I, Robot?

A New Zealand comedy duo called “Flight of the Conchords” debuted a song entitled “Robots.” Although the song technically takes place in the year 2000, one of the key lyrics is “the humans are dead”. Note: they are humans pretending to be robots reflecting on what humankind forced them to do.

The idea of robots and robotics has been around for over 2,000 years, when Archytus of Tarentum built a mechanical bird. The idea of having a machine do a task for your own benefit sounds great Of course laziness isn’t always bad, as it created flush toilets and other inventions that have been very, very helpful to the perpetuation of humankind.  Songs like “Robots”, stories like I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, and even movies like “Wall-e” offer very apocalyptic, though entertaining, views of humankind’s robotic future. However, this fear of technology seems to be pushed to the wayside as more and more robots are pushed into our lives everyday.  

As humankind progresses, more and more people approve of the technological advancements being done in the field of robotics. The incentives that robotics bring to the table are innumerable, yet they can be a little scary. Dissenters of these robots are looked at as neo-Luddites. Is there truly a fear behind robotics? Let’s examine a few current projects and find out the usefulness or purpose behind these new robots.

Robot #1: “Big Dog”

Big Dog is a rough-terrain robot that was built by Boston Dynamics and funded by Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). 3 feet long, 2.5 feet high and weighing at 240 pounds, this robotic quadruped can carry up to 340 pounds, walk at 4 mph and go up a 35-degree incline. More than that it can walk in about any terrain and set the land record for legged vehicles. The pros of the Big Dog are vast: it can carry supplies for military into battle or on long treks and commercially it is essentially a less smelly pack mule. Who doesn’t want a robot that can carry everything for them? Now, what are the cons? The first obstacle is production. Being that Big Dog isn’t a completed project and the fact that its being developed for the military indicates that it will take some time to get it out commercially if it ever does. Another thing is that it’s large and cumbersome. Since the Big Dog clocks in at 4 mph, it essentially becomes a target of it own. No doubt that it’s very cool and would do well commercially (at the right price), who knows if it will ever even make into military use.

 

Robot #2: “ASIMO”

This humanoid robot is being produced by Honda and has prototypes that tour the world. According to ASIMO’s history, the idea for a compact humanoid robot began in 1986 where engineers literally worked from the feet up. Honda states that their goal is to “Design a robot that can duplicate the complexities of human motion and genuinely help people.” No doubt ASIMO is a cutie, as he is designed to look like an astronaut, but what are the pros and cons?

Pros: While there isn’t any explicit purpose for the ASIMO, it seems like a really cool toy. Perhaps it will evolve into the robot of the I, Robot film, as in the loyal companion who makes life easier for humans. Which is awesome.

Cons: There is no purpose to this type of robotics and perpetuates the laziness of humankind. These robots remind me of the robots of the movie “Wall-e”, used for entertainment or other very simple tasks.

Robot #3: iRobot Create

From the creators of the first cleaning robot, Roomba, comes Create, a programmable robot made specifically for educators and students. While it doesn’t seem as cool or practical as the above robots, it does something the other two can’t: Create allows for innovation from anyone. It’s relatively cheap ($219), it’s already commercialized (you can buy it online), and its built specifically for students or “aspiring roboticists.” How is this revolutionary? Well, it allows for future robotics to be created! It allows for a platform to create and use 3^rd party programs and attachments. Learning the basics of robotics can help the next generation create for the future. What are the cons of a pre-built platform? Besides taking away the supposed fun in building a mobile robot platform, which could arguably take away from some of the creative process and basic understanding of robotics, if its put in the wrong hands…

In the end, robots really are becoming more and more of our human condition. There of course will be many more applications for robots in the future that we can’t fathom, and no doubt our lives will become easier, in a sense. We’ll just have to see what the future holds and what is created in the coming years. 

Mix It Up!

Globalization is a phrase heard more and more in everyday conversation, used both fearfully and admiringly. According to Merriam-Webster, globalization is “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets.” But that’s just a basic definition.  When free trade, capital, and cheaper labor markets are all combined, it moves not only capital or goods, it also moves people and ideas. To move it a step further, when people and ideas are moved, cultures mix and eventually, children are born out of the globalization process that can lay claim to two, or more, cultural backgrounds.

The phenomena of having biracial or multiracial children is one that has exploded over the last decade, according to one Washington Post article, with “more than 7 percent of the 3.5 million children born in the year before the 2010 Census were of two or more races, up from barely 5 percent a decade earlier.” This is thought to be because of there being more interracial couples and births resulting from them, but also because parents are more comfortable expressing the “multiracial-ity” of their children.

 With the spread of globalization and the notion of a “global culture” that seemingly makes the world smaller and smaller, it is absolutely true that children will be born into this global culture, and will most likely be accepting of and take pride in their multifaceted genealogy. It is imperative to support, and celebrate, this inevitable cultural mixing because it limits globalization’s goals of free trade, capital and foreign labor if it is not.

Personally, I am the product of cultural mixing as my mother was born and raised in Venezuela, and my father’s comes from Jews who escaped Russia in the late 1800’s. I’ve grown up with both cultures, going to Hebrew school and having a Bat Mitzvah, but I also had a quinceañera, which I celebrated with my family in Venezuela. I speak Spanish fluently, and I still remember the Hebrew alphabet. Yet I can distinctly remember taking surveys for various standardized tests in elementary, middle, and even high school, where when the question of race or ethnicity came up, it always was “Pick One”. How does a biracial or multiracial child pick if they’ve grown up with many cultures? As one of my high school teachers put it, I am simply “other”. I was never just one or the other, rather a blend of both. Of course, there hasn’t always been such openness about mixing cultures.

During the Vietnam War in the 1960’s, many mixed Vietnamese-American children were born, with GI fathers and Vietnamese mothers. Shunned by other Vietnamese, many of these mixed children who were not lifted out during “Operation Babylift”, a program instituted during the Ford administration where these mixed children were taken and brought to the United States to be adopted, lived a tortured, lonely life. In the article “Vietnam War babies: grown up and low on luck”, author Patrick Winn describes how these war babies have grown up, and shows that most who were left in Vietnam grew up in complete poverty and think of themselves as American or AmerAsian rather than Vietnamese, since they were so shunned by their own countrymen. For many who made it to America and were later adopted, they also experienced their own torment. In the documentary “Daughter from Danang”, a woman returns to her childhood home in Danang, Vietnam and reunites with her mother after 22 years. Heidi, the mixed child, describes how she often struggled with depression and a lack of identity. The lessons we can learn from the struggles of rejected mixed children are perfectly valid lessons in the importance of acceptance.

Even among my peers there is always the question of “Where are you from?” that most often refers to nationality rather than a specific location. Being able to answer that question without stigma or worrying about prejudice is a luxury that my generation has been granted. It’s in fact almost a nonissue, so much that so that in a New York Times article, “Generation E.A.: Ethnically Ambiguous”, they go so far to say, “Ambiguity is chic, especially among the under-25 members of Generation Y, the most racially diverse population in the nation's history.” This is a radical change that can especially be seen in advertising and other media outlets, which, ironically, completes the circle of globalization as advertising promotes trade all over the world.

Ad from the 1950's

"Biracial Shoot" from America's Next Top Model 2009

Globalization is inevitable, it’s happening right now. The results of globalization are also becoming more and more visible in the children of the new global culture. Without the acceptance of these mixed children, it can stall globalization and cause lasting emotional problems for generations of mixed children to come. A key part of globalization is the word “free” and it’s important to exploit that freedom in every way. The world is growing smaller due to globalization and our global culture is creating connections between cultures that could never have been made before in human history. Multiracial children may be a byproduct of globalization, but it just might be the best one for all of humanity. 

Online University: Is it worth it?

Often when high school juniors begin the college process, some of the things they look for in universities or institutions include the quality of education, the location, size, and, of course, the social scene. From a more personal perspective, I can honestly say that while I looked at a variety of traditional universities, I never once considered an online university. I’ve always been wary of online universities, as they simply don’t seem as “legitimate” as traditional universities. Many of these online universities are for-profit universities, meaning that they are run by private businesses that are ultimately trying to make a profit.

Online education offers the possibility of having the classroom be anywhere you want it. 

What does this mean for students who are looking for a nontraditional path to gaining their degree from a post-secondary institution? Do your research!!! Most for-profit’s pedagogy is often completely market-based. They’re trying to turn a profit. That doesn’t mean that they are necessarily bad universities nor does it mean that their degrees aren’t worth anything; in fact U.S. News reported that many non-for-profit universities, like University of Southern California and University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, are adapting some “online-centric” programs. Even New York University offers online courses through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at both the graduate and undergraduate level.

While many students may be striving to complete a postsecondary education, traditional universities can often be very costly and push students to look for more unconventional paths to a degree. I believe that these paths can sometimes be dangerous for the students, though they have the potential to be an innovative learning method.

There are all sorts of horror stories that go along with online education. For instance, there are stories of “degree mills”, where unaccredited universities or plain con artists create fake universities that offer degrees in very short amounts of time, the consumer is able to purchase a degree with honors (one sales pitch said that for an additional $75 dollars, you could graduate Summa Cum Laude). In an article by Dhirendra Kumar called “Pros and Cons of Online Education”, she says that the four main cons of online education are “limited social interaction, technology cost and scheduling, effectiveness of education, and that it can be problematic for instructors” (Kumar).  While everything seems very negative about these online educations, there are some pros to pursuing a degree online.

Parody of a fake degree from a "degree mill" shows how easy it is. 

Kumar also lists the four main pros of an online education like convenience, less expensive, the fact that it incorporates technology, and other benefits that include a global classroom and creative teaching. There is also evidence that online education can make you a better student. In a study reported in the U.S. News article “Your Professor, Your Computer, and You”, by Brian Burnsed, “the Department of Education study, revised in September 2010, analyzed more than 1,000 other studies of online education conducted since 1996. While the analysis found that students in a strictly online setting performed marginally better than in a classroom-only setting…” (Burnsed). Perhaps online education really does make better student, even only if marginally.  More studies definitely have to be performed, as technology is always changing and performance can always be evaluated in different, more meaningful ways.

Students today are really taking to the idea of online education. In another article by Brian Burnsed, “Online Education May Transform Higher Ed”, he notes that  “Already, about 30 percent of American college students take at least one course online, says Elaine Allen, statistical director of the Sloan Survey on Online Education, which monitors student involvement in online higher education” (Burnsed). With an estimated 19.7 million students enrolled in college in the United States in Fall 2012, that means, according to Burnsed and Allen, about 5,910,000 students will take an online course. As more and more top tier universities offer courses online, we can only expect that number to increase.

So is online education really worth it? For some people it is. For-profit online universities tend to market to working class people who want to get a higher degree and advance their careers. Of course, this runs risks, as some may be scams and therefore it is very important to do research on accreditations, specifically those on United States Department of Education’s database of agencies that can give universities accreditations. This database offers users the opportunity to look up any institution by state or accrediting agency in order to avoid these “diploma mills”. Like in any college process, research is key to finding the right fit for you as a student, but it’s especially necessary when thinking about online education. Online education has the potential to transform classes, but it’s still in the process of going about it at this point. 

"Mommy, Can I Have an iPad?"

It seems like every kid born in the last 10 years knows two languages: their first language and the language of technology. Kids are exposed to technologies at younger and younger ages. Whole markets of “educational video games” and educational toys that mimic technology have developed out of this supposed need to begin a child’s learning at a younger age. Is this a social construct due to the competitive nature of education and the job market? Are these toys and video games beneficial at all for toddlers? As discussed in Professor Michael Rectenwald’s book about writing and real world topics (Chapter 2: Learning from Games, intro), academia is still not sure where the study of impact of video games fit in. Many people don’t know if it should be a considered a part of media and communication studies or psychology. Regardless of where these studies are taking place, there is still the issue of what technology has done to children today.

Technology of any kind should never pass for human interaction. Human interaction is literally what has created our modern society, and is the most valuable and impressionistic learning experience young children can have. Too much technology, I believe, does cause these negative affects of attention disorders and hyperactivity. The debate between pro-technology for children and dissenters is mainly a moot point because at this point in time, not exposing a child to technology at all could be more detrimental to their social situation as older children rather than not exposing.

It’s interesting to look at how these educational toy companies are marketing to parents. Both vtech and LeapFrog have “laptops” and “cell phones” made for 6 to 36 month and 18 to 36 month-olds, respectively. The goal of the toys is for the children to learn from them and how to use them. The description about the “Baby's Learning Laptop Pink by VTech” says, “Your child will be ‘wired for learning’ with Baby's Learning Laptop Pink!” The notion of “wired for learning” promotes the idea of a perfect worker, one who is obedient and thoughtless. What a better way for big business to secure a future, they simply have to program it into the heads of babies.

LeapFrog's Learn & Groove Music Player

vtech's Baby's Learning Laptop Pink

An article in babycenter mentions that:

Toddlers between the ages of one and four years are at their exploratory best, using all their senses to learn about the world they live in. Touching, tasting, feeling and smelling, your toddler satisfies his curiosity and learns more and more every day.

It goes on to explain that this same age group should not watch television because they do not have the cognitive ability to interpret a TV show. Screen time of any kind for more than half an hour is thought to have these negative affects, including hyperactivity. However, its simply one study.

One thing that is a recurrent theme with these media research studies is that they all yield different answers, or at least, the professionals interpret them differently. For example, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has published this set of guidelines for reducing screen time for all Americans, especially those at risk for becoming obese. On the other hand, the American Council on Exercise after performing studies on both the Wii Fit and the PC-based game DanceTown came to the conclusion that the Wii Fit is a mild workout, and should be used as a supplement, while DanceTown is an appropriate alternative for aerobic exercise in adults. Even within the gaming studies there are variations and this causes many mixed feelings for the everyday person.

Many parents today are very concerned about giving their children an edge, especially in our globalized world where children, when entering the job market, could potentially work anywhere in the world. A simple Google search for “How do I give my child an edge in life?” reveals a plethora of results and ranges from an unfortunately named Jagged Edge song to an article entitled “Baby Genius- your genius baby, kid, or child genius.” One thing that many professionals agree on is that technology should never become a substitute for parenting. This has become increasingly difficult as children become aware of technology at younger and younger ages, and are throwing temper tantrums for the technology. So if all this technology is bad for children’s behavioral development, what can parents do to give their child the technological edge and still have relatively normal children? In an article published by U.S. News Health section, Good Parents, Bad Results, it’s been determined that parents today are less willing to set limitations, are more overprotective, and basically are simply drawing their parenting ideas from so many different sources that it causes negative effects on their children over time. These effects include increased depression and anxiety in teenagers, which is supposedly at an all time high. 

"How can I give my child an edge in life?" search results, unfortunate lyrics and all.

In the end, being able to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology is a skill that is practiced and learned. Children who are exposed to this edge may or may not actually have one, since most babies develop certain skills in the same time frame. While I believe it is a moot point to try and raise children without technology, not studying the affects of technology on young children is a loss of information for behavioral scientists, parents, and ultimately the children. In the same article as mentioned above, Good Parents, Bad Results, it shows that “Surprisingly, many family therapists and parenting educators aren't up to speed on the research, either, so that parents who seek professional help won't necessarily get the most proven advice.” Certainly more conclusive studies need to be performed and disseminated so we, as a human race, can deliver that “child 2.0,” one fluent in technology, without causing major damage to the child.

LOL Memes

“Forever alone.” “Bad Luck Brian.” “Philosoraptor.”

Upon hearing any of these phrases, a digital immigrant might ask, “What the hell are you talking about? What do those things even mean?” A digital native, however, would probably be on the floor laughing, or ROFL-ing. This is all due to the latest Internet fad called the meme.

To clarify meme [meem], according to Dictionary.com, is “a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes.” Furthermore, it is also an actual sociological and cultural study, as in one can study the “memepool.” To break it down, the idea of memes come from Richard Dawkins’ 1976  book “The Selfish Gene” and basically begs the question of originality in humanity. As Brent Silby says in his article “What is a Meme?”: 

Think about all the ideas that you have in your head right now. They are all memes, and they all came from somewhere. Some of them will have come from friends and some will have come from the internet or television.

This theory, called meme theory, applies to everything in human culture, but certain aspects of memes have exploded with social media and the Internet. Many involve characters, pictures, and some have even expanded into full on comic strips (most notably Le Rage).

Example of a Le Rage comic. 

Memes are clearly a very human theory in the sense that they are born, live, evolve for a purpose and inevitably will die out or simply be replaced. Internet memes are so important and radical because unlike other cultural memes, these memes are encoded into the World Wide Web. Their cookies and code will live on forever and can always be accessed, and this fundamentally changes the meaning of a meme.

In Jonnie Hughes’ article for The Independent, his study of memes allowed him to realize the true biological comparison between memes and genes as he describes memes as “countless living ideas that skip through our seven billion brains, each one competing for space in our cerebrums and the chance to procreate through our tongue and wrist movements.” This implies longevity in the spread of memes, where it has taken time for these interactive, conversational memes to come about. For instance, almost everyone in the world understands “flipping the bird,” but they didn’t know instantly. Internet memes are so radical because they can instantly, in comparison to the spread of hand gestures, spread cultural ideas, phrases, slang, images and so many other things. Internet memes are plastered on Facebook, Twitter, used in text messages and sometimes even in everyday speech. This rapid spread of memes has become less evolutionary and more viral.

The uses of these memes are also changing. Silby predicts that memetics, or the study of memes, “will become an essential addition to a psychologist's tool kit.” Are these Internet memes also valuable to analysis of the human psyche? Since these memes tend to be very simple and immature, does it imply that humans are becoming more infantile? Or is it simply an expression popular culture?

Philosoraptor ponders the meaning of memes.

In a blog post by Alex Leavitt, he explores the idea of memes as a movement and Internet memes as a manifestation of that movement. He goes on to say that if the Internet relies on popular culture then Internet memes are memes of popular culture, in this case meaning where a general populace can gain access to the meme. 

With 2,267,233,742 Internet users as of December 31, 2011, its fair to say at least 1/3 of the world’s population has used the Internet. In North America alone, there has been a 152.6% increase in Internet users in only 11 years. Globally, there has been a 528.1% increase. With more of the world’s inhabitants having access to the Internet, it seems only fitting that Internet memes have truly exploded. Further more, out of the estimated 273,000,000 Internet users in North America, about 173,000,000 are using Facebook. I have no doubt in my mind that non-Internet memes have exploded with population growth; more people means more ideas as well as a wider spread of ideas. However, simple ideas can be lost with time and general dissatisfaction with an idea. Cultures become melded and ideas lose their original meanings as they evolve. With Internet memes, the ideas can evolve but the original can always be recalled as well.

Internet memes are created everyday, and whether they take a while to infect the various Web 2.0 users or not, they are here to stay. In fact, marriage proposals have even been preformed through memes! (See below) They have perhaps taken out the evolutionary aspect of a meme, or maybe they have furthered the evolution of a meme, causing memes to be created and die out at a rapid pace. Either way, for the first time in history we can look back on memes and know the context, as the Internet records them forever, and maybe we can still even get a laugh out of them.