.

“That’s so easy, an ant could do it.”

This metaphor says that the certain task does not need much thought to do, just like an ant instinctively does his work with no thought. The metaphor might imply that someone is stupid when it is used so it can negatively affect people. It’s not very nice to use and if you are having trouble with something, if that is said to you, then you are seen as less intelligent as an ant.

“My computer crashed.”

This metaphor compares a computer to a crash. When there is a crash, there is a loss of material or information. Since this happened to me recently, I found that my computer suddenly “crashed” when I was unable to turn it on and use it. I concluded that all my information and files were lost just like other crashes. Also in a crash, materials are can be damaged. Before my computer officially stopped working, I knew something was wrong because I was unable to open certain programs and files. They were damaged or corrupted by something. This metaphor allows for a huge range what it means to crash. A car crash for example can be extreme, the car can be totaled, or small when the outcome is a scratch in the paint. Computer crashes can be devastating when every file is lost forever (horrible if you have a paper due and you’re almost done and the computer stops working and the file is lost forever) or not so bad when it simply stops working and someone is able to retrieve the files and you can get them back which luckily I was in that category.

2006-04-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

If we think of the mind as a printing press, it depicts memory as being "impressed" into your brain and it is permanent like ink is once it goes down onto paper. It is very hard to change this information when it is printed which implies that we never forget about our memories, when in fact we do. There is also no way to alter it, which many times a child hood memory for example, we tend to change the shape of the memory as we become older and sometimes the memory is altered. However, the metaphor is accurate when we think of "building" knowledge. When you make a memory, you are making a print and those build up just like your brain continues to gain more knowledge. Also, the process of making a print is simple which doesn't show the complexity of the brain. This is the main reason I agree with the switch to thinking of the mind as a computer. Computers are complex just like the brain and our mind is full of information that we must search for, much like using a browser to search for information. "The brain... operates according to network logic." This is the same for a computer that is organized and based on logic. A computer also allows for information to change and increase much like the information we put in our brains. Because this metaphor so much like our mind, it hides very litter. One factor may be the fact that as long as a computer is working properly, it never loses information. This differs from humans in that we do lose much of the information we put into our minds, especially our short term memory. The brains capacity is also limited, there is only so much that our minds can contain before it stops retaining information. The computer can gather unlimited amounts of information.

Since the human mind is all we know of the most complex way to store information, build knowledge, and make connections/association, it is no wonder why the computer (which is made to be like our minds), is based completely on our minds. Therefore are very close is what they do and how they work... Which is a scary thought to think about the possibilities of the computer in the future if they two become too similar or if the metaphor becomes literal.

2006-04-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

A few metaphors in "Current Ideas about How the Mind Works"

brain = washing machine
bad mood = untuned music (on a radio)
education = technology

In the first metaphor, brain = washing machine, the brain is said to work like a washing machine in that it fills with water (serotonin) and it is able to work properly. Without the water, the washing machine does not work as well and that is a bad thing. This is just like the brain because without seratonin, the brain is unable to work as well and therefore causes depression. The washing machine would not wash the clothes. One of the consequences in this metaphor is that a washing machine can be broken and fixed to work just like new again. A brain, however, can't just be fixed using a few tools and it is rare that it would run like new again.

bad mood = untuned music (on a radio) is a metaphor that compares moods with aspects of music. Music coming out of a radio that is not tuned clearly causes static and an unclear sound. When in a bad mood, your mind could be clouded. By getting rest or adjusting your mind, you mood will become clear just like turning the dial on a radio changes a fuzzy sound into a clear one. The consequence of this metaphor is that fact that it is hard to adjust your mood simply by turning the dial on a radio station or tuneing your mind. Moods can be very fickle and that can make it difficult change it in an instant.

The last metaphor describes education as a technology. Adams believes that the education of "young men" will lead to the technological advances of the future. So, the education acts as the technology because just like techonolgy helps better our future and makes life easier, the education will make people smarter and as a result our futures will be better through the ideas and inventions of the educated. The consequence in this metaphor is that education alone will not help our future. Much depeneds on the person's attitude and capasity for knowledge. If the person does not care or want to learn, the education will not lead to advances. Also, a person can only retain so much information that he or she can make use of. With that information is it up to the person to make a positive advancement. Education needs the mind and motivation of a human to make this a feasible metaphor.

2006-04-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

When you think about a person’s actions as an illness we see whether or not it is curable and try to treat the illness accordingly. We also tend to forgive the person for whatever actions may occur or whatever is said. The illness is blamed for the strange actions. An illness is often something that strikes at anytime and is not biased. Illness can and will attack any type of person at any age. Seeing these strange actions as a possession, however, poses many problems for the person with the illness. The actions are now said to be caused by the devil or whatever evil may be within the person. In this situation, the reason for the strange actions are because of wrong doings of the person and acts as a sort of punishment, thus the person's previous actions in life are blamed. It is also treated much differently. Instead of medicine there are prayers and other religious forms of healing that occur. Ultimately, it is more likely that the person will not get better if their illness is seen as being possessed. The person may be killed or left helpless and alone since others my not be willing to help the person for fear of their own lives.

In this day of age, I certainly believe there are still cases like that of Margaret Cooper's where her strange actions were seen as a possession, but for the majority of people, they would be treated as having an illness. In the past, I think this would have been the opposite situation. Margaret and Eve would have been seen as possessed.

I don't see much of a consequence in strange actions = illness other than an illness doesn't allow for other options. For example, someone with cancer might not be cured by chemotherapy, however, going to a holistic retreat where the mind and body are cleansed and treated differently, may be the right solution. Medicine and other popular ways to treat an illness may not be the right means to stop the strange actions. I do see many consequences in strange actions = possessions, in fact I would greatly fear living in Margaret's time period for the fact that she is blamed for what she is doing. Beliefs become stronger than reality and it is very hard to try to change someone's mind if you have no support or evidence, which Margaret doesn't have for her strange actions. Her life is then left up to what people think of her and who may be willing to try and treat her. A priest might even become involved and his decisions could determine how she is treated.

2006-04-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

The metaphor anger = dynamite implies that like dynamite, anger can be lit and will eventually explode, destroying anything in its path. There is also an implecation of heat and fire which are used to set off the dynamite. When dynamite is lit by this fire, it explodes very quicky. The first stanza, "...my wrath did grow," highlights an aspect of this metaphor because anger gets more intense as it grows. This example, depicts the lighting of the wick prior to an explosion as the spark on the wick get closer to the actual stick of dynamite. The peom however, hides certain aspects of this metaphor, especially that of an explosion. The poems shows a very slow growth of anger that eventually "explodes." This is different than dynamite which is lit and set off very fast. Also, when the foe eats the posionous apple off of the poison tree, there is no destruction or pieces of the foe flying everywhere. In fact, the scene is merely peaceful with the "...foe outstretched beneath the tree."

A poison tree is the metaphor for anger = plant. Some of the qualities of a plant are growth and death and it needs to be feed and it needs sunlight to survive. These qualities are what Blake is using to explain anger. In the line, "I told my wrath, my wrath did end." anger is dieing, however, when the wrath is not told, anger is allowed to grow. This shows that the plant (anger) is controled and my be attended to for survival. To sustain growth, a plant needs food, water and sunlight, all of which the subject of the poeming is providing to his anger. This can be found in the second staza of the poem. The water is fears, food becomes tears, and the plant is able to get its sunlight with smiles. Both anger = plant and anger = dynamite don't show another aspect of anger which is revenge. This poem is about someone who is very angery with his friend who becomes a foe. In the end that someone is pleased when the anger he grew created something (an apple) that killed his foe.

Examples of how this metaphor might be used in ordinary language:

I grew with anger. His laughs only fueled my anger. My anger towards her died as the time past.

2006-04-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

April 5, 2006
Assignment MT intro.2

A generic definition of technology might be, "The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives." or "Electronic or digital products and systems considered as a group: a store specializing in office technology." However, these two do not include or reference writing. Technology must then be redefined to include anything invented to help out or improve society that is not just science related. Historically, since societies have used a combination of oral speaking or writing in order to communicate, it has greatly impacted those societies and still does today. "Oral communication obviously continues to play a fundamental role after the advent of writing, just as writing continues to be fundamental with the advent of the electronic media." Also, the definition must include writing as a fundamental basis of technology that helps us create and further other forms of technology. Other fundamentals would consist of speaking and any other means of creating something better through communication since they aid in the progression or invention of technological advancements.

I agree that the definition of "technology" should be expanded to include writing and/or other means for technology. If writing, speaking or drawing (a form of writing) were not invented, you would have no clue how to use other gadgets because directions of how to use things are writtien or taught to you. Also, you might not even know other gadgets existed since their would not be a way to communiacate about the gadgets exsistance! A circumstance where I might want to rely on this expanded definition would be in a situation where I desperately need an answer from a friend who is in class. In this senarios, they would not be able to answer their cell phones. Through text messaging, however, and with the aid of writing, I would be capable of getting my question answered fast and when I needed it. Writing has also allowed me to communicate through different forms of expression and has helped to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world almost every day of my life.

2006-04-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Advertisement 1: Roca Wear

This ad says that if you wear Roca Wear clothing, you will not only look good and sexy, but you will be rich and a jetsetter. You won?t fly on any plane, you will be flying on private planes with beautiful people and large, leather seats.

Advertisement 2: Gottlieb and Sons (diamond rings)

This ad depicts a man and woman very much in love in wedding attire. They were able to express their love because the girl was given a Gottlieb & Sons diamond ring and now they are very happy. A question is also posed, "How do you find eternity?" This message says that their ring will be the bond that keeps you and your mate together forever.

Advertisement 3: Suzuki SUV

This ad shows a group of people rapidly skiing down a snowy hill in the wilderness. The message here tells us that the Suzuki SUV is a daring car that ifs for the thrill seeking and outdoorsy person. If I buy this car I might be taking a vacation with my adventurous friends.

Advertisement 4: O.P.I. Nail polish (Mexican Collection)

This ad shows a woman in bright bold colors with her nails prominent so that you can see how bold the red color she wears is. The model is more exotic and says that if you want that bold Mexican style you can get it by painting your nails with O.P.I. Nail polish.

Advertisement 5: Gucci Perfume

This ad is just a pretty woman holding a man and the name of the perfume is , "Envy Me." This ad says that by wearing Gucci perfume you would be pretty, be able to attract good-looking men and be envied.

These ads convey an expectation that one must use their product to achieve any sort of happiness in life. in every ad, there was a message that buying there product would help you becomes beautiful, rich, skinny, masculine or popular and that those were credentials needed to become happy. Since each ad is so full of ones dreams and desires these expectations do strongly affect a person's sense of self. They shape and form ones self depending on the individual's needs. Our lives are built by our choices and the products we buy come together in the form of who we are, how we define ourselves.

These expectations seem reasonable at first especially for the products you most desire to want or to be like because that sense of hope is there. You believe that if there is someone out there who is like the model in the ad and is able to obtain certain products, that maybe you could have that too. However, in an ad like the one above for the O.P.I. Nail polish, there is only so much an ad can say about a nail polish. It is ridiculous to think that by wearing it you can live with a little bit of Mexican flare and become a beautiful exotic woman. The ad gives off a very unreasonable expectation for anyone to obtain.

2006-04-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

1) The images in Anne Sexton's poem "Cinderella" are not desirable images. Whenever the bird gives Cinderella a gift, he "would drop it like an egg upon the ground." These words make me summon up an image of a bird pooping which also related to the milkman who goes into realestate and makes a "pile" which also refers to poop. We can relate Cinderella's status with those of the plumber, nursemaid, and charwoman who are all working class people doing dirty jobs to serve someone more wealthy. Thus the way the bird gives her what she wishes does not speak highly of who she is just like the examples of the others who we've always read about but never experienced for ourselves..

2) The image of Cinderella and the Price together at the end is not one to be desired. By referring to glass dolls in a museum case who were never bothered depicts two people who are stuck in one instance of their lives that was the happiest and most perfect. It is the image of two people who are not living because to live is to experience ups and downs, goods and bads, yet "to live happily ever after" doesn't allow for negative experiences. To live without a negative experience would be like living in a glass case where the opportunity of something bad happening is slim, no one could ever hurt you, bring you down, ask you to do something, or tell you no. I believe that is what the author wanted to say about "living happily ever after." It is unattainable and if it were, it would not be pleasant and in the end, it would not be living.

3) Metaphorically speaking, yes I believe several people these days "slice off parts of their bodies" to fit into Cinderella?s shoes. The statement itself says that people take away parts of who they are, their personality and character traits that make up everything about them when they try to fit into a certain mold, or in this case Cinderella?s shoes, to become who they really want to be. People are willing to do anything they can to achieve their perceived self image and this is what the step sisters have done in order to be seen as rich and with a prince.

4) Advertisers convince people that they should buy things by creating a connecting the important things in our lives with a product that can enhance those important aspects. They give us means to become happy and fulfill what may be lacking through a purchase. Advertisers can also convince us to buy something by making a product an essential part of our lives. An example of this is through the slogan "a diamond is forever" which has created an association of diamonds with eternal love. The association has created the need for a diamond in every purchase relating to a relationship meant to last forever and has become a natural part of life when two people are ready to make that commitment.

5) The commodity-image system is a system that shows us what we need in order to be happy. This means that the images given on advertisements persuade us that we will be happier if we buy the product than we would if we didn't have it. Once a consumer buys the product, it is a reflection of who we our and what we desire to be, not what the product really provides us. Therefore, the image given off is that we are happy; it is not the product itself that does this. The commodity-image system can be seen everywhere.

2006-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

All technologies, letter-writing, story-writing, film-making and web-site production all have great impacts on how one can perceive a persons life or scenario within it. For letter writing, who the person is receiving the letter is the most important factor. Depending on how close a relationship is between the writer and the receiver dictates much about the formality of the words. In my situation, writing to my mom created a more positive letter than the letter to my best friend. She knew details about mine and my boyfriend’s relationship unknown to my mother and I felt more comfortable casually talking to her about what words were really used. The letter to my fried was also written as if I were speaking to her, it was that informal. For Story writing, I feel there is more of a loftiness that allows it to flow together well even though the real like scenario was probably rough and not so easy to describe or understand. A story also allows for lots of imagination by the reader. They have license to visualize the characters, what they wear, how they speak etc. that is all guided by the words they read. This makes a huge difference in film-making. Putting media into video format also means exaggeration not only to make a story sound better, but it may be different simply to describe the meaning of something. A story has abstracts the reader can put together to understand. A movie can’t necessarily show that abstract, it needs something tangible to show in order to get the same message across. In written formats, one can imagine things and put a lot of themselves into it. A movie blatantly shows the idea, the faces of the characters, the exact clothes that they are wearing, and they have complete control on exactly what the audience sees since you can only see as much as the camera frame sees. This can cause great disappointment when one transfers mediums. Someone who reads a novel and then sees the movie about it can have expectations of what they’ve visualized from reading, when these descriptions are completely different than the movie, it can “ruin” the story as the reader had seen it. Web-site production is an especially recent technology that media has been transferred to because of the internet. I feel that websites have molded media into more of an outline format to try and understand a story or in our case, our autobiographies. I felt that through making a site map of the website about my life, I created major categories and then a web through which all major events and situations were connected. The website did not allow for much detail unless you navigated to the end of a chain of connections even then it would be hard to show what all a particular situation or point in my life connected or related to because it would become extremely confusing and difficult to understand. At the same time, because of the outline format, it is easier for someone to understand lots of information about my life very fast and easily. I feel that this makes media through a website very convenient and efficient and it was one of my favorite means of communicating about my life.
In many ways the “me” in my stories change from technology to technology as well as the content and detail pertaining to it. This in a sense begins creating a kind of fictional character because even though the events are unique to me, they lack the emotion, feelings, and things learned during each and every occurrence in my life. The viewer of my life through these medias is unable to experience all of those aspects that have created the real me and who I am. The audience is more likely to relate the character to their lives as well bringing me further away from who I am and more into their own fictional character. This also creates a huge boundary. Since there is still room for imagination and thoughts of who I am by the audience as a character, I become intangible and less human. Just as a television star becomes larger than life, who they really are becomes that fictional character because the audience is unable to experience them in person. Another reason for this creation of a fictional character is because a human is complex and has a myriad of reasons for making the decisions that they do. The audience can only go with the information that they have been given and if they are told only a few personality traits, then that is the character that is created, not me with a billion traits some that I probably wouldn’t recognize when describing my own self! These all give significant reasons as to why the real me becomes the fictional character through any type of media.
Through each technology I feel that I, my audience and the medium in which my character is portrayed and the narrative structure itself are all crucial players in writing the character. I feel that each of these have a significant impact upon the character in varying degrees. I myself have very much of an impact because I can give out as much information as I want or give very little. Of course the more of the character I am able to write, the closer the character will resemble me. Through each technology, the audience plays a huge part in writing the character because through any medium, not every detail or piece of information is given and therefore someone, the audience, is left to create the rest of that information themselves. As stated previously, depending on the media, the more that can be left open for the audience or reader to create. This also says that the media plays a large role in writing the character because of how much it allows the audience to imagine. At the same time, it creates a certain format in which the story is presented. This means that the technology has control over the order the audience sees, reads, or hears first, last, how much emphasis is put on certain situations, what is cut out to fit within that format and what is left in it. This too is how the narrative structure has part in writing the character. Depending on the narrative structure used, there is a particular way of putting the story together and that includes what is put into the story, added, emphasized, exaggerated, toned down, etc. All of these aspects play a part in writing the character and depending on who has more control, definitely has more power in shaping the character to their likings.

2006-02-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Maupin
February 15, 2006

Outline of The Wizard of Oz:
1. Toto gets in trouble and is taken away
2. Dorothy is upset and runs away from home, in hopes of something better – to go “somewhere over the rainbow”
3. She meets Professor Marvel who persuades her to go back home
4. She tries to go home but a tornado comes and when she gets hit by a window that knocks her out on her bed
5. When she awakes she is in another land and is soon greeted and congratulated by the good witch for killing the wicked witch of the East
6. She is sent to follow the yellow brick road in order to ask the professor to help send her back home to Kansas
7. On her way to see the wizard, she meets a scarecrow, a tin man and a lion. All are missing something important in their lives and go with Dorothy to seek their needs from the wizard.
8. Along the way they occur obstacles in their path from the Wicked Witch of the West
9. They finally reach the Wizard safely but he asks them to steal the Wicked Witch of the West’s broom
10. They leave to capture her broom but Dorothy is caught by the witch, however her friends save her and they return to the Emerald City with the broom
11. The Wizard refuses to give Dorothy and her friends what they came there for until Toto opens the curtain and exposes the Wizard’s identity.
12. He then gives everyone what they needed, including Dorothy who is given a hot air balloon, but when Toto runs away, the balloon leaves without them
13. The good witch tells Dorothy that she had the power to get home by herself all along
14. She returns to home where she wakes up to find her family members taking care of her and then explains how each of them most have been there with her in her dream

I believe that some people’s lives do have a tendency to follow and take shape of The Wizard of Oz. I, like many people, have often been unhappy with they way things are going in everyday life and feel there is something out there that is better just as Dorothy sings in, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” of that better place. Often times when we are able to experience what we thought was better, we are discouraged or find out what is truly important to us was right there all along. It was a matter of getting there before we could come back and see that. In some cases those dreams and motivations do lead to something better which tend to be the stories seen on Oprah and those who overcome problems. Dorothy and her friends must fight through the Wicked Witch of the West’s obstacles before they are able to achieve what they went to Emerald City for. In everyone’s lives at some point there is some obstacle or someone holding them back from their goals and dreams.
At the same time The Wizard of Oz is also giving a guide to what our lives should be like. We should appreciate and accept where we come from, we should follow our hearts (or the yellow brick road) and good things come to good people. Many of these sayings tell the story of The Wizard of Oz and are commonly known among society.
The particular saying of good things come to good people has a strong tie with what much of society is taught very early and the same is seen in The Wizard of Oz. The story has a stark distinguish between good and bad as the witches that do bad things are labeled “Wicked” and Glenda considers herself a good witch. This clearly says that if you are good, you will receive and achieve good things. Dorothy proves this by being a good girl she is able to go back to Kansas.
I don’t see going “somewhere over the rainbow” as a metaphor for going to the movies or even turning on the television. I feel it means more than that. Going over the rainbow describes a place out of imagination where great things happen. Sure going to a movie one can see and experience a better place might be like, but the song speaks of actually being there just as Dorothy actually goes to Oz. By singing the song she is motivated to make a change and do something and the loss of Toto prompts her to do that and to seek out what is over the rainbow. The change from black and white to color shows how different the two places are and almost immediately tells us that being over the rainbow is better. It enhances the beauty and new ways of life in a different world. I feel this does say a lot about how strong the affects that movies and television can have on our lives. They can show us someone’s imagination of what going over the rainbow or finding something better might be like. It gives inspiration as to what you should be doing or how if you mirror your life like the successful character, you will achieve success yourself. In a sense, being a “good” viewer allows us to believe that our success will come to us if we are good… after the show is over.

2006-02-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

Assignment 2.2

There is only so much that can be tolerated in a robot. We can allow them to perform work and very simplistic tasks that wouldn’t take very much thought from a human as well as try to find ways to make them as human as possible through interactions. There comes a point in trying to program a robot that also limits what it can do because the more we try to allow them to be like humans, the more complex the programming and yet the robot would still rely on the logic and code that it is made of. This leads me to believe that humans are threatened by robots. We only give a robot so much information in its code that it does not allow it to do anything but. We make sure that we have control over the robot in every way. This is represented in Asimov’s novels as the three laws of robotics. “Why can’t a robot be built without the First Law? What’s so scared about it?” (pg.168) Since robots are programmed to have these laws, it insures humans’ power over them and poses serious consequences without them. At the same time, many “robots” have taken those simple jobs that people could have which creates competition and the more advanced these robots become, the more potential of a threat they have to taking more skilled jobs. This fear is recognized in the novel when Vince a worker in the police department has lost his job and Julius Enderby becomes skeptical of the loss of his own job and possibly the taking over of robots. As more and more robots integrate into society, have the power to do things that humans can and therefore really do have the power to take over jobs and this is where I feel the greatest threat that people have, even though that’s exactly what machines are doing today.
In the loss of jobs to robots scenario, there is a big difference between accepting robots as humans and robots as machines. When people think of machines doing work, there is not much anger or threat that comes out of it. It’s more of an aspect of efficiency that people accept. However, the more humanized a robot becomes; the more it is compared to a human and the more aggression we have towards it. When a robot looks human, we expect it to do human things and respond to them as if they are human. We want to respond to them as humans because we are looking for a connection or something to relate ourselves to it. Even in space we are in search of something else like us, it helps us understand who we are and explains things that we cannot explain. We see this response to something that looks so human from Baley the first time he meets Daneel. He is so taken back by just the physical features that it causes him to really examine and find out where his is not human. We know that took some time and even led him to believe that Daneel was really Dr. Sarton himself. Another example of this occurs when Dr. Gerrigel realizes that Daneel is not a human. “It took you a long time to realize that.” (pg.173) Even Dr. Gerrigel treated him like human because he was so much like himself.
I feel that when we see that a robot looks human, we then start to look for human characteristics such as emotion, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We look at all the robot possesses and just how human it is. Since the primates closest to us, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, have many of the qualities of humans we are able to try and figure out just how closely they can relate to us. We can begin to know ourselves better through interactions with them. Relating with something close to use becomes more personal, we understand and that will cause humans to treat things differently. In this case humans do end up anthropomorphizing robots and primates that are more like us and unlike other non-human animal relatives.

2006-02-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Assignment 2.1

By examining our creation of and reaction to robots we can learn a multitude of reasons on what it means to be human. I believe a big part of being human is to make mistakes. What motivates us at our present time as well as Dr. Sarton’s motivations in Caves of Steel are all pushing to create something that will in some improve the quality of life for everyone. As we have been discussing with many of the inventions and advances in technologies, much of them have greatly bettered life as we know it. At the same time, many of those advances have come with consequences or downfalls. In caves of steel, Earthmen are opposed to robots and would like to destroy this technology. An example of the atomic bomb technology comes with very negative consequences to its creation. Robots don’t make genuine mistakes, they are used for doing tasks they are programmed to do and if they falter or stop working, it is by human error or because the machines stopped working properly. We also see through robots that humans are spontaneous and think with reason. Robots do not think for themselves nor do they consider the positive or negative outcomes of what they do, they just do it. An example of this is the situation at the shoe store where R. Daneel points a blaster out at the crowd in order to stop the riots. He does not contemplate anything, his programming tells him the best way to solve the situation and he does it. We see a different reaction with Baley where he considers the possibilities of threatening humans with a blaster. “I could have pulled a blaster on the crowed myself. I had the blaster to do it with. But it isn’t the kind of gamble I am justified in taking, or you either. It was safer toe call squad cars to the scene than to try one-man heroics.” (pg. 38) It means to be human to want to understand and relate to one another which we even do if we speak to other robots but are disappointed by the lack of emotion and intimacy we receive from them.
From tank we saw that there was a need for more interaction on a more personal level in order for humans to want to talk with him and to talk longer. I think that every human is looking for someone to relate to no matter what it is, even through a talking computer it becomes a challenge of curiosity to see how well you can converse with the robot. In the article, the creator of Tank would agree, “Simmons says it's already clear that people will spend more time with a robot that has this kind of natural response.”(Boyce) Tank is starting to respond more and more like a human with thoughts about himself when the conversation gets dull and asks questions that are expected of humans. He also has feelings and emotions which come through in his responses to different things. It helps the person talking to him understand him more and although he can respond like this, he still needs more work to really respond as a human does because his feelings and responses are limited whereas a humans are infinite.
Through technology it has become easier to talk to people without being face to face. This does pose a boundary as to really knowing and understanding what a person is saying. You cannot see their facial expressions, hear different tones in their voice, and it is hard to get a sense of sarcasm or what a person is really saying. The advantage is now you can use smile faces when sending email or talking through instant messenger. These allow the reader to get a sense of your emotion and what you’re truly expressing as they say something. You can also do this by punctuation like using all capitals if you’re yelling something or exclamation points when excited. I also use the … to when I want a large pause or even divide my sentence when I send a message through instant messenger to show a great pause and something important. Since there are so many methods to getting across these emotions and intentions when communicating, I think that it is impossible for humans to communicate without indication of them. A sentence can mean a hundred things without any attachment of emotion or intent and it would be impossible to even communicate because there would be no true understanding of what someone means and feels when they say something. Even when talking through instant messenger I have assumed feelings or asked the meaning of something when I didn’t understand, otherwise I would have missed the entire point of what someone has said to me.

Since robots lack so many human characteristics, I could not work alongside Daneel Olivaw because I would never be able to get past the fact that he is a robot. I want my own kind to prosper and knowing that someone who cannot think for themselves nor has no spontaneity would drive me crazy! At the same time I would have some underlying apprehension and paranoia that the robot could be capable or something that I am not aware of thus it would greatly limit my actions and I would always be on the lookout and watch everything I do. I would not be able to relax at all. I feel that this relates to Baley’s position as well. We know his wife is terrified of Daneel the minute she realizes he is a robot and questions his abilities when he is “sleeping” in their room. Baley on the other hand is not so much worried about the robots actions, but he does question his intentions, especially when he accuses Daneel of being Dr. Sarton himself.

2006-01-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

Assignment NT 1.2
Movies, language, and writing are all avenues of communication that help humankind understand each other more and more. Through these means, Frankenstein’s monster leans more everyday. He comes into life like a newborn, knows nothing, yet quickly learns through means of nature. As he sees more, he learns more and his mind expands the monster to new ideas and new things. The more he knows, the more possibilities exist. This sparks a drive and desire to want to learn more. In the begnning, this growth of knowledge is postivite and enhances his desiers to yearn for more. It deteremind his survival by keeping him warm with fire, berries kept him from hunger and water quinched his thirst. These discoveries lead him to more intellectual learning especially when he began to watch the Delacey’s. At first he is intrigued by all that he is learning and seeks to gain more knowledge. However, the monster decides it is best to master language before confronting them. This is significant because the monster has learned his physical features are frightening to humans, that he is not like them, and must find other means to show he is compassionate and caring and not the hideous monster that people can’t get past. As the monster learns, he makes discoveries about himself and human beings. Although compassionate in the beginning, he realizes that all humans are not virtuous and experienced this because every attempt to integrate into society came with strong rejection. The more the monster continues learning, the more he sees the downfalls of man. “For a long time I could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow, or even why there were laws and governments; but when I heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased and I turned away with disgust and loathing.” (pg. 100) In this sentence there is a kind monster who believes in good and doesn’t want to believe of these bad things, yet has opened to more about humankind, good and bad. Because he knows more, he is no longer ignorant to the negatives of the world which then creates the monsters feelings of sadness. “I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge.” (pg. 101) The monster actually realizes that the knowledge his posses isn’t such a great thing and that it comes with sadness in knowing that bad things happen.

Of all the knowledge of good and bad things the monster possesses, I believe has expanded his mind and allowed him to be more violent. As the monster learns and encounters more experiences in his life, he begins to distort the associations that he makes. One example of this is when the monster is in the woods. He sees a girl who falls into a river and has the compassion to save her. When he pulls her out of the water onto the ground, someone comes and shoots him with a gun. In this particular experience, the monster has now associated that if he saves someone’s life, he will either get shot or repaid negatively. He also helps the Delacey’s and others but because of his appearance, he again is rewarded with being beaten and hatred. This constant rejection he is subject to suffer feeds into feelings of rage and hate which in turn leads him to violent reactions. With no friends or people to relate to, the monster becomes lonely turns to the only person he has been able to have a relationship with, Victor. He believes Frankenstein is guilty of the monster’s misery thus must suffer and ends up releasing his anger out on Frankenstein’s loved ones for this reason.

2006-01-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

Motivation, desire and curiosity are some of the greatest characteristics mankind posses. It is the force behind which most great things happen. These motives are seen within both Walton and Frankenstein in their path to gain great successes. Walton’s letters to Elizabeth show a man who is driven to succeed by the reward of obtaining his dreams. His curiosity of the unknown has put Walton in the position of achieving his greatest passion to find the Northwest Passage. This desire of the unknown has grown so strong that he is willing to sacrifice everything for it that not a single consequence was ever thought of. “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man. These are my enticements…” (pg. 2) Through Walton’s words, there is no sign of doubt in his quest and it was his curiosity that brought him that far. This is the same for Frankenstein whose drive and desire to discover something he thought was so great keep him yearning to learn more and push further into the realm of science. “…in scientific pursuit there is a continual food for discovery and wonder.” (pg. 35) He left for school and ended up neglecting his family and friends to science. This was the same for Walton who also left his sister for his journey. Walton and Frankenstein each possessed much assurance and confidence that in their path to uncovering the unknown only making it easier to not consider any negatives.
I believe through the motives of these two characters, Shelley is showing how the passion of discovering the unknown is unattainable and how once a small success is achieved, it only drives a person further because they are that much closer. They become obsessed and a slave to their curiosity. I also feel that Shelley is giving warning to the consequences of pushing too far into the unknown before ever considering what impact the achievement may have. As a result of this, Frankenstein has created a hideous monster who was the culprit in the deaths of William and Justine, an advancement in science with an outcome that was never foreseen.
These motives are similar if not the same in driving our world and technology presently. It has proved so far to be a positive thing and in the case of Bill Gates, he had to posses some of these characteristics to achieve all that he has. His ultimate goal to create a program that everyone could use, Microsoft Windows, took great time and passion to make possible and his motivation proved to be worthwhile. This drive and curiosity continues to strive through advancements in medicine, technology, and pushes virtually every aspect in the world to become just a little better each time. However, with that could come some potentially negative consequences, which I have no doubt have already begun to impact our world. I believe these consequences are inescapable because our passion of the unknown is stronger than the impact of those consequences, a terror that Shelley began to warn us about when she wrote this novel.

2006-01-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

I definitely think that it is crucial to limit what scientist ought to be allowed to do, especially in relations to genetic engineering. One of my greatest fears is leading to a serious invasion of privacy that could occur from allowing people to be tracked through implants within human bodies. The more and more these alterations are allowed, the closer we get to the ultimate invasion of privacy and further from the meaning of a human-being. I also worry about genetically altering children or picking certain characteristics that they would posses. I feel that it is unfair and almost sickening that one is not content enough with the characteristics their child possesses. It is actually quite frightening. One the other hand, I feel in the future that much of this technology can be used for positive reasons such as savings one’s life or even making prosthetic limbs. I feel like imposing limits and regulations are key in a balance between the positive and negative uses for genetic engineering. I also feel that Hawthorne would agree. Throughout the “Birthmark”, much foreshadowing is used for the reader to sense something tragic would happen. He even uses the character Aminadab to show he is against what Aylmer is doing. While the two are working on a potion, Aminadab mutters, “If she were my wife, I’d never part with that birthmark.” He was able to accept what nature had given her, but unfortunately, her and her husband could not. There is also much warning throughout the story where words of harm are used such as “potent smells” and “deathlike faintness” all of which alluded to death.