Friday, November 2, 2012

Pure Science Fiction?

Based upon your recent reading of articles in regarding science and technology, what connections or observations can you make about your read article(s) and the concepts and stories we have read or viewed? Please complete this blog response in class today, November 2nd, 2012.

28 comments:

  1. It's interesting because some of these sites are really excited about this new technology, which directly clashes with our unit, which is the fear of technology. It shows how we don't have to be afraid of technology. It can be a wonderful thing.

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  2. I read the article "Wrist Devise Makes Controlling Gadgets A Snap" which was about a devise that Microsoft has been working on that goes on your wrist to control phones, video games, and other gadgets. This connects to the stories we've read because not only do we know what it can do but we don't know what it is capable of or the possibilities in the future. Also, it seems a bit futuristic and may not work how the designers would like for it to work.

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  3. The modern day scientist are trying way to hard to make a robot that is smarter then us stronger then us and looks and acts just like us. In the stories we have read the computer starts to write love poetry and wants to marry pat a human. And in an article I read the scientist want to make a robot that can move like a human and do all the everyday need that humans can do. I think this could end badly if the robot develops emotions.

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  4. When we looked at the articles today i saw some images i would never have thought would be possible. Some concepts that we have discussed in this class is the subject of Xenophobia and Extrapolation. Looking at some articles you can see some pros and cons of each invention. For example, the Humanoid robot, is a invention that could be used for good but since its brain will be smart, it would have the mind ability to rebel and take over. Not only are they're big inventions coming out, but some of the gadgets being produced can help with everyday modern middle class people. The flavored mouth guard being used for athletes can protect the safety of your mouth but also stimulate the brain.

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  5. Throughout all the article i have read one common thing as become apparent. I believe the technology in science fiction is becoming a reality. All the robots that have been recently created are highly advanced. An example of this would be the robot with human muscle. This would be something that i would read in a science fiction novel.

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  6. Throughout our history with robots a common element has shown up. This common element is humanization, with all our technological advances there is a strive to make robots more human, either in their movements, use of random items or even their minds and feelings. Although this movement towards more humanoid robots is always there, there is also a great fear of making them too smart so that they become the supreme beings and we become their "slaves" like in Terminator, Matrix, and IRobot. Although we as a society always have these fears there is an immense want for a more humanoid robot that will bring us closer to a more humanoid robot.

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  7. I read the article about using human components on robots. I also found it creepy, because if a machine can become like a human, technology could completely take over. I don't even mean in the sense of "taking over and making us our slaves and oppressing us directly," but we could just become so dependent on technology that eventually few of us would be able to function. I also don't want to see the extent of our power as humans, because I think we have more power than we realize, and it potentially could be our downfall. Some things are best left the way they are, like humans being humans and doing what they can do, and letting technology guide us but not control our mind and desires.

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  8. The connection and observations that I made to this article is how robots could potentially become part of our everyday lives. The article talked about how scientists are creating a robot that could have the potential to do everyday tasks. It is hard for me to even imagine my everyday life involving a robot.

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  9. The articles that I read about reminded me about some of the stories we read because they were full of robots and futurist devices that I could never imagine being real. It seems like science is starting to make incredible headway into developing amazing ideas that seem like they should be impossible.Science never seems to run out of ideas and some of them are slightly frighting because of all of the science fiction stories that end badly with robots trying to take over.

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  10. I found that many of the articles saw technology in a positive way, and people were looking forward to improving and creating more powerful technology over time. In class, we are discussing the fear of what we create, yet these inventors/scientists don't seem to have a worry. The articles were about moving forward, rather than being careful about what they create.

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  11. Technology can do some amazing things, but humans also don't know when to stop. In regards to Planet of the Apes, humans destroyed their planet with their technology. Humans could one day take this technology too far and it could get into the wrong hands and potentially hurt us. This plays into xenophobia, some of us are fearing the potential bad things that could happen from this new technology. I don't think of technology as a bad thing, humans just need to be extremely careful with what they create.

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  12. The things that I have noticed in almost all of the articles we read was that these scientists were all working towards getting these robots to think for themselves. Robots thinking for themselves would have some obvious pros and cons to it. However, the level of advancement there would be immense as these robots would have to learn how to do things that are not just for their designated tasks, but they would have to learn about morality and other things that keep humans themselves in check. It would be a tall order indeed.

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  13. It isn't just the technology aspect of science that is increasing at an alarming rate, but in Popular Science, there was an article that discussed the applications of genetically modifying mice, which developed muscle at a much faster rate, potentially allowing humans to some day have no need for exercise or effort. Technology can be wonderful and life saving, but it can also be life destroying.

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  14. After reading a few articles on popsci.com (Popular Science), I have found that science is advancing faster and further than any time in the past. I remember about 7 years ago when it was a big deal that a robot was invented that could receive 2 or 3 commands and do them. One article I just read talked about a robot that could analyze storms by swimming in the ocean in the heart of the storm. The robot could collect when the storm could hit, how large the storm would be, how long, and how destructive. And the robot even survived the storm after being right next to it. This showed me that a lot of ideas in science fiction stories may seem far-fetched, but they may be not too far down the road

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  15. I think that humanoid robots are a think that could possibly arise soon. Although i dont see what perpouse they would serve. Im not quite sure i see the funtionality of them. But i can see them existing in the future. the very near future

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  16. These articles show just how close what we consider science fiction is coming to be a reality. Robots are becoming much more advanced and are even being taught how to learn and adapt. This could lead to something similar to EPICAC if it learned too much and began to understand human emotions. Some concepts we have read about, that were very far off when written about but now they are coming close to being realistic.

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  17. After having read the articles, I've notice that a lot of the things in the articles were oddly like the objects that were in the short stories that we read. So far, it seems positive , but it is only a matter of time before the darker consequences take place.

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  18. I read an article about robot constructed to be very similar to human legs- the robot has straps that mimic human muscles, and walks just like a human. This technology scared me- making something that human like is just asking for trouble. What's the point of making something like that? Im sure its in our power to construct robots that look just like us, but why would we?? If we did make robots that are identical to us, and possibly better than us?
    While listening to the article one student read about placing a computer chip under the skin of our wrist, I was disgusted. It would be unnatural and violate our privacy. The government would know what we were doing at all times, and that is just not right.
    Scary concepts!!

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  19. I read an article about a new drug that can cool down the drain and prevent seizures. Honestly, I think that this is a great invention, because without technology, the only think that can really prevent seizures is low stress and maintaining a low heart rate. Trying to prevent seizures is a great thing to put resources, time, and effort in to. Someone else in the class, however, read an article about household robots, and I think that it's a terrible idea. Modern day Americans (and any other ethnicity) are getting lazy due to the technology that we already have on hand. There is no point in having a robot do those things for us. It creates less jobs and it will give modern day citizens even less to do. It is a better idea to help CREATE jobs using technology than taking them away with the use of machines. Resources should go towards saving lives by making drugs or immunizations instead of making a robot to take away jobs.

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  20. The genre of science fiction does a stellar job as it defies the set barriers and brings fiction and non-fiction closer than ever. The article, "We Wanted To Make A Robot That Could Squeeze Through Holes and Change its Shape" exemplifies the established connections as it addresses machines that resemble human beings. This exhibits the Frankenstein complex by showing the fear that emerges when the human's individuality and distinct characteristics are threatened. The article also connects to the stories that we have read, because they compare and contrast the differences and similarities between the creatures of nature and the creations of humans.

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  21. After reading the articles and the stories that we've read in class, I noticed that they all relate because they all mention technology. Technology made by us and how they could help and/ or how they could hurt us. Sometimes they describe what the piece of technology does and what it could do for us, but if we know that our creations always come back to hurt us then how come we keep coming up with things that will do even more damage to us?

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  22. What I've noticed between the stories that we read and the articles that Mr.Trotter is that weather or not they deal with xenophobia or extrapolation, they all have some form of fear. The Silk and the Song, an article on law enforcement unmanned helicopters, they all deal with fear. I think this is because progression is scary. For a human, it's scary to move on, you don't know weather your idea is going to be accepted by society or you don't know if other's ideas will harm you. Another thing that they all have is extrapolation. Every one of the stories that we have read or talked about so far has had some sort of new technology that we don't have now. With the technology articles, they are having new ideas for things that they will make in the future.

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  23. When I was reading articles I noticed a lot of machinery that is starting too resemble humans more and more while being programmed to preform human tasks or talents. In the stories the time line is further than our own and the machines are much more developed then the ones today; in the stories the machines would be completley innocent no drive to wipe out man kind, they were actually friendly with humans and then something would happen that confused or peaked the machines interests so it would ask a human about it or try to experience it on its own which would lead to a problem with the human because we are so used to telling robots what to do and we are not used to them thinking on their own. Even though we are still reletivly early in the computer stage it is obvious we aren't taking these stories seriously. Because obviously mankind has never made a mistake and always thinks through our actions.

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  24. Technology is something that serves us, does what we ask and we like it that way. We don't want technology to think for itself. It's something we like to use because it does things for us and ask nothing in return. In the short story "EPICAC", he needed "EPICAC", because of the poems he made. He said that he was giving it to the girl from him but, he was really giving it to her and saying it was from him. He couldn't let a robot take his girl it would be crazy. Technology in the story made it's own decitions and that's what we don't like or don't want.

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  25. Through all the stories that we have read, technology has served us one way or another. In the first few stories that we read, like Ralph 124c41+ where the main character brought his girlfriend back to life. In others like Repent Harlequin, people still used technology in their favor, they just used it to hurt and control other people. Another thing that all the stories have in common is the first concept that we talked about: extrapolation. They all talk about new technologies that are plausible or even possible, but we just don't have the knowledge to do so.

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  26. I noticed that in many of the articles there were pros and cons for the complex designs and technology. These inventions can do amazing things but there is a fear that they could be smart enough to take over. This connects to the Frankenstein complex that we are learning about because there is a fear of what the technology we create can do.

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  27. As I was moving around the site reading the caption to the picture i thought about how much technology we have but dont know of or use. Sure it would be cool to have a robot that can walk accross a tight rope by why are people designing things like that? All of the inventions are very cool and proves that we are getting more and more advanced but do all of our technologies have a purpose? We are making robots more and more like humans. why are poeple trying to create us? I like living and having challenges but if we have robots fix all our problems we wont even be living.

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  28. When I was looking through the different articles, I noticed that there were some robotic technologies that are able to change shape or move like an earthworm. I had no idea that this technology would be possible today. It is hard to imagine what type of technology would be around 10 or 20 years from now because of the rapid development of technology.

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