Critical Thinking Blog Post #6

My topic for the research paper is, “The Ecstasy and the Agony of Technology: The Promise of Apple Products vs. the Realities of Factory Labor Used to create them.” The reason I chose to write on this topic is that, first of all, Apple technology is quite intriguing to me, so learning about all these harsh labor conditions in class, really took me by surprise. So learning that Apples being such a successful company still fails to give proper basic working rights to their workers, I decided that I would be doing research on this topic. Because everybody cares more about having an iPhone rather than where it comes for, makes this topic even more interesting. Ever when as humans we are always talking about human right, altruistic values seems to disappear when we talk about Apple products, many of us not even caring where it comes from.

     First source: NY Times Article, “In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad,” by Charles Duhigg and David Barboza. This source gives me all the information I need in terms of how Apple workers are treated, the harsh labor conditions they are facing currently. I chose this source because it helps me to prove my point that behind Apples products, the workers behind these apple products are being treated unfairly and paid almost nothing for the work they are doing. Different scenarios where the workers were hurt and how many human lives are being lost.

      Second source: YouTube video, “Why Apple Is Committing a Great Sin” Mike Daisey, talks about the condition the iPad is made in. how shocking it would be for us to find out where Apples products really come from. Kind of breaking the perfect image Apple lovers have for their products.

Critical Thinking Blog Post #5

     When I thought about writing my midterms, I wanted to take the easy way out and was hoping to get topics related to technology, so it would be easier for me. To be honest it has been a really good learning experience for me. Learning about Darwin and these humanistic values like altruism, it makes one think quite a bit on how humans really are. I agree with Darwin that humans are not always generous or altruistic as he says. After going through different text that we have in our course pack the two that really caught my attention about this topic are, “Us and Me” by Ian McEvan and The Selfish Gene” by Richard Dawkins. These two texts were really good for me to support my point and give reasons to why I agree with Darwin. In the article, “The Selfish Gene,” I write on the fact that humans have selfish genes, already existing in them. So when it comes to survival humans tend to be selfish and that’s something we cannot change, because it’s what within us. This text helped me to right that in certain circumstances, why we act selfish. Depending on the level of risk, humans choose how to act and decide what to do in these situations. It’s not that we humans have no altruistic values in them at all; it’s just that we prioritize the level of survival and chances of reproduction in these harsh situations. On the other hand “Us and Me,” humans first reaction sis generosity but after calculation survival chances we seem to forget about being altruistic in those situations. Darwin makes it obvious how survival of the fittest takes places, yet defining at the very same time how genes and different traits help us to survive. Though we sometimes way survival and reproductions, it’s cannot be ignored that altruism is indeed part of us.

Critical Thinking Blog Post # 4

      The clip I chose to write about robots is, Bionics: Robotics for Medicine. The reason I chose to write about this is the fact that, we might feel a sense of threat from robots but this video helps us to highlight some of the positive or help that we can get through robots. To many people robots indeed bring forward a sense of discomfort. Robots have become so close to taking over the things that humans have mostly done so far. People might find it threatening to different jobs, yet at the very same time it shows how much humans have advanced. Having a robot that looks just like human is scary for many people still. Some of us look at the positive side and think that robots are helping in many different ways.

     On the other hand there are some who think to a point that there will be a time when robots will take over. I believe that it’s quite possible. When I look at the 1930s and the world fair, we set forward certain dreams and goals. We didn’t look much at the consequences it held. And now one of the hottest debates is on global warming and how much cars and our waste is contributing to it. Dreaming yet not realizing the consequences that certain dream holds. Robots will bring great benefits and convenience in our life styles or in the times of need, but watching these video clips like matrix and terminator we can see the consequences it comes with. They will bring fast growth and great help, but we still don’t know what we are getting ourselves into. Many people will bring forward criticism on the use of robots, but in the end we can only predict. Leaving it on time, how much of a use robots are and what their future really is.

Critical Thinking Blog #3

The two research topic that I am most interested in are, idea # 2 and # 3. On the third topic what catches my most attention is the attraction theory. It makes me want to go in more detail and learn of the different aspects in which ways could humans leave an image or feelings or attraction in our lives.  How is beauty and personality playing the effect we leave on people? In the second idea what I would think about doing more research on is the vision of car driven future and promise of artificial intelligence. It’s hard for me to choose which one of these two I am most interested in. It amazes me how we had once society that easily has access to cars and now we look at the effects it has left on this society. Then there is the dream to have an active involvement of robots in our lives. Would robots only bring a beautiful and happy life? Isn’t every advancement comes with its effects. The world fair tells us that to the society 100 years ago, cars brought convenience, which now we think about robots. The car culture has left many negative effects, would the core involvement of robots do the same?

After thinking about it for a quite a while I still have no idea what I would like to do the most. The attraction theory keeps me curious and makes me want to do more research on it. While I have quite a lot of thoughts on robots, technology and what technological dreams our society holds. In the end I am still lost, but hoping that with more look and research in these topics, I will be able to decide.

Critical Thinking Blog #2

The clip I have chose to write about science is from, “Prison Break”.  Even though it might seem like there was no science involved, but when I looked at the science where the escape was planned, you can see science all over. The way a person has created a system that connects the inside to the outside of the world, at the very same time that certain science had some faults in it. What really amazes me that in certain scenes, that show how much through learning science of different structures and things have advanced, leaving a person in awe. At the very same time you notice that there are weaknesses or loose ends in these things. They have taken over many of the old ways of living, which has tremendous change in our daily lives. But, this same advancement of science and technology has taken over millions of jobs, which were done by humans before. It really makes you question how much science has helped or how much effect it is constantly leaving on us. As Rothstein talks about in his quotes that, through technology it’s bringing so much, we are shown that attractive side of science that only seems to bring the best in our lives. As we start seeing that science or technology, incorporated in our lives, we realize it has caused a lot of damage. We have only learned that it all has its limits. It’s shown that when these limits are crossed, science and technology could harm us in many ways. When we have over done on the use of it all in our lives, we have lost nothing but our own jobs.

Critical Thinking Blog #1

Hi my name is Hamda Nadeem. My major is social Liberal arts, science and humanities. When I think about it, I might say I am a little of both science and humanities person. I always wanted to be a teacher but as I entered college and took a class where I observed students, I didn’t know if I really wanted teach. While exploring my options I have taken many science classes, which have brought different ideas into my mind and in my daily lives. I feel like technology and science have played a great role in progress that we have achieved in today’s society. We are able to now incorporate modern technology, which we call robots in many different professions and also in the production of products. It has indeed helped in many ways, yet at the very same time it has its consequences. Having these thought on technology and science, I also feel quite comfortable in taking subjects and doing things like, observing and helping, which brings me back to the humanities aspect. It’s hard for me to decide what I really support; science has its positive side while humanities keep the balance in a way.