Article 3---1/31/2010

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/darwins-world-of-pain-and-wonder

This is an article by Algis Valiunas entitled Darwin’s World of Pain and Wonder. Valiunas starts out by talking about a very controversial subject, religion. He begins the article by comparing science with reality and the very contrasting views that go along with this subject. He states that while Darwinism has a huge following, there are many other beliefs around the world. He brings science and society together by allowing for the fact that many of the religions studied are hinged on science and the fact that our societies are very diverse across the globe. Darwin was a very bright young man and due to his upbringing, he was taught to think outside the box and that he did. As everyone knows, he is who came up with the idea of evolution. This is a very contentious subject considering Christianity was the predominant religion in this time. It is said that everything can be proved or disproved through science. Personally, I don’t believe this. I understand that this class is not a religion class, but this topic does bring science, technology and society together. I am a Christian and believe in Christ. My neighbor may be a follower of Darwin and believe in evolution. He or she may also believe that this can proved through research and science. There are many studies on this where many believe that we can trace our entire lineage back to Africa through studying DNA. Technology has came a very long way since the times of Darwin and has helped in reshaping many of our oldest beliefs in society. I am very happy that we have been able to come as far as we have through science and technology, but I do not believe that it is the answer to everything. Although we have been able to solve some of nature’s oldest mysteries, some things can only be taught through others, i.e. our society. There are many ways that science, technology and society come together but this may be the most underlined approach. For this reason, I chose this article to talk about.

-Adam Traywick

Article 2---1/24/2010

http://www.helium.com/items/1496810-the-impact-of-technology-on-society

This is an article by Kathy Clark Smith entitled Technology's Impact on Society. She starts out by talking about how she saw a commercial for a country that had no clean water, hardly any medical treatment, poverty and disease infested and little technological advances. What she was fascinated by though was that they were seemingly just as happy as we are here in America with everything we could imagine right at our fingertips. She then goes on to explain how in many ways all the technology we have does make certain things easier but it allows us to communicate without any form of actual interaction between each other. All of these things we have are thought of as making us happier in many different ways, but it doesn’t always do that. Smith adds to this as she starts the article by stating, “We have the advantage of accessible technology that is supposed to make our lives easier, but I don't think it has made it better.” I agree with her statement. I do feel very blessed to be able to do the things I can do with the access to the technology we have, but that doesn’t always mean happiness. Since I am in college and away from home, I am sometimes forced to talk on the cell phone or internet to family members and some close friends. It makes me realize the importance of one on one interaction. I think that it is very important to have a more personal relationship with people that you are friends with. I do think that it is perfectly fine to have relationships over the internet or by the use of cell phones. We are very blessed as a country to have what we have. I think many of us, including myself, take great advantage of the things we have. Just the other day my 8 year old cousin came to my house and had a cell phone. That is a little ridiculous in my opinion but, that is what our society has become. Technology is great but I think we should use these things in moderation and be thankful for what we are able to have.

-Adam Traywick

Article 1---1/17/2010

http://www.techsoc.com/complexity.htm

This is an artilce by Melanie Mitchell entitled Complexity: A Guided Tour. She starts by comparing complex computer systems to the human body. She explains the comparisons of computer systems to the human body by stating that there is much similarity between the two because although we know much about computers and the human body, there are still things that go on inside of the two that are just amazingly complex. She also compares this to be connected to science. Since science is how we gather much of our information about many different things through research and development, scientific studies and just diagnosing questions and trying to answer these questions. She then goes on to explain her view of the word complexity and how it is related to algorithms. She explains that an algorithm is a "set of steps, or recipe, a person or computer can follow to complete a task. She gives an example about a robot that has to go around a room and pick up random cans without running into anything.
Lastly, she looks at complexity as a science. She does think that complexity is a science but not what one would usually consider when they hear the word science.
I believe this was an interesting article in that it put a totally different spin on the way we look at these types of complex systems. I have never though about comparing a computer system with that of the human immune system but really does correlate. We have come a long way from just a few years ago with computers and how they affect our society. Prior to this article, when I thought about science, the things that came to mind were velocity, mass, force, energy, etc. But, now when I hear the word science a much broader definition comes to mind in which it deals with most all things we encounter today.

-Adam Traywick