"They Say/I Say"

This reading was very useful. “They Say/I Say” has a lot of good information on how to write. It provides templates and exercises on how to become a better writer. I particularly enjoyed the examples they use to explain the wide range of uses for this model.

The authors talk about how to take an opinion or piece of conversation and set it up so that you can later refute it. It is also important on how to respond to the opposing opinion. You don’t necessarily need to strictly agree or disagree with the opinion. There are templates where you can agree with some points and disagree with others. They even use this model while explaining it. There are those who say that the “They Say/I Say” model is too restrictive and stifles creativity. However, they give plenty of evidence as to why it is helpful to follow such a model, and how it can still allow the user plenty of free reign. Another important aspect is that you can’t just state how you feel about a certain issue: you must state why you think so. Even if a viewpoint seems obvious, you must state your rationale behind your thinking.

The templates and instructions that the authors give in this reading are extremely useful in writing a paper. I will definitely use some of these templates when writing papers in the future. 

Group Update 4/9/13

My group is on our way to finishing the rough draft. We are all writing separate sections, but we are going to put them together by the weekend. Everything is coming along quite well. There have not been any major problems with the group yet. Everyone is working on their individual sections diligently, and I am happy with the progress we have made. At this pace, we should have no problem finishing the paper and presentation on time. I am excited to see the fruits of our labor. This has been a very interesting topic that I enjoy researching and writing about. Similarly, I like my group members and appreciate the interests and work ethics we share. 

Group Update 4/1/13

This week, we finished up the project proposal and we are almost done with our research. We will continue searching and reading for another week or so, and then we will create an outline for the paper based on the research. So far, everyone in the group seems dedicated and excited about the project. It is a very interesting topic and I am glad to be working with people who share my enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.

The official topic of our research paper will cover the ethics of artificial intelligence. We will discuss the different implications “strong AI” may have on our society. “Strong AI” is a term used to define artificial intelligence that has gained a consciousness or personality. The moral, and possibly even political, issues that may arise from the construction of “strong AI” may be something that humans will have to deal with in the nearby future. 

Group Meeting Post

Our group met online, via Facebook, during class on Thursday. We had decided beforehand that we were all interested in the Robots, Computing, and Artificial Intelligence topic. When we met, we first tried to find an issue that we could center our project around. After searching different online resources, we found many articles relating to the ethical debate surrounding artificial intelligence. Investigating further, we found many sources that we could use, including a few books. We all agreed that this was a fascinating and thought-provoking subject that we could learn and write about.

Qing took a leadership role that started things off. Shan provided tons of extremely useful information for the group. I tried to help guide the conversation with Qing and I found a few of my own sources, but I mostly negotiated with the group to lead them towards a common goal. For some reason, Damian was not present for the conversation, even though we added him to the Facebook chat and previously discussed it. Nonetheless, it was a productive conversation and we got a good start on our research. 

Week 7 Blog Post

Part 1:

The topics that I choose are:

Robots, Computing, Artificial Intelligence:

            Being a computer science major, I am very interested in how computers work. Artificial intelligence is a subject that intrigues me very much, and although I know quite a bit about it, I would always love to learn more about it.

The End of the World:

            The end of the world is another fascinating topic that has always captivated me. There are so many different ways the world may end, and there are just many scientific and religious implications that tie into this subject.

Psychology and Neuropsychology:

            The human mind is the most powerful and amazing computer the world has ever seen. The billions of billions of neural connections allow the brain to receive, analyze, and store an incredible amount of information. Analyzing the human brain can be a lot like examining a computer, so this topic is another that peaks my interest.

Part 2:

These are the articles I found relating to the topics above:

Robots, Computing, Artificial Intelligence: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/technology/in-a-big-network-of-computers-evidence-of-machine-learning.html?ref=artificialintelligence

This NY Times article discusses a Google project that linked 16,000 computer processors to simulate the human brain. This vast network was turned to the internet, and from there, it taught itself to recognize cats. The main achievement of this was that at no point, did anyone from the research team define what a cat is for this network; it created its own definition by studying images pulled from millions of YouTube videos. This project was a giant step for the machine learning community.

The End of the World: http://www.convergingzone.com/technology/12-ways-the-world-could-really-end-in-2012-by-jeff-wise/

This article talks about some of the different ways the world might possibly end. Some of the listed apocalypses are well known ones, such as asteroid impact, nuclear war, and pandemic. Tons of movies, books, and other forms of media have been published using these forms of disaster as plot devices. Other less familiar scenarios are ocean acidification, an artificial black hole, and the X factor, which can be anything that scientists simply don’t know about the universe. For anyone who’s interested in the many theories, and how they work, this article is a great read.

Psychology and Neuropsychology: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199501/its-magical-its-malleable-its-memory

In this article, Jill Neimark writes about how memory may not be as reliable as we may think. We rely on memory so much through-out the day, but we never really think about whether it may be right or not. Over time, memories get fuzzy and unclear. Even if an event has just occurred, people will remember that event differently because everyone has a different point of view. Memories can be changed or altered depending on their review, as in the case of Elizabeth Loftus in this article. 

John Slaughter revisits the changing face of engineering

As a computer science major, I do not deny the importance of STEM majors. Slaughter made a very good argument as to why diversity in the engineering field needs to continue growing. Getting people from all different backgrounds helps broaden the collective viewpoint of everyone in the field of study.  When more observations or points of view are considered, people can make better decisions when trying to solve problems. More importantly, they will be able to understand which problems need addressing. That way, more people can be helped through the scientific progress brought by the new, diverse generation of engineers and scientists.

Later in the article, Slaughter mentions the importance of the humanities, and how engineers and scientists need to be refined in social, ethical, and cultural aspects. Again, I agree with many of the points that he made. People working in the scientific field cannot only have a scientific understanding. They need to be able to apply this understanding to how their scientific progress affects the world. If they do think about the implications their work can have on humanity, disastrous consequences may arise. For example, the Manhattan Project was a giant step in the world of physics. Scientifically, it was a major success in harnessing the power of the atom. However, the way it was used to end World War II is still morally unclear today. The Cold War was another unseen side-effect of the development of nuclear weapons. No one is sure whether it could have been avoided, but we can learn from history and make sure that our current engineers and scientists are more knowledgeable in the humanities, so that they may bring the world into a more hopeful future. 

Letter from Birmingham Jail

King’s eloquent writing certainly has the ability to captivate his audience, much like his speaking. Many of the ideas King presented in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” echoed the philosophies of Gandhi wrote of in “Satyagraha.” King wrote to his fellow clergymen about the civil rights movement he was participating in and the injustice of segregation going on in Birmingham at the time. He said that he was disappointed that the church did not support the civil rights movement. King also explained the power of non-violent resistance and why it was so important that they follow it. This flowed very well with other Gandhi ideas, such as suffering punishment for disobeying an unjust law. However, there were a few factors that separated King from Gandhi. Aside from the two different tasks they tried to achieve, King was a devout Christian and reverend. He spoke of many Biblical scenarios and applied them to the current day. King was also a much better presenter than Gandhi. His writing is more intriguing and King was well known for his powerful and moving speeches. Although Gandhi was a revolutionary in the idea of non-violent resistance, he was not as charismatic as the African-American activist.