CA Blogging Assignment #8

     I feel that my academic skills set in terms of researching, reading, writing, and discussion has greatly improved throughout the term. I have learned to use useful databases such as LexisNexis to help with my research, and I was able to make it a habit to cite the sources correctly whenever I used them. I was also able to make it a habit to annotate my readings which helped me pick up the key concepts and to better understand the content. Annotating the readings gave me an idea of how the main concepts should be taken into the text and how they should be be organized, which improved my essay writing skills. Also, improvement in my reading skills naturally helped improve my discussion skills, for I was able to take in the content of the readings and have a clear understanding of the content, which allowed me to use the information correctly in discussions. Through the various assignments in ELP, I am proud to say that my academic skills have improved much more than I thought it would, and I know these skills will help me through the rest of my studies in ICU.  

CA Blogging Assignment#7

     The quote I chose is "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal," by Albert Einstein. In terms of what happens to people in reality, I think this quote means that technological progress can be a powerful weapon that can be used for destruction, especially when it gets into the hands of humans, who have evil in their nature. An axe itself cannot do any harm; however, when it is used by people like pathological criminals, there may be dire consequences. For example, technological progress allowed people to discover atomic power. Atomic power itself is harmless if left alone; however, humans, because it is in their nature to be evil, discovered a way to use that power for weapons. They managed to create atomic bombs, and it has become one of today's biggest concern in the world.

CA Blogging Assignment#6

     Garreau calls the scenario of having three types of humans in the future--"enhanced," "natural" and "the rest"--"The Law of Unintended Consequences." However, the term itself means to me the situation of doing or assuming something and ending up with consequences you have not predicted.　For example, when I was in middle school, my parents took me to The Art Institute of Chicago Museum. I did not want to go there at all because I always thought museums were boring. However, once I got there, I met many paintings that I really enjoyed looking at, and I even got a T-shirt of Van Gogh's "Bedroom in Arles" printed on the front at the souvenir shop. I did not think I would enjoy the museum at all; therefore, I believe the satisfaction and some souvenirs I took home with me may be considered as outcomes of "The Law of Unintended Consequences."

CA Blogging Assignment #5

     The topic I chose for my second essay is the problem of surrogate births. I chose this topic because I always thought it was nice to have this kind of system for infertile couples. However, when I began my research, I discovered the many inconveniences in being a surrogate mother and the conflict between surrogate mothers and their clients. I began to feel that the best solution for infertile couples is not surrogacy, but adoption. Therefore, my working thesis statement is "surrogate birth is not the best solution to solve infertility problems for it has various conflicts such as parental rights of surrogate mothers and health risks; the alternative of adoption should be considered."

CA Blogging Assignment #4

     I thought the "enhanced" students described in Radical Evolution was very interesting at fist, but when I thought about it coming to reality, I realized the idea is pretty frightening. The idea of being "enhanced" contradicts my personal opinion of what it means to be human. I believe the essential part of being human is to seek improvement and progress in life for more satisfaction. If we are able to become superhumans by "enhancing" ourselves, soon, we will cease to feel the need for further improvement. For me, not being perfect is the essence of being human, and I think life is all about trying to discover new ways to improve ourselves. Therefore, even though being "enhanced" sounds interesting, I feel there is no need for "enhancement," and I don't think it is even possible.

CA Blogging Assignment #3

     The modification to the human genome currently being studied and experimented with will eventually change human nature in many ways. For example, the idea of tampering with the physical characteristics of unborn babies for cosmetic purposes and creating designer babies brought up many ethical problems. Do parents have the right to change their unborn child's appearance? Wouldn't altering genes destroy individuality? Should we be fiddling with our naturally created system at all? Once the modification of unborn babies become ethically approved, I feel that humans will forget to appreciate life and to embrace who they are.

CA Blogging Assignment #2

     My revised thesis for my first essay is"There should not be a framework for what one should do according to their gender," and the three main supporting ideas for this thesis are as follows. The first supporting point for my thesis is the change of gender roles over time. Today, unlike in the past, there is a growing population of working women and "ikumen," who are men who stay at home and raise their children. The second supporing point for my thesis is that people cannot be divided into two genders. There is a disorder called the Gender Identity Disorder, which is when someone has a body with a gender different than their heart. The third supporting point for my thesis is that individual differences come before gender. Not everyone can do everything that others of the same gender can do. Some people are clumsy, and some people are skillful. Also, people's specialties tend to depend on their family business or where they live.