Joy's biggest fear is that robotics are becoming so advanced that they are eventually going to replace humans and that humans will become obsolete. He talks about the possibility of computer chips or robotic attachments being fused with humans to create a sort of superhuman android that would abolish the regular human race.
One of the first things that he talks about is the New Luddite Challenge. This states that robots will eventually become so advanced and "intelligent" that they will be able to do scientists jobs better than the scientists themselves. Basically, robots will be able to create better robots than humans can. He also gives another good example which is that the machines will not have feelings or morals, and so their actions could very well interfere with the "right thing to do". The relationship between the robots and humans could be a very weak because of the things that the robots would do.
I think that these issues have become more relevant because in the 11 years since this was published, technology has advanced so much that these things are actually close to becoming a reality. Cell phones now can no longer be called cell phones because they are capable of so much more. Ipods are so small that they can fit on one of the fingers. You can have a constant stream of information at your fingertips at any time of day and in any place in the world. I think that the next step is for technology to become implanted in you because they can't possibly make it any smaller, so the only thing to do is to make it more convenient so that it is with you at all times. I also think that it is a strong possibility because humans are so dependent on technology that they will do whatever it takes to make sure that they always have it. If Apple announced that they would start implanting iPhone chips into people's heads tomorrow, there would be a line down the street. People will do whatever they have to in order to stay connected and stay ahead of the curve, even if that means becoming a robot.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
News Articles
Friday:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110320/ts_nm/us_japan_aid_1
Japan Tsunami- The problem is obviously that Japan has suffered a massive natural disaster and they need help from foreign nations to clean up and provide care to all those affected. I think that a possible solution for this is to organize fundraisers, donation hotlines, and other activities that can raise money locally. This money can be sent to organizations that are sending volunteers to Japan in order to help them buy supplies.
http://www.pennbpc.org/2010-11-budget-analysis
Penn State Budget Cuts- The problem is that Pennsylvania is potentially going to cut 52.5% of state funding to universities. While many people do not agree with me, I think that a possible solution is for in state students to have their tuition raised slightly in order to make up for this difference.
Saturday:
Newspaper Readership: While there is no online link about it, all over campus I have seen signs from the Collegian encouraging students to read the papers that are offered to them for free every day. The school is obviously losing money providing the four papers available to students each day and they are trying to increase readership. I think a possible solution would be to increase the amount of stands around campus, so that every student will pass by a stand each day. Also, decreasing the amount of papers each day could save money, since I have never seen any of the papers run out before.
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/03/18/wi-fi_necessary_but_at_the_right_time.aspx
Wifi in the dorms: The problem is that there is no wifi in the dorms and students are tired of using ethernet cords in their rooms. While there was a plan to put wifi in the dorms, it has now been halted because of the proposed budget cuts. I think that students would be glad to pay for wifi even if it made their tuition slightly higher because of convenience. I think that it is an easy solution that makes sense.
Sunday:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/af_libya
Libya: The problem is that Gadhafi has promised to go to war with the United States because of the recent air strikes we conducted. I do not think that going to war is a good solution here, because we are already involved in the Middle East and we do not need to start another war. I think that helping the Libyans was the correct choice but now it is time to back out and let them handle it themselves.
My proposal problem is that the White Building doesn't open until 4 pm on the weekends. While Rec Hall and the Natatorium are open before this, I do not understand why the White Building is closed. If it is a matter of staff, I am sure that there are plenty of students who would be glad to work there. I think that a solution needs to be found and I propose that the school hold a test run of a new set of weekend hours for a few weeks. If enough students use the gym before 4pm, I think that the school should consider making changes to their schedule.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110320/ts_nm/us_japan_aid_1
Japan Tsunami- The problem is obviously that Japan has suffered a massive natural disaster and they need help from foreign nations to clean up and provide care to all those affected. I think that a possible solution for this is to organize fundraisers, donation hotlines, and other activities that can raise money locally. This money can be sent to organizations that are sending volunteers to Japan in order to help them buy supplies.
http://www.pennbpc.org/2010-11-budget-analysis
Penn State Budget Cuts- The problem is that Pennsylvania is potentially going to cut 52.5% of state funding to universities. While many people do not agree with me, I think that a possible solution is for in state students to have their tuition raised slightly in order to make up for this difference.
Saturday:
Newspaper Readership: While there is no online link about it, all over campus I have seen signs from the Collegian encouraging students to read the papers that are offered to them for free every day. The school is obviously losing money providing the four papers available to students each day and they are trying to increase readership. I think a possible solution would be to increase the amount of stands around campus, so that every student will pass by a stand each day. Also, decreasing the amount of papers each day could save money, since I have never seen any of the papers run out before.
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/03/18/wi-fi_necessary_but_at_the_right_time.aspx
Wifi in the dorms: The problem is that there is no wifi in the dorms and students are tired of using ethernet cords in their rooms. While there was a plan to put wifi in the dorms, it has now been halted because of the proposed budget cuts. I think that students would be glad to pay for wifi even if it made their tuition slightly higher because of convenience. I think that it is an easy solution that makes sense.
Sunday:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/af_libya
Libya: The problem is that Gadhafi has promised to go to war with the United States because of the recent air strikes we conducted. I do not think that going to war is a good solution here, because we are already involved in the Middle East and we do not need to start another war. I think that helping the Libyans was the correct choice but now it is time to back out and let them handle it themselves.
My proposal problem is that the White Building doesn't open until 4 pm on the weekends. While Rec Hall and the Natatorium are open before this, I do not understand why the White Building is closed. If it is a matter of staff, I am sure that there are plenty of students who would be glad to work there. I think that a solution needs to be found and I propose that the school hold a test run of a new set of weekend hours for a few weeks. If enough students use the gym before 4pm, I think that the school should consider making changes to their schedule.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Swift/ Proposal
In his article, one of the problems that Swift addresses is the problem of how many poor children there are in the country of Ireland. He talks about how they are the reason that their parents are so poor and how it would be easier if they were gone. He offers up the idea that people in Ireland should eat all the poor children to not only alleviate their own hunger, but to alleviate the burden that the children put on the parents, as well as to put the children out of their misery. When I first read the piece I thought it was funny but a little strange, especially because Swift plays with the idea for so long. I got the feeling that he had put a lot of thought into it and he thought it to be a serious suggestion. I think that the satire helped his cause at first because it made the subject more approachable but I think that he took it too far and lost the point of the essay.
A big topic on people's minds today is overpopulation. With over 6 billion people in the world today, we are using up resources faster than ever, as well as polluting our planet and destroying our environment. I personally don't see what everyone's worried about, because I have the perfect solution! When you think back to the times of our ancestors, people did not live even half as long as most people do today. Medical advances have extended the human life span to far past its natural length. I think that we should get rid of western medicine in order to help rid the world of some of the naturally weak organisms. While it may seem a little crazy at first, think about how many lives you will save in the long run. With less people on our planet, there will be less pollution and less abuse of the natural resources of the planet. The earth will have time to heal itself while people learn to live in harmony with the their environment. The human species will be able to exist forever, as opposed to now, where we may only have a few generations left before we destroy the planet.
A big topic on people's minds today is overpopulation. With over 6 billion people in the world today, we are using up resources faster than ever, as well as polluting our planet and destroying our environment. I personally don't see what everyone's worried about, because I have the perfect solution! When you think back to the times of our ancestors, people did not live even half as long as most people do today. Medical advances have extended the human life span to far past its natural length. I think that we should get rid of western medicine in order to help rid the world of some of the naturally weak organisms. While it may seem a little crazy at first, think about how many lives you will save in the long run. With less people on our planet, there will be less pollution and less abuse of the natural resources of the planet. The earth will have time to heal itself while people learn to live in harmony with the their environment. The human species will be able to exist forever, as opposed to now, where we may only have a few generations left before we destroy the planet.
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