Child Development in the Digital Age:
Computer’s Effects on Children
Introduction and Summery:
The topic of children and computers has been of major public and academic interest ever since late 1970’s when computers entered the home. But recently issues of computers’ effects on child development and their place in schools have become a hot-button issue. At the forefront of the critique against computers are people like Dr. Jane Healy and the coalition, Alliance for Childhood, who believe that computers create health hazards and developmental problems for young children. But how accurate are such claims? Research by other academics such as Professor Seymour Papert and Professor Patricia Greenfield, tells a different story. Computers have the potential to be a wonderful intellectual resource for children, agree most educational professionals, but is there validity in the claims that they can also be harmful?
Questions about topic:
1. Does computer use as young children help or hinder intellectual development? What about creative and social development?
2. Do children who use computers constantly gain visual acuity at the cost of verbal and fine motor acuity?
3. To what extent do computers blur children’s ability to differentiate between reality and simulation?
Examples of Tests on which to Focus Inquiry:
I plan to focus my inquiry on the article “Fool’s Gold: a Critical Look at Computers in Childhood” Edited by Colleen Cordes and Edward Miller for the coalition Alliance for Childhood. This article makes some bold claims about how computers are negatively effecting child development. I plan to examine how accurate these claims are, based on the scientific research done in the field of media and child development.
What interests you/ draw you to the topic:
I went to a Waldorf school which has a very unorthodox view of technology in education and child development. It follows the teachings of the philosopher Rudolf Steiner and emphasizes art and imagination. Waldorf schools believe that children should move about the world and experience it with all their senses. As a result of this philosophy computer and television use is frowned upon both in the classroom and at home. Because of my unusual educational experiences, I have always be interested in how other schools and educators view the integration of technology in the classroom and technology’s effects on child development.
Topic: Self Presentation and Multiple Identities on the internet
Summary:
Identity is an important and delicate subject for almost everyone. Who we say we are, how other sees us, and how we present ourselves, all have much to do with identity. Identity can change depending on whether or not you can see the person. On a face to face interaction, identity is mostly judged by what is seen, where gender, race, class, looks, among other characteristics, greatly matter. Thus allowing identity to be manipulated by how others perceive us. However in the virtual world, in which, we are not able to see the physical appearance of a person, the perception of identity changes. By hiding behind the computer screen and with the access to describe ourselves as whoever we want, we enter what is known as multiple identities. Unlike in the “real world” where we have one identity, in the virtual world we are able to be who we desire. We are able to create multiple identities and be a completely different person. We are capable of having control over our identity and changing things such as our gender or physical features. The internet as a form on interaction and communication allows us to have access to multiple identities and have control over how we present our selves. Self presentation over the internet allows us to create our own identity and make changes to it as we desire. As the cartoonist Peter Steiner says, “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog”. Knowing that presenting a fake identity is extremely easy over the internet, we can never be sure if a person is who he/she says he/she is. We no longer feel secure. Self presentation over the internet can be harmful and affect the lives of innocent people.
Preliminary Questions:
Given the fact that on the internet people have easy access to crate multiple identities and have control over the self presentation, is it dangerous to interact with people who we have never met before. What identity features do people have control over on the internet? How can identity differ from online interactions and real life interactions? How likely is it that someone is not who he/she says he/she is? Who is at most danger of becoming a victim of believing someone who presents a fake identity? Are there precautions we can take to avoid interacting with a person with a fake identity? Does the ability to enhance multiple identities on the internet affect our real identity in the real world?
Focus Texts:
I will mostly focus my research paper on the book, “Online Communication, Linking technology, Identity, and Culture” by Andrew F. Wood and Matthew J. Smith. This book contains information about, how online identities are formed, the link between identity and self presentation over the internet, how internet allow us to have control over more aspects of our identities, and gender-swapping. The book also gives examples of things that have occurred and could occur because of the access to multiple identities online. I plan to use this book to back my argument that self presentation over the internet can be harmful when a fake identity is created.
Why this topic:
What drew me to this topic are my personal experiences on the internet. I am one of those people who have a personal homepage and interact with people through the internet almost everyday. I often get friends requests from strangers who I have never seen or meet before, and I often wonder if they are who they say to be. I also have two younger sisters who also have a personal homepage and do talk to others who they do not know. I fear that they might be talking to the wrong person who covers his/her real self with a fake mask or a fake identity on cyberspace. I would like to learn more about multiple identities over the internet to have a better knowledge in regards to the dangers associated with it. With this knowledge I would like to warn my sisters about this issue. I have also noticed the amount of time that my younger sister spends on the internet and it worries me that this might affect her social life, education, family life, and even her own perception of identity. With this I would like to contribute information regarding the danger of online interactions due to multiple identities to the field of technology and society. I would like to focus on the negative effects that technologies such as the internet have in our society.
Topic: Mass media and its presentation of minorities in the United States.
Summary:
Images are the most effective way for human to obtain information. In the United States the majority of people get their information from images and more notably television news. The advancement of technology in the media has allowed for living reporting and more news. More news presents society with more images and leaves less time for explanation and critical interpretation. What if the news media consistently presents the same type of image to society? In the United States the image of minorities, more specifically black people, are often presented in the news as the enemy in society. With the advent of faster technology television news, negative images of minorities in the United States present itself faster and more frequently.
Preliminary questions:
1. What are the type of images that the television media present to society about minorities in the United States?
2. To what extent are these images true? To what extent are these images false?
3. Has the society of the United States become so dependent on television news that critical thinking about the accuracy of the news no longer exists?
Example Focus Texts:
Inventing Reality: The Politics of the News Media by Michael Parenti.
This book focuses upon reasons why television news is geared to report certain type of stories and not others. Dependency upon television news has increased so much that now it is the media shapes the norms of society rather than the other way around. In effect, it is the media that tells us what should be reality and what should not.
Why I chose this topic:
I am originally from South Carolina and when I first came to California I noticed a huge difference between the type of news presented here and the type of news presented in my hometown. In South Carolina most of the news focuses on local crime (especially black crime) and national headlines. However, at least in Santa Barbara, the news tends to focus on popular culture. This lead me to wonder how the same image would be interpreted in these two different areas of the country. This inquiry made me wonder how and why a certain image (such as minorities) would be presented differently in the first place.
Research Proposal
A radioactive spider; a class field trip; and a brainy young man who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. After hearing this description, you’d have to search far and wide for someone who wouldn’t immediately blurt out the name of the famous wall-crawler, Spider-man. His look is unforgettable, his abilities unmatchable, he is the Amazing Spider-man, and, amazingly, he is finding himself each new year to more and more mainstream acclaim. My research will focus in on the anomalous hero that is Spider-man. I will technically, philosophically, and socially analyze the popularity of the hero, yet my thesis regards the possibility of accepting Spider-man as a reality, outside of comic books and films, and apart of our everyday lives. Concurrently, I hope to shred any disbelief in a real Spider-man, by presenting various biological advancements in the field of genetic modification, which will leave little to no extrapolation necessary.
Preliminary Questions:
What biological research has been done in regard to combining the capabilities of one organism with another? What is societies interest in a hero (both as a fictional character and as a reality)? What would the life of a hero be like?
Thus far in the research process I have uncovered a few sources that will be very helpful. One is a book called Redesigning Humans by Gregory Stock, which has a great analysis of how society would mostly likely react to post-humanism.
Second, I have been tracing recent developments in research on creating spider silk in a lab. I am reading, Novel Assembly Properties of Recombinant Spider Dragline Silk Protiens, and hope to use that research to enlighten readers to the amazing properties of spider web.
Also, I have of course been reading Spider-man comics, specifically the Ultimate Spider-man series, which started a few years ago, and retells the origin of Spider-man for the current generation.
Conclusion:
I chose to write about this only because I’m interested in every aspect of it. I am particularly biased on the subject of a real Spider-man, because I am definitely for it. I feel that no one really thinks deep into the future, and what will be possible. Humans invented super humans because it is entertaining to imagine a person with fantastic powers. Yet it is my opinion that biological research will lead man-kind to a world that is right out of a comic book.
Introduction to the Topic:
Ever since the television was invented in the mid-nineteen twenties, the American public has been completely captivated by it. And why wouldn’t they be? Before its invention, families had to rely on other mediums for information, news and entertainment, all of which paled in comparison to it. So it is no surprise that upon its innovation, it became extremely popular and increasingly prevalent in the typical American home. But a piece of technology this big is bound to transform society, and that is exactly what the television did. Its invention quickly began to negatively influence and affect the lives of Americans, especially those of children. Both psychologically and physically, the negative effects television has on adolescents are numerous, and will hopefully prove to be an interesting topic of research.
Problem:
The main issue with television is that adolescents watch it in such great amounts. According to an article by CNN, one that I in fact plan on using for my research, the average American child spends 25 hours a week in front of the television. These 25 hours spent in front of the TV expose children to images of sex and violence, and also take up time that could be better spent on school work, physical activity or extra curricular activities. What the long term consequences of these “side-effects” of TV are, is a question I have about this topic, and hope to answer through further research.
Approach:
There is so much information on this topic available due to it being such a debated issue, therefore making it possible to take a hundred different routes in my research. To narrow it down a bit, this topic can be split into two areas of concern: the negative psychological effects that television has on adolescents, and the negative physical effects television has on adolescents. For psychological effects, I will mainly concentrate on TV causing violence and aggression, as well as a negative self/body image among teens. As for the negative physical effects, I will focus my efforts on proving how TV contributes to poor diet and obesity, as well as lack of physical/extra-curricular activities.
Argument:
The invention of the television has had a damaging effect on America’s adolescents both psychologically and physically. It has negatively influenced the psyche of the average adolescent by constant exposure to violence and unrealistic/unhealthy role model images, and has contributed to decline in physical condition due to it causing poor diet/lack of exercise, and lack of other activities.
I am interested in this topic because watching television is an activity I grew up doing frequently, all the while hearing the negative effects it has on adolescents. So by choosing this topic, I hope to get a better understanding of this issue, and get the record straight. I hope that by doing research on this topic, I can draw more attention to it and make the facts better known, because this issue is often overlooked.
Topic:
In the beginning of the Internet many hoped it would bring true freedom. People would be able to exchange ideas freely, without the interference of government of institution. However, since then governments around the world have begun to exert the presence online. From a governmental standpoint there exists a need to enforce national policy within their borders. Yet, the Internet has no traditional borders. As a result, some individuals find government presence alone controversial. Recent developments show the US government is beginning to take a more active role in Internet surveillance. Other governments such as Saudi Arabia and China have taken blatant steps in restricting free speech. While some find these actions justifiable, others view them as violations of human rights. Contrary to the original hopes for the Internet it seems it has become yet another way for governments to control their people.
Questions:
How might governments use the Internet to violate their citizen’s rights?
How is the Internet being used to track and conduct surveillance?
Points of Interest:
Both Saudi Arabian and Chinese governments use strict filtering to restrict and control the flow of information on the Internet. The Internet was originally thought of as a tool to undermine government power. Yet, these countries governments have found ways to use it as a tool against their own people.
Taking a look at Echelon, Carnivore, and other means the US government may have for surveillance and tracking. How far into our personal lives might US Internet surveillance reach?
Why? / Contribution:
I’m very interested in the actions the Chinese government is taking to control the exchange of ideas on the Internet. It seems to me that this is the most obvious and extreme case of a government using the Internet against its people. I want this issue to be something I can look at in-depth in this paper while not being too specific.
Secondly I want to look at how the US government has stepped up its efforts to conduct surveillance on the Internet.
Hopefully this paper will serve as a warning against governments infringing on the rights of society online.
Topic
The advent of video games has allowed humans to escape reality without ever leaving the house. Video games are a quick and easy way to kill time and provide entertainment, but some individuals can take the idea of gaming to a new level. Video games can sometimes lead to obsessive and addictive behavior, and this behavior in turn can lead to repercussions physically, socially and psychologically. I hope to offer some insight on how this phenomenon occurs and how scientifically credible it actually is.
Questions and Concerns.
Can video game addiction be seen as an actual clinical problem? Is there a physical or psychological aspect to video game playing that would elicit symptoms of addiction? What are the affects of such addiction? To what extent does the Addiction interfere with healthy living? How is such an addiction developed and possibly treated?
Focus
Massive multiplayer online role playing games are a relatively new introduction in the realm of video games. The online communities of games such as Everquest and World of Warcraft number in the millions with players stretching across all continents and age groups. Since these games have been around there have been reports of obsessive playing causing deaths due to suicide over in game issues, malnutrition due to non-stop playing, and neglect in the case of young children being ignored by their game playing parents. I intend to focus my paper on these stories and attempt to analyze whether or not these deaths are truly the cause of video game addiction or something else entirely.
My Interest in the Subject
Like many people I know, video games have been always been a part of my general leisure time. While the amount of time I spend gaming is likely much higher than average, I would hardly rate my behavior as an addiction or even obsession. While I played games like Everquest and WoW, I remember always reading articles that involved the games I played and wondering how such things were even possible. I have always been interested in video games and this will give me an opportunity to analyze the kinds of affects this new form escape has on people.
Introduction & Summary:
Videogames are finally receiving lots of academic attention. The often biased, narrow minded post-Columbine studies into violent videogames and adolescent behavior are rapidly being replaced by more broad reaching and socially important endeavors. Grossing billions of dollars every year, the videogame industry is catching up with the film industry, and it seems fitting that academics are now closing the research gap between these two media. Some games, mostly console-based RPG and adventure games, feature characters and linear stories that can be evaluated borrowing conventional analytical techniques from film and literature. Some games, like Tetris, deserve analysis from an economic or mathematical standpoint, but the interaction between the game and the player ends when the Gameboy is turned off, and thus hold less social significance. A new class of games, the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game, is gaining lots of attention because of a general de-emphasis on objective-based gameplay and an increased focus on social interactions. More specifically, Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) bring together thousands of players to interact in a persistent virtual world.
Preliminary Questions:
Do online game world social interactions closely mimic those in the “real world”? What aspects of the game world influence how one acts within the game? For example, many MMORPGs require users to choose a “class” or “race” at the outset of the game and the user is not allowed to change this class without starting over. Does the choice of class influence how one acts throughout the game? This brings up another important question: are online identities completely separate from “real” identities?
Example Texts:
“The Demographics, Motivations and Derived Experiences of Users of Massively-Multiuser Online Graphical Environments” by Nick Yee is a long and comprehensive follow up piece to another important paper, “The Psychology of MMORPGs.” Both papers use evidence based on extensive surveying of MMORPG players to gain some insight into the interactions that take place within the online game environments.
Why This Topic:
I’m actually of the opinion that these MMORPGs are a bottleneck for socialization. The “game” is inherently a limiting factor on the types of interactions that can take place between people. A player can only interact in ways that were pre-programmed. Therefore the popularity of MMORPGs as a social outlet is quite surprising to me and is the primary interest of this proposal.
Background
We now live in the age of information. Today’s society has become depended on huge amounts of information readily available. What would happen if our dependence upon information became a dependence on the controllers of our information? The goal of Google Inc. is to organize all of human information and provide the information to its users. Google started out as a search engine indexing websites. However due to their success and innovation of new technology they have expanded to attempt to organize all forms of information including e-mail, computer files, video, books, and the geography of the earth.
Focus Articles
When does organization of information become control of information? A documentary by SBS “Google – Behind the Screen” alludes that society needs to be careful that Google does not become and Orwellian “Ministry of Truth.” In an interview with one of Google’s vice presidents Vint Cerf, he admits that all information has the potential to miss presented. The documentary goes into depth on Google’s project Google Print. The goal to digitize books has some librarians worried. The fear is that Google is a private company and the record of all of human history should be in the public domain rather than private. The documentary alludes suggests that if one organization could organize all of societies information both past and present that it would have the power to alter the information to change truth.
Questions and Proposed Research (probably focus more on one of these for a thesis)
I propose to conduct research to answer the following questions.
* Can technology be unbiased in processing information or will it contain the bias of the technologies creator?
*To what extend do web users trust these new technologies of information and how does that compare to trust of past information distributing technologies?
*Does the development of technologies to control all information create a problem for society? Is the development of the technologies a problem or the intended use of the technologies?
*Are the implications of information controlling technologies different if possessed by governments of private companies?
Abstract
Enhancing our Future one Atom at a Time: Nanotechnologies and their Role in Society
Background of Nanotechnology:
Unlike the cotton gin, the transistor radio, the steam engine, and the automobile, nanotechnology is no single invention. Therefore, it is more accurately referred to as the nanotechnologies. As one could conclude from its prefix, the nanotechnologies are concerned with the world of the small. A nanometer is exactly 1/millionth of a meter, or to conceptualize easier, a piece of paper is roughly 100,000 nanometers thick and about 3-5 atoms fit inside 1 cubic nanometer. Nanotechnology was first discussed by physicist Richard Feynman in 1959 at the California Institute of Technology. Feynman suggested, “…we can arrange the atoms the way we want; the very atoms, all the way down! What would happen if we could arrange the atoms one by one the way we want them”. In 1986, Eric Drexler, an MIT engineering graduate, published the book, Engines of Creation, which describes the amazing applications of nanotechnology and brought the topic to a controversial forefront. While nanotechnology is already being used in fabrics, sunscreen and other materials, Drexler’s nanotechnology has the goal of being able to build with molecules to make systems of molecular machines. By building atom by atom, engineers can arrange molecules into any pattern they choose, and could build machines just as intricate as natural living cells. This would bring about invisible microscopic machines that could roam inside the human body to repair cells damaged by disease or aging. Furthermore, incredibly strong materials, invisible matter, matter that could actually replicate or rearrange it self, and pollution free manufacturing all could be realistically created.
Applications/Products:
Currently, the use of nanotechnology is in a “pre-competitive” stage, which means that its applied use is limited. However, nano-particles are being utilized in a number of industries such as electronics, magnetic engineering, fiber-optics, biomedical engineering, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and energy and catalytic materials applications. Thus far, the most lucrative applications of nano-particles have been chemical-mechanical polishes, magnetic recording tapes, sunscreens, automotive catalytic converters, biolabeling products, electro conductive coatings, and optical fibers.
In the future, a wide range of applications are expected as significant research is already under way. The pharmaceutical and chemical industries are being impacted greatly by nanotechnology. In the next few years many new innovations are expected. At UCSB, among many other institutes, scientists are busy creating advanced drug delivery systems including implantable devices that automatically administer drugs to specific areas and monitor drug levels. Another specific innovation being developed by UCSB researchers is fuel cell to hold Hydrogen gas for hydrogen fueled cars. The automotive industry has already been impacted by UCSB graduates who have invented the catalytic converter used to lower emissions level in fossil fuel burning cars.
Nanotechnologies and Society:
Nanotechnologies may contribute to major changes to the US and global economy, workforce, and way of living. These new nanotechnologies pose many uncertainties for society. The risks that may accompany their use are largely unknown and their potential social and economic effects raise many questions which are difficult to anticipate. A technology this powerful would cause many social changes and disruptions so it is to be expected that people will have fears. The challenge will be to introduce this technology responsibly so that society can gain the benefits without the potential problems. In the past as new advances have been made with technology there has been fear of change. Society is willing to make the changes, because it believes that the benefits are worth it. The same would be true for nanotechnology. Disease, hunger and chemical pollution becoming non existent through the use of nanotechnology would be worth the education and new policy regulations required.
Conclusion:
I was drawn to this topic initially because of how many academic fields are concerned with the advancement of nanotechnology, such as molecular physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. As a bio-chemistry major, I figured I should research a new trend in science since I could potentially apply my education to this area. Furthermore, the wide of range of potential applications of the field allow for many important innovations to be created. In researching this topic, my goal is to inform the general public about the background of nanotechnology, such as its history, its potential applications, and possible influences on society.
Throughout the course of human history there have been very few things that have remained constant. One of the items that have been changing constantly is the technology we use in our daily society, especially within the last few decades. These changes have allowed for a completely new way of living than we have seen in the past. The major contributor to these changes has been the development of the internet. The internet has opened windows that were never even imagined just as few as thirty or forty years ago, specifically the version used in today’s society known as Web 2.0. This is the second generation of the World Wide Web, which allowed for a variety of new features such as easier collaboration and sharing. This paper will focus on how the internet became what it is today, how it has changed throughout arriving to its current version, and how society has been changing with these various advancements.
When researching this topic, there will be a variety of questions that will be hopefully answered. A few of these questions are: When was the internet first developed? When did it become available to the general public? Was the version given to the public altered in anyway perhaps in fear of not knowing its power? What sort of affect has it had on the daily life of individuals throughout the world? And also, what has been the overall response to the development of the World Wide Web? One good example of something that has obviously changed with this new technology is the explosion of new money making opportunities. This is just one thing I have noticed since I started using the internet and I hope to find many more interesting results.
I chose this topic because ever since the internet became such a household commodity, I have felt that it has changed the world more than any other technology. I have always been an avid user and felt that it is one of the most, if not the most, incredible creation in the history of man. No other item has ever had this sort of global impact that I know of. With this paper I hope to learn a lot more about how this global connection of people was thought of and then created. I also hope to see just how it is changing the lives of people and whether or not it has had a positive impact.
It’s nearly impossible to step outside in today’s modern society without being bombarded with messages regarding how you should appear to fit in. Advertisements and media sources adorn every public place, encouraging people to look young, fit, beautiful and successful. Although the appeal of appearing a certain way in order to impress is no new matter, it seems to be increasing infatuation. People are all trying to find the quickest and simplest methods of success in their daily lives, yet it seems that by choosing the faster path leads to a quicker end, if the goal is ever reached. For example, a man may be looking for a quick meal every day and so he sacrifices his well balanced diet in order to accomplish more in his day. Yet slowly the effects catch up and he begins to have health risks such as diabetes, cardiac disease and obesity.
What are the best lifestyle choices? How is the average person supposed to lead this lifestyle, or better yet, be aware of it with all the mixed signals in today’s society? I’m interested in investigating and writing about the effects of technological advances in the food and health industry and how it is affecting the average person in America. For most Americans today health and beauty has become a major goal, yet there seems to be a lack of knowledge or clarity on what should be done in order to obtain this goal. I would like to explore some of the various ways in which Americans are causing themselves more harm and how the changes in our lifestyles through the advancement of technology is actually harming the average person.
One source of investigation that I will be using is a documentary that popularized the awareness of health risks of fast foods, Super Size Me. The documentary goes through a mans journey as he dares to eat only McDonalds fast food, along the way revealing some scandalous facts that were generally unknown, and certainly not publicized about the fast food industry. I also plan on researching journal articles and other sources that are informative of the risks of recent eating habits.
I find health and fitness to be a very complex and usually thing in life and I would love to acquaint myself better with the topic. Since there are so many different messages out there today on what is the healthiest way to live, I would really enjoy immersing myself in the topic and hopefully coming up with my own theory, if not the correct one, on what is the ideal lifestyle.
Summary of Topic:
Mass Media’s Effects on Culture—-How Television Influences Behavior
Mass media in the information age is fed and given substance, existence, its own actuality, and as such, is gradually growing into the hands that now rules collective reality. It has learned to understand the law that governs the masses, meticulously taking note of the anatomy of human consciousness and with that, the channels of subconsciousness. With the advent of the television, the media is bestowed with a gift of ubiquity, being everywhere all at once; this it employs to intoxicate its viewers—-overwhelm them with fragmented bodies of data, drive them to the point of confusion and madness—-so as to shackle their senses and render their cognitive faculties incapacitated. Consistent exposure to television then, is consistent exposure to a toxic mass of content moving in techno-time, being at once visually infused with a venomous poison that disrupts the normal sequences of cognition and soon paralyzes all thinking functions of the mind. In effect, the unreal is taken as the real, and the real, the unreal, such that the line between fiction and nonfiction is blurred and risks going out of existent. Heavy television consumption, at length, reinforces in the minds of the average American family—-whose religious television devotion spans nearly 6 hrs a day—-a reality that, in fact, has no quality of realness; it lives and breaths within the matrix of a script—-a script so seemingly detailed, it is confused as reality itself. Television becomes to “define the term of people’s understanding, the boundaries of human awareness,” (Mander 87) and American popular culture thus begins. Relying on “simplification and exaggeration to grab and hold audiences” (Sanes) the media is able to instill specific social perceptions in its audiences. Long periods of television exposure leads to a “‘mnemonic learning’”; that is, ‘learning without the conscious participation of the learner’” (Mander 82). Depiction of stereotyped roles on the screen—-in particular, gender roles—-therefore, go unchallenged. Gender qualities become common sense: males are inherently strong, rugged, unruly, independent, and are fit for ads involving sports and heavy machinery whereas females are naturally delicate, attractive, and beautiful, being more fit for beauty commercials and domestic, household ads. Recurring stereotyped imagery bridges the gap between the script and reality and mobilizes a nation that produces formulaic individuals—-those who are not just physically either male or female but also mentally male or female, as if there is such a thing.
Preliminary Questions About the Topic:
1. How does televised gender stereotyping affect career choices?
2. How pervasive is gender stereotyping?
3. To what extent is television responsible for shaping and perpetuating gender roles?
Examples of Texts and/or Events Focus On:
Examples include various TV commercials that involve beauty and household products as well as truck/home improvement tool ads; gender bias is clearly illustrated therein.
What Draws You To the Topic:
TV viewers are convinced they have the control over a seemingly harmless TV tube but interestingly, they are the ones most vulnerable to the dictates of such a tube. It is most dangerous when viewers are unaware of the point at which the TV takes over. I’m here interested in the role TV plays in the subtle construction of reality of its viewers.
What You Hope to Contribute to the Field With Your Project:
I hope to further the understanding and awareness of how culture, in genernal, and gender, in particular, are formed in the age of technology, and how much they are dependent upon technology.
Proposal
My paper will basically talk about how the piano, as a technological and historical innovation developed and its impact on music and society.
The invention of piano borrowed ideas from harpsichord, its former musical instrument. In other words, piano was derived from harpsichord. Therefore, this essay will compare harpsichord with piano by talking about function of both instruments. For instance, harpsichord makes itself to sound by using quills to pluck strings, while a piano’s strings are struck by hammers, which detach the string at once to leave it to vibrate freely. This theory results distinct sound of each instrument, and thus dynamic changes of music were allowed to be made on piano while harpsichord could never do it. As a result, supposedly, dynamics marks appeared for the first time on keyboard music composition; by the time music entered a relatively new period, compositional and performing style changed according to the availability of piano. Musicians created more dramatic music with this new instrument. As piano developmented, the technology was applied with electricity to bring up the stereo piano for jazz or rock bands. Stereo piano can imitate sound of other instruments on itself. Piano became more a common practice, also gradually a most popular way for a person to learn music. Piano can appear in any occasion from concert stage as solo or accompaniment, to classroom use for teaching music theory, to entertainment purpose in restaurants. To me, piano is an extension of music, and a bridge between people and music. Furthermore, electronic music elements provided by stereo piano has profound use in recent genres. It affects movies. In old movies, the background music was always played by pure symphony orchestra; in new ones, music was sometimes synthesized by computer to create sound, which original instruments cannot do. Thus, movies bring more excitement than before. These are some examples; this paper will analyze more its impact on humanity.
This topic first aroused some possible questions to me, such as how it affected the performing styles and musical genres and composition as piano evolved;
The factors which have made the piano such a popular instrument over the others; and how the piano has created such an elegant impression among the public. However, I developed more interests in knowing if there would create a newer instrument to replace the piano, or it is the ultimate keyboard instrument that had such a huge influence on music. Therefore, this paper will also try to exam on the reason why piano was invented through social, historical and musical perspectives. By knowing the necessity of its existence, one can understand better how the development of piano and the development of music affect each other, and its resultant influences on culture and society.
Piano itself, as a complicated and amazing object, is very attractive to me; and I’m interested in the structure, which makes it function and the history of its evolution. I think by knowing the technology behind the keyboard instrument will help my major study, especially the way I pursuit performance. I believe that music nowadays become more necessary, sensible, useful to and appreciated by the public than ever before, and the piano plays a major role in shaping it.
Summary:
I am interested in the internet. The internet has been one of the most current advanced technologies which have been interpreted negatively as a source of information, there has to be a positive way to access the internet. With that said, finding lost or stolen people is a positive way to use the internet. The internet is a source of information that can be managed by an unknown person behind a screen that is why so many questions arise in regards to the validity of information given over the internet. But when someone is desperate to find a lost person the internet then becomes the most appropriate way of communicating tool to finding the lost person.
Preliminary Questions:
How can the information given over the internet be helpful in finding lost people? How can we find out if the person on the other side of the screen is not making up that they have found the lost victim?
The information that is placed in the internet on websites for lost people has the description of the victim but will it be risky to put the contact information? How misleading can the information over the internet be? How can the information help the victim and their relatives?
Texts and/or Events:
I have read a couple articles online that give examples of how the internet has helped them find out that he was an abducted child for about ten years by simply placing his name on google.com. Another article I will be using is one that describes the method used to find this girl with the help of computer software. I am still doing research for more articles and maybe if I find a book.
Interests:
I am interested in the way that the internet access can be used in a positive manner, because I am one to think that the internet creates problems and is mostly used in a negative approach. I would like to see for myself how these websites for lost people work. It must be easy to see who is missing but how easy is it, and is there a possibility that there is too much information given to the public eye. I want to show both the positive and negative way that the internet is used to find people and what the differences are, in order to make sure which websites online are the best ones.
The problems in the Middle East, ever-changing gasoline prices, and environmental pollution show that there is a dire necessity for the United States to wean itself off the “bottle” that the oil industry is incessantly feeding us. There are many alternatives to replace, or possibly complement, gasoline-powered industries and items; such as, solar, electric, natural gas, wind, and hydrogen power. The hydrogen fuel cell is the newest and seemingly most promising alternative to gasoline because of the abundance of hydrogen and its ability to run with nearly zero emissions. Hydrogen has a number of ways that it is superior to oil, such as: safety, emissions, ability to be reused, and will give the United States and world economy a boost. One day the fossil fuel reserves in the world will run out and there will be a need for hydrogen power technology.
Companies realize that there will be a change in the way that the world gets power, so they are trying to position themselves to be the winners in this energy transition. The United States consumes approximately 2.2 billion barrels of oil ever year, replacing oil with hydrogen can reduce the trade deficit by about sixty billion dollars every year. Automobiles account for much of this because cars, SUV’s, and other light trucks consume about 8 million barrels of oil every day. This is more than any other country in the world consumes in their total economy on any given day; this is not taking into account all of the money that is spent on maintaining the military in the Middle East (Lavelle, 2003, p.38). Remaining oil reserves are being consumed drastically on a global scale due to increasing population and consumption per population. Gas prices may be impacted by these actions, and every person who drives a car pays the penalty.
The Reason that I am interested in this topic is because I believe that this will be the future of the world economy. I also believe that this technology will ultimately benefit society. The ability of hydrogen fuel cells to produce zero toxic emissions and yet be infinitely renewable shows that it is superior over our current oil based economy. The change to a cleaner and self-sustaining form of energy should be embraced because procrastination will lead to many problems in the future. This new technology will allow for a world in which humans can live without detrimentally harming nature. The winners in this transition will likely be the common person, who will not have to pay for the ever-rising gas prices, but, instead, a consistent price for this renewable energy source.
When Aaron and Abe find out that their mass reduction machine can actually be used as a form of time travel, they realize they have stumbled upon something great. At first they do simple tasks such as going back and betting on sporting events to make a profit. Later they attempt to play God by going back to save the life of one of their friends. But eventually their own greed catches up to them as they end up fighting different versions of themselves in order to maintain power over the other.
The idea of traveling through time is something that has occupied our minds almost since man had an understanding of the essence of time. Early science pointed to the conclusion that traveling through time, either backwards or forwards, was not physically possible and contradicted all conventional beliefs in science and religion. However, when Albert Einstein came up with his theory of general relativity he threw all common theories against time travel out the window. The idea that both speed and now time were relative (except for the speed of light) meant that time travel was technically feasible and bought the idea back into the minds of humans.
The ability for humans to travel through time is something that is still under much debate by physicists, philosophers, and astrophysicists, but one group that readily accepted the idea of time travel was the movie industry. With movies ranging from comedies like Back to the Future and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure to dramatic thrillers like 12 Monkeys to independent films such as Donnie Darko and Primer, the movie industry has really picked up on the idea of time travel, giving different portrayals on how the world would work if it was possible. The problem with films is that many portray time travel in a very ridiculous manner. And even the ones that are not overwhelmingly ridiculous still have their flaws.
Two of the best portrayals of time travel in film come from Donnie Darko, written and directed by Robert Kelly, and Primer, written and directed Shane Carruth. Both of these films portrayed more scientifically and philosophically sound versions of time travel. However, neither was without their flaws. Controversy and fallacies abound when the topic of time travel arises and these two films are no exception. To get a sense of the realism of time travel in film, the use of time travel must be scientifically and technologically analyzed, as well as any paradoxes and fallacies brought up by the time travel techniques.
To most of America college means many new adventures and challenges; but to the root of it all, it means independence. High school graduates look forward to experiencing life without parents at their every call, class without teachers that know every name, and the opportunity to flourish without hand-held guidance. This amazing existence, however, has recently been punctured and jeopardized by an invasion of something that only a college student should be able to be a part of. Authority figures, parents, and outsiders have learned and enabled themselves to theoretically hack into the facebook.com haven, a college student’s online atmosphere to find other students, activities, classes, and so much more.
The interest of my paper will primarily consist of a handful of examples of crimes and punishments that would not have been possible if it were not for facebook. Sources such as “When Students open up—a Little too Much” from the Boston Globe and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12209620/sit/newsweek/ talk about police looking at pictures, groups, and wall posts in order to break up parties, find people who had ran onto a football field after being forewarned, and exclude certain candidates from job opportunities and such.
I am going to delve into this idea from a student’s perspective and argue the justice of this invasion. A website that is designed to ease a college student’s career should not consist of being afraid to be honest, express who one is, or one’s plans for the weekend. By parents, police, and resident officials snooping into facebook.com in order to arrest, write up, and scold leaves students exactly where they were before they made it to college-dependent. It is an invasion of privacy to look at pictures just to see if there is a Coors or a cigarette in one hand. My research paper will explore the many incidents that have taken place through facebook, it will address the original intent of the creator, Mark Zuckerberg, and it will compare crossing the line of facebook with crossing the line of privacy and the law without a .com.
Introduction to the topic:
In recent years the state of California has adopted laws which allow medically prescribed patients to smoke marijuana as a way of coping with their illnesses. In order for people to obtain medical marijuana they have to first be prescribed from a doctor then are able to obtain marijuana from a number of undisclosed cannabis clubs. The use of medical marijuana has been known to have positive effects on patients and alleviate the pains caused by illnesses such as AIDS and Cancer. Although medical marijuana proves to be helpful in such cases the Federal Government is desperately fighting against medical marijuana as it undermined their ability to fight the War on Drugs.
Problem:
The problem that exists today is that the government has created a cultural axiom centered on marijuana being an illicit drug. The Federal Government has created such a negative image of marijuana that politician and policy makers refuse to accept medical marijuana as legitimate medicine to these terminally ill patients. Another problem is that the Federal Government is going after those medical marijuana growers which under state law are allowed to grow medical marijuana. The problem is that marijuana is being considered on the same basis as harder drugs like cocaine and heroin being that marijuana has medical benefits.
Approach:
Treating the argument as a research question I will disentangle the truth behind both sides of the issue. I will research the scientific aspect of medical marijuana presenting an objective point of view after careful scrutiny of the “medical” aspect of marijuana. I want to show scientifically whether marijuana and all its artistic forms of consumptions actually in fact provide any medical benefit to users. I want to show the difference between medical marijuana and regular marijuana as well as show the positive and negative side effects of different consumption methods. I want to also shine a light on how and why the Federal Government is so fiercely against medical marijuana. I want to compare specific counties in California and how the laws in each county differ according to geographic location.
Argument:
In my opinion medical marijuana is a legitimate medicine to the terminally ill. Not only is medical marijuana helpful in alleviating unpleasant diseases, patients are able to use the medicine without risk of harmful side effects. The availability of Vaporizers, an instrument used to extract the good components of marijuana without inhaling the bad, allows for patients to use medical marijuana with fewer side effects than many other prescribed drugs. Not only should medical marijuana be available to patients, I think marijuana in general should be legalized. I honestly believe that if marijuana was available everywhere like cigarettes then not as many people would be smoking marijuana. People get a kick out of knowing the government is against marijuana smoking, that is why they smoke it. If marijuana was legal then the price of marijuana would go down and all the drug lords making huge amounts of profit off marijuana would go out of business. Not only making society a safer place, the government would also benefit from collecting taxes from all the marijuana sales.
Child Development in the Digital Age:
Computer’s Effects on Children
Introduction and Summery:
The topic of children and computers has been of major public and academic interest ever since late 1970’s when computers entered the home. But recently issues of computers’ effects on child development and their place in schools have become a hot-button issue. At the forefront of the critique against computers are people like Dr. Jane Healy and the coalition, Alliance for Childhood, who believe that computers create health hazards and developmental problems for young children. But how accurate are such claims? Research by other academics such as Professor Seymour Papert and Professor Patricia Greenfield, tells a different story. Computers have the potential to be a wonderful intellectual resource for children, agree most educational professionals, but is there validity in the claims that they can also be harmful?
Questions about topic:
1. Does computer use as young children help or hinder intellectual development? What about creative and social development?
2. Do children who use computers constantly gain visual acuity at the cost of verbal and fine motor acuity?
3. To what extent do computers blur children’s ability to differentiate between reality and simulation?
Examples of Tests on which to Focus Inquiry:
I plan to focus my inquiry on the article “Fool’s Gold: a Critical Look at Computers in Childhood” Edited by Colleen Cordes and Edward Miller for the coalition Alliance for Childhood. This article makes some bold claims about how computers are negatively effecting child development. I plan to examine how accurate these claims are, based on the scientific research done in the field of media and child development.
What interests you/ draw you to the topic:
I went to a Waldorf school which has a very unorthodox view of technology in education and child development. It follows the teachings of the philosopher Rudolf Steiner and emphasizes art and imagination. Waldorf schools believe that children should move about the world and experience it with all their senses. As a result of this philosophy computer and television use is frowned upon both in the classroom and at home. Because of my unusual educational experiences, I have always be interested in how other schools and educators view the integration of technology in the classroom and technology’s effects on child development.
Topic: Self Presentation and Multiple Identities on the internet
Summary:
Identity is an important and delicate subject for almost everyone. Who we say we are, how other sees us, and how we present ourselves, all have much to do with identity. Identity can change depending on whether or not you can see the person. On a face to face interaction, identity is mostly judged by what is seen, where gender, race, class, looks, among other characteristics, greatly matter. Thus allowing identity to be manipulated by how others perceive us. However in the virtual world, in which, we are not able to see the physical appearance of a person, the perception of identity changes. By hiding behind the computer screen and with the access to describe ourselves as whoever we want, we enter what is known as multiple identities. Unlike in the “real world” where we have one identity, in the virtual world we are able to be who we desire. We are able to create multiple identities and be a completely different person. We are capable of having control over our identity and changing things such as our gender or physical features. The internet as a form on interaction and communication allows us to have access to multiple identities and have control over how we present our selves. Self presentation over the internet allows us to create our own identity and make changes to it as we desire. As the cartoonist Peter Steiner says, “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog”. Knowing that presenting a fake identity is extremely easy over the internet, we can never be sure if a person is who he/she says he/she is. We no longer feel secure. Self presentation over the internet can be harmful and affect the lives of innocent people.
Preliminary Questions:
Given the fact that on the internet people have easy access to crate multiple identities and have control over the self presentation, is it dangerous to interact with people who we have never met before. What identity features do people have control over on the internet? How can identity differ from online interactions and real life interactions? How likely is it that someone is not who he/she says he/she is? Who is at most danger of becoming a victim of believing someone who presents a fake identity? Are there precautions we can take to avoid interacting with a person with a fake identity? Does the ability to enhance multiple identities on the internet affect our real identity in the real world?
Focus Texts:
I will mostly focus my research paper on the book, “Online Communication, Linking technology, Identity, and Culture” by Andrew F. Wood and Matthew J. Smith. This book contains information about, how online identities are formed, the link between identity and self presentation over the internet, how internet allow us to have control over more aspects of our identities, and gender-swapping. The book also gives examples of things that have occurred and could occur because of the access to multiple identities online. I plan to use this book to back my argument that self presentation over the internet can be harmful when a fake identity is created.
Why this topic:
What drew me to this topic are my personal experiences on the internet. I am one of those people who have a personal homepage and interact with people through the internet almost everyday. I often get friends requests from strangers who I have never seen or meet before, and I often wonder if they are who they say to be. I also have two younger sisters who also have a personal homepage and do talk to others who they do not know. I fear that they might be talking to the wrong person who covers his/her real self with a fake mask or a fake identity on cyberspace. I would like to learn more about multiple identities over the internet to have a better knowledge in regards to the dangers associated with it. With this knowledge I would like to warn my sisters about this issue. I have also noticed the amount of time that my younger sister spends on the internet and it worries me that this might affect her social life, education, family life, and even her own perception of identity. With this I would like to contribute information regarding the danger of online interactions due to multiple identities to the field of technology and society. I would like to focus on the negative effects that technologies such as the internet have in our society.
Topic: Mass media and its presentation of minorities in the United States.
Summary:
Images are the most effective way for human to obtain information. In the United States the majority of people get their information from images and more notably television news. The advancement of technology in the media has allowed for living reporting and more news. More news presents society with more images and leaves less time for explanation and critical interpretation. What if the news media consistently presents the same type of image to society? In the United States the image of minorities, more specifically black people, are often presented in the news as the enemy in society. With the advent of faster technology television news, negative images of minorities in the United States present itself faster and more frequently.
Preliminary questions:
1. What are the type of images that the television media present to society about minorities in the United States?
2. To what extent are these images true? To what extent are these images false?
3. Has the society of the United States become so dependent on television news that critical thinking about the accuracy of the news no longer exists?
Example Focus Texts:
Inventing Reality: The Politics of the News Media by Michael Parenti.
This book focuses upon reasons why television news is geared to report certain type of stories and not others. Dependency upon television news has increased so much that now it is the media shapes the norms of society rather than the other way around. In effect, it is the media that tells us what should be reality and what should not.
Why I chose this topic:
I am originally from South Carolina and when I first came to California I noticed a huge difference between the type of news presented here and the type of news presented in my hometown. In South Carolina most of the news focuses on local crime (especially black crime) and national headlines. However, at least in Santa Barbara, the news tends to focus on popular culture. This lead me to wonder how the same image would be interpreted in these two different areas of the country. This inquiry made me wonder how and why a certain image (such as minorities) would be presented differently in the first place.
Research Proposal
A radioactive spider; a class field trip; and a brainy young man who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. After hearing this description, you’d have to search far and wide for someone who wouldn’t immediately blurt out the name of the famous wall-crawler, Spider-man. His look is unforgettable, his abilities unmatchable, he is the Amazing Spider-man, and, amazingly, he is finding himself each new year to more and more mainstream acclaim. My research will focus in on the anomalous hero that is Spider-man. I will technically, philosophically, and socially analyze the popularity of the hero, yet my thesis regards the possibility of accepting Spider-man as a reality, outside of comic books and films, and apart of our everyday lives. Concurrently, I hope to shred any disbelief in a real Spider-man, by presenting various biological advancements in the field of genetic modification, which will leave little to no extrapolation necessary.
Preliminary Questions:
What biological research has been done in regard to combining the capabilities of one organism with another? What is societies interest in a hero (both as a fictional character and as a reality)? What would the life of a hero be like?
Thus far in the research process I have uncovered a few sources that will be very helpful. One is a book called Redesigning Humans by Gregory Stock, which has a great analysis of how society would mostly likely react to post-humanism.
Second, I have been tracing recent developments in research on creating spider silk in a lab. I am reading, Novel Assembly Properties of Recombinant Spider Dragline Silk Protiens, and hope to use that research to enlighten readers to the amazing properties of spider web.
Also, I have of course been reading Spider-man comics, specifically the Ultimate Spider-man series, which started a few years ago, and retells the origin of Spider-man for the current generation.
Conclusion:
I chose to write about this only because I’m interested in every aspect of it. I am particularly biased on the subject of a real Spider-man, because I am definitely for it. I feel that no one really thinks deep into the future, and what will be possible. Humans invented super humans because it is entertaining to imagine a person with fantastic powers. Yet it is my opinion that biological research will lead man-kind to a world that is right out of a comic book.
Research Proposal
Introduction to the Topic:
Ever since the television was invented in the mid-nineteen twenties, the American public has been completely captivated by it. And why wouldn’t they be? Before its invention, families had to rely on other mediums for information, news and entertainment, all of which paled in comparison to it. So it is no surprise that upon its innovation, it became extremely popular and increasingly prevalent in the typical American home. But a piece of technology this big is bound to transform society, and that is exactly what the television did. Its invention quickly began to negatively influence and affect the lives of Americans, especially those of children. Both psychologically and physically, the negative effects television has on adolescents are numerous, and will hopefully prove to be an interesting topic of research.
Problem:
The main issue with television is that adolescents watch it in such great amounts. According to an article by CNN, one that I in fact plan on using for my research, the average American child spends 25 hours a week in front of the television. These 25 hours spent in front of the TV expose children to images of sex and violence, and also take up time that could be better spent on school work, physical activity or extra curricular activities. What the long term consequences of these “side-effects” of TV are, is a question I have about this topic, and hope to answer through further research.
Approach:
There is so much information on this topic available due to it being such a debated issue, therefore making it possible to take a hundred different routes in my research. To narrow it down a bit, this topic can be split into two areas of concern: the negative psychological effects that television has on adolescents, and the negative physical effects television has on adolescents. For psychological effects, I will mainly concentrate on TV causing violence and aggression, as well as a negative self/body image among teens. As for the negative physical effects, I will focus my efforts on proving how TV contributes to poor diet and obesity, as well as lack of physical/extra-curricular activities.
Argument:
The invention of the television has had a damaging effect on America’s adolescents both psychologically and physically. It has negatively influenced the psyche of the average adolescent by constant exposure to violence and unrealistic/unhealthy role model images, and has contributed to decline in physical condition due to it causing poor diet/lack of exercise, and lack of other activities.
I am interested in this topic because watching television is an activity I grew up doing frequently, all the while hearing the negative effects it has on adolescents. So by choosing this topic, I hope to get a better understanding of this issue, and get the record straight. I hope that by doing research on this topic, I can draw more attention to it and make the facts better known, because this issue is often overlooked.
Research Proposal
Topic:
In the beginning of the Internet many hoped it would bring true freedom. People would be able to exchange ideas freely, without the interference of government of institution. However, since then governments around the world have begun to exert the presence online. From a governmental standpoint there exists a need to enforce national policy within their borders. Yet, the Internet has no traditional borders. As a result, some individuals find government presence alone controversial. Recent developments show the US government is beginning to take a more active role in Internet surveillance. Other governments such as Saudi Arabia and China have taken blatant steps in restricting free speech. While some find these actions justifiable, others view them as violations of human rights. Contrary to the original hopes for the Internet it seems it has become yet another way for governments to control their people.
Questions:
How might governments use the Internet to violate their citizen’s rights?
How is the Internet being used to track and conduct surveillance?
Points of Interest:
Both Saudi Arabian and Chinese governments use strict filtering to restrict and control the flow of information on the Internet. The Internet was originally thought of as a tool to undermine government power. Yet, these countries governments have found ways to use it as a tool against their own people.
Taking a look at Echelon, Carnivore, and other means the US government may have for surveillance and tracking. How far into our personal lives might US Internet surveillance reach?
Why? / Contribution:
I’m very interested in the actions the Chinese government is taking to control the exchange of ideas on the Internet. It seems to me that this is the most obvious and extreme case of a government using the Internet against its people. I want this issue to be something I can look at in-depth in this paper while not being too specific.
Secondly I want to look at how the US government has stepped up its efforts to conduct surveillance on the Internet.
Hopefully this paper will serve as a warning against governments infringing on the rights of society online.
Topic
The advent of video games has allowed humans to escape reality without ever leaving the house. Video games are a quick and easy way to kill time and provide entertainment, but some individuals can take the idea of gaming to a new level. Video games can sometimes lead to obsessive and addictive behavior, and this behavior in turn can lead to repercussions physically, socially and psychologically. I hope to offer some insight on how this phenomenon occurs and how scientifically credible it actually is.
Questions and Concerns.
Can video game addiction be seen as an actual clinical problem? Is there a physical or psychological aspect to video game playing that would elicit symptoms of addiction? What are the affects of such addiction? To what extent does the Addiction interfere with healthy living? How is such an addiction developed and possibly treated?
Focus
Massive multiplayer online role playing games are a relatively new introduction in the realm of video games. The online communities of games such as Everquest and World of Warcraft number in the millions with players stretching across all continents and age groups. Since these games have been around there have been reports of obsessive playing causing deaths due to suicide over in game issues, malnutrition due to non-stop playing, and neglect in the case of young children being ignored by their game playing parents. I intend to focus my paper on these stories and attempt to analyze whether or not these deaths are truly the cause of video game addiction or something else entirely.
My Interest in the Subject
Like many people I know, video games have been always been a part of my general leisure time. While the amount of time I spend gaming is likely much higher than average, I would hardly rate my behavior as an addiction or even obsession. While I played games like Everquest and WoW, I remember always reading articles that involved the games I played and wondering how such things were even possible. I have always been interested in video games and this will give me an opportunity to analyze the kinds of affects this new form escape has on people.
Introduction & Summary:
Videogames are finally receiving lots of academic attention. The often biased, narrow minded post-Columbine studies into violent videogames and adolescent behavior are rapidly being replaced by more broad reaching and socially important endeavors. Grossing billions of dollars every year, the videogame industry is catching up with the film industry, and it seems fitting that academics are now closing the research gap between these two media. Some games, mostly console-based RPG and adventure games, feature characters and linear stories that can be evaluated borrowing conventional analytical techniques from film and literature. Some games, like Tetris, deserve analysis from an economic or mathematical standpoint, but the interaction between the game and the player ends when the Gameboy is turned off, and thus hold less social significance. A new class of games, the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game, is gaining lots of attention because of a general de-emphasis on objective-based gameplay and an increased focus on social interactions. More specifically, Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) bring together thousands of players to interact in a persistent virtual world.
Preliminary Questions:
Do online game world social interactions closely mimic those in the “real world”? What aspects of the game world influence how one acts within the game? For example, many MMORPGs require users to choose a “class” or “race” at the outset of the game and the user is not allowed to change this class without starting over. Does the choice of class influence how one acts throughout the game? This brings up another important question: are online identities completely separate from “real” identities?
Example Texts:
“The Demographics, Motivations and Derived Experiences of Users of Massively-Multiuser Online Graphical Environments” by Nick Yee is a long and comprehensive follow up piece to another important paper, “The Psychology of MMORPGs.” Both papers use evidence based on extensive surveying of MMORPG players to gain some insight into the interactions that take place within the online game environments.
Why This Topic:
I’m actually of the opinion that these MMORPGs are a bottleneck for socialization. The “game” is inherently a limiting factor on the types of interactions that can take place between people. A player can only interact in ways that were pre-programmed. Therefore the popularity of MMORPGs as a social outlet is quite surprising to me and is the primary interest of this proposal.
Background
We now live in the age of information. Today’s society has become depended on huge amounts of information readily available. What would happen if our dependence upon information became a dependence on the controllers of our information? The goal of Google Inc. is to organize all of human information and provide the information to its users. Google started out as a search engine indexing websites. However due to their success and innovation of new technology they have expanded to attempt to organize all forms of information including e-mail, computer files, video, books, and the geography of the earth.
Focus Articles
When does organization of information become control of information? A documentary by SBS “Google – Behind the Screen” alludes that society needs to be careful that Google does not become and Orwellian “Ministry of Truth.” In an interview with one of Google’s vice presidents Vint Cerf, he admits that all information has the potential to miss presented. The documentary goes into depth on Google’s project Google Print. The goal to digitize books has some librarians worried. The fear is that Google is a private company and the record of all of human history should be in the public domain rather than private. The documentary alludes suggests that if one organization could organize all of societies information both past and present that it would have the power to alter the information to change truth.
Questions and Proposed Research (probably focus more on one of these for a thesis)
I propose to conduct research to answer the following questions.
* Can technology be unbiased in processing information or will it contain the bias of the technologies creator?
*To what extend do web users trust these new technologies of information and how does that compare to trust of past information distributing technologies?
*Does the development of technologies to control all information create a problem for society? Is the development of the technologies a problem or the intended use of the technologies?
*Are the implications of information controlling technologies different if possessed by governments of private companies?
Abstract
Enhancing our Future one Atom at a Time: Nanotechnologies and their Role in Society
Background of Nanotechnology:
Unlike the cotton gin, the transistor radio, the steam engine, and the automobile, nanotechnology is no single invention. Therefore, it is more accurately referred to as the nanotechnologies. As one could conclude from its prefix, the nanotechnologies are concerned with the world of the small. A nanometer is exactly 1/millionth of a meter, or to conceptualize easier, a piece of paper is roughly 100,000 nanometers thick and about 3-5 atoms fit inside 1 cubic nanometer. Nanotechnology was first discussed by physicist Richard Feynman in 1959 at the California Institute of Technology. Feynman suggested, “…we can arrange the atoms the way we want; the very atoms, all the way down! What would happen if we could arrange the atoms one by one the way we want them”. In 1986, Eric Drexler, an MIT engineering graduate, published the book, Engines of Creation, which describes the amazing applications of nanotechnology and brought the topic to a controversial forefront. While nanotechnology is already being used in fabrics, sunscreen and other materials, Drexler’s nanotechnology has the goal of being able to build with molecules to make systems of molecular machines. By building atom by atom, engineers can arrange molecules into any pattern they choose, and could build machines just as intricate as natural living cells. This would bring about invisible microscopic machines that could roam inside the human body to repair cells damaged by disease or aging. Furthermore, incredibly strong materials, invisible matter, matter that could actually replicate or rearrange it self, and pollution free manufacturing all could be realistically created.
Applications/Products:
Currently, the use of nanotechnology is in a “pre-competitive” stage, which means that its applied use is limited. However, nano-particles are being utilized in a number of industries such as electronics, magnetic engineering, fiber-optics, biomedical engineering, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and energy and catalytic materials applications. Thus far, the most lucrative applications of nano-particles have been chemical-mechanical polishes, magnetic recording tapes, sunscreens, automotive catalytic converters, biolabeling products, electro conductive coatings, and optical fibers.
In the future, a wide range of applications are expected as significant research is already under way. The pharmaceutical and chemical industries are being impacted greatly by nanotechnology. In the next few years many new innovations are expected. At UCSB, among many other institutes, scientists are busy creating advanced drug delivery systems including implantable devices that automatically administer drugs to specific areas and monitor drug levels. Another specific innovation being developed by UCSB researchers is fuel cell to hold Hydrogen gas for hydrogen fueled cars. The automotive industry has already been impacted by UCSB graduates who have invented the catalytic converter used to lower emissions level in fossil fuel burning cars.
Nanotechnologies and Society:
Nanotechnologies may contribute to major changes to the US and global economy, workforce, and way of living. These new nanotechnologies pose many uncertainties for society. The risks that may accompany their use are largely unknown and their potential social and economic effects raise many questions which are difficult to anticipate. A technology this powerful would cause many social changes and disruptions so it is to be expected that people will have fears. The challenge will be to introduce this technology responsibly so that society can gain the benefits without the potential problems. In the past as new advances have been made with technology there has been fear of change. Society is willing to make the changes, because it believes that the benefits are worth it. The same would be true for nanotechnology. Disease, hunger and chemical pollution becoming non existent through the use of nanotechnology would be worth the education and new policy regulations required.
Conclusion:
I was drawn to this topic initially because of how many academic fields are concerned with the advancement of nanotechnology, such as molecular physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. As a bio-chemistry major, I figured I should research a new trend in science since I could potentially apply my education to this area. Furthermore, the wide of range of potential applications of the field allow for many important innovations to be created. In researching this topic, my goal is to inform the general public about the background of nanotechnology, such as its history, its potential applications, and possible influences on society.
Michael Williams
7-13-06
Writing 50
Research Proposal
Throughout the course of human history there have been very few things that have remained constant. One of the items that have been changing constantly is the technology we use in our daily society, especially within the last few decades. These changes have allowed for a completely new way of living than we have seen in the past. The major contributor to these changes has been the development of the internet. The internet has opened windows that were never even imagined just as few as thirty or forty years ago, specifically the version used in today’s society known as Web 2.0. This is the second generation of the World Wide Web, which allowed for a variety of new features such as easier collaboration and sharing. This paper will focus on how the internet became what it is today, how it has changed throughout arriving to its current version, and how society has been changing with these various advancements.
When researching this topic, there will be a variety of questions that will be hopefully answered. A few of these questions are: When was the internet first developed? When did it become available to the general public? Was the version given to the public altered in anyway perhaps in fear of not knowing its power? What sort of affect has it had on the daily life of individuals throughout the world? And also, what has been the overall response to the development of the World Wide Web? One good example of something that has obviously changed with this new technology is the explosion of new money making opportunities. This is just one thing I have noticed since I started using the internet and I hope to find many more interesting results.
I chose this topic because ever since the internet became such a household commodity, I have felt that it has changed the world more than any other technology. I have always been an avid user and felt that it is one of the most, if not the most, incredible creation in the history of man. No other item has ever had this sort of global impact that I know of. With this paper I hope to learn a lot more about how this global connection of people was thought of and then created. I also hope to see just how it is changing the lives of people and whether or not it has had a positive impact.
It’s nearly impossible to step outside in today’s modern society without being bombarded with messages regarding how you should appear to fit in. Advertisements and media sources adorn every public place, encouraging people to look young, fit, beautiful and successful. Although the appeal of appearing a certain way in order to impress is no new matter, it seems to be increasing infatuation. People are all trying to find the quickest and simplest methods of success in their daily lives, yet it seems that by choosing the faster path leads to a quicker end, if the goal is ever reached. For example, a man may be looking for a quick meal every day and so he sacrifices his well balanced diet in order to accomplish more in his day. Yet slowly the effects catch up and he begins to have health risks such as diabetes, cardiac disease and obesity.
What are the best lifestyle choices? How is the average person supposed to lead this lifestyle, or better yet, be aware of it with all the mixed signals in today’s society? I’m interested in investigating and writing about the effects of technological advances in the food and health industry and how it is affecting the average person in America. For most Americans today health and beauty has become a major goal, yet there seems to be a lack of knowledge or clarity on what should be done in order to obtain this goal. I would like to explore some of the various ways in which Americans are causing themselves more harm and how the changes in our lifestyles through the advancement of technology is actually harming the average person.
One source of investigation that I will be using is a documentary that popularized the awareness of health risks of fast foods, Super Size Me. The documentary goes through a mans journey as he dares to eat only McDonalds fast food, along the way revealing some scandalous facts that were generally unknown, and certainly not publicized about the fast food industry. I also plan on researching journal articles and other sources that are informative of the risks of recent eating habits.
I find health and fitness to be a very complex and usually thing in life and I would love to acquaint myself better with the topic. Since there are so many different messages out there today on what is the healthiest way to live, I would really enjoy immersing myself in the topic and hopefully coming up with my own theory, if not the correct one, on what is the ideal lifestyle.
Summary of Topic:
Mass Media’s Effects on Culture—-How Television Influences Behavior
Mass media in the information age is fed and given substance, existence, its own actuality, and as such, is gradually growing into the hands that now rules collective reality. It has learned to understand the law that governs the masses, meticulously taking note of the anatomy of human consciousness and with that, the channels of subconsciousness. With the advent of the television, the media is bestowed with a gift of ubiquity, being everywhere all at once; this it employs to intoxicate its viewers—-overwhelm them with fragmented bodies of data, drive them to the point of confusion and madness—-so as to shackle their senses and render their cognitive faculties incapacitated. Consistent exposure to television then, is consistent exposure to a toxic mass of content moving in techno-time, being at once visually infused with a venomous poison that disrupts the normal sequences of cognition and soon paralyzes all thinking functions of the mind. In effect, the unreal is taken as the real, and the real, the unreal, such that the line between fiction and nonfiction is blurred and risks going out of existent. Heavy television consumption, at length, reinforces in the minds of the average American family—-whose religious television devotion spans nearly 6 hrs a day—-a reality that, in fact, has no quality of realness; it lives and breaths within the matrix of a script—-a script so seemingly detailed, it is confused as reality itself. Television becomes to “define the term of people’s understanding, the boundaries of human awareness,” (Mander 87) and American popular culture thus begins. Relying on “simplification and exaggeration to grab and hold audiences” (Sanes) the media is able to instill specific social perceptions in its audiences. Long periods of television exposure leads to a “‘mnemonic learning’”; that is, ‘learning without the conscious participation of the learner’” (Mander 82). Depiction of stereotyped roles on the screen—-in particular, gender roles—-therefore, go unchallenged. Gender qualities become common sense: males are inherently strong, rugged, unruly, independent, and are fit for ads involving sports and heavy machinery whereas females are naturally delicate, attractive, and beautiful, being more fit for beauty commercials and domestic, household ads. Recurring stereotyped imagery bridges the gap between the script and reality and mobilizes a nation that produces formulaic individuals—-those who are not just physically either male or female but also mentally male or female, as if there is such a thing.
Preliminary Questions About the Topic:
1. How does televised gender stereotyping affect career choices?
2. How pervasive is gender stereotyping?
3. To what extent is television responsible for shaping and perpetuating gender roles?
Examples of Texts and/or Events Focus On:
Examples include various TV commercials that involve beauty and household products as well as truck/home improvement tool ads; gender bias is clearly illustrated therein.
What Draws You To the Topic:
TV viewers are convinced they have the control over a seemingly harmless TV tube but interestingly, they are the ones most vulnerable to the dictates of such a tube. It is most dangerous when viewers are unaware of the point at which the TV takes over. I’m here interested in the role TV plays in the subtle construction of reality of its viewers.
What You Hope to Contribute to the Field With Your Project:
I hope to further the understanding and awareness of how culture, in genernal, and gender, in particular, are formed in the age of technology, and how much they are dependent upon technology.
Proposal
My paper will basically talk about how the piano, as a technological and historical innovation developed and its impact on music and society.
The invention of piano borrowed ideas from harpsichord, its former musical instrument. In other words, piano was derived from harpsichord. Therefore, this essay will compare harpsichord with piano by talking about function of both instruments. For instance, harpsichord makes itself to sound by using quills to pluck strings, while a piano’s strings are struck by hammers, which detach the string at once to leave it to vibrate freely. This theory results distinct sound of each instrument, and thus dynamic changes of music were allowed to be made on piano while harpsichord could never do it. As a result, supposedly, dynamics marks appeared for the first time on keyboard music composition; by the time music entered a relatively new period, compositional and performing style changed according to the availability of piano. Musicians created more dramatic music with this new instrument. As piano developmented, the technology was applied with electricity to bring up the stereo piano for jazz or rock bands. Stereo piano can imitate sound of other instruments on itself. Piano became more a common practice, also gradually a most popular way for a person to learn music. Piano can appear in any occasion from concert stage as solo or accompaniment, to classroom use for teaching music theory, to entertainment purpose in restaurants. To me, piano is an extension of music, and a bridge between people and music. Furthermore, electronic music elements provided by stereo piano has profound use in recent genres. It affects movies. In old movies, the background music was always played by pure symphony orchestra; in new ones, music was sometimes synthesized by computer to create sound, which original instruments cannot do. Thus, movies bring more excitement than before. These are some examples; this paper will analyze more its impact on humanity.
This topic first aroused some possible questions to me, such as how it affected the performing styles and musical genres and composition as piano evolved;
The factors which have made the piano such a popular instrument over the others; and how the piano has created such an elegant impression among the public. However, I developed more interests in knowing if there would create a newer instrument to replace the piano, or it is the ultimate keyboard instrument that had such a huge influence on music. Therefore, this paper will also try to exam on the reason why piano was invented through social, historical and musical perspectives. By knowing the necessity of its existence, one can understand better how the development of piano and the development of music affect each other, and its resultant influences on culture and society.
Piano itself, as a complicated and amazing object, is very attractive to me; and I’m interested in the structure, which makes it function and the history of its evolution. I think by knowing the technology behind the keyboard instrument will help my major study, especially the way I pursuit performance. I believe that music nowadays become more necessary, sensible, useful to and appreciated by the public than ever before, and the piano plays a major role in shaping it.
Summary:
I am interested in the internet. The internet has been one of the most current advanced technologies which have been interpreted negatively as a source of information, there has to be a positive way to access the internet. With that said, finding lost or stolen people is a positive way to use the internet. The internet is a source of information that can be managed by an unknown person behind a screen that is why so many questions arise in regards to the validity of information given over the internet. But when someone is desperate to find a lost person the internet then becomes the most appropriate way of communicating tool to finding the lost person.
Preliminary Questions:
How can the information given over the internet be helpful in finding lost people? How can we find out if the person on the other side of the screen is not making up that they have found the lost victim?
The information that is placed in the internet on websites for lost people has the description of the victim but will it be risky to put the contact information? How misleading can the information over the internet be? How can the information help the victim and their relatives?
Texts and/or Events:
I have read a couple articles online that give examples of how the internet has helped them find out that he was an abducted child for about ten years by simply placing his name on google.com. Another article I will be using is one that describes the method used to find this girl with the help of computer software. I am still doing research for more articles and maybe if I find a book.
Interests:
I am interested in the way that the internet access can be used in a positive manner, because I am one to think that the internet creates problems and is mostly used in a negative approach. I would like to see for myself how these websites for lost people work. It must be easy to see who is missing but how easy is it, and is there a possibility that there is too much information given to the public eye. I want to show both the positive and negative way that the internet is used to find people and what the differences are, in order to make sure which websites online are the best ones.
Hydrogen and the Impact on the Global Economy
Research Proposal:
The problems in the Middle East, ever-changing gasoline prices, and environmental pollution show that there is a dire necessity for the United States to wean itself off the “bottle” that the oil industry is incessantly feeding us. There are many alternatives to replace, or possibly complement, gasoline-powered industries and items; such as, solar, electric, natural gas, wind, and hydrogen power. The hydrogen fuel cell is the newest and seemingly most promising alternative to gasoline because of the abundance of hydrogen and its ability to run with nearly zero emissions. Hydrogen has a number of ways that it is superior to oil, such as: safety, emissions, ability to be reused, and will give the United States and world economy a boost. One day the fossil fuel reserves in the world will run out and there will be a need for hydrogen power technology.
Companies realize that there will be a change in the way that the world gets power, so they are trying to position themselves to be the winners in this energy transition. The United States consumes approximately 2.2 billion barrels of oil ever year, replacing oil with hydrogen can reduce the trade deficit by about sixty billion dollars every year. Automobiles account for much of this because cars, SUV’s, and other light trucks consume about 8 million barrels of oil every day. This is more than any other country in the world consumes in their total economy on any given day; this is not taking into account all of the money that is spent on maintaining the military in the Middle East (Lavelle, 2003, p.38). Remaining oil reserves are being consumed drastically on a global scale due to increasing population and consumption per population. Gas prices may be impacted by these actions, and every person who drives a car pays the penalty.
The Reason that I am interested in this topic is because I believe that this will be the future of the world economy. I also believe that this technology will ultimately benefit society. The ability of hydrogen fuel cells to produce zero toxic emissions and yet be infinitely renewable shows that it is superior over our current oil based economy. The change to a cleaner and self-sustaining form of energy should be embraced because procrastination will lead to many problems in the future. This new technology will allow for a world in which humans can live without detrimentally harming nature. The winners in this transition will likely be the common person, who will not have to pay for the ever-rising gas prices, but, instead, a consistent price for this renewable energy source.
When Aaron and Abe find out that their mass reduction machine can actually be used as a form of time travel, they realize they have stumbled upon something great. At first they do simple tasks such as going back and betting on sporting events to make a profit. Later they attempt to play God by going back to save the life of one of their friends. But eventually their own greed catches up to them as they end up fighting different versions of themselves in order to maintain power over the other.
The idea of traveling through time is something that has occupied our minds almost since man had an understanding of the essence of time. Early science pointed to the conclusion that traveling through time, either backwards or forwards, was not physically possible and contradicted all conventional beliefs in science and religion. However, when Albert Einstein came up with his theory of general relativity he threw all common theories against time travel out the window. The idea that both speed and now time were relative (except for the speed of light) meant that time travel was technically feasible and bought the idea back into the minds of humans.
The ability for humans to travel through time is something that is still under much debate by physicists, philosophers, and astrophysicists, but one group that readily accepted the idea of time travel was the movie industry. With movies ranging from comedies like Back to the Future and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure to dramatic thrillers like 12 Monkeys to independent films such as Donnie Darko and Primer, the movie industry has really picked up on the idea of time travel, giving different portrayals on how the world would work if it was possible. The problem with films is that many portray time travel in a very ridiculous manner. And even the ones that are not overwhelmingly ridiculous still have their flaws.
Two of the best portrayals of time travel in film come from Donnie Darko, written and directed by Robert Kelly, and Primer, written and directed Shane Carruth. Both of these films portrayed more scientifically and philosophically sound versions of time travel. However, neither was without their flaws. Controversy and fallacies abound when the topic of time travel arises and these two films are no exception. To get a sense of the realism of time travel in film, the use of time travel must be scientifically and technologically analyzed, as well as any paradoxes and fallacies brought up by the time travel techniques.
To most of America college means many new adventures and challenges; but to the root of it all, it means independence. High school graduates look forward to experiencing life without parents at their every call, class without teachers that know every name, and the opportunity to flourish without hand-held guidance. This amazing existence, however, has recently been punctured and jeopardized by an invasion of something that only a college student should be able to be a part of. Authority figures, parents, and outsiders have learned and enabled themselves to theoretically hack into the facebook.com haven, a college student’s online atmosphere to find other students, activities, classes, and so much more.
The interest of my paper will primarily consist of a handful of examples of crimes and punishments that would not have been possible if it were not for facebook. Sources such as “When Students open up—a Little too Much” from the Boston Globe and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12209620/sit/newsweek/ talk about police looking at pictures, groups, and wall posts in order to break up parties, find people who had ran onto a football field after being forewarned, and exclude certain candidates from job opportunities and such.
I am going to delve into this idea from a student’s perspective and argue the justice of this invasion. A website that is designed to ease a college student’s career should not consist of being afraid to be honest, express who one is, or one’s plans for the weekend. By parents, police, and resident officials snooping into facebook.com in order to arrest, write up, and scold leaves students exactly where they were before they made it to college-dependent. It is an invasion of privacy to look at pictures just to see if there is a Coors or a cigarette in one hand. My research paper will explore the many incidents that have taken place through facebook, it will address the original intent of the creator, Mark Zuckerberg, and it will compare crossing the line of facebook with crossing the line of privacy and the law without a .com.
Introduction to the topic:
In recent years the state of California has adopted laws which allow medically prescribed patients to smoke marijuana as a way of coping with their illnesses. In order for people to obtain medical marijuana they have to first be prescribed from a doctor then are able to obtain marijuana from a number of undisclosed cannabis clubs. The use of medical marijuana has been known to have positive effects on patients and alleviate the pains caused by illnesses such as AIDS and Cancer. Although medical marijuana proves to be helpful in such cases the Federal Government is desperately fighting against medical marijuana as it undermined their ability to fight the War on Drugs.
Problem:
The problem that exists today is that the government has created a cultural axiom centered on marijuana being an illicit drug. The Federal Government has created such a negative image of marijuana that politician and policy makers refuse to accept medical marijuana as legitimate medicine to these terminally ill patients. Another problem is that the Federal Government is going after those medical marijuana growers which under state law are allowed to grow medical marijuana. The problem is that marijuana is being considered on the same basis as harder drugs like cocaine and heroin being that marijuana has medical benefits.
Approach:
Treating the argument as a research question I will disentangle the truth behind both sides of the issue. I will research the scientific aspect of medical marijuana presenting an objective point of view after careful scrutiny of the “medical” aspect of marijuana. I want to show scientifically whether marijuana and all its artistic forms of consumptions actually in fact provide any medical benefit to users. I want to show the difference between medical marijuana and regular marijuana as well as show the positive and negative side effects of different consumption methods. I want to also shine a light on how and why the Federal Government is so fiercely against medical marijuana. I want to compare specific counties in California and how the laws in each county differ according to geographic location.
Argument:
In my opinion medical marijuana is a legitimate medicine to the terminally ill. Not only is medical marijuana helpful in alleviating unpleasant diseases, patients are able to use the medicine without risk of harmful side effects. The availability of Vaporizers, an instrument used to extract the good components of marijuana without inhaling the bad, allows for patients to use medical marijuana with fewer side effects than many other prescribed drugs. Not only should medical marijuana be available to patients, I think marijuana in general should be legalized. I honestly believe that if marijuana was available everywhere like cigarettes then not as many people would be smoking marijuana. People get a kick out of knowing the government is against marijuana smoking, that is why they smoke it. If marijuana was legal then the price of marijuana would go down and all the drug lords making huge amounts of profit off marijuana would go out of business. Not only making society a safer place, the government would also benefit from collecting taxes from all the marijuana sales.