ch 17 - doomsday

The story of Easter Island is inspiring. Those people killed for what little they had left. But they had an escape, a few of them left the island. Doom isn't going to happen over night, it will take time for us to use our remaining sources, so until then, we can use the last of it to find an escape route or solution to the problems.

What he says about the touristy islands off the east coast is very true. There are many places all over the world that have the same problems. In Italy, less than 10% of the coast line is not completely developed. More and more space is being used up and more and more the small jewels of the coasts are being inhabited by more than they can handle. It is a tragedy.

ch 16 - armageddon

"Even Ray Kurzweil will admit that the effects of his impending singularity are unknown. He can see the crunch coming, but he can't know the results."

Although he states a "good news" message, the real god news is the uncertainty; the unknown. What we don't know about the future will save us one way or another. The article even states, "We live to die." That is pretty true. If you knew how you were going to die and when, how would you live your life? Immortality is another issue. If you are not going to die, why do things quickly, why enjoy life when you have the rest of eternity to do that? The possibility of death is what drives us along and eliminating that will kill the spirit in every human.

ch 15 - chicken

"It's also fueled a demand for more cheap energy - and an unbreakable assumtion that such energy is available."

I strongly agree with this chapter. I agree that everything as we know it will collapse once cheap oil runs out.. if we are lucky and it lasts that long. This is a really scary topic right now because it is a valid fear. I do take comfort knowing that it is difficult to predict the future. Yes, i agree that history repeats itself, but it also has a way with surprising you in little ways that tell you someone, somewhere cares about you greatly. And maybe enough people will be scared and some action will take place that will change the course that we are on currently. There are many people who feel like it's not just about the price of oil anymore, its about finding a solution to our source of energy.

ch. 18 - big

Chapter 18 was really interesting for me because it is all new information. Growing up, my parents believed very strongly in young creationism, so these ideas and evidence are all very new to me. It is kind of upsetting that such wonderful, glorious things were never shared with me until now. But at the same time, I think I have a better appreciation for the wonders of the universe now that I am in college than when all I cared about was hanging out at the mall. The Big Picture in deed. I don't really understand why my parents believe what they do, after reading this chapter, I feel like there is even more evidence supporting creation now then not accepting these facts at all. I have a feeling this is going to spark some interesting discussion with them in the next few days. The images in the chapter were breathtaking, I really couldn't get enough of them! I would love to find more like those and understand exactly what I am looking at. What really blew me away was that each image was completely different from the next one. Each galaxy is unique! How wonderfully beautiful it all is! I am in awe of the Big Picture.

Extra Credit Population

Overpopulation occurs when an organism’s numbers have exceeded the carrying capacity of their habitat. In our terms, this means that when there are not enough resources to go around, humans have overpopulated the Earth. I think it is evident that we are rapidly reaching our habitat’s carry capacity.

Every day, our natural resources become more stretched. Currently, there are water shortages in big cities in the United States such as Atlanta. There are also global shortages in China and India. According to an article in USA Today, half of humanity will be suffering from water shortages in the next 50 years. This will most likely affect the food supply, leading to food shortages as well. There is also much speculation as to when we will run out of oil. Will it be in 20 years, 50 years, or 100 years? Scientists are unsure, but either way, it will present a problem. Also, we are already beginning to overrun many of our cities’ infrastructure systems, such as is stated in Mark Sumner’s essay “Hello Doomsday, My Old Friend.”

So, just how fast are our numbers growing? Everyone probably remembers exponential growth from math class. It’s when numbers continue to double. First, you start off with a population of one, then two, then four, then 8, then 16, then 32, and so on. Population increase rates grow with the number of people. So, while it took us thousands of years to reach a population of a billion in 1804, it only took us 123 years to reach a population of two billion in 1927. Then, in only 47 years, we reached a population of four billion. There are currently 6 billion and some odd people on Earth. By 2028, if we continue to grow at our current rate, there will be 8 billion.

How is this happening? Simple reproduction. Humans are reproducing, and our children are reproducing. If each couple had two children, then they would simply replace themselves. However, even in the United States where birth control and family planning are available, the average American has two and a half children. This intimates a growing population. In other parts of the world, the amount of children born is much higher. Another factor in our growing population is medical advancement. People are living longer.

What is the solution? There is no simple solution, but there are steps we can take to stop this trend. We can make birth control more accessible to both our own citizens and other people around the world. We can continue sexual education and family planning. Another option is the more drastic method taken on by the Chinese government. We can limit the number of children a couple is allowed to have. It may seem harsh, but who wants to live in a world with food and water shortages? Finally, if we are going to continue to prolong the human lifespan, we must take the time and money to find out how we can support the larger population that will occur.

The good news is the population crisis may solve itself. It seems birth rates are dropping all over the world. In 2050, the projected number of children born per woman will be 2.05. Hopefully, that rate will continue to fall, allowing us to correct our population without harsh measures.

As for how I will support my solutions, I volunteer at the Middle Tyger Community Center in Lyman, SC. One of the programs I helped with works with pregnant adolescents. These girls get free childcare in exchange for staying enrolled in school and attending parenting classes. Statistics show teen parents are likely to have another baby as a teen but not in our program. This is my little piece of helping in the fight: education.

The picture I attached is of a UN graph of population by continent and then the world.

My statistics came from Wikipedia and http://www.cosmosmith.com/human_population_crisis.htm if anyone is interested.

Extra Credit? = )

The only possible way that I could explain population growth to my classmates would be to call it a crisis over time. In one single year, it would seem completely insignificant. 2%? That's not even worth mentioning one would say. However, imagine if it steadily rose at 2% per year for fifty years? That's 100%! Double. To put this into understandable terms, it would be easiest to imagine this growth in regards to daily home life. Imagine living in an apartment building throughout your adulthood. When you first move in straight out of college, there are 100 people living with you in your building. There are, say, 110 parking spaces and about 75-90 apartments. Great, right? Everyone has their own space. Everyone is happy. Now, imagine moving back into that same apartment complex 25 years later when you suffer a mid-life crisis and decide to return to your youth. There are still 75-90 apartments and 110 parking spaces but wait! Now there are 150 people living in the complex! There aren't enough parking spaces for anyone and the aparments are severly over crowded. And that's to day that the growth hasn't increased over time! Imagine if it grew 5% per year? That would mean that the population of the apartment had probably more than doubled since you last lived there. Everything would be unsanitary and overcrowded and everyone would be fighting over where to park and live. Scary right? Well that's what is currently happening to our country and Earth. We are increasing our numbers at an alarming rate, namely due to the crazy technology keeping us alive these days.

There is no simple solution as to how to fix this problem. The only thing I can possibly say without really venturing into space as other publications would suggest, is the notion of spreading out. Sure, it sounds too simple and a little old fashioned and perhaps useless but really think about it. Have you ever been to Arizona? There are hundreds of miles in Arizona where you see not a single soul in sight. And then go to Atlanta. I challenge you to find an inch of space without some sort of evidence of human life present. There are many desolute and somewhat deserted areas on Earth in which we could spread our population out and make it a seemingly less crowded world. Antarctica? Africa? Parts of Asia? All seemingly good ideas. Now, I'm not saying that we should inhabit all parts of Earth and ruin many of its wonders and beauty with the pollution of human populations. And I also know that this solution could not possibly work for over a century. However, I do think it's something to think about until man can actually figure out a way to spread our kind out over the universe.

Final Discussion Question

The problem of overpopulation is one that has faced the Earth for many centuries. In China, the population became so large that the government imposed a child limit. While this solution has helped a little, it has been so controversial and has hurt so many people that I don’t believe it can have any long term benefit to society. This is a really difficult problem to overcome, and I doubt that I’ll see a solution in my lifetime. I think that the only way we can solve this problem is to expand into outer space. It may not be possible to colonize other planets since so far, scientists have no found another planet that could sustain life, but I think that living on space stations could be a viable option in the future, if we develop the technology to support this endeavor. The overpopulation of our planet is one of the biggest problems that threatens the future of our world, but I do not believe that any solution will be found anytime soon.

A Modest Proposal

I’ve read this essay a couple of times in various contexts and every time I read it I’m really impressed with Swift’s use of satire to highlight a serious problem going on in his country. I think his satire has less to do with the population problem and more to do with the English treatment of the Irish. The English completely exploited the Irish, and as a result, a vast majority of the Irish population was living in poverty and squalor. Swift bitingly criticizes the English in this essay by shocking them with outrageous and inhumane solutions to the population crisis in an attempt to capture the attention of an audience who has previously been indifferent on the subject of the Irish abuse at the hands of the English.

While I don’t think it was Swift’s main priority to address the population crisis, he does introduce it as a huge problem going on in the world. Today we are still facing that problem. The Earth can only house a finite amount of people and a solution to this problem needs to be found soon. However, I think that Swift’s purpose was not to find a solution, but to propel an apathetic society into action.

Chapter 18 response

I found this article to be really confusing and difficult to understand, although I’m pretty sure my aversion for science had something to do with that. The one thing I did get from this article was how absolutely amazing science can be. The pictures in the article showing the nebulae were breathtaking and left me in awe of what can be found in the universe. I can’t always wrap my head around scientific ideas, but I do appreciate all the truly remarkable things science has done for us.

I like the idea that you can believe in the Big Bang Theory and still have faith. Where is it written that science and religious are opposing things? Why must we choose in believing one or the other? I agree with the author of this article that the things science shows us, such as the nebulae, are definitely inspirational and can be seen as a testament to the glory of God.

Serenity

I think this movie was kind of hard to understand if you hadn’t seen any of the Firefly series beforehand and because of that it was a little difficult to follow. Other than that though, I really enjoyed the movie. The concept of a Wild West in outer space was really interesting to me. It was an interesting combination that I think they pulled off really, really well.

One of the major things that I noticed with it is the fact that when science is used in an irresponsible way, such as the way it was used on River or the way it was used on the planet Miranda, it can have detrimental consequences. While it is true that on Miranda, the Alliance had good intentions, it is hard to condone what they did because it seemed as if they jumped into this “solution” to rid the world of sin without really considering the consequences. There needs to be accountability for those who pursue these dangerous theories.

Dr. Strangelove

I found this movie really odd and had some trouble following it at times. One thing that did strike me about this movie was the complete break down of communication in the military. The power to order these nuclear strikes was given to one man and his subordinates could not question it at all. I guess this is partly a comment on blindly following one person and not question their motives or their sources at all. It is very dangerous when you have such a major action, like dropping nuclear bombs on another country, taking place and no one is really able to communicate with each other.

Another thing I noticed with this movie was the escalation factor in weapon building. Both Russia and America wanted to have to most advanced and destructive weapons in case warfare broke out. This resulted in the creation of the Doomsday Device which destroyed all life on earth. This showed me that there has to be responsibility in science and technology. Scientists have to use common sense and restraint with their discipline. If research shows that something they’ve spent a great deal of time and money on is dangerous or will not benefit society in any way, scientists need to step away from the project, no matter how difficult that may be. It is important that science and technology works to benefit society and not destroy it.

Status update

By now, everyone should have gotten feedback on paper 2--if you have not gotten yours and you didn't receive feedback (or sufficient feedback) in the individualized sessions, please re-send the paper or the link.

Remember that all papers and revisions are now due tomorrow (Tuesday) night by midnight. I'll be assessing weblog posts tonight :-)

If you have any questions, remember to post them to the weblog--I'll try to check frequently but if yours gets overlooked or buried, send me an email prompting me to look.

I'm looking forward to your final papers. :-)

Question for Dr. Fishman

Have you e-mailed grades/feedback for paper 2 yet? There were technical complications with paper 1 and consequently I never received it. Since revisions are due on Tuesday, I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of time to address any necessary amendments. If you are still grading our papers please disregard this, but if you have already e-mailed feedback please resend mine.

Thanks so much!

Discussion Question

Is there a solution to the overpopulation issue?

Well first we have to determine if there is an issue of overpopulation.  Looking at the National Census Bureau's statistics, the Earth's population in 1960 was 3.04 billion, and in 2000 6.08 billion, effectively doubling the Earth's population in 40 years.  The Earth can only effective sustain a finite number of people.  And some scientists think we have passed this threshold. So, this is definitely a problem!

What do we do now?

So now that we believe there is an overpopulation issue, what's the next step?  Many scientist believe that with changes in culture, deadly diseases, and war, the population growth is slowing. Some scientists have surmised that the growth of the homosexual community is nature's way of correcting the population issue.  Some scientist also believe that the vast array of deadly diseases is nature's way of correcting the population issue.  I staunchly disagree with those sentiments just by looking at the census.  And even if those scientist were correct, I'd rather not wait until some cataclysmic disease attacks our world and wipes out a third of the population.  I think there are several options we can explore to deal with overpopulation now.

Space is considered the next logical step for man's expansion.  However, I think we haven't explored all of our options here on Earth.  I believe the ocean is definitely a place we can explore.  In several science fiction movies (Star Wars, The Abyss), we've seen underwater communities thriving.  I think this is a viable option for expansion, however there are several problems with this idea.

One problem is the idea of destroying underwater ecosystems.  Another problem is the idea when mass is added to water, the water level rises.  With water levels rising too high, flooding on land happens.  These our two legitimate concerns, however I believe that with research and effort, solutions are definitely available.

What can I do?

These ideas for population expansion are huge and you might be wondering what you can do.  Well, simply donating money towards research on this topic can greatly benefit the planet.  It's an easy way to contribute, without having a huge burden placed on you.  Another idea is to simply raise awareness about this issue.  This is a huge issue, but it's not a priority for most people.  Let's help make it a priority by raising awareness.  Tell your friends, family, coworkers, and so on. 

Chapter 18 - The Big Picture

I've always viewed science as the means for gaining insight on how God created the world.  So this e-book, which some can easily view as a diatribe against creation, is an interesting read.  Simply because it is enlightening me on some of the mysteries of our world.  But it does not make me question my faith in God, but only marvel in his creations.  

I guess the point of this chapter was to put in perspective our significance in the universe.  And remind us that we should be thankful for the lives we have, and "... feel science is worthy of our responsible stewardship, and for a lot more reasons than the production of nifty new gadgets."

Serenity

This movie is one that I've seen several times and enjoyed immensely.  The movie begins with the Earth being overpopulated, so space is the inevitable frontier for colonization.  There's a new government, The Alliance - the Americans and Chinese - that is ruthless in its pursuit of its own interests.  And those interests include capturing a young woman named River Tam who is extremely gifted.  What ensues is a classic count and mouse game, with Reavers thrown in to spice it up a little.

There are many parallels in this story relating to the title, Serenity, that are interesting.

Serenity relating to space.  Space is calm, quiet, and peaceful.  Yet, in this story line space is a place of conflict and struggle.  And in certain Reaver occupied portions of space, it is a death sentence.  

Serenity relating to the operative.  He was ruthless, confident, intelligent, and at peace with who he was, and his role in the grand scheme of the Alliance.  However, it wasn't until after watching the Miranda message, that he seemed to fully be at peace.

Serenity relating to River Tam.  River was a gifted, talented, and tortured soul, who moved through the world operating on a different plane.  Even during the throes of combat, she remained serene, peaceful, and composed.  Yet, death seemed to surround her.  

Serenity relating to Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds.  He was a man he seemed to have his hurts, issues, and demons that he didn't like to expose, but they effected how he treated people. It wasn't until he was able to get Inarra Serra, a Companion, back that he seemed to have found serenity.

There are a few qualities that make a movie great.  The main and most important quality is believability.  And this movie, though it's science fiction, is not so far from our scope of thinking to be thought of lightly.  Which is what makes this movie so great.  It's believable and for many has answered the question "Where do we go next?"

Jonathan Swift - A Modest Proposal

While reading this, I was trying to figure out who this type of reasoning sounded like.  It was almost as if I were listening to the arguments of Hannibal Lecter.  They were extremely clear, concise, and logical, however, all lacked any sense of humanity or decency.  How do you relate eating children to promoting pride in your country?

Even though I spent the entire read saying, "Are you serious?", I can't help but admire the way Swift proposes this unbelievable argument, causing his readers to scream at the page for him to stop, but somehow unable to stop themselves from reading more.  

I'm not sure if you would call this satire, because even though Swift is using exaggeration, I'm not sure who this exaggeration was used to criticize.  Maybe he is criticizing the government for not finding a solution to this problem.  Maybe he is criticizing landlords for not giving poor people a break.  Or maybe he is criticizing the rich for their extravagances in lieu of such social injustices.  Or maybe, just maybe, he is criticizing them all.  So, in that light, I guess you can call this a satire.

Kosmos ~ Chapter 18

I, too, was captivated by the discussion on rainbows only to be intimidated later with the terminology adopted in later portions of this article. Additionally, I found myself reading and rereading the article in order to really gain insight into the “point” of its existence in the ebook. I assumed, with it being the final chapter, that its purpose was much more than what was inherently apparent; this was definitely one of those reads where you didn’t just read what was printed in black ink to get the “big picture” but you also read into the white space…what was not said.

This entire chapter highlighted many galaxy altering (life altering) discoveries for both earth and her inhabitants. Darksyde describes discoveries such as the supernova and the antenna as resulting from luck or chance (during ones first read of the chapter). However, after rereading this article I’ve come to appreciate what I feel Darksyde was really trying to accomplish in his text. He's arguing that science, similar to life, is not sustained by chance happenings. There are no leprechauns, no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and no such thing as luck. Unless you count the quote, that luck only occurs when preparation meets opportunity. I’m not arguing that Einstein knew what he was about to stumble upon or that Isaac Newton planned for the apple to hit him on the head. What I am saying, however, is that these individuals’ minds were prepared. They had an understanding and appreciation of science in all its capacity. They didn’t by any means conform to groupthink. In fact, they (more often than not) challenged it (utilized their free thought) which brings us to the quote that appears towards the end of the article:
The body of science is sustained by the life-blood of free thought, and often grows along unexpected veins of serendipity. (Darksyde)

After reading all of Darksyde’s articles you’d assume that the main point of his writing alone is and was to defend science but that is far from the case. What is the point then, you ask… The answer is simple and Darksyde says it best. What he wants us to take away from Chapter 18 and the rest of the readings is in my opinion what Dr. Fishman wants us to take away from this course—the idea that it’s all tied together: the integrity of science, the integrity of the nation, the future of the species, the core liberties we all hold dear. (Darksyde)

Serenity

The irony of Serenity is that it is anything but serene and that is the beauty of it.

I’ve read this quote over and over again in reference to the movie Serenity and I just don’t get it. It’s one of those movies that has so much “hype” surrounding it but leaves you almost always expecting more when it ends and its rolling credits begin to flood the silver screen. I’ve read over most of your responses to the movie and I feel like I’m not really getting what everyone else seems to have gotten from it.

***

So, I watched Serenity again last night and I can FINALLY say...I GET IT! I GET IT!

In the future, humanity has spread to other planets when the Earth became overpopulated. But it is not a peaceful universe: Civil war rages between groups of planets, the highly structured and controlled worlds of the Alliance vs. the Independents, who are the residents of the outer worlds. There are also groups that have become cannibals and prey on other humans.

I think the above description of the movie's plot and I can't help but feel a little queasy. I can't just laugh at the humor found in this space western comedy because so much of it resonates with a possible (very real) future for all of us Earthlings. In my response to the class question, I assent to the idea of expanding further into the galaxy in order to accomodate our excess population. In doing so, however, I never really thought about the implications that would bring. In short, I never considered the fact that we would bring all of our flaws (pollution, war, and even a lack of humanity at times) with us.

I suppose the quote is right on. This movie is far from "serene." I argue this point because I'm fearful that we will eventually run out of places to run. We will eventually destroy everything and not so much because it's a natural "circle of life" but because we're flawed humans and rather than force ourselves to sustain and improve our home here we'd rather take on more so as to avoid having to be accountable for the soiling of our planet.

Final Discusion Q

To the left is a fitting picture for a discussion on the population crisis and the future of mankind. Overpopulation has nothing to do with population density and everything to do with an area's resources and ability to sustain a population. If there aren't enough resources to go around, then the area is experiencing overpopulation. Currently, the world population is at over 6 billion people. By 2050, our population may reach 12 billion if we do not alter our actions. Can Earth support this growth?

Much of this class has been spent in contemplation of the approaching energy crisis. Humans are reaching the end of Earth's oil supply. We will soon turn to electricity to fuel our cars and homes, but there is not an endless amount of uranium. What happens when we are out of uranium? Then, how will we create energy? Eventually, all resources will cease to exist, and one day the sun will begin to fuse helium into heavier elements, causing the sun to swell, swallowing the Earth. If mankind survives on Earth a few more million years, then this will be our end. Depressing as it may be, the eventual fate of mankind in my opinion, is likely oblivion.

However, in the mean time, there are measures we can take to prolong our stay here on Earth. First and foremost, we can be conservative with our resources. We can't continue to spend money on healthcare and advancements to prolong human life without spending money to help support the rapidly growing population. We need to conserve and protect our environment and natural resources. We also need to spend more money on sexual education, family planning, and birth control. There are some who do not use birth control for religious reasons, but there are many people who simply do not have the education or access to information and contraceptives (not just in third world nations but in the US as well). If we want to fight the population crisis, this must be the beginning. China has taken the radical step of implementing One-Child Policy which states that couples in China may only have one child, though there are violations. This policy has been put in place in order to reduce the strain on China's resources. This a solution that many countries will need to examine if birth rates do not begin to fall naturally.

We must also push the boundaries of science and keep searching for alternative energies. No longer can we burn fossil fuels and destroy our ozone layer. Humans must learn to produce a greater food supply and rework public infrastructures to support larger populations. It is time for the human race to once again evolve if we wish to continue to live.

As they say, space is the final frontier. If we, the human species, do not leave Earth, then we are doomed. There is no nice way to put this. The sun will destroy us, if it isn't an asteroid, meteor, or our own stupidity that does it first. I hope that with further scientific advancement, we will be able to find other planets and stars that can sustain human life. Then, with further experimentation and innovation, we must discover how we can transport large numbers of people to "our new home."

In the mean time, I believe it is best that we preserve what we have, Earth. After all, there is currently no way of telling that there are other places habitable by humans. There is also no way to know if travel at "warp" speed is possible. It may have to be the descendants of the original passengers that actually arrive at these planets alive, which bring up the question of sustaining life for generations on a spaceship.

A Modest Proposal

Swift's "Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public” suggests that the Irish, suffering from severe poverty under English rule, should eat their young in order to overcome starvation and overpopulation. Swift’s proposal, hardly modest, is to fatten up the undernourished poor children and then sell them to more well-to-do families as food.

By presenting this outrageous concept as though it should be easily and readily assented to by the masses, Swift shocks his readers into really considering other methods by which to address starvation and overpopulation in Ireland. This works so well because he creates a political satire out of seemingly logical arguments. Furthermore, Swift suggests that if his proposal is adopted that it could solve overpopulation and unemployment, save the poor from having to spend what little money they make on raising the excess children in their families, and provide the poor with much needed additional income while giving the wealthy access to another guilty pleasure to feed their gluttonous lifestyles.

What makes Swift's proposal work, in my opinion, is the very reason that celebrities typically embrace the tabloids, tmz, etc; it's the idea that even bad publicity is good publicity. In short, anything that is facilitative of discourse is beneficial to their cause (which happens to be getting larger roles that pay more money). In Swift's case it's getting people to be so repulsed by his suggestion that they will begin a rhetorical discourse with others about a more "modest" proposal than the one Swift presented. We see this kind of ideology in literature as well as the media. Consider Huckleberry Finn. It's a very controversial novel, often pulled off reading lists in public schools because of the authors treatment of race. In my opinion, however, I feel that the book is beneficial in the classroom because it can be used as a bridge into discussions pertaining to racial prejudices that may or may not be just as present in today's society as it was in Twain's.

If literature encourages dialogue that would not have been initiated otherwise is it not worthwhile regardless of whether or not the content is modest or ostentatious?

Serenity Response

Okay, this movie started out great. It had a Minority Report/Matrix feel to it, and some great science fiction elements. There was the exodus from Earth due to overpopulation and the advancement of the government into the “Alliance.” Technology was heightened. Humans were able to travel huge distances into space for sustained periods of time and were subsequently able to find other planets and moons to inhabit. Also, it is interesting that humans found a way to alter the makeup of a planet so that it could sustain human life, rather than finding planets that could already do so on without intervention.

Then, everything seemed to go awry. The movie suddenly became less science fiction and more of a bad horror film. Suddenly, I felt like I was watching The Hills Have Eyes or Rambo on crack. The deaths began to get progressively gruesome as the death toll continued to skyrocket. I can’t say I enjoyed the notion (or sound for that matter) of a woman being raped and eaten alive by human cannibals. I also didn’t appreciate the planet full of repulsive, contorted dead bodies due to a government’s stupidity and need for control. (Did it even occur to them to test these “calming” chemicals before coating an entire planet?)

Just when I thought things had taken a turn for the better, I got to see one of the main characters stabbed through the chest with a piece of metal. Would it have been too simple to shoot him? Yes, and there wouldn’t have been nearly enough gore, which seemed to be a primary goal for the film producer.

I will admit that there was poetic justice in the Reavers attacking the Alliance members who created them out of their need for control. It was also ironic that members of the Alliance became just as ruthless and inhumane as the Reavers (killing children to capture one girl).

Despite the fact that this film repulsed me, there was some good stuff there too. I appreciated the science fiction elements and a somewhat happy ending. I felt that the film could have been better if they had concentrated a little less on the shock and gore and a little more on the story line. The attempts at romance were also pretty poor. The best part of this movie to me was that the common man won a huge victory. They managed to get out information to the people and lessen the power of the “Alliance” regime. To me, this is the most important lesson to take away from this. Governments can be overthrown. The power ultimately rests with the people. (though I do find it hard to believe that such as powerful government wouldn’t be able to cover up the whole scandal as falsehoods spread by an enemy to the “Alliance”)

Ch 18 Response

Well, this chapter thoroughly confused me in the beginning. It started off with rainbows and moved all the way to the Big Bang. I’m not exactly sure how I got there. However, after reading this article through several times, I came to the conclusion that the main purpose of it is to help the reader put things in perspective. For instance, what is the Earth in comparison to the cosmos? What is the human species in the view of the entire universe? What is our importance as mere individuals? This article is about seeing the big picture and recognizing something larger than ourselves, whether it be scientific or religious.

The images throughout this article are breathtaking. It is awe inspiring to think that these are pictures of our universe, and they look like a cosmic lightshow. Could these beautiful lights and patterns and happenings be a mistake? A mere chance? Or the design of a creator? This article doesn’t say. It does, however, show that the Big Bang is real and supported by too much scientific data to be flatly denied. After all, “The body of science is sustained by the life-blood of free thought, and often grows along unexpected veins of serendipity.” If we close our minds to science, then we will cease to progress.

As for the importance of individuals in the cosmic scheme of things, it took one apple to the head for Isaac Newton to formulate his three laws that have become a cornerstone of science as we know it. One person can make a difference for mankind and, perhaps, one day for the universe.

Response to Swift

Jonathan Swift’s infamous essay “A Modest Proposal” presents a dramatic introduction to the overwhelming population problem that has haunted us for decades. Swift’s proposal is simple. Ireland is overpopulated. There are mothers and children in the streets begging and stealing to eat. How can we reduce the population? Eat babies. According to a good American (figures) source, babies can be delightful treats whether “stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled.” I personally prefer fried.

At any rate, Swift uses outrageous satires to cause controversy and highlight a serious social problem. Even today, we continue to face a population crisis, despite many efforts to prevent it. In China, citizens are limited to two children per household. There has also been the creation of better and more accessible birth control. However, some opt not to use these products, whether it be for personal or religious reasons. In present day Atlanta, citizens are suffering from a shortage of water. During the era of the Grape of Wrath, there was a food shortage despite the presence of food. Farmers were destroying crops while people starved to bring up prices and profits.

What is the solution? According to this week’s readings, it is space, the next frontier.

Discussion Question

I truly believe there is no possible solution to the overpopulation problem on Earth except to expand into space. You cannot expect people to limit their children like China does because it goes against too many cultural differences. Catholics do not believe in birth control and that is why they tend to have very large families. This is very prevelant among many of the Hispanics. The only way to establish a population restraint is to abandon the idea of cultural tolerance and become a fascist regime which nobody in their right mind wants. The fact is the population is continuing to grow and land is getting much more scarce. The only solution is to find more land and right now that is either in space or the ocean. Perhaps we can create artificial islands but that would only serve as a temporary solution. Space is our future and we are making strides toward space colonization. I will probably never see it but maybe my grandchildren will raise their children on Mars.

I really enjoyed Serenity. I grew up a big fan of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood and I was really pleased how they were able to integrate elements of the Wild West with a Science fiction movie. I also used to love the original Star Wars which also had a little of the Wild West theme as personified by Han Solo. I thought this movie tied in very well with our previous discussions on the neutrality of science and technology. It also really tied in well with my paper on I am Legend. A chemical is used to help (cure cancer in I am Legend and pacify aggression in Serenity) but something goes terribly wrong and people become cannibals. It is hard to feel complete anger toward the Alliance as they had the right intentions. Therefore, do we let them off the hook or do we crucify them for the end result? It is a hard question to answer as I do not think you can do either one fully. It is a very grey situation and should not be looked at in black and white. It is also good to note the disillusionment of the Operative. He blindly followed orders for the Alliance believing everything was for a higher and better cause. However, he found in the end the error of his belief. This can be reminiscent of any kind of fanatical following. The join to be a part of something better and lose sight of what is truly right.

A Modest Proposal

This was always one of my favorite reads in high school. Yes I am a practicing cannibal and yes I think overpopulation is a problem that should be addressed. Win win right? I'm only joking about the first. The great thing about Swift's proposal is his methods. He uses very good arguments to support his idea and you almost feel overly inclined to agree with him despite how barbaric it may seem. His use of sustained irony is incredible and makes this satire one of the best in the English language.

Overpopulation has become a growing concern. Land is getting less and people are exponentially increasing. It is hard to come up with a perfect solution that will work for all cultures. You could suggest birth control but Catholics do not practice it. Abortion is taboo and most people consider China's one child rule absurd. So maybe we can find a way to deep fry a baby and then I'll be on board with Swift...

Chapter 18

I am so lost after reading this chapter I don't even know where to begin. It went from rainbows, to the Big Bang, to Supernovas, and finally to something called dark matter. Huh?! I guess the one thing this chapter did was show that the Big Bang theory is more of an actuality as opposed to a possibility. The evidence has become too overwhelming to merely ignore the Big Bang as heresy. And as far as heresy is concerned, I agree that the Big Bang only gives more proof of a God. Someone had to start putting things in motion and after one tremendous even everything started falling into place. This was a perfect example of God's power.

But as far as the rest of the chapter is concerned, I don't have a clue about microwaves and the light spectrum. For that reason, I did not enjoy this chapter much at all. I thought it talked way too much about facts without making any crazy predictions or connections that I had gotten used to from previous readings.

Chapter 18

I can't begin to pretend that I understand what this article was about, it lost me so many times that I finally had to scan the last few paragraphs just to get something worth commenting on for this blog. I think it's about the Big Bang theory, right?

I will say that, growing up in a Southern Baptist household, I would've been taught to reject such a notion. God created everything, so the story goes, and it came about precisely as He intended, with no prep time in the Big Lab in the Sky. One look around at our world and how it's changed over the past century at least would give you reason enough to think otherwise. I'm still not sure what I believe in terms of God vs. Evolution (or even if I believe the two are incompatible), but I think evolution is the best theory we've got.

Face it: change is the only constant. Whether you believe in a just, all-knowing God or not, you can't be ignorant of the fact that some things are native to a region of the world and some are native to another region. It's not that God couldn't have created everything perfectly as is; he may just have taken the dinosaurs for a test drive, realized that he had goofed, and sent an asteroid to erase the evidence.

I'm not comfortable with dogmatic statements on either side of the creation/evolution debate, because sound bites reduce complex issues to catchy...sound bites (couldn't think of a better word there). It's just as true in scientific debates as it is in politics.

Again, I had a hard time with this one, so my apologies if I'm way off the mark of the article's intent.

Modest Proposal

Swift is right, we should eat our babies.

Just kidding, but obviously population control was a concern long before our time. The idea that the earth is infinite and that we'll have resources to sustain life is just wishful thinking. In time, everything will run out (some resources more than others) and we could be faced with a "Serenity"-style scenario of interplanetary colonization. But for the time being, let's just try to see what we can make of the present earthly concerns.

Swift wrote this, tongue firmly in cheek, in part because of the complaints about Irish overpopulation (and the subsequent migration of said Irish to the mainland English shore). His solution of "controlling" the Irish population is intentionally barbaric because we're talking about human beings (something that could get lost in the argument about everything from overpopulation to illegal immigration). Our basic human decency towards one another can get lost when we talk about it in terms of numbers instead of individuals.

Apart from that, I'm not sure what else I can say about this piece that hasn't already been said. Swift could come across like a monster if you take it literally, but I have a feeling that a lot of his English readers might not have been in on the joke (they may have agreed that the only way to control the Irish was by eating them). It may be that we're not advanced enough to refrain from such barbaric tendencies. But I certainly hope no one takes Swift up on his idea.

Final Discussion Question

I have to argue yes, it is more likely to solve our problem by eventually expanding outward into the galaxy (into the solar system, first, of course). It is hard to regulate population growth in the world today, though some have tried. I believe China has a national program in place to deter multiple births from a single family in an effort to stem population growth of their country. On a large scale though, I see it being very difficult to control population growth in a free society in a humane way. At best, governments could offer incentives for not conceiving multiple children, but even that would be hard pressed to make a solid impact.

On the flip side, even as NASA's latest probe, Phoenix, landed on the Martian surface just a few short weeks ago on May 25, NASA is currently working on missions to revisit the Moon. It plans to do so by 2020, with a moon base in place by 2024, in an effort to better understand what it will take to sustain life, and potentially use it as a jumping off point for missions to Mars which may eventually lead to colonies/life on Mars as a surrogate planet. "Scott Horowitz, NASA's head of exploration, says "a lunar base will be the central theme, for going back to the moon in preparation to go to Mars and beyond"" (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6582960). It may seem science-fiction, but chips are being put into place to make it a potential reality TODAY.

Final Due Dates--Updated :-)

Hello everyone,

Because of some technical difficulties, the due date for the final paper, as well as any and all revisions you might want to turn in has been changed to Tuesday the 24th, by midnight. This way, anyone who wants to revise their first two papers should have time to do so. (If you were among those who didn't get an email with revision suggestions, hopefully you attended one of the office hours online. If not, you should contact me asap.)

If you have any other questions about the revised due dates, or about your revisions, please let me know.

Our last class takes place this Monday, and of course I'll be happy to address any end-of semester concerns at that time. I'm enjoying your papers very much and looking forward to reading the next round.

T. F.

Discussion Question

I’m not quite sure how to answer this question. According to the sources I utilized, it would seem that our population is increasing pretty steadily and somewhat rapidly. According to the Population Institute, it took the entire world population until1830 to reach a billion people. In comparison, it was estimated that by 2005, the population was increasing at a rate of 80 million people a year. This is probably due to the constant improvements to modern medicine which both keeps people alive longer and reduces the infant mortality rate. So clearly, we see that there is a pretty big problem. Our planet just can’t really continue to hold the world population if it continues to grow in this way.

However, I still think that there’s no real definitive answer to this question. On one hand, sure, it would probably help out a lot if we moved further into the galaxy. We would have less people on Earth and would be able to have more room and an overall healthier environment. However, I really do not see this happening. There are several reasons for this. First of all, I don’t know if, after so many years of living on Earth, our bodies could adjust to life on another planet. With the different environments and atmosphere, it may take another act of evolution just to survive. That’s not even to mention the food and water needed. Who’s to say if there would be a decent amount of either for a population to survive. And we couldn’t very well ship food from Earth to another part of the galaxy because, if for some reason communication was cut off, that could be disastrous. Furthermore, it would be nearly impossible to decide who to take. Who would want to leave EARTH, where the only known human race has ever existed, and take them into SPACE to some unknown planet where anything could happen?

So, therefore, I guess it’s probably pretty improbable that we would move further into the galaxy in later years as a result of population growth. Though that does seem like the only solution. This is why population growth is so scary. There’s really nothing to be done about it. While you want people to live longer and have healthier lives, you also want a smaller population. It’s really a Catch-22. Perhaps moving into the galaxy is the only solution. But I don’t see that ever happening without some new wave of knowledge coming to us about how large populations of humans could survive off of Earth

Chapter 18

I found this chapter to be really interesting. I’ve always really liked space and all that it entailed. I completely agree with all that the author said. It really is amazing how a man with binoculars or a vintage, poorly-constructed tool can discover phenomenons that change the way we look at the universe around us.

I, too, have always felt a connection to space. It’s just so amazing to think of what a small entity we are in the big scheme of things. Here on Earth, especially in America, we often let our lives get away from us and just feel like everything is so important. But taking a step back and looking into the sky and the stars and the planets, you see what a small piece of the universe we really are. And he’s also right in saying that that’s really just the beginning.

The thing that really stuck out to me in this chapter was the constant referral to the many scientists in astronomy. I knew a bit about Hubble, as well as rainbows and other astronomical discoveries in the text. However, this went much farther than I had ever imagined. I just can’t put into words how astounding it is to me that these scientists learned more back in early science with minimal equipment than scientists can now with all of the technology at their fingertips. It really just goes to show how brilliant they were. And what is even more amazing is that they really stood their ground in their discoveries. Even though people ridiculed and ultimately tarnished their reputations, they stood their ground until the day they died. Their merit and brains are really incomparable to anything we see today.

I just really feel like our universe is one of the most amazing things one can learn about. The thought of endless space and energy is just ridiculous. We are just a miniscule part of what our universe really entails. I think that this chapter really represented that well.

Serenity

Wow. This movie was a little...strange. I'm not really fond of science fiction movies and I'm not a fan of westerns. Combine the two and it's probably something that's not for me. I'd never watched the series on TV (though I am a huge fan of Joss Whedon- Hello, Buffy the Vampire Slayer! lol.). Perhaps if I had, the movie would have been a little more significant. However, I did appreciate the messages in the movie.

Overpopulation seems to be the root of all the problems which obviously fits right into the theme of this week. Had it not been for overpopulation, everyone may have been able to stay on Earth and avoid the problems with the other planets. Additionally, I feel like overpopulation of the universe in this movie was a central theme. There were many fights among those from different realms of the universe. Each planet that the crew travels to finds a different problem awaiting. There just is not enough room for everyone to live peacefully. Had there been a proper number of people in the universe, everyone could have maintained their own boundaries without having to resort to such violence.

The problems with overpopulation presented in this movie are not uncommon in today's world. I am a firm believer in overpopulation resorting to violence. I think that many of the fights, wars, and violence that occur in our world are as a result of too little land for everyone to live happily. Just look at any typical suburb in America. In Charleston, the highest classes of neighborhoods have houses basically on top of one another. There just isn't enough room for everyone. While advances in healthcare are a wonderful thing (I am a health science major so clearly I support this) they can also be a curse to our environment. Modern medicine helps people live longer while also saving more newborns from dying at birth. Therefore, we are seeing more and more people inhabiting our Earth. I don't think we'll ever see such an extreme measure of overpopulation as in this movie (at least I hope not) but I do think that there is a problem. The scary thing about it, though, is that there's really not much we can do about it. We want our loved ones to live longer and we want to see more children on our planet. However, all of this comes at a price. The predicament is finding a way to balance it all in a healthy way.

A Modest Proposal

I’ve read this “proposal” several times in my college years. Each time, I am reminded of the many ironies and points made in it. After first reading it, you are understandable disgusted. It takes a while for it all to digest. It usually leaves me saying “Now why did I read this again?” However, after learning a little more about the subject matter and really thinking about it, everything becomes a little clearer.

First of all, it’s quite disturbing that, no matter how it’s intended, the author uses babies as a means of making a point. And the fact that the Irish children are compared to swine is just disgusting. However, after learning some of the historical background of the author (as I did in English a few years ago) a lot of the context makes more sense. First of all, the author has backgrounds in Ireland. He is using his whole “They’re just Irish right?” sensibility in his proposal as sarcasm. He uses it almost to show how ridiculous it all is that the Irish were considered so dirty.

I feel like most of the “proposals” in this essay, no matter how demeaning, were used just for the shock value. It almost seems as though this entire essay is said in sarcasm. Who would have thought that population control was a problem in the eighteenth century? It seems that many at this time were trying to figure out ways to eliminate this problem. However, it also seems that the Irish population were among those being blamed for the problem. It is no secret that Irish were not well thought of during this time. Perhaps it is for this reason that the essay was written. Perhaps the author was intending to show what a serious problem population control was. Whatever the purpose, this is a “proposal” that leaves me lost for words and confused every time I read it.

Questions

Hey!
Does anyone know when the final paper is due? The syllabus says Sunday, June 25th. Does this mean Wednesday the 25th or Sunday the 22nd? Also, are we revising paper one or two? I assume two, but after reading over one of Prof Fishman's emails, I confused myself. lol. Sorry if I asked something that has already been answered...
Thanks everyone,
Laura

SEX - chapter 10

tehehe sex!

Okay, now that I have that out of my system... This chapter is my favorite chapter thus far. Not only did it raise questions I never even thought of before, it proposed logical answers. (On a side note, I also enjoyed Mr. Sumner's writing style.) I have to agree with every part of this chapter. So here was his question, even though Neandertals looked awful, "why didn't we have nookie with these guys? Face it, people will shag anything." Oh yes, I have to agree on the last part. But besides people's poor judgment, it is still a good question. As he explained, it wasn't for lack of interaction or desire, it was because, as he proposes, that the species had two completely "different reproductive strategies." But I have to add something that you might find disturbing. Have you ever heard of furies? (ewww... but if you seriously have not heard about it, google it because I'm not explaining it.) So its obvious crazy stuff happens, and you still don't think that somewhere, a human really wanted to get it on with a Neandertal? I donno... even with the evidence, I am still not entirely convinced that they didn't at least try. And I thank God that they didn't succeed. (wow... rule 34!! As nasty and as hard as it is to imagine, I’m sure it’s been done.)

Skies - chapter 12

This chapter is really motivating to do something positive for the environment. With the technology of today, each and every one of us should be able to help out in a small way that, combined, will amount to something awesome. I mean, I really don't like the idea of comparing Earth's atmosphere to a warm, exploding, soda can. And no one told me that it could be possible that this could get to a point of no return. "And if the oceanic temperature is raised, the water will let go of some of that CO2 just like a diet soda does. (...) What if that was enough to tip us into a cycle of intense greenhouse warming? The cycle might be unstoppable." OMG! Was anyone going to announce this or just leave it to a few college students to worry about?! I really want to know more about this topic specifically.

It seems like, especially with everything else going on with global warming, that people would be running tests to disprove or prove this issue. And maybe they are, but I think the general public should know exactly what is going on. If nothing else, it would cause a few more people to jump up and do something!

The Gift - chapter one

Science is a really awesome gift. And, like so many other gifts that we have been blessed with, it has also had it's share of corruption. On top of the corruption; however, it has also been attached, litterally, by groups of people who have been trying to undermine the meanings and discoveries with falshoods or claims that benefit them personally instead of humanity. This chapter said a lot of things that were new to me. I had no idea that science could be taken advantage of like that. I still had high hopes that it was one of the remaining pure things in life. I guess I will have to go sit on an empty hill side to find pure nature. But even the hill sides are being swalled up by sprawl (sprawl = bad). I'm glad there are signs of hope later in the chapters.

Discussion Question #2

1. What is the difference between our environment and ourselves?
The difference between our environment and ourselves is a fine line. Recently, the environment (or so we are told) has been on a downward spiral toward global warming. Humanity has been on a downward spiral as well. I say this lovingly, but have you ever gone into Wal-Mart and seen children that made you say, "And that's why I'm not having kids." Just like the need for making changes to better the environment, I think there are changes that need to be made within the school systems and communities to better future generations. Just a few of the problems include obesity, violence, and education.

2. How does technology relate to the boundary?
Technology is, arguably, one of the factors that have caused so many of our problems. Too many people sitting at home watching TV, too many people playing violent video games... we have heard it all. But technology also holds the solution. Technology is great for education! It has brought students and faculty together like never before (online classes are lots of work, but fun!). The wii fitness game is trying to bring about changes on that end as well.

3. Does or can science/technology change that boundary, or change our perception of it?
Yes. Science and technology have greatly changed their perception of the environment already. Space travel! Landing on the moon! These are major events that have rocked history and changed how people think of future possibilities.

Pastor Dan -chapter 4

Pastor Dan is a really interesting person from what i can tell. He has been able to question creation while remaining strong in his faith. I think it was really interesting how he pointed out that "we were created to know love." This statement is so simple, yet really hit me. In all of this war, disaster, and global warming, there is still love?

"how is it that we can discover and further the uses of science for the benefit of all, including the 'creation' of which we are charged to be stewards?"
This is a really hard question. I can not even attempt to answer it since it goes way beyond the scope of my knowledge. There is already a lot research and development going into helping the environment... but then he goes on another important point; the "misuses of science." Meaning, there is far too much money and resources wasted on trivial luxuries that, in the end, mean little to nothing. When I traveled to Europe last fall, I took only one backpack and a normal size purse. I was gone for 4 months. Needless to say, I learned to live with out a lot of stuff I had here in the states. I did without the fancy razor, shampoo (hotel samples rock) and makeup. I took only a few changes of clothes and two pairs of shoes. I had plenty; I can't image traveling with more (European railroad stations are hard to maneuver with lots of luggage). After anyone has challenged themselves to live down from their normal standards, it makes you really think about what you take advantage off on a daily basis. It seemed like what Pastor Dan was saying is that the priorities for research and development are a little out of wack. Sure, its great to have luxury, but we can do with what we have for now, lets put more of the resources into discovering better technology for the environment.