Movie Idea: Nelson, Dave, Laura, Jeff and Colin

In the year 2115, the world is far different than what it was before.

The mass breeding of livestock eliminates the need for farms and the agricultural industry deteriorates.

Forests are cut down for the sole purpose of creating more living space for humans and the oxygen supply on earth becomes limited. Oxygen creators are then put into place to artificially generate oxygen.

After the discovery of an inexpensive way to create unique human beings in an artificial manner, the people of the free world began to create mentally insufficient humans that could be used to complete simple tasks. The owners of these genetically engineered humans began to take advantage of their fake human counterparts by treating them unfairly and using them for slave labor. The ruling class consists of real humans that were not genetically engineered. They called themselves bloods. Because they were created artificially inside test tubes, the lower classes were given the derogatory name “Tubes”. The Tubes eventually serve no purpose once the Bloods realize that there are no simple tasks left to complete in the world. Machinery has reached the point of self-sufficiency and therefore require no human attention to function properly.

The Tubes are then relegated to mass camps that are separate from the cities where the humans live. Czechoslovakia is home to four Tube cities (TC’s); TC 316 being the biggest.

A Czech member of the bloods and Tube social worker named Montgomery Chase travels into TC316 on a mission to bring some form of education to the Tube population. On his excursion, Montgomery falls in love with a Tube and they have a child. This becomes the firstborn hybrid child. The hybrid child exhibits the traits of a highly intelligent blood and he becomes widely known among the Tubes as a leader. The Bloods know him as TX and he is considered by most Bloods a highly dangerous individual.

TX begins to educate the Tubes and creates an intelligent working class. TX and his group of intelligent Tubes then leave TC316 and enter adjacent camps in hopes of educating the rest of the Tubes. The Bloods attempt to assassinate TX on many separate occasions but fail repeatedly because of their inability to track him down. Years pass and the spread of Tube education reaches England. TX decides that it is time to overthrow the oppressive rule of the Bloods and organizes a mass Tube mobilization. The Tubes are successful in their Coup but TX becomes a casualty of war. The Bloods were able to kill him by luring him into a trap. They capture his parents with the knowledge that TX will try to save them. TX attempts this and fails when he is shot by a sniper awaiting his arrival at the hostage location. TX did not die in vein however because his death makes him a Martyr to the rest of the Tubes across the globe. A worldwide battle ensues resulting in a Tube victory. The Bloods and Tubes learn to live equally amongst themselves. The movie ends with a still shot of a statue of TX in the middle of the Red Square in Russia and a plaque beneath it that reads “You may have shaped our souls, but we will shape our Destiny.”

individual work assignment4

bishop's idea of misconceptions

- science is more like magic

- too much science is inhumane

- science is dangerous( fear)

these reasons are plausible assumptions about science for those who does not

know much about science as much as bishop does. because, if you do not understand

something very well, u are very likely to make speculations and negative assumptions

about it.

recent aruguement about science vs religion is about the moral issue. some poeple

think that it is just wrong and inhumane to go so far with science just to satisfy ourselves.

something in nature has to be natural and that is a essential part of our quality that makes

us human. for exmple, stem cell research is one big issue about the controversy of sicentific advancement. it can be immoral to use stemcell that comes from embryo but at the sametime,

it can be used for medical purpose to cure a lot of poeple.

science vs religion issue is basically about what is more important in ourlives. each individual makes his own value judgement about this issue and that is why there is a conflict. moral or reality seems to be the opposing arguements between science and religion. it will probably be on going issue for life depending on weather both parties are willing to make compromises or not.

assigment#4 group work

three assumptions

- science can not give perfect explanation to everything

Q: what are the questions or problems now a day can not be solved by science?

- technology development will be more limited as information for the technology grows lager

Q: how much information can we process to develop new technology?

- science is based on assumptions

Q: how does scientific knowledge gained or proven?

Technology - Anais, Emmeline, Dioane, Chen

1a. Technology is always positive.
b. We live in a society where technology advances our lives and enriches our every day activities; without it we would be an entirely different people.
c. 1. What happens if technology enables us in negative ways? (war, bombs, disease) (Emmeline)
2. There are societies that have less technology than we do; are their lives automatically less happy or fulfilled than ours? (Anais)
3. Technology serves to advance us and make our lives easier, but what if our lives get too easy? Then they wouldn't be worth living anymore. (Chen)

2a. Technology creates controversy.
b. There are many instances of technology causing problems with certain religious groups and other traditionalists, who don't appreciate the forward thinking that technology fosters.
c. 1. Isn't stem cell research similar to playing God, in that we are trying to master and change concepts in life that have always been the same and that we have no control over? (Emmeline)
2. Can't we all benefit from stem cell research, in terms of lengthening our lives and making us all more healthy? (Dioane)
3. Isn't it possible for controversy in society to be healthy, because it means that two factions with radically different opinions are conflicting on an issue and then working together to find solutions? (Chen)

3a. Technology takes away from human interaction.
b. We can remember times when people used to meet up in person or talk on the phone instead of texting, emailing, instant messaging, etc. Also, people do things like use conference calls and video chat instead of going out to meet people in person.
c. 1. Instead of making it more difficult, hasn't technology has in fact "made the world smaller" and made it easier for us to talk to more people at one time instead of limiting our interaction? (Anais)
2. What will we be like as humans if we don't even leave our houses to talk to eachother? (Chen)
3. Do we need to reach a middle ground for technology in human interaction? For example, will it be helpful for us to use technology somewhat to talk to our friends and family, but not too much, at the risk of becoming solitary and lazy? (Dioane)

2. Bishop writes that science has been rejected because of the conservative Christian religion, the postmodernist movement which dismisses science as "politics of another means," and the ignorance (and therefore fear) from the general public. We agree with all three of these points, but want to say that all three of them are probably based (on some level) on ignorance, because i doubt that any section of these groups of people know and understand science as well as they should to be able to make an informed decision about it. Science today hasn't yet gone too far. I believe that when it starts interacting FOR us, and getting in the way of humans living their REAL lives, then it goes too far. But as of now, with all the health, communication and travel benefits it offers, science is our ally rather than an enemy.

3. After doing this exercise, our viewpoints on technology have expanded, but not really changed. We still believe that technology, like everything else, is probably better in moderation. While we have come lightyears from the place we were even just 50-100 years ago, (and probably will be lightyears away in another century or so) it is always about moderation. Technology and science do not affect us adversely unless it begins to control us, whether by means of artificial brains (shown in technology doomsday movies such as Terminator and Eagle Eye) or simply by our lack of willpower to not use it all the time. However, at the current time, technology helps us more than hurts us.

Group post by: Jeff, Laura, Dave and Colin

1. Technology has helped to better our lives:
Social: social networking/communication
Theres no one that you can not reach at any time.
Question: Have social networking sites like faceook made our personal lives too transparent?

2. Technology makes people physically lazy:
Factor that influences our assumption: People take the escalator/elevator as opposed to the stairs (even though the stairs may be faster)
more productive mentally, less productive physically.
Question: Is our increased mental productivity worth the lack of physical activity we get each day?

3. Technology has taken over the world:
Factor that influences our assumption: you can't go through a day without using/dealing with technology
Question: Are computers going to surpass humans in intelligence?

FRONTLINE--DIGITAL NATION

Hi all,
This is the program I was telling you about. You can watch it online.
DIGITAL NATION

Group Work - Haneef, Merrissa and Tom

a) People have become dependant on technology.

b) The United States is viewed as a nation that spearheads the technological age. With immense pressure to maintain that status, scienctists are constantly toiling to create smarter and innovative technology. Additionally, in collaboration with other countires forming a cohesive bond, we are working towards the universal goal of developing efficient machinery, suppressing the demand of natural resources from Mother Nature. With so much technology bombarding our way of life, we are becoming intimately attached and relying on it.

c) Technology, arguably, cause more good than harm but what happens when it goes away or crashes to the point of catastrophic failure?

*Merrissa and Haneef, please post your assumptions as a comment to my blog. If you have any questions or concerns please email me at TomSFitz@yahoo.com*

Dan Devereaux, Vassil Dimitrov, Hannah Mcleod

Group Work: Vassil Dimitrov, Dan Devereaux, Hannah McLeod

Assumption 1: Technology is constantly evolving.
* Social, cultural, religious, or personal factors that influenced these assumptions:
o The transition from landlines to cell phones.
o Saw the creation and increasing popularity of instant communication.
* Question:
o Are there certain subject matters that people lack the intellectual capacity to delve further into? (Hannah)

Assumption 2: Technology improves quality of life.
* Social, cultural, religious, or personal factors that influenced these assumptions:
o Technology allows us to do fundamental tasks more efficiently and with less effort.
o Through the innovation of numerous scientific technologies such as vaccinations, we have been able to save the lives of many people.
o People are able to do more Òpleasurable activitiesÓ because technology makes it quicker and easier to do more mundane tasks
* Question:
o Can the simplification of tasks associated with technology cause people to take on more than they can handle? (Dan)

Assumption 3: Science is the most important method of obtaining new knowledge in the universe.
* Social, cultural, religious, or personal factors that influenced these assumptions:
o Science is the reason our technology is so advanced.
o Science is the reason we know so much about how to cure certain diseases, and often prevent death.
o My parents are molecular biologists.
* Question:
o What other ways of obtaining knowledge can inform us about things that nobody knows about in the physical world? (Vassil)




1/26/10 3:53 PM

updated syllabus on blog?

Hey Professor,

I think it would be very helpful if there was an updated syllabus on the blog. It would be easier to see what homework was upcoming and what the the due dates for different parts of the research paper are. Maybe then you could just add to it while you gauge how fast the class is moving. It would save difficulties of people misplacing it, missing class and not receiving it, or not having their syllabus when they needed it. Also it would increase traffic on the blog as students would open up the blog instead of their folder to view their syllabus. Let me know what you think!

FYI

If you are having access problems when retreiving articles on the English 102 blog visit this link www.accessmylibrary.com. e.g. I don't have a UMass Library account (I will get one soon) which means that I cannot access the required homework reading. I stumbled upon this website and typed in Enemies of Promise and the article popped up. BTW it is FREE to access!!

Blogging

Blogging is a great way to share information in a class by using the internet. People can share their own ideas/research to help move the class forward and to help everybody have a good understanding of what is being taught. I spent some time writing blogs for websites recently, and got paid for the amount of views my article received. Although I will not be getting paid for this, I will enjoy using this site to network our lessons and expand on ideas talked about in class. Overall, I believe that blogging will help this class exchange information that we all will need in order to do well.

Newbie Blogger

I've never blogged but participated in forums. I'm not sure if they are the same. This is a good way to share ideas outside the classroom setting.

What I think about the new blog...

I don't usually "blog", but I guess there's a first time for everything. :)

Hi class. . .

I never blogged before but this already seems fun. I think that the blog will be a good way to communicate with the class and share ideas about different things. I hope that the class keeps up with the blogging. :-)

What I think of the blog...

The blog as an interactive way to voice an opinion that some may not otherwise. It is a good place for shy people to sound off on their opinions because not everyone is confident with public speaking. This gives the quite people a means of having a voice. This will allow their class participation to excel, where as in other classes that do not offer this mode of communication, they may fail or be left as a fly on the wall.

Another great aspect of the blog is that opinions can fully be communicated with the use of supporting materials that further support a persons ideas. In class, some one may have a valid point but can't quite think of an example to back it up. With this technology a writer can research some supporting arguments before they publishes their post which allows for a more concise and well-thought out response making the persons theory more clear and persuasive.

I think a blog is a great idea. It is a good way for everyone to share their opinion and comment on others. I have never really blogged before so I think it's a good way for me to learn. I'm hoping this will be a helpful tool for our research and papers. It's always fun to pick other people's brains. This will be a nice way for us to speak up and really give an opinion. I am interested to hear what people in class have to say and hope that we have some good topics to discuss.

What electrecity-less technologies did everyone write about for the second assignment?

I decided to write about the development of soaps and sanitizers and how they have served a very important purpose in keeping the world healthy, clean, and smelling better.

What did you write about?

Comment below!

assignment for blog

blogging is good idea for this class
because you can dicuss the materials from class
remotely at home. and also u can get all of class readings from
the blog without having to look for it in library webpage.
It would be convineint for many of us.
I actually never used the blogging page before
so it would be interestin opportunity for me to learn
and play with.

Hey

I like blogs but I don't excatly know if people will keep up with this. Hopefully will have some Topics that are interesting. I like talking so hopefully you guys generate some conversation.

I think that having a class blog is a very good idea because it provides a site for students to share ideas they think will be helpful to others and it's a convenient way to help each other out on dificult assignments. I'm glad that we will be able to use this class blog because English isn't my best class so I will be able to see what other people have to say about assignments and use their opinions to develop ideas of my own. I think it will help me better understand certain assignments and develop my writing skills. It will also help me put my ideas down in words better by being able to post them on this site. I've never had a class with a blog before so I am excited to see what affect it will have on people.

First Blog Post

This is the first time I have ever used a blog, but I cannot think of a better place to start. The use of a class blog, in my opinion, ties flawlessly into the course theme of technology. Furthermore, the web is becoming an increasing popular forum to have meaningful academic discussions as well as share interesting or important information. Therefore, I believe learning how to utilize a blog is an essential skill to develop. Blogs are being used by everyone from fan groups stalking their favorite musicians, to academics discussing the most recent publication in their field. I see learning how to use blogs as a real-world skill. That being said, blog writing is different then writing a formal paper, or an e-mail, or even a letter. Blog writing requires a person to be clear, concise, and relevant in their posts. One must be able to express their own opinions, or make their own contributions, while staying engaged in the group discussion. Thus, blogs force us to make connections between and among ideas in a comprehensive manner. In general, I believe good blog writing is an important skill to have and look forward to building my blog writing skills. I hope I have not bored everyone to death with my over-zealous enthusiasm; I look forward to blogging with everyone!

CLASS BLOG

The blog seems like a great way of instigating or continuing discussion,
and providing ideas, links, and stuff there's never enough time for in class.
It also seems like it may simply the formalism of the classroom, at times, and
allows for discussing stuff that may be only tangentially related to the topics, but is
interesting.

Blogs are cool!

I think that having a class blog is a pretty good idea. Organizationally, I'm sure it will help me to keep up with my work. I've always been active in classes so I'm sure that when it comes to our class blog I will be able to contribute some good input to our conversations / discussions. I like the links to helpful resources as well. Having the links available to me in this blog will be a lot easier than having to make bookmarks for each individual link that we'll need. Overall, I'd say it's a cool idea and it's going to help me out a lot this semester.

This blog is illlllll...

This blog spot will help the class share ideas. The blog will make work easier by providing a place for all to comment on the task. To take advantage of this blogspot i will use information and ideas posted by others and elaborate the ideas and construct points based on everyone's thoughts and this will help a lot. Two heads are better then one so imagine the whole class generating ideas of a certain topic and a convinient place for us to come together and share.

I think having a class blog is a really good way to have students conversing. It is always good to bounce ideas off of other people, and get feedback. Also a lot of the time many students have a hard time speaking up in front of the class, this is a way for everyone to get their ideas heard. I am interested in hearing other peoples opinions on the topics we discuss in class. I am going to use the blog to get my mind going if I ever get stuck on something, and I will check the blog before every assignment. I like to speak my mind, especially if it is a topic I find interesting, so I think my posts will be good for conversations.

What i think about the new blog

I can't say I have every blogged before, but some how when I am always searching for information on a current topic I always end up on a blog site, and some of the information on it is quite useful. What I think about having a class blog is that it is just another easy way to get points in the class, and I am looking forward to it. I think I will bring interesting comments to what we will be blogging about, I'm not sure if it was a good thing, but in my last school i was known for saying things that you were only suppose to be think and not suppose to be saying. I will check this blog site daily, and if I see someone blogging about our upcoming research paper, or an upcoming assignment. Pending on what they wrote, I will take it in with my current ideas and build on what I have. All in all I think it is a good idea, rather than having a whole bunch of essays due and a whole bunch of readings.

I think a class blog can be a very useful tool in keeping communication between classmates and teachers. Its an easy way to discuss class topics and to stay in touch with whats going on in the class. I hope I can make this blog useful and helpful for my classmates and I hope they will return the favor so that we all benefit from the blog. I hope my opinions and insight will help ignite conversation and get this blog going.