In the News - Animal Aggression

In Lauren's In the News presentation today, she contrasted the violence to humans by animals, and the vilence to humans by animals. At the hear tof this is a question of ethics--do we view other living beings, such as animals, as equal to humans at a moral level. At the surface, it seems obvious that we can treat animals differently and still consider themselves moral beings. Although they feel pain, they don't have the intellectual capacity to know that what is happening to them is a moral question, so one could say that this obviates any kind of moral issue.

But one could also argue that ethics is precisely about how we act when we are not required to do so by the reciprocity of effecting another human being. The recent issues of food safety in China is an obvious moral issue becuase the melanine added to the baby food caused kidney stones and even death among infants. And when we make decisions about our environment or our laws, it is easy to see how such decisions will affect other human beings. But perhaps our greatest mroalchallenge is when there is no obvious moral trade-off--when we do good, not because we have to, but because we choose to. To treat animals with the dignity and respect we offer to other human beings would elminate the extreme abuses of animals, but it might make us all a bit more human as well. Who's to say that curbing violence toward animals wouldn't also curb violence toward other humans?

In the News - Artificial Sweeteners

In Carolina's In the News presentation today, she looks at a story about the possible harmful effects of Splenda. Sugar substitutes have often tried to give us what we want from the original--sweetness--and remove what we don't want--calories. But if we are tradiong excess calories for potential bodily harm, then I'm not sure we are making a good trade.

One issue here is how safe we feel our food is. the recent scares ov er the safety of milk in China, where Melanine was added to cut the milk, making it cheaper to produce and making the dairy companies more money, is one egregious example of food safety being compromised for profit. Splenda and other sugar substitutes offer themselves as a safe substitute that allows us to indulge without apyingt he price of our indulging. but I believe in general that if things seem too good to be true, then they probably are. Diets that promise wieght loss with little work, investment programs that promise get-rich-quick results, schools that promise an easy online education--all of these promise us something that we want while not demanding much of us.

We should be more skeptical about technology in general. Perhaps computers will not make kids smarter or schools more effective. Perhaps being thin will not make us happy and successful. Perhaps there are cultural myths out there worth exploring in all the products sold to us.

And now for some mixed metaphors: We all want our cake and to eat it too. But Splenda promises we can eat more cake than we should and not suffer the consequences. Perhaps we should take all such sweet promises with a grain of salt.

Some Ideas for Project 2

Below are some resources to help you start thinking about beliefs you could focus on in Project 2:

• Look back at the "This I Beleive" site and consider the beliefs that others have expressed there.
• Think of friends or relatives (or other cultures, other generations, other nationalities, other backgrounds) who hold beliefs different from yours.
• Visit some sites of political candidates or their parties, or political blogs. (This site about "Why People are Irrational about Politics" might be useful here.)
• Think of the reasons people hold their beliefs and work backwards from these reasons to a belief you question. (For instance, religion is the most common belief system that people question by looking at why people believe in it; this article might help here: "Why Do We Believe Impossible Things?".)
• Choose something you're invested in, but feel conflict over (i.e.e dissonance). For instance, if I was writing this paper, I would probably write about the belief that “everyone should go to college.” It’s a belief I see repeated over and over in the current presidential campaign, but about which I’m not sure. My paper does not need to deliver a final “yes” or “no” on this topic. Rather, my intent should be to first explore why this belief is so widespread. What is it about Americans that leads them to adhere to this belief? What changes in our economy have made such a belief more likely? What sort of evidence is there that confirms or denies this belief? You’ll probably find that any myth you look at has both evidence for it and against it. Those myths that persist with a large amount of evidence against them often appeal to us in other ways (like how the “everyone should go to college” belief appeals to the American ideal of equality that is embedded in the Declaration of Independence’s statement that all people are created equal).

In the News - Social Networking Sites

Karina's presentation today drew attention to those who are upset about changes to the design off Facebook. The author of the article she links to states that any change to something used by so many people will necessarily leave some unhappy. Facebook has allowed users to opt out of the new design, which may make some users happy, although this may mean some people will not have the same functionality as those using the new design. Allowing this choise decreases usability, since visitors to the site will need to remember how to navigate two different design layouts.

Some have stated that the new design is geared toward making more space for advertisements, which is always a possibility. To think that the owners of Facebook are not motivated by rpofit would seem naive, although our reading for class today stated that it is a myth to think that money is good motivation for creative work. I guess it depends as to whether you see this new design as being a result of creativity. I think it is likely that many new products and services emerge from creative work that does not have profit as its primary motive. But it may be less true that modifications to those products and services later on probably have profit more in mind than the original creation.

Google is an example of a company that has found ways to promote all sorts of creative applications, even while being a successful business. Perhaps their philosophy "Do not be evil" has something to do with their willingness to look past the profit motive.

In the News - Genetic Testing for Cancer

How much do you want to know about your genetic makeup? As we develop new tests and new understanding of cancer and other medical conditions, we take on the responsibilities of this knowledge. the most talked about responsibility is that of medical insurance. If genetic tests allow insurance companies to identify individuals as being at higher risk of diseases with costly treatments, does this mean they can charge more for that person's insurance coverage? Insurance is about preparing for the unknown--being confident that no matter what happens, we have the ability to survive the unexpected .

Deciding whether to get one's children tested for types of cancer should consider all the risks of knowing and not knowing. As Jordan mentioned in her presentation today, knowing can affect behavior in positive ways. But it may be possible that other individuals will take such information badly and it will affect their behavior in negative ways. (I assume the stories of good changes in behavior circulate more than the stories of bad changes in behavior.) The potential discrimination from others knowing such information ("I don't want my daughter marrying that guy with bad genes") may be something to consider as well.

NSU Homecoming Theme Contest

If anyone's interested, there is a contest for creating the NSU homecoming theme. See details below:

Are you creative?Do you have ideas for a Homecoming Theme?

Submit your idea and it just might be chosen as the theme for NSU's Homecoming 2009. Prizes will be awarded to the 1st-place, 2nd-place, and 3rd-place winners. The contest is open to all NSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni.The contest ends September 30 with the winners being announced at NSU's Got Talent on October 24.

For more information, visit www.nova.edu/studentengagement/homecoming or contact the Office of Student Engagement at (954) 262-7193 or studentengagement@nova.edu.

In the News - Dangers of Technology

The presentation today by Xiance drew our attention to the ways that technology has potentially fatal side effects. In this case, people texting while attempting to do other things like walk or drive has led them to be involved in accidents.

The dangers and benefits of technologies deserve attention, but it will always be the case that technology will both hurt and help, it's not an either/or situation. It will encourage some behaviors and discourage others. It will enhance some skills and make others obsolete. This is related to the idea of "affordances" we discussed in class, that everytechnology is good for some things and not as good for others.

this reminds me of an article I read this morning that talks about how the internet has changed students' reading habits. Attention spans are shortening, students reduce complex texts down to sources of information, and the skills of close readnig and prolonged reflection go unpracticed. I don't think anyone laments the skills we've lost by not having to wash our clothes by hand, but every technology we use means we are giving up a set of experiences in which knowledge, values, and social relations were once situated. It's a good question to ask what we gain and lose every time we adopt a technology.

In the News - Cloning

Australia's decision to issue the license for cloning embryos to produce stem cells, like most debates over this topic, hinges on a definition of what you're creating when you alow cells to duplicate. In other words, when do cells become a life we would think of as being ended when they are harvested for research. The article says scientists are being allowed to let cells reproduce to the blastocyst stage, but not to a viable fetus. Different groups will define life as starting at different times. Terms such as embryo are distinct from words such as embryonic cells, which are used by different groups to emphasize its proximity to or distance from what we would think of as a human being.

For some, life begins at conception. While easy to claim, this turns every fertilized egg that doesn't implant properly into the uterus as the death of a human being. While I don't think we want to disregard such lost opportunities, it is also a difficult rule to use in enforcing any type of law that would protect the rights of such a group of cells. It's not obvious to the woman when implantation has occurred, so its hard to say when such rights begin.

That scientists are trying to produce these types of cells while preventing them from entering stages where theywould feel it unethical to use these cells shows that there is some attempt to work within the moral codes of multiple groups. It's not a slash and burn policy where the scientists are given free reign to do what they want.

General Comments About Project 1 Drafts

Overall, there's plenty of interesting stories being told and beliefs being explored. These essays can still be strengthened, though, by doing the following:

• This I Believe essays are really less about something you believe and more about something you believe in. There is a difference between believing that you have been a good friend to someone and beleiving in friendship. The second way of writing asks you to examine and explain your belief more than explaining your friendship. Another way of looking at this is that you need balance between the story in your essay and your exploration of your belief system. In most cases right now, the story predominates, and authors have said little about their belief beyond the fact that they hold it.
• Tell us more about the people (or places) involved. Other people figure very prominently in your essays, but we often don't learn any more about them than that they are your relative or friend. A few well-chosen descriptions can go a long way to letting readers understand someone's character or importance. Letting them speak in their own voices by incorporating dialogue is another way to achieve this.
• Find the interesting detail . Successful essay writing really does hinge on giving your readers details and insights that provide a payoff for the time readers invest in reading your writing. If all they get are general descriptions and cliches, they are not getting your best writing, and are less likely to feel they benefitted from reading your essay. Readers partially read to learn something they don't know, to gain insight into a different way of living or thinking, and to get a glimpse of other places, cultures, and events. don't ignore this need.
• Elminate as much text as you can. Redundant sentences, vague statements, generalities--these are all opportunities to remove text or combine sentences. Better to come in under the required word limit than to have a bloated essay that is tedious to read.

In the News #2 : Politics

Politicians, as Larry said, are always looking for "advantages." So, one might ask oneself whether having a family is an advantage in a campaign, and what uses of that family are appropriate. Each of the candidates have had their wives give speeches, and both have been present and active in their campaigns. Voters often look to candidates' family lives to make judgments about their character and beliefs. Candidates with histories of divorce, or whose children get into trouble, sometimes have hard times convicning voters that they can represent them effectively. Rudy Guiliani family life, for instance, opened him up to doubt from voters with strict morals. As well, the trouble gotten into by Mike Huckabee's son, and the seeming attempts to cover up the action, did not help his candidacy.

Today being Sept. 11, both current presidential canddiates have agreed to suspend partisan politics for the day. That people could suggest one candidate has more or less a right to speak or to honor the deaths of those Americans who died seven years ago is itself a symptom of the degradation of our political system, in which parties attempt to belittle the patriotism or character of a candidate rather than address issues. Disagreements on policy issues should not be the measure of whether one is a good American. To use today as a wedge to call one side less American or patriotic is the exact opposite of what the candidates have tried to achieve by speaking together and suspending their political machines.

In the News #2: The US-Mexican Border

The thing that strikes me about this issue is that it is not an issue; there is barely a mention of imimigration or border-fence building as part of the current presidential campaign. This seems odd, especially when terorrism, the economy, and unemployment are large issues. Does either party want to bring this up? Is it aliability for both Democrats and Republicans? John McCain worked against his party to develop comprehensive immigration reform that included things such as a "pathway to citizenship." But bringing this up now in the campaign would likely alieanate plenty of conservative voters who are strongly anti-immigration, as well as alienate independent and minority voters who may side with the McCain/Palin ticket on social values issues. That neither party has made this part of their platform seems to suggest that this is a politically volatile issue, or perhaps a non-issue because it might draw attention to wasteful spending and misplaced attention by both parties.

Whether or not to give money to complete the fence begs several questions. For instance, how effective is the fence so far? How effective can half-a-fence be? If the current work simply displaces the border-crossing areas, then you would think that half-a-fence isn't any better than no fence? So, is it all or nothing? Is this a stop-gap, a band-aid? Is it a colossal waste of money and are we better off cutting funding as soon as possible? Are there better ways to manage immigration and border crossing (in both directions)? What would happen to the U.S. economy if we had no immigrant labor--which harvests everything from oysters to christmas trees?

The article mentiones the GAO (the government accountability office), which is a real no-partisan group in Washington that gives unbiased information and analysis. they donb't weigh in on whether or not the fence should be built, but they do keep track of what is spent and on whether deadlines are being met. Should we continue to fund it? Only if we think it will be effective once completed.

Week 3 Reminders

Hello all,

Some quick reminders:

• Please vote once in the poll above to determine where reminders and announcements like this should be posted. Remeber that you can subscribe to the feed of this blog and make announcements show up in your sharklink page, your blogger dashboard, in your own blog, or any number of other "feed readers."

• There are reading and writing assignments this week from the textbook. For Tuesday, for instance, you will read chapter 1, including two short essays by Powell and Goldberg. You will answer the “Questions for Active Reading” after each essay (you do not have to answer the “Questions for Thinking Critically”). There is a journal entry due as well, the assignment sheet for which is available on WebCT.

• The following people have not sent me the URLs (web addresses, like http://comp100.blogspot.com) to their blogs: B. Astudillo, C. Orr, C. Duty, D. Williams, G. Moppert, P. Daniels, A. Manuel, S. Pascucci. If you do not give me your URL, I can neither grade your work nor add a link to the course blog so other students can access your work. Starting next week, the late work policy in the syllabus will be enforced for blogs. Send me your info, or if you already sent your URL to me, but I somehow missed it, let me know at ericmaso@nova.edu . you cancheck the list of student blogs on the course blog to make sure your blog has been added.

• Per the instructions given during class and available on WebCT, I need you to add the “Subscriptions” gadget to your blogs. Even if you have already added it, you should check to make sure it is possible to subscribe to posts and to comments. This is necessary for me to keep track of those times (like this Thursday), when you will be asked to comment on each others’ blogs.

• You can always update your blog title if you find that it is too similar to other students’ blog titles. Feel free to add different gadgets, designs, images, and such to your blogs. You have the ability to change other things about your blog as well, such as your user name and even the URL of your site. Changing these last two should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, however, as it will make it impossible for me to give you credit for your blog if I can’t find it or don’t recognize your username.

• You may want to read over the assignment sheet for Project 1 before Tuesday’s class, if you haven’t done so already. It’s available on WebCT under “Course Documents.”

As always, email me if you have questions (ericmaso@nova.edu) .

Best,
Eric Mason

In the News #1

There’s been a lot of talk about how fair the Olympics were. China was accused of faking the ages of some of its gymnasts. Performance aids have also been scrutinized for their effect on the fairness. In swimming, Michael Phelps took home eight gold medals with the aid of a high-tech swimsuit designed by Speedo with the help of NASA and the Australian Institute of Sport. In the first four months of this suit's use, swimmers wearing it broke 38 world records, and that was before the Olympics even started.

While you’ve probably heard of the new high-tech swimsuits, you may not have heard of some athletes’ use of another performance aid: beta-blockers. Beta blockers are a legal drug that mutes some of the sympathetic nervous system—such as adrenaline—and are widely used to treat high blood pressure and heart aryhythmia. They are generally safe and effective, and are widely and legally used by classical musicians to ensure quality performances. Basically, they temporarily block the things that make you so nervous that your hands shake. Preventing this is very important in some sports, such as archery and pistol shooting, where slight shaking can ruin your performance. At the recent Olympics, two North Korean pistol shooters tested positive for beta blockers, which are banned from this competition. Shooters are allowed to use, however, specialized clothing such as blinders and stiff shooting jackets to minimize movement.

What is the effect of all these technologies on our sense of fairness, and the spirit of competition? In a recent article in The Atlantic, Carl Elliot, argues that the use of beta blockers in Olympic sports would actually make them more fair because “there is another way to see beta blockers—not as improving someone’s skills, but as preventing the effects of anxiety from interfering with their skills.” What ther areas could these drugs be used for positive effect? What about politicians preparing to give speeches? What about a neurosurgeon preparing to operate? If we accept them in these situations, why not in olympic competition? What types of performance enahncers are acceptable in human activities, either in competitive sports or elsewhere? When does unequal access to technology become unacceptable?