We've
talked about this since the beginning of the year. Any helpful tool to
living life in the physical world comes with a trade-off. Some of the
trade-offs are obvious, but many slip by unnoticed. These trade-offs
might be well worth it, but we should train ourselves to look for them
so we can at least make informed decisions about what we're choosing to
give up in favor of easier living.
First, read this article by Clive Thompson (contributing writer for Wired magazine)... http://www.wired.com/2013/03/clive-thompson-2104/
Now, 1. Pick one scientific/technological advancement (high tech or low tech, it doesn't matter) that improves/eases your life, and 2. describe how it benefits you. Now comes the tricky part...3. think about what you give up (i.e., the trade-off) as a result of adopting this useful tool. Be
specific and clear in this last part. The trade-off can be physical,
mental, emotional, character-/virtue-based, interpersonal. Avoid trite
notions, such as "texting while driving causes accidents." Think broader
AND deeper (these aren't oxymoronic terms!).
Here
are a list of commonplace technologies as examples...internet, smart
phones/computers, wireless/cellular connectivity, electricity,
batteries, jet travel....
This
will be a significant chunk of your fourth quarter assignment grade
(being that we don't have very many assignments). Here's the deal,
you're welcome to choose one of the above topics to discuss, but, if you
do, you can't earn more than 90% on the assignment. To have the
possibility for full credit, you have to identify a different
technological advancement on which to ruminate. Your response should be a
solid paragraph. DUE TOMORROW!
Two more (short) Clive Thompson articles worth reading...
The Power of Introversion... http://www.wired.com/2012/03/st_thompson_introvert/
Don't Blame Social Media if Your Teen is Unsocial... http://www.wired.com/2013/12/ap_thompson-2/
Extra
credit: For those interested in going a little deeper, here's a
follow-up assignment DUE BY FRIDAY (end of the day). Having already identified a
beneficial technology and explained the trade-off, now write an
additional two paragraphs about 1. whether or not you feel this
trade-off is worth it (wholly or partially); and 2. how you can add back
into your life (at least, in part) what you've given up in this
trade-off. Again, this should be two solid paragraphs (at least one page double spaced).
1. The fuel gage in my car is a huge technological advancement that I depend on on a daily basis.
ReplyDelete2. This benefits my life because instead of realizing how many more miles of gas I have left, the device notifies me when I'm running on low gas and I must fill up my tank. When the notification is yellow, I understand that I need gas, but I can hold off for a little while. When the notification is red, I understand that I must immediately fill up my tank because my gas might stop running.
3. By relying on this gage in my car, I have not been able to fully learn and understand the value of mileage. I've only had my license for about a year, and the cars that I have been driving have automatic fuel gages. Therefore, I do not understand how much "5 miles of gas" is and I have not adapted a sense of reasoning and the length of a mike, or the value of a tank of gas. Not only does this affect me when I'm driving, but also when I am trying to gage the distance between two locations. I'm unaware as to how far something may be. Because I rely on this gage to tell me when I need to fill up my car with gas, I have lost the skill of understanding and reasoning mileage.
1. Although this scientific advancement is literally ancient, the majority of society uses clocks to navigate their lives daily.
ReplyDelete2. Clocks obviously greatly benefit the order and efficiency of society. They provide a constant consensus of the hour, allowing people to understand when to meet, wake up, sleep, manage durations of one's actions and more. Without the generalization of the hour, society would not be able to function as it does.
3. We have preconceived notions of time based on our own perception of the hour. For example, while I view 10 o'clock pm as fairly early, my mom is already asleep as she believes it is far past her bedtime. By allowing clocks to tell us the time, we lose our body's natural instinct to sleep and arise. Most people discard the sun's importance; moreover, as the sun goes down, naturally, we should begin to tire. Clocks allow people to calculate their desired hours of sleep, or cause them to fight their natural instinct because the clock reads too early. Obviously, everyone is different; therefore, society's perception of healthy sleeping hours alter one's individual, innate sleep schedule. Furthermore, this generalized notion of ordinary sleeping hours, disallow our internal clocks from functioning according to our bodies individual sleep requirements.
1) Liposuction and stapling ones stomach.
ReplyDelete2) For the patients of this procedure they experience massive weight loss and less hunger(only if they stick with the amount of food a doctor recommends).
3) My cousin has had three liposuctions and stapled her stomach once she lost 150lbs in total and the procedure increased her self-esteem; however after her first liposuction she stapled her stomach. Unfortunately she kept eating larger proportions than she was recommended and popped her staples. The invention of liposuction and stapling the stomach has saved many people who are morbidly obese's lives; however the procedure has also been used for purely cosmetic reasons and although the patient loses weight, they don't have the calories needed to burn in athletic activities as well as the patient taking advantage of this procedure as opposed to partaking in athletic activities to stimulate weight loss, granted some people can't do certain activities and need the surgery to allow them to do so, but in cases like my cousin she had no athletic activities and regained all the weight the doctors removed, so in conclusion the surgery can save lives and boost self-esteem but takes away the need for physical activity.
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ReplyDelete1. The most controversial of technological advancements in my life is the "E-Book."
ReplyDelete2. The "E-Book" is an electronic book (novel, textbook, etc.) that is available on hand-held devices such as iPads and Kindles, as well as online on any computer, as with the "Kno" application where users can "log in" to their "Kno" account from virtually any device. E-Books, and more specifically, E-Textbooks are revolutionary student tools that not only reduce the weight of a student's backpack but also save paper :).
3. While the E-textbook can be used as a helpful learning tool, it can often hinder a student's learning process in many ways. Annotating and highlighting are, well, difficult, and flipping between pages is often challenging, especially when a student is unfamiliar with how to navigate through the application. Additionally, the panicked student aiming for a quick look at his/her textbook can often run into a problem or glitch. Maybe he/she cannot log in because the application is under maintenance, or maybe he/she is attempting an online computer login and his/her specific textbook is "available for iPad only." Furthermore, factors such as a student's failure to charge his/her iPad the previous night, which results in, essentially, a student who is virtually left without a textbook--or worse, the teacher may allow the student to retrieve a charger, thus "wasting" class time! Oh no! A good 'ol textbook doesn't need to be charged! Obviously other factors such as expense of an electronic device (problems with affordability/accessibility), distraction of students as they yearn to search the web mid-sentence, and so on, can also hamper a student's ability to learn, but I have touched on a few personal topics that I encounter almost daily--or at least enough to notice.
1. Audio books are something that help improve and ease my life.
ReplyDelete2. Audio books benefit me because I can do so many other things while someone reads to me. I can multitask and use up this time to do so much more than I would while reading a book. It saves me a ton of time.
3. By relying on audio books, I give up on practicing my reading skills. Reading helps a lot with spelling, vocabulary and writing. Actually reading a book really helps my mind and vocabulary expand. For example, while taking my SAT, I won't have someone reading to me. I will have to be reading on my own and if I am constantly using audio books, I won't be used to reading and using these skills. I might take a longer time on the SAT when in actuality, I could have been practicing these reading skills if I spent time reading the book on my own.
1. FaceTime is a technological advancement that has improved my life.
ReplyDelete2. FaceTime benefits me in my daily life because it allows me to stay in contact face to face with my friends and family. For example, when my dad is on business trips, I can face time with him instead of just calling him to make it feel like more of a real life conversation. FaceTime allows people to connect with one another on a different level than a phone call by incorporating face to face communication with people to allow people to be more social.
3. The trade off of using FaceTime is that it encourages people to not be active and get up and go out to see their families and friends. FaceTime allows people to be lazy and simply press a button to have real life contact with others, so people no longer have to get up and go out to see people. While FaceTime is very useful, it discourages people to go out into the real world to interact with others.
Segways make life easier for some people. Walking to a destination is quite a waste of energy for certain people and Segways allow people to travel to a destination without the work of walking. Segways take away the pressure of a tiring walk around the corner or to a park. However, the use of the Segway takes away our ability to exercise our legs which would in turn have an effect on our anatomy. Like in Wall-E, humans would expand their body size due to the lack of exercise that would burn away calories and improve our appearance.
ReplyDelete1. Contact lenses.
ReplyDelete2. I got glasses in 2nd grade to help my eyesight. Although they helped with my vision, they were always such a problem slipping off my face, falling off, breaking (esp. in sports), and I didn’t even have a good vision in all directions because the glass only covers so much of my eyes. In 8th grade I finally got the guts to get contact lenses. Contacts are so much better for me than glasses and they’ve helped me by improving my vision, allowing me to have the ability to move more and by allowing me to see in more directions.
3. Although contacts have juristically helped with my vision, a major trade off is the influence they have on my prescription. Since I wear contacts pretty much 24/7, my eyes adjust to the change, and my prescription constantly gets worse and worse. My eyes rely on the lenses help, so my vision seems so much worse when I take the lenses out. With glasses, I would wear them less often because they’re easily removable but it’s more of a process to put in and take off the contact lenses. Another trade-off is the comfort of contacts. They aren’t always perfectly set, and I’ve had a lot of eye irritation from sleeping with the contacts still in, having one rip in my eye, even have one randomly pop out (etc.).
1. Microwave
ReplyDelete2. The microwave is an awesome appliance that can heat/cook food relatively fast. Instead of boiling water, cooking pasta, and making a sauce, I can just put in a frozen meal and have the meal in 3 minutes. If I am in a hurry the microwave is great. I can make a meal instantly and on the go.
3. The problem with using the microwave is that I don't know how to cook my own meals. Honestly, I can't use a stove or range. Another problem is that if my meal takes a long time to make, I lose my patience pretty easily. I have been brought up in a world where I can have a full mean in minutes. A luxury that people before the 20th century did not have.
1. One scientific/technological advancement that improves/eases my life is the calculator.
ReplyDelete2. The calculator is beneficial to me because it allows me to complete complex problems in a short amount of time. This is especially useful when I am taking a test or quiz where I only have about 30 minutes because I am able to find solutions or mistakes more quickly.
3. However, by using the calculator people give up the ability to develop number sense, gain mathematical reasoning skills, and cultivate mathematical understanding. Basically, I loose the skill to use mental math on simple problems because I know my calculator can solve equations much more quickly, and more accurately. But sometimes we need calculators to solve trigomentic functions like sine, cosine, and tangent. But when we use the calculator to solve simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division problems we are simply being lazy. And this laziness, in return, will cause us to lack the skills we need to manage our money when we go to a grocery store or shopping and we are on a budget. Although calculators make our lives more convenient, they also are inconvenient when it comes to building a sense of how to work with numbers.
1. Something that eases my daily life, whether it be on doors, sinks, or even toilets, is the automatic sensor.
ReplyDelete2. This seemingly trivial invention allows for easy access in and out of different buildings that have the sensor installed without having to spend energy, manually opening and closing doors myself, which can be especially helpful when my hands are full. Also, these automatic sensors conserve water in bathrooms, helping the environment, and assist handicapped people in doing everyday tasks, from opening and closing doors to washing and drying their hands.
3. However it is important to realize that although these automatic sensors do assist people, myself included, in their everyday lives, it gives people an arrogant sense of entitlement. We walk up to doors, in today's increasingly trivial, technological world, expecting that it will "magically" open for us by a mere wave of the hand or brush of the foot near a sensor; we completely turn our backs on the virtue that "hard work pays off," even if sensors only minutely expedite an everyday process. This assumption that doors will instantaneously open for you can only lead to more destructive assumptions that other, more important, "doors" will automatically open for you and that everything in life will be handed to you on a sparkling silver platter. Yet not all "doors" are automatic, and some of them, most of them, actually require physical work to prop open. Completing a task and achieving a goal, no matter how minute or important, is only worth the time and effort put in. We have to remember that all things are not automatic. We have to remember that somethings require good old fashioned manual labor.
1) One aspect now that is helpful yet conflicting not for me personally, but for many people out there is plastic surgery.
ReplyDelete2) One extremely helpful aspect now very common is plastic surgery. So many people are uncomfortable with parts if their body or maybe want to improve something about it. In this case, plastic surgery can act as a catalyst for improving self worth and reassure ones self. It can make someone feel good about themselves after years of insecurity and low self-esteem. Plastic Surgery can make you be the person you see in magazines and photo shoots, perfect everything. It makes you beautiful and younger not only on the outside, but perhaps also on the inside as well.
3) But obviously, there is a huge trade-off for this benefit. The more you wish to get plastic surgery you are changing your views about perfection and start to conform to society. You let others dictate the way you live and what you believe in. You find flaws in yourself that weren't even there in the first place and create problems out of nothing. You lose a part of your humanity by giving in to someone else and changing your views and conforming to the views of others. you begin to feel worse about yourself that you feel you need to physically change yourself. Rather than being content with what you have, you become greedy and need change. The overarching point of the trade-off is that you begin to lose yourself in the process. Whether you do it once or many times, plastic surgery changes your way of interpreting life and what its meant to be. You think it has to be about perfection rather than about appreciating the friends and family in your life.Plastic surgery is just one example of the many things that has a big trade-off. You win some you lose some.
1.) A scientific advancement that can greatly improve a terminally ill person's life is medicine, such as chemotherapy. 2.) Chemo can save the lives of many cancer patients by killing the cancer cells in their body and helping them go into remission. The use of chemotherapy has given many people the opportunity to beat their cancer and a second chance to live their life.3.) However, their are many trade-offs and disadvantages to chemotherapy. Although it kills cancer cells, doctors can't stop it from killing healthy cells, too. This can cause side effects such as hair loss, increased risk of infection, lung problems, as well as emotional side effects like fatigue, depression,and anxiety. Although chemo is a miracle medical advancement, enduring it is a fight by itself.
ReplyDeleteMy Olympic level Archery bow and arrows is a scientific/ technological advancement that improves/ eases my life. All of the parts that make up my bow and my arrows allow me to shoot a more precise and accurate shot. Once my form has been mastered or almost perfected, the bow and the arrow compliment my form. Even during the learning process, the bow and arrow always seems to “forgive” a more poorly shot shot. My Olympic level bow is designed to “increase performance with a more aggressive and efficient geometry, yet gives up nothing in accuracy, stability, or shoot ability. Geometry extracts more energy from the draw and decreases vibration. Dynamics promote faster aiming and a smoother follow-through”. Everything in archery is extremely specific, whether it is the size of the spin wing you put on your arrow or how tensed or relaxed your draw hand is when drawing back the string. But, with an advanced bow like mine, I have a small cushion to support me besides my form and a benefit among other competitors. Having a more precise and powerful bow is a complete benefit for me, but because I have a nationally recognized coach who has been in archery for over 35 years, he makes all my equipment decisions. Therefore, I do not fully understand what exactly my bow does to correct my shot, or why I have a HPX Riser while the competitor next to me has a GMX Riser. Instead of fully understanding my equipment, I completely rely on my coach to pick out my equipment and to make sure my bow is perfectly tuned. As I compete in more tournaments, I learn a lot more about my bow and how to fix it in case something happens because my coach is not always there. Furthermore, like almost all technology, archery equipment, arrows, and even form styles have enormously changed throughout the twenty-first century. So one would think, U.S.A. must have tons of gold medals in archery, especially since U.S.A. Archery just hired a brand new Olympic Head Coach who spent millions of dollars researching a new form called NTS, National Training System, but this is not the case. The last U.S.A. men’s individual gold medal was won by Justin Huish in the 1996 Atlanta, Georgia Olympics. So why do we need all this fancy equipment that “forgives” a poorly shot shot and why did we spend millions of dollars trying to establish a form that has been in practice for 8 years but still has not won the U.S. a gold metal?! Maybe it is not about the equipment or very specific form that was researched, rather just a plain bow and arrow without all the fancy “accessories” like the Indians used to survive on. Maybe it is about just shooting the bow, rather than worrying about how much pressure the string is putting on your pointer finger rather than your ring finger or how fast or slow you are drawing the string. Furthermore, archers with my type of bow cannot solely rely on it to create wonderful shots. Serious archers have a bow like mine, therefore where archers fall short is in consistency, not there equipment (unless a bow malfunctions during a shot which is unlikely). Without consistency in ones form, the gold, silver, and bronze medal can never be reached.
ReplyDelete1.) The scientific/ technological advancement that improves/eases life is the technology used to find and create new medicine.
ReplyDelete2.) This scientific/ technology helps numb pain, takes away colds, and saves many people’s lives from severe diseases like a heart attack or even from swine flue.
3.) Yes medicine is mostly beneficial, but it also has it’s trade-offs. Many people rely on medicine so much that they abuse the use of drugs. People often take common medicine like Advil, when they have a small headache or to help them sleep at night. This habit of taking medication when not necessary leads to many drug overdoses. When someone takes a lot of the same drug, his or her body becomes so use to it that the medicine has no affect on him or her; thus, leading that person to think that he or she can take more of that medicine than instructed, which is the cause of overdose deaths.
1) Credit cards are a technological advancement that have improved my life.
ReplyDelete2) The invention of credit cards have made shopping and dining very simple. Whether I’m out buying new clothes or paying for a meal, there’s no struggle to search for the correct amount of change or take the time to wait for change with the use of a credit card. Credit cards also work conveniently at parking meters and pay stations. The difference in weight between a credit card compared to dollar bills and coins is tremendous which makes life much easier. Additionally, if I'm ever feeling lazy, I can always go on the internet and order things online. I am able to simply take the piece of plastic out of my wallet, swipe it or input my credit card number, sign the receipt and I’m done.
3) Although credit cards make spending money simple and easy, it makes spending a little too easy. When constantly using a credit card, I’m unaware of how much I am actually spending at that time. Once the bill arrives at the end of the month, I realize how much I actually have spent. Obviously I do not pay my own bills yet; however, when my parents see an excessive amount of charges on my card, they are not exactly thrilled. It has made me lose the concept of the value of money. It is very easy to forget how much I’m actually spending when I have a “magic piece of plastic” at my fingertips. Not that it has ever happened to me, but it is also very easy to overspend and go overboard with purchasing items.
1. A major technical advancement that improves my life drastically is the car.
ReplyDelete2. Over the years cars have been a way to travel faster and produce industry for countries. With my experience with cars, I use them to move from place to place much faster than walking when I’m running late or even just going over a long distance that I can't walk. The size of cars is also a major addition since they can hold a large cargo, and group of people. Moreover, this gives me the ability to have more people in the car and also give me the opportunity to move from place to place together and have all the necessary objects fitted comfortably rather than struggling when you need to carry all those objects. In conclusion a car is a great advancement towards the necessities of the 21st century.
3. A car in many ways is also a problem, environmentally, and socially. People necessarily do not perceive cars by their functions, but by their looks. This causes me to elevate the beautifully designed Italian or German cars, rather than seeing the amazing functions that normal cars also have, and sometimes even better than those expensive cars. Environmentally I give up a healthy environment with the pollution my car is giving off, which adds toward poor oxygen and increased temperatures. As society continues to advance I will always have to sacrifice one of my abilities in order to have an increased artificial ability.
Television is one technological advancement that has helped improve my day to day life. The invention of the television has changed several million lives apart from my own. When I come home from a long stressful day, it's comforting to know I can relax by watching a few of my favorite tv shows. Television also comes in handy when I have nothing else to do and is a great tool to pass the time. It allows me to watch educational programs along with programs that aren't so educational but are entertaining to watch. Although television is a great way to pass the time, it can be a tool that is used to pass too much time. I find myself spending way too much time sitting in front of the tv when I could be doing something more productive such as homework or reading a book. Tv enables my procrastination and prevents me from focussing on what's most important in life. I also find myself blowing off actual physical interactions with my family or friends because I don't want to miss a show that comes on at a certain time.I also find myself having unrealistic expectations of life due to television shows I watch that depict a much better world. Television influences my day to day actions whether it be a catch phrase I heard in last nights tv show or an opinion I have of a certain event or issue.
ReplyDelete1. A technical advancement that improves my life is Spell Check.
ReplyDelete2. Spell Check helps my grades when I turn in typed essays because it prevents me from making spelling mistakes. It also takes less effort into writing because when I have a mistake it is automatically corrected for me. It also saves me time because it takes away the need to look up words to make sure I am spelling them right and then correcting that falsely spelled word.
3. The trade off is that I do not need to learn words when I do not know how to spell them, which hurts me in the long run. For example when I write in class essays I make a lot of spelling mistakes that I would not make if I had looked up those words in the past. In the process of looking up words, you are forced to think and it helps you remember how to spell that word in the future. If i spell a word wrong and have to look up the correct spelling, I am searching for my mistake and correcting it. This makes it more likely for me to not make that mistake again in the future because I will remember how to correct my false spelling. I am trading off time for learning.
1.A scientific/technological advancement that benefits my life is home entertainment television/video games etc..
ReplyDelete2. Home entertainement benefits my life enormosly because it continuously provides me with a very good source of entertainment which keeps me from being bored. Similar to most people I spend a fair share of my time at home using some type of home entertainment. It's also quite beneficial for obtaining new information for example the news. Television is also good not only for me but for general society because it allows companies and organizations to market there product or business which then allows others and I to then see and purchase these items.
3. Although Home entertainment provides a lot of fun and entertainment for society it takes away from other crucial activities not only for the individual but also for families. Some believe that modern society couldn't survive without current home entertainment/media but it has been done in the past before such technology existed proving that it can be done. Participating in such entertainment also takes away from quality family time and increases the obesity level in america because instead of some people going out, staying fit and exercizing some americans sit on their couch watch tv/ play video games and eat food.
GPS is a technological advancement that has greatly improved all our lives, and especially the lives of those with a horrible sense of direction, like my parents and I. In places outside of our hometowns, it can be extremely difficult to navigate the somewhat alien streets. With GPS, whether in our hometown or not, we can always know where we are, and how to get virtually anywhere, far or nearby. However, while this incredibly beneficial, there is an evident tradeoff. With a GPS system dictating where the next turn is, we lose the need to plan ahead and organize other directions. There is no longer a need to actually look at a map, calculate the best the route, and vaguely learn the city’s orientation. Furthermore, it allows us to neglect our ability to pay attention to surroundings and direct ourselves to a destination. More and more, I hear friends asking me for my house address before they come over, even though they have been to my house numerous times before. It seems as though more and more people are solely relying on that automated voice to dictate the next move rather than understanding where or how they are actually driving to the destination. It’s one less personal responsibility, and over time I think it may even bleed into other facets of life, like the smart fork has, once again stripping us of an opportunity to make decisions.
ReplyDeleteMy car is a technological advancement that was helped me the most.
ReplyDeleteGetting somewhere in a timely manner is critical. Whether its a game, a friends house, or school; walking or running simply won't cut it. Either you have to leave earlier or its too far. These are just a couple variables that a car can help regulate. Knowing I do not have to depend on anyone for transportation is comforting. Although, sometimes there is nobody to blame when I show up late. Furthermore, cars become especially necessary when traveling with groups of people and trying to transport large objects. Having somewhere to put ones cargo is extremely convenient. Although driving helps one become more independent, people can become to dependent on cars as a method of transportation as well.
Although independence seems to go hand and hand with driving, there is also a sense of dependence when having a car. When people drive constantly for unnecessary short trips that can be a nice walk that is a sign one is too relaint on driving. Not only does one not get out and exercise but what happens when the car is getting fixed in a shop for a short amount of time? Nobody likes to ride a bus or train but there could be a time when one needs to. Public transportation can be confusing but being familiar with these types of transportation systems increases that sense of independence knowing you have other methods to make a trip somewhere. Physically some people need to get out and exercise so taking a nice bicycle ride somewhere could be a healthy option.
1. The use of stay-home work out equipment- an example would be a treadmill.
ReplyDelete2. My family and I have always been avid users of stay-home workout equipment. We use it daily and it helps us so much because rather than commuting to a nearby gym, and having to deal with driving there and parking, we can just work out at home. This also helps the environment because we would drive to a gym, which of course causes pollution. Time is also largely saved because we just have to walk to the garage to use the equipment rather than go somewhere to have access to such equipment. When I was little, my parents would have to either drive or run to a nearby gym, which (running) would take 20 minutes each way. Now, we all can fit working out into our schedule much easier because we don't have to take the time to travel somewhere else. My Dad now can work it in his schedule to work out the same times as I do, and he has been able to help me stay in shape now for a while. Before, it was a lot tougher for me and my dad to share a bonding experience as such. Also, when I was young, my parents didn't want me leaving the house alone, but stay-home equipment helped me stay in shape when I was young.
3. Even though it saves time and the environment to stay home and work out, there are ways to experience a workout and experience the outdoors. I prefer running around my neighborhood much more than I do running on a treadmill because I get to meet people, experience the outdoors, and travel to places I haven't been. Most of the time, however, I am forced to work out at home because time is of the essence. I feel as if I miss out on the beauty of nature a lot because working out in a garage doesn't provide nearly the amount of green grass and trees that running outside does. Also, you don't have the same experience as you do going to a gym and meeting interesting people. Staying home and working out provides great bonding time for me and my dad, but I miss out on bonding with other people in the same way at a public gym. I might not learn as much staying home and working out as I might going out and experiencing new people and perspectives. I enjoy the company of others, and working out at home is always in constant solitude.
A piece of technology that has impacted my life is the development of technical racing suits for swimmers. These suits are designed to give swimmers an impressive edge over their opponent. They are often almost completely water resistant and are made of materials that mold to the wearer, eliminating large amounts of drag. These suits are also sewn very tight, lifting the swimmers hips higher out of the water allowing the swimmer to go much faster than swimmers without these suits. These suits can be excellent tools for swimmers that are looking to drop time in order to compete against other skilled swimmers. For this reason technical racing suits are a piece of technology that swimmers such as myself benefit from. Using myself as an example, when using the technical suit for the first time I dropped just over a second in all of my races, which for a freestyle sprinter is a VERY significant amount of time. However, there are some downsides to these pieces of technology. To begin, these suits are very expensive, meaning that swimmers that do not have large amounts of disposable income may not be able to afford these suits, and compete with swimmers that can afford these suits. The most common technical suits on the market are the Arena Carbon Pro and the Speedo LZR (pronounced laser) Racer Elite 2 both of which price above 300 dollars. Furthermore, technical suits do not last very long due to their fragile design. Therefore, if a swimmer wanted to use technical suits often, they would need to buy multiple suits, making it even more difficult for swimmers with low amounts of disposable income to purchase. Technical suits have become very popular to the point where it is almost impossible to not find very competitive swimmers using these suit. This means that the suits have helped set the new standards of swimming skill, not entirely the swimmers themselves. Lastly, these suits for some swimmers can create a false sense of speed. If a swimmer becomes too comfortable using the suits they might begin to rely on the suit to continue making fast times and improve. Although this last problem is not a problem with myself personally, other swimmers may encounter this problem while using these technical suits, which could result in a loss of time. Despite these disadvantages I still personally believe that technical racing suits are a huge advantage and are worth the investment, and only use my Engine FastSkin technical suit at League Finals and CIF so have never felt disillusioned by the suit.
ReplyDelete1) alarm clocks
ReplyDelete2) Having the comfort of knowing your alarm will definitely wake you up in the morning is a luxury because most of us do not have a consistent sleep schedule and is specially useful during day light savings. Not only do we depend on alarm clocks they are also so consistently used that our phones are installed with alarms to give us the luxury of taking our personalized alarm clocks anywhere.
3) However, alarm clocks give you a sense of panic in the morning by waking you up so suddenly. This rush of adrenaline comes from the sudden activation of your attention senses (which is useful in life threatening situations). Not only do alarms have health issues on your body they also have environmental issues when you charge your alarm/phone overnight.
The thing that I believe is a technological advancement, and something that helps me in particular, is sunscreen.
ReplyDeleteFor people with pale skin, sunscreen is essential. For me, if I do not wear sunscreen on a sunny day, I basically look like a tomato. Unfortunately, I have experienced this a few times, and it did not feel good. Sunscreen protects us from the suns UV rays, which are damaging to skin cells, and can cause up to second degree burns, which I have also experienced. There are some sunscreens that have lower SPF and allows for tanning, which, for example, is common when you go to the beach. The higher the SPF is for the sunscreen, the more protection you will get.
There are a couple trade-offs though. As you go into the higher SPF range, the sunscreen will have more and more oil in it. That oil can lead to an increase in acne, which some people are prone to, and most people do not like. Also, with all the chemicals in the sunscreen, there can be allergic reactions that range from redness and irritation to a full-scale rash with intense itching. Certain chemicals might trigger these allergic reactions while others may not.
1. A technological invention that has drastically affected my life is the credit card.
ReplyDelete2. Credit cards are an efficient, more convenient way of spending money. It's much more practical to carry around a thin, light plastic card in a wallet than it is to carry a big wad of bills that would be heavy and bulky. Also credit cards are easy to use. It doesn't take any effort to swipe a card; whereas, dealing with paper money can just get tiresome. If I did not have a credit card, I'd probably be much better at managing my spending, but I'd also not have the convenience of being able to swipe and or, in the case of online buying, type in my card number and make whatever purchases I want. With the way the world is advancing, it is becoming much easier to have a plastic card with a magnetic strip that gives me access to all my money rather than carrying around cash that could be easily lost, and takes a lot of time to deal with when paying for things.
3. The main drawbacks of credit cards are the facts that they make it very difficult for me to really care about the amount of money I am spending. Since swiping a card doesn't really feel like I'm losing money, I usually don't pay attention to the large sums of money that are being spent until it is too late. Also, overusing credit cards can destroy credit and make it harder to receive jobs or make large purchases in the future, so it is important to be mindful of the amount of money being spent every time the card is swiped. I've personally had to adjust to the freedom of being able to just swipe a credit card at will and am starting to learn from my previous mistakes.
1.One technological advancement that has drastically made my life easier is the calculator.
ReplyDelete2. The calculator has benefited me in many ways. First of all, my math abilities are sub par, thus increasing the need for help, which the calculator presents. Also, it helps save a lot of time. A problem that would usually take longer to do on paper, gets cut in half, in terms of time.
3. As a result of this useful and resourceful tool, I have been getting a lot lazier than before. Even when i need to solve a simple math problem, I go straight to the calculator. I also lose a sense of self-reliance. My brain has started to get used to the calculator always being right, that i don't even need to work to solve a problem anymore. In addition, doing mental math has required much more thought than before. Now it takes me much more time than before i started using a calculator.
1. A technological advancement that benefits me in my life is parking assist.
ReplyDelete2. The benefits of parking assist are relatively self-apparent; By giving the user more visibility and notifying the driver that (s)he is nearing an object with their car, parking assist helps prevent avoidable accidents when parking, maneuvering in tight spaces, etc.
3. The trade-off for this benefit of parking assist is that we, as drivers, do not have to develop and practice our spacial awareness as much as drivers used to, which can in turn lead to an increased likelihood of accidents in other scenarios where parking assist does not come into effect. Furthermore, as it makes backing into spaces, as well as parallel parking, much, much easier, parking assist has the effect that we as a collective become less proficient drivers, which can in turn also cause more accidents in the long run, as we don't need to be able to handle our cars as well as we might have once had to. Finally, another drawback is that if we are placed in a position where parking assist is not available, we would be less able to achieve the same feats that we can so easily accomplish with this technological advancement.
1)An invention that myself and I’m sure many others use daily to make our lives easier is the microwave. Microwaves are small enough to fit into any sized kitchen or room; some people even have a microwave in a closet or cabinet to conserve space. 2) They are extremely useful to all different kinds of people: those who lack culinary talent, time to prepare a complete meal, and children that are not yet allowed to use other kitchen appliances (stove tops, ovens, etc.) because of the dangers they present. In the past, there was a rumor that microwaves drained the nutrients of the food that was put inside therefore making the result undesirable for consumption. However, nowadays we know that “zapping” food has more pros than cons because one can make a whole meal for themselves in a matter of minutes or even seconds! 3) The trade-off that comes with having a microwave is that fewer people are learning how to actually prepare and cook their own food. It is easy for us to stick something in a box, push a few buttons, and wait until the timer goes off to eat, but we can easily lose the knowledge of how to create out own meals. Chopping, marinating, an understanding of what types of food need to be cooked at which temperatures, and so many more skills are not commonly being taught to kids as they grow up because it is easier and less time consuming for parents to put a ready-made meal into the microwave.
ReplyDelete1. The audio book helps ease people into reading because it requires much less work than actually reading and annotating.
ReplyDelete2. Audio books help me read when I'm tired and lazy. Rather than taking out a pen and a book, I simply listen to my book as if it were a song. Audiobooks not only speed up the reading process, they make reading more relaxing and do-able for those who find no joy in reading (like myself). The audio book is much like the listening to music; it takes no effort to listen to an audio book, and just like you naturally memorize lyrics to a song, you memorize key statements and lines in a novel. Also, the tone of the reader helps engage the listener during the more intense and memorable scenes of a book making that scene easier to imagine and more easily recognizable than if you were just reading a book for the first time.
3. The one major flaw with audio books is that it makes its user lazy. Not being able to annotate a book is a huge issue in the use of audiobooks. Not having a written text in front of you lessens the likelihood of you engaging on a deeper level with the text. As we know, in literature if we cant go one step deeper into the text, we most certainly are not getting the books meaning in its entirety. Not having the words in front of you makes it much harder to recognize literary terms, and the authors style of writing making it much harder for the reader to fully understand the writers intentions. The lack of a hard copy of a book leads to laziness and our reliance on technology rather than out ability to read and comprehend. Lastly, the use of audio books makes the talent and skill of reading almost irrelevant because we begin to use such a skill less and less in our daily lives.
1. An advancement in technology that has affected me is the rear-view camera on my car.
ReplyDelete2. My rear-view camera benefits me because it allows me to see more when reversing than I would without it. It comes especially handy in parking lots and tight spaces. These cameras significantly decrease the chance of backing up into an object, car, or even a person. As of March 31st, the US Government actually mandated that all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including trucks and buses, have rear-view back up cameras. This requirement is expected to greatly decrease the deaths and injuries from cars backing into people.
3. The reliance on back up cameras could be dangerous, however. I've noticed in myself that occasionally I reverse only looking at my camera, and not fully seeing my surroundings like I would if i were to spin around and look behind me. A full dependence on rear view cameras could prove to me more dangerous than without one. This is why it is important to find a balance between dependence, and aid.
1) One scientific advancement that has helped many is the antibiotic.
ReplyDelete2) Whenever one even begins to feel the symptoms of strep throat or any other common bacterial infection their immediate response is to go to the doctor. After taking a culture of the bacteria, the doctor prescribes an antibiotic and clears you to go to school and recommends you stay on the antibiotic for a few days even after the symptoms clear. In the middle of school the last thing you need is to be home sick and antibiotics are a cure all treatment that immediately treats and clears the bacterial infection. This helps ones daily lives immensely so you aren’t taking unnecessary time off of work or school.
3) However there is a downside to all of this medicine. With the constant use of antibiotics unnecessarily there can be serious damage to your body. The average person doesn’t know the difference between a cold and a bacterial infection and while all of this western medicine is an automatic cure, often times your symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and it could be something as simple as an intolerance to a certain food. Your body creates a resistance to antibiotics and when the time comes that you actually need that antibiotic to kill a strain of bacteria your body doesn’t respond as it should due to the over-use. The ability to rely so much on western medicine has hindered our abilities to really take time to figure out the problem and be able to listen to what our immune system and body’s are trying to tell us. Over using antibiotics doesn’t help your immune system and doesn’t teach it how to fight and protect itself. However, the use of Eastern medicine doesn’t kill the good cells in your body like an antibiotic would and in most and many cases cures the illness just as well: but due to peoples acceptance and trust in general medicine, natural remedies are overlooked.
There are numerous technological advancements that present individuals which many advantages, yet similar disadvantages. Video games are a form of an advancement that if parents keep buying for their children, companies will still be selling them. There is a reason that so many children spend long periods of their time playing these various video games. These benefits include problem solving skills, creativity, multitasking, and most importantly, they are fun. Children who play video games discover new interests as games that require math, history or language skills. Furthermore, through these interactive games, children have room to explore and feel skilled through learning. However, how much of a good think turns into a bad thing? By adopting this useful advancement, there are many disadvantages. Some video games are frustrating and leave a child feeling like they are not good enough at something which lowers their self confidence. Moreover, video games can cause children to spend all their times playing instead of doing more important things like doing their homework or spending time with family and friends. Most importantly, if a child is obsessed with playing video games, they prevent themselves from being active. These lazy children would be like couch potatoes who spend almost all their free time in the dull rooms of their homes rather than the beautiful outdoors. As a result, this lack of activity can cause obesity in many children which outweigh the benefits of enjoying these interactive yet addictive games.
ReplyDelete1. An advancement in technology that has affected me is the mini-fridge.
ReplyDelete2. A couple years ago, I bought a mini-fridge to put in my room. I store some snacks and a numerous amount of different drinks in my fridge. The fridge saves me the hassle of having to walk downstairs and get a drink. If I ever wake up in the middle of the night thirsty, I can just walk a couple feet and grab a nice, cold bottle of water. Also, I have realized that whenever my friends are over they feel much more comfortable taking a drink from my mini fridge than going downstairs to grab a drink in the middle of my kitchen.
3. Despite so many advantages to my mini-fridge, there are also many disadvantages as well. First, the mini- fridge demonstrates a lazy characteristic about myself. My kitchen isn't that far away, but with the mini-fridge I do not demonstrate an active personality. Also, my fitness is being jeopardized. Not only am I more susceptible to storing my mini-fridge with some unhealthy drinks, but I am also losing out on some cardio by not walking up and down my stairs as much. Also, I can sometimes cause stress on myself by not having to walk all downstairs to get a drink. With a mini-fridge in my room, I do not have many other reasons to leave my room. Sometimes when I am spending a lot of time studying in my room, I can bypass getting up and changing my environment, whether that is walking around the house or going outside.
Music production software can be a benefit and a burden and I use it almost every day of my life; without it I would be lost in a world of dictation and ear training. This technology brings what used to be something only masters of music could do to the hands of everyday and aspiring individuals: the ability to compose. The technology benefits users by allowing them to have a full orchestra, band, choir or any electronic synthesizer in the world at these individuals' fingertips. I benefit from this by being able to hear the ideas and compositions which are in my head or on paper in a rough draft version of what they would sound like if performed by real instruments; however, there is NO FREE LUNCH. Although this technology has increased usability and functionality it has also dumbed down a lot of the now broader spectrum of people who call themselves, "musicians." If we take a look at the music of composers preceding this technological revolution (Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Dvor âk, Tchaikovsky), we see great devotion and skill put into the sometimes hour long pieces. In comparison, a "composer" like Skrillex, Deadmau5, David Guetta will make a 2-5 minute song abusing the power of this new technology and repeating things that they have done in previous songs just because it is now expectable and acceptable. This becomes what popular music is today and shows the lack of care for the monotonous slur of melodies coming out of their speakers in each song. Music has become less about the actual structure and composition of a song and more of a competition of who can make the coolest or even sometimes weirdest sound with their computer just to make it to the top of the charts. Although this is the case with popular music, some composers are still out there developing and creating pieces that they themselves will be proud of rather than calculating the amount of money their music makes based on the outcome of their computers.
ReplyDeleteAntibiotics were developed to ease our lives. The idea is brilliant; inject or swallow a pill and the antibodies will interfere with the structure of the cell wall of a bacterium or parasite. Unfortunately, antibiotics do not defend against viruses. In addition, antibiotics are not 100 percent reliable. Not all bacterium are killed in the process. Some bacteria actually stay inside your body after the antibodies are flushed out. For example, amoxicillin is an antibiotic closely related to penicillin. Amoxicillin is usually used to treat infections in the skin, lungs, urinary tract and eye, ears, nose and throat. However, certain people are fatally allergic to the drug. And to make matters worse there have been reported cases of anemia, headaches, diarrhea, and taste perversion as nasty side effects. Although these side effects are not common, people still suffer from them every day. Antibiotics are used for good though. There have been many cases where antibiotics have saved peoples lives, especially when they were first discovered in medicine. The trade off is both good and bad. Taking the amoxicillin will relieve the pain in your sore throat; however, it does not guarantee that you will not experience an incredibly painful migraine. There are plenty of other common side effects, even ones that are not fatal. A rash can occur after the intake of most penicillin’s. Nausea and vomiting is also quite common. Some people can also develop a resistance to antibiotics after repeated use. In that case, the doctor may have to prescribe a bigger dosage or stronger drug altogether to counteract the infection. Although it is an undeniable fact that without antibiotics medicine would not be where it is today, the negative side effects of them are a reality.
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ReplyDelete1.One scientific advancement that improves the lives of several twenty-something in America is OkCupid.
ReplyDelete2.Personally, I don’t use the site, mainly because it’s illegal and I don’t reach the required age limit to create a profile. But from what I have learned from several blog posts, Facebook updates, and overheard conversations shared over Starbucks, many people create an OkCupid account to fulfill that empty void in their life and find a companion who they are somewhat attracted to.
3.Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that there is nothing wrong with casual online dating. I mean it’s basically like online shopping but for your significant other. To be honest, in six years I’ll probably have an account myself, but being the 16 year old optimistic teen that I am I like to believe that I won’t. However, I think that the excessive use a online dating websites like Ok Cupid is both emotionally and socially damaging to the young adult communities. With 30 million users, this website ranks #1 in the online dating community; that’s 30 million people constantly checking their accounts in hopes for a somewhat flirty message for that gal or pal that they are “compatible” with. And for what? A cheap awkward dinner date at your local red lobster that leaves you unsatisfied, disappointed, and even lonelier than before. The use of online dating websites takes away the excitement and nervousness you feel when you finally get the courage to ask out that barista at your favorite coffee shop. Instead of developing a mutual connection with the person and truly understanding them on a intimate level, OkCupid users are willing participating in pointless one-dimensional conversations with strangers who they are told to be their “matches”. Moreover, by solely leaving a profile picture and quick facts about a person, the site influences their participants to superficially judge their matches; leaving those who are “unattractive” or “boring” dateless and even more desperate.
Glasses have benefited me my entire life, I have had glasses since I was a toddler. They have allowed me to see better, because I have a stigmatism in one of my eyes, and without them I would be near blind. If I spend to long without wearing glasses, I get terrible headaches. However, they don't seem to be improving my vision because once I take them off, it is nearly impossible to see. The trade off unfortunately is the frames. Normally the frames are bulky and they become a hassle, constantly slipping or falling off or even hindering performance in sports. Another issue is the stereotype that people with glasses are smarter, this isn't necessarily true, glasses simply mean you can't see perfectly. I know I could always get contacts but it seems the trade off for contacts is much worse, you constantly put them in your as opposed to over, you may poke your eye or even get an infection.
ReplyDeleteGlasses have benefited me my entire life, I have had glasses since I was a toddler. They have allowed me to see better, because I have a stigmatism in one of my eyes, and without them I would be near blind. If I spend to long without wearing glasses, I get terrible headaches. However, they don't seem to be improving my vision because once I take them off, it is nearly impossible to see. The trade off unfortunately is the frames. Normally the frames are bulky and they become a hassle, constantly slipping or falling off or even hindering performance in sports. Another issue is the stereotype that people with glasses are smarter, this isn't necessarily true, glasses simply mean you can't see perfectly. I know I could always get contacts but it seems the trade off for contacts is much worse, you constantly put them in your as opposed to over, you may poke your eye or even get an infection.
ReplyDeleteWow! My post never posted! We'll this is anoyying. An autopilot has helped nearly every pilot greatly. An auto pilot makes it easier and safer for a pilot. Moreover, planes flying st high altitudes are required to use an autopilot due to the speeds and airplane separation rules. An autopilot lets a pilot multitask while flight. So, a pilot can program navigation, communicate with air traffic control, and plan and execute aproches. However, their is a huge payoff for using an autopilot. Pilots who learn in aircraft with autopilots have very poor hand flying skills. Pilots who fly with autopilots have trouble in situations where the autopilot fails, sometimes even ending in death. This is the reason why flight schools will disable the autopilot for primary training. Autopilots in many ways are Grest for a pilot but the trade off is pilots with poor hand flying abilitys.
ReplyDelete1. One modern-day advancement that I use regularly is a kitchen appliance; the microwave.
ReplyDelete2. Microwaves benefit our lives in multiple ways. First off, instead of having to prepare meals for a fair amount of time you can just prepare a certain type of food, not prepared or fomerly prepared, and heat it at your convenience. By doing this, it is easier to manage your time because the amount of preparation it may take with the stove top or an oven will take longer and don't even mention resorting to primitive ways of heating meals including just putting your meal over a campfire. This device makes life easier by just popping in a meal or snack and not having to heat it in a strenueous fashion.
3. Radioactivity levels increase when you put something in the microwave. Proteins also are victim to the microwave by the loss of value of their properties. The overall nutritional value of whatever food you put into this kitchen appliance is harmed by the radiation of microwave waves.
Thesaurus is a fantastic tool for finding synonyms and antonyms for vocabulary words that I have found incredibly useful. If I ever feel like I am overusing a particular word while writing an essay, all I need to do is type the word into Thesaurus and a list of synonyms and occasionally antonyms pop up in a matter of seconds, no need to even open a Dictionary. Thesaurus is especially a blessing to those such as myself with “writer’s block”; just a glimpse of a similar word can spark an entirely new idea into my mind. I personally have noticed that sometimes I depend on Thesaurus as a quick and easy way to support and develop my thoughts on a deeper level. However, Thesaurus weakens the ability to genuinely learn vocabulary rather than truly knowing their definitions. It also can be a “cheat sheet” for students, who assume better writing contains more advanced and sophisticated vocabulary. Also, they may not realize that not all synonyms have exactly the same meaning. I have noticed that although I am able to further explain my thoughts and ideas, it is more difficult in class without this aid.
ReplyDelete1.Glasses
ReplyDelete2.Glasses benefit millions of visually impaired people every day by allowing them to read write, and recognize people’s faces. They allow people who were born or have developed visual harm by providing a lens to adjust to their optical ability. The prescription of the lens depends on whether one is short-sided or far-sighted, and it can be raised or lowered based on their needs. Without glasses, many scholars or philosophers would not be able to function, let alone write all of the revolutionary theories that we now rely on. Glasses help people reclaim their sight, and they can make the difference between success and failure. Technological advancements, in primitive times, have made it possible for people to use glasses to their advantage.
3.A disadvantage or trade-off of this helpful invention would be the fact that they do help improve one’s vision in that moment, but in the long-term glasses impair ones vision as well. As one wears glasses for extended amounts of time, their vision gets worst and worst. One needs to raise their prescription every few years or so, therefore causing their vision to get poorer. Instead of glasses continuously helping ones sight, the glasses are weakening it as time goes by. This physical shortcoming of glasses should be a great concern and scientists, as well as doctors should be working on a solution.
Cars have revolutionized transportation and the way that people live in big cities. Without cars travel in metropolises such as Los Angles would be much harder and it would take a very long time to travel throughout the city. I use my car everyday to get to school and get home, without it I would have to wake up much earlier and it would be a waste of time to walk to school. My car allows me to get from one place to another quickly and effectively. However, to being very time efficient and practical for daily life, there are a few downsides to using cars as well as the benefits. Gasoline cars and the pollution caused by them is drastically hurting our environment and may be doing irrefutable damage. Whereas if everyone rode bikes, it may take longer to get somewhere but the environment would be in much better condition. The trade off is the quality of our environment for the connivence of driving. Another trade off is that cars are much more dangerous than either walking or riding bikes. We sacrifice our safety for connivence as well.
ReplyDeleteThe GPS system was invented to automatically direct a driver's way through complex routes that would be difficult to comprehend manually. When my parents drive I notice that they have total reliance on their memory of street names instead of using machines such as: Siri or The GPS system. It's most likely due to the generational tranferrence of new technology, that has infectiously trained the new generation and has not fully impacted the older generations. However, when I drive I rely mostly on my GPS because it's the easier way out but, if I wasn't as privileged to have a GPS in my car I would proabably struggle to navigate on my own.The GPS system is a very intelligent tracker that can be useful in any situation however, it detracts the ability to figure out a way to arrive at a destination without it.
ReplyDelete1. The Internet/Computers/Google
ReplyDelete2. All of things are helpful in many different cases, but particularly for searching for anything, no matter what It has to so with it can be found on the internet. Businesses, and people can be found within seconds, provided, and all in the Same place. Projects can be done all without leaving one's chair. People can share anything, whether it be photos, or documents, from one country to another, and all across the world within seconds,
3. This however prevents that face-to-face interaction that people used to have with one another, turning conversations into a whole other thing. Emotions cannot accurately be displayed through words and emoticons, so instead, it is very difficult. Also, people are less motivated to go out, as there is not a necessity to do so, education, even work can be done in the comfort of ones home, and there seems to no longer be the need to go out to the library to research anything, as with one click, anything can be found.
Nail polish is a small technical advancement that plays a huge role in the lives of women. Nail polish benefits me in a very obvious way: it makes my nails look good. It’s also very fun to wear nail polish, choose different colors, and even different designs. However, the tradeoff to nail polish is that it is now deemed almost socially unacceptable to not wear nail polish. Nail polish is hard to maintain and it’s expensive whether or not you get it professionally done. In addition, nail polish is bad for your nails, as our nails are not supposed to be covered up. Wearing nail polish doesn’t seem like a big deal but it’s high maintenance and expensive. If the technology was never invented, wearing bare nails would be socially acceptable and life for women would be a little bit simpler.
ReplyDeleteA scientific/technological advancement that helps the world is planes. Planes benefit all people because they allow people to travel far distances to discover new places while meeting new people. Without planes, traveling across the world or anywhere far would not only take an abundance of time, but it will also be very hard to accomplish. Unfortunately, the gas that is burned to power the plane not only diminishes the quality of the air but also extends the need for petroleum. This extension in the hunt for petroleum hurts the environment more because once the petrol is burned and used up, it too will damage the environment further.
ReplyDelete1. An advancement in technology thats affected me is the shooting machine I use for basketball.
ReplyDelete2. I love the shooting machine, it rebounds my missed shots, passes the ball back out to me, and counts my makes and misses as well. Using the shooting machine I'm able to get an accurate shooting percentage and practice tons of shots and repetition without needing to grab every rebound all by myself.
3. Although the shooting machine is useful the trade off I must deal with is the fact that the machine isn't an actual person passing me the ball. Without a teammate passing to me I don't get the feel of working together with someone to get my shot off.The machine is great but in a real game the shooting machine won't be passing to me, a person will. Getting used to the perfection of the pass isn't realistic for a game because not every pass in a game is perfect. Although all the shot repetition is great, the shooting machine will never be the same as my teammate passing me the ball.
1. An advancement is the review camera in a car.
ReplyDelete2. It helps me when I back up from a spot. It shows me the angle of which my wheels are headed and how i am heading into a spot. It helps with parallel parking and it makes the whole process easier. Also when your car is getting close to another car when in reverse there is a beep. These backup cameras make it so the chance to hit another car is greatly decreased.
3. However these cameras are not beneficial sometimes because I now do not always turn around when backing up. Also sometimes something appears behind you that does not show in your backup camera. If you fully depend on one then it becomes dangerous because they are not always showing you everything around you and can make it more difficult on you. It is important to find the balance between actually looking and looking at the camera.
1. The GPS system in our cars is a technological advancement that benefits our lives every day.
ReplyDelete2. The GPS is beneficial to society because it prevents people from getting lost, or arriving late to important events. Generally speaking, the GPS allows people to get where their trying to go in a faster, more efficient manner. It helps navigate aircrafts, trucking, shipping, as well as assists emergency crew in rescuing lost citizens. Typically, if it is voice guided, the GPS system speaks aloud, so that the designated driver will not have to be distracted by trying to look at a screen will driving. The GPS has been a great technological advancement and it benefits the community every day.
3. While the GPS system can be very helpful, it is also a huge burden to society. Because so many people nowadays rely solely on their GPS systems, they are slowly but surely losing useful skills such as memorizing directions. In fact, in this generation, it has been proven that four out of five 18 to 30 year olds do not know how to properly read a map! Learning street directions is extremely crucial to maintaining your memory and helping it grow; in this generation, people tend to rely on their map guidance to get them to their final destination, which causes them to trust the GPS system more than they trust themselves. Another downside is that not all GPS systems are completely reliable, and some people have so much faith in their GPS that they will literally do whatever it tells them to. Some GPS companies even admit that mapping information becomes quickly outdated; thus, many people tend to get lost using the system.
1. A scientific advancement that greatly helps me in my day to day life is my calculator.
ReplyDelete2. I personally use my phone calculator to add and multiply simple numbers that I can't be bothered to figure out quickly, for example when I am grocery shopping or trying to calculate my grades. The calculator makes this extremely easy and quick and allows me to calculate day to day problems with ease. I also own a more advanced school calculator that allows me to solve complex math problems. Both calculators serve me to make math easier and quicker.
3. The calculator may be doing me more harm then good however. Due to the calculator being on my phone and being so easy to use, overtime I have learnt to rely on it. My simple math skills like multiplication have worsened. My scientific calculator also allows me to do complex problems without understanding how to solve them in the situation where I wouldn't have a calculator. Although the calculator makes math far easier for me I believe that overall it has reduced my math skills and I have learnt to rely on it far too much.
1. A scientific advancement that helps improve my life is the shower.
ReplyDelete2. Showering helps keep me clean but I also use it often to wake me up and refresh myself mentally and physically. Time in the shower can help you unwind and relax from a stressful day or even wake you up in the morning.
3. Showering takes a lot of time and also damages the environment because of the large water usage. It also is time consuming due to the process of getting ready after showering including drying your hair, applying lotion, and for some people even applying make up. Also, you use more product when you shower more often which costs money as well as pollutes the environment. The time you spend in the shower takes away from time spent doing other things like studying or exercising, however keeps you staying fresh and smelling good. I shower both in the morning and after school so I know first hand the benefits and disadvantages of spending that much time in the shower.
The camera and video camera are amazing inventions, and as we move forward with technological advances they only become better and more realistic. These incredible inventions have helped us and allowed us to capture important moments on camera such as a wedding or a concert and the benefit is that we can rewatch and relive these situations again and again. The trade off for this is that we forget to actually enjoy the moment and we aren't completely engaged at the time. At our child's wedding, we may be able to record it, and at a Drake concert we can take pictures and videos, but we forget to put out cameras down and enjoy the moment.
ReplyDelete1. An advancement in technology than helps is the highway system
ReplyDelete2. It greatly shortens the time required to drive to far away places. It also allows the military to easily move to provide help and defend cities. It allows quicker trade between cities and allows people to commute to work. As population grows it keeps everyone connected.
3. A negative effect of the highway system is that it encourages more people to drive, increasing traffic. More cars means more accidents. More accidents means that there is far more back up. As there are more cars on the road, there is far more pollution. In addition the towns that grew around the older roads have decayed away. The freeway is also boring and straight. The old winding roads that go through interesting places are no longer used.