Module 13

When I first started reading the book “The world is flat” by Thomas L. Friedman I was thoroughly confused. Why would someone write a book about the world being flat when it is so obviously round? What does Friedman mean by flat? But as soon as I had read the pages for the first assignment I began to understand what Friedman was writing about. He began with globalization 1.0, globalization 2.0 and globalization 3.0 which explained what he meant by a flat world.

I really enjoyed the discussion on free trade and the “new middler”. I think that free trade is one of the largest flatteners that Friedman discusses. The ability to trade without tariffs or taxes between countries has created opportunities for so many people throughout the world. Free trade gives those born into impoverished countries the chance to rise to any level by working hard. The “new middler” was interesting because all my life I have been told by my elders that they had it so much harder back in the day than I have it now. Friedman disagrees with this by saying that the effort it used to take to get to the top now only takes you to the middle. This doesn’t always refer to physical effort but instead to new skills such as adaptability and the ability to collaborate.

Another subject I thought was interesting was the discussion about Walmart and their supply chains. The supply chain provides Walmart with the ability to keep prices low and produce many products. Walmart also uses their customers to their advantage by giving them the option of shopping online therefore cutting out the store workers entirely. This saves Walmart money while at the same time giving customers the feeling of control.

Overall I really enjoyed this class. Not only were there no tests or quizzes but the subject matter was very interesting. The book chosen for the class was perfect. I learned so much and had a fun time thinking about ideas that had never occurred to me before. I wouldn’t change anything about this class.

Module 12

This week we were asked to read an article by Bill Joy called “Why the future doesn’t need us”. The article goes into some pretty scientific thoughts and theories but Joy does a good job of breaking it down for those of us with less scientific minds. The main idea of this article is that one day the combination of genetics, nanotechnology and robotics will cause the destruction of the world.

The field of robotics has been advancing exponentially for the last twenty years and Joy believes that soon someone will create a robot that can think for itself. A robot that can think for itself could be a very useful tool. If this type of robot were to become a major part of everyday life it could change the way humans live. This sounds wonderful but if it were to somehow go wrong it could be catastrophic.

Genetic engineering is helping the world in many ways already. Genetic engineering has provided things such as better food, cures to many diseases and all types of things that improve our quality of life. With advancements in genetic engineering the average lifetime could be elongated by many years. The ability to manipulate genes could help mankind greatly but it could also be very harmful. If someone were to create a self-replicating gene that negatively affected the human body the entire world could be affected.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on the molecular scale. Joy fears nanotechnology more than either robotics or genetic engineering. Joy compares nanotechnology to the nuclear bomb because it is easier to find destructive uses than helpful ones. The scariest part of nanotechnology is that unlike nuclear technology you don’t need a large space or rare raw materials to create it. With knowledge of nanotechnology creating incredibly powerful and small weapons is possible for anyone.

Before reading this article if you had asked me if I thought that genetic engineering, nanotechnology and robotics were going to cause large scale problems for humanity I would have told you to stop watching so many movies. After reading the article by Joy though I have changed my mind. The threat of these things has become very real over the past few years.

 

Module 11

For this week’s assignment we were asked to watch a computer related movie and discuss how computers and networks are used in the film. The movie I chose to watch was minority report. There are many advanced computer themes in this movie. There are computers that read the minds of three mutated humans (called pre-cogs) who can see future crimes before they happen. In the movie there are also scanners that scan people’s eyes for everything from entering buildings to providing personalized advertisements as they walk down the street.

The computers that read the minds of the pre-cogs has many incredible features. The first feature of this computer is the transferring of the visions seen by the pre-cogs from their minds to the screen. If this were possible it would be a huge advancement in science and psychology. If a psychologist could directly see your dreams they would be able to better diagnose patients. Another function of this computer is the control given to the viewer. The person viewing the vision can change the viewpoint, the angle and rotate the view to better see the crime scene.

            The scanners in the movie are less futuristic because eye scanners are available to anybody now for the right price. The eye scanners in the movie are more advanced than real eye scanners because they can detect who a person is from a farther distance away.

            The last computer theme I want to discuss is the network that all the computers in the movie are connected to. When the main character is accused of a crime by the pre-cog he has to have eye surgery to change his eyes so that none of the scanners know that it is him. That implies that every scanner in the city (Washington D.C.) is connected and while they are all doing individual tasks they are also searching for criminals. It is incredible to consider how many people at any given time are walking on the streets and each scanner is picking out each individual to advertise to. That would take a massive network to control all the information going through it.

Module 10

“A logic named Joe” is a short story written by Murray Leinster in 1946. For this module we were asked to read this short story and discuss some of the prophetic ideas in it. The story is about a “logic” (Like a computer) with a slight alteration from all of the other logics that allows it to change the programming of all other logics to provide any information anybody wanted. In the story this causes many problems such as children being able to see things about the birds and the bees that should be censored, angry husbands finding information on how to kill their wives, and providing plans on how to rob banks to anybody who asks for them.

            The main character of the short story is a man nicknamed “Ducky”. The story is told from his point of view and his problems are told to the reader. An ex-girlfriend (Laurine) uses a logic to track him down and when she finds him and finds out he is married she tells him she will talk to his wife and separate them so that they can get married. Not wanting Laurine to do this, Ducky finds a way to shut down the machine that is causing all the problems by using information that the machine itself gives him, and saves himself and everybody else.

            The “logic” in this story seems to be prophetic of our modern day computers connected to the internet. One of the differences between the “logic” and the internet is that the logic gave one response to each question while the internet gives many responses to each question. The “logic” in the story seems to be able to do the things that everyone is currently trying to do. Every company that produces anything that uses the internet is trying to find a way to have their devices come up with the best answers for each individual. For example IPhone can now give you advice on what music you will like based on what you have listened to in the past.

            The problems in this story are very real problems that we deal with all the time in real life. Keeping control of the ever expanding information on the internet is nearly impossible. With all this information available to nearly everyone on the planet there are going to be people who use it as a way to hurt others or take advantage but without it the world would regress greatly.

Module 9

The building of a Dell laptop is really a collaboration of many people from many different companies working together to create a computer. The source materials come from many different mines all over the world. The processers come from Intel, the hard drives are made by WD and the outer casing is made by Dell. When an order is sent to Dell for a new laptop all of these companies bring these parts together to a Dell facility and create a working computer. Then Dell takes the computer and installs the operating system and all the software needed. Dell is a great example of a supply chain. The part of Dells supply chain that I find most interesting is the fact that they have many different companies that can provide each individual part of their computers. By having many companies providing parts they keep everyone working to have the best parts possible and keep the prices competitive.

Even though supply chains are generally considered as good things, they can just as easily be used for evil. Al-Qaeda must have a very secure supply chain in place to help them create weapons as well as provide the basic necessities for living to those who are hiding. When Al-Qaeda wants to create weapons I don’t think they can just walk into the store and buy all the things it takes to make a homemade bomb. They have to get the different parts from different places and then put them all together in a secure location.

Oil is a substance that is used by nearly everybody in the world on a daily basis. It is used in many ways from cars to cooking oil. The curse of oil is that there is a limited amount on the planet and it will one day run out and when it does life will change drastically for 99% of people. Because of the necessity for oil those who want it are willing to pay greatly for it without worrying about what the people selling them the oil will do with the money. This creates a very corrupt system that is very valuable. The world needs to start figuring out ways to reduce our reliance on oil.

Module 8

For this module we were asked to discuss how computers have been used in our personal education. The first and most obvious way they have influenced my education has been through online classes at Weber State University. Another way computers have been used in my education is through the availability of information from the internet. Computers have also made grades, assignments and other class information available anytime and anywhere.

            When I decided to go back to school after getting married and having children I knew it was going to be difficult. Having a family and job to work my schedule around leaves little time for classes and the time it does leave is usually pretty late at night. Online classes have given me the opportunity to continue my education while supporting my family.

            When I was young and my teachers gave me an assignment that involved research my mother would send me to the library to look through as many books as I needed to find the information. Now when I’m asked to research something I can type whatever it is into a search engine and it will come back with more information than I could possibly read. It also organizes it into the most relevant information for my search cutting my research time in half. When I’m asked to take a position on a subject I can find all the information I need to make an informed decision.

            Keeping organized is a vital part of my education, and computers have made it much easier to stay organized. I can keep track of upcoming assignments, readings, lectures and due dates all on my computer. I can look up my grades to see if I need to spend more time on a certain subject. The internet also allows me to communicate with my teachers if I ever have questions or comments about classes.