Science and Technology
In recent years., advances in technology have allowed governments, the police and privately owned companies to keep the public under constant surveillance. In many major cities and towns, security cameras are recording the movements of ordinary citizens. Whenever a cellphone is used, the call is logged, so the service provider knows exactly when and where the user made the call. Invisible satellites orbit the Earth, watching us whether we like it or not. Is this, however, a development we should welcome?
Certainly there are are benefits. In areas where there is a high crime rate, the use of security cameras may act as a deterrent to criminals: if they can see a camera, they may think twice about breaking into a building or stealing a car. If a crime is carried out, then a camera may provide useful evidence. The same is true for a cellphone; the police sometimes rely on call logs to help them trace the whereabouts of suspects or victims.
On the other hand, there are a number of concerns. In countries where human rights are ignored, the use of security cameras or listening devices may be harmful to society. People should be able to hold meetings and express their opinions without their privacy being invaded. There is also a very different issue we should consider. Nowadays, many people upload personal information and photographs onto social networking sites; they often do not realise how easy it is for other people to view this information or for the site owners to use the data or photographs for their own financial gain.
It seems inevitable that there will be more and more ways to monitor society in the future. However, it is our responsibility to evaluate new technology and decide whether it will do more harm than good. Surely our freedom is more valuable than technological progress?
Nations after nations, every year, celebrate their achievements in space exploration . However, it is now time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it is questionable.
First, until all urgent and important matters in this globe have been solved, money bumped on space exploration is of no meaning. It is not a common sense at all to invest million dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while everyday thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority are even not well-educated. Those in rural areas or third-world nations do not even know how to prevent common threatening diseases like AIDS and lung cancer.
Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration are to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to globe. Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? Lands on earth are no yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. Large sums of money needs to be invested to carry out research on these aspects. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of money.
In the nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration providing that early-mentioned urgent and important matters have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaign should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before money is wasted.
A global village, that is certainly what the world feels like nowadays. With the help of the world wide web, you can reach out and get to know people you might never meet in person. Articles can be co-authored, business deals can be finalized, degrees can be earned and at times even medical advice can be given? and all of this is just a click away.
Electronic mail, instant messages, web cameras and microphones; all these gadgets and programs make the presence of the other the person more real. Who knows; with the help of visual reality you might even get a 3-D image of the speaker! I believe that the internet is one the best inventions of the last century, you can hardly get to miss anyone and nobody is really out of reach. You will get to keep the channels patent with your friends, and will be able to do your work from your bedroom in your pajamas!
However, the internet can also be a major source of harassment. Spammers and hackers can invade your privacy and get personal/confidential information, which otherwise they will never get access to. You are never out of anybody’s reach, unless you make a conscious decision of not checking your email, there can be always more work waiting for you in your inbox and you might never have a moment for yourself. Worse, if you were a workaholic, you might never experience that stress-free vacation ever again in your life? simply, because you have your mobile workplace with you.
As a romantic, I will always look forward to getting an occasional letter in the snail mail. A personal letter, where I can sense the mood of the writer by the slants in his/her handwriting and get to know him/her better. But as a type A personality person, the internet gives me all what I dream of in communication? speed, reliability, and convenience of time and place. I can certainly tolerate its shortcomings any day, as long as it keeps me close to my loved ones.
Some people believe that internet access creates problems. There are several possible reasons why it can happen.
First, some data may be unverifiable. For example, every time they search for a data, there would be lots of choices that would appear on the screen. They would not be sure if the data they are reading has accurate information. Some sources have even outdated information. Second, some sites may be unreliable. For instance, people sign up on one site that sells goods using online purchases. The goods would be paid for by credit card but the purchaser would not receive anything. And finally, not everything is available through the net. When my friend had tried to research for some pictures of 18th century paintings, he did not find any results. Then he was told by his teacher that it would only be available in the library.
Others believe that internet is very useful and these are the justifications. First, it is hard to get data, that is available in the net by other means. For example, if directory information could not give me the accurate address and contact number of the place I want to visit, I normally check that information from the Internet. In just one click, I would get all the details of that certain company. Second, research becomes more comprehensive. For instance, I do not have to buy lots of reading materials to complete my research. Most of the needed information can be found if I have Internet access. And finally, data is easily compared and contrasted. I remember, my cousin researched the study about overweight children a decade ago and at present. He was able to finish his research in just one day, as compared to week if he would not use the Internet.
In conclusion, let me reiterate that the Internet plays a big role in our life, because it makes data retrieval and comparison easier.
These days, many people are afraid of nuclear technology because of the dangers associated with its use. In my opinion, although it is true that nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat to life, the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes also carries some serious risks.
Nuclear power stations provide an important source of cheap power for many industrialised nations and some developing countries. However, there is always the danger of radiation leaking from these plants. Even though safety precautions are taken, there have been numerous disasters such as the explosion of a nuclear plant in
Russia not long ago.
Nuclear technology is even used to help cure some diseases such as cancer. Radiation can be applied to the body to burn away cancerous cells. This is, however, a dangerous procedure, and the application of radiation is almost always painful and not always successful.
The most worrying aspect of nuclear technology, though, is its use for military purposes. Enough atomic bombs have already been built to completely destroy the planet, and the real danger is that one day some country will start a war with these weapons. Too many countries now have the technology required to make such bombs, and there is currently much debate about how to control the situation.
In conclusion, nuclear technology certainly has positive uses, but is, nonetheless, dangerous. However, it would have been better if it had never been used to create nuclear weapons. If life on Earth is to continue.
The spread of telecommuting is sure to have far-reaching effects on society. By itself, telecommuting refers to office workers spending much of their time working from home and using electronic technologies to communicate with their employers. The broader implications of telecommuting, however, may involve changes to corporate structure, workers’ lifestyles and even urban planning.
The most obvious changes may be apparent in the `normal’ offices of companies, governments and other organisations. If even half the working week is spent telecommuting from home, then we would initially expect many empty desks in the office. As offices grow smaller, workers coming in for the day would be expected to share desks with their absent colleagues. This, in turn, may affect the social atmosphere of an organisation, however, as less social contact with one’s colleagues could harm morale and loyalty.
For the individual office worker, telecommuting would mean spending more time at home. For a parent with young children, this may be a blessing. Moreover, many telecommuters would be able to work the hours they wished: having a nap in the afternoon, for example, but working some hours in the evening. One substantial benefit for all telecommuting workers is that there will be no need to travel to work, allowing more free time.
The structure of urban life is also likely to be affected by telecommuting. We would expect to see fewer cars on the road during peak hours and, eventually, a smaller concentration of offices in cities’ central business districts. In short, people will have less reason to travel to city centres from outlying areas. As more people work and live in the same location, shops and cultural events will likely relocate themselves out of the city centre.
In summary, telecommuting will serve not only to change the way we work but also the way we live.
It has been widely noted that, with the growing use of computers and calculators both in the classroom and in the home, the level of literacy and mathematical ability of students is dropping. This raises serious doubts about the value of the progress of science and technology. Here I will discuss the pros and cons of this question.
First of all, advances in science and technology have certainly brought about many benefits for mankind. They have made our lives more comfortable and healthier. In addition, they have eased the burden of work for most people and provided them with more leisure opportunities, while at the same time increasing productivity dramatically.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that technology has some negative side-effects. As mentioned above, with computers which check spelling, grammar and calculation for them, students have little incentive to learn how to do these things for themselves. Also, the availability of TV programs and videos encourages an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.
Another aspect of this issue is that technology may be good or bad, depending on how we use it. For instance, dynamite may be used to make road construction easier, or it may be used to kill people. Again, nuclear reactors can supply huge amounts of cheap electricity, but if they are carelessly handled they can cause devastating pollution.
We can conclude that the progress of science and technology has both positive and negative effects. What we must do is to make sure that the positive ones are encouraged and the negative ones are eliminated as far as possible. Among other things, this means that students are warned not to let computers and calculators do all their work for them.
For over fifty years, a number of nations have been involved in the exploration of outer space. This research has been very costly, of course. Has this money been well-spent or wasted?
Some people believe that all or most space research should be eliminated because of its incredible expense, not only in terms of money, but also in terms of scientific and human resources. These people point out the fact that it cost billions of dollars to send astronauts to the moon, but all they brought back were some worthless rocks. These people say that the money and effort now being wasted in outer space could be spent for homeless people, improving the education system, saving the environment, and finding cures for diseases.
However, other people believe that space research has provided many benefits to mankind. They point out that hundreds of useful products, from personal computers to heart pacemakers to freeze-dried foods, are the direct or indirect results of space research. They say that weather and communication satellites, which are also products of space programs, have benefited people all over the globe. In addition to these practical benefits, supporters of the space program point to the scientific knowledge that has been acquired about the sun, the moon, the planets and even our own earth as a result of space research.
I agree with those people who support space research and want it to continue. Space research, as shown, has already brought many benefits to humanity. Perhaps it will bring even more benefits in the future, ones that we can not even imagine now. Moreover, just as individual people need challenges to make their lives more interesting, I believe the human race itself needs a challenge, and I think that the peaceful exploration of outer space provides just such a challenge.
Some people say that the invention of computers is one of the greatest humankind’s inventions. However, other people think that computers make their life more stressful. I agree with those people who think that computers brought many benefits and play a very important role in our modern life.
First of all, every company nowadays uses a computer to store its data and make different kinds of operations. It is very difficult to imagine life without computers. A company would have to store millions of papers and documents. Moreover, a customer would have to wait hours to check his balance or get a piece of information about his transactions at his bank, while an employee was looking through those papers. Another important aspect of this is that people are able to type all their information, make corrections, print or send documents using computers. It makes life much easier. One can spend the rest of the time watching TV with his family or working on something new.
We use computers every day sometimes even not knowing it. When we go to a store and use our credit cards many computers process our information and perform transactions. When we need to get some cash we use money access machines that are computerized too.
Second of all, computers provided a great means of communication – the Internet. I think it is the easiest and cheapest way to get in touch with relatives, friends, business colleagues, etc. Nowadays the world becomes smaller and smaller. When I was a little girl, I could not imagine that it would be possible to communicate with people from all around the world in so easy way. A person can get latest news, become friends with someone from another country, find his old friends, ask for a piece of advice, etc.
Finally, in addition to these practical benefits people can shop without leaving their house. They just use an Internet access, a computer and their cards to make a payment. It is kind of difficult to imagine that a few years ago people had to spend their time in lines buying tickets. Now, a person can choose a destination, company, date and time and get tickets delivered to his door. I think it is amazing.
To sum up, I believe that computers made our lives easier. They change our attitude towards life. I think with the invention of computers people became closer and friendlier.
Computers are a relatively new invention. The first computers were built fifty years ago and it is only in the last thirty or so years that their influence has affected our everyday life. Personal computers were introduced as recently as the early eighties. In this short time they have made a tremendous impact on our lives. We are now so dependent on computers that it is hard to imagine what things would be like today without them. You have only got to go into a bank when their main computer is broken to appreciate the chaos that would occur if computers were suddenly removed world-wide.
In the future computers will be used to create bigger and even more sophisticated computers. The prospects for this are quite alarming. They will be so complex that no individual could hope to understand how they work. They will bring a lot of benefits but they will also increase the potential for unimaginable chaos. They will, for example, be able to fly planes and they will be able to co ordinate the movements of several planes in the vicinity of an airport. Providing all the computers are working correctly nothing can go wrong. If one small program fails disaster.
There is a certain inevitability that technology will progress and become increasingly complex. We should, however, ensure that we are still in a position where we are able to control technology. It will be all too easy to suddenly discover that technology is controlling us. By then it might be too late I believe that it is very important to be suspicious of the benefits that computers will bring and to make sure that we never become totally dependent on a completely technological world.
In the last two decades cybernetics have experienced a major breakthrough. This led to the utilization of computers at nearly all parts of our daily life, from personal computers to complicated surgery performing. Surely the uptake of this technology facilitates a lot of difficult tasks but is this excessive dependence ripping the warmth of our lives? In this essay, I will outline how the availability of computers affects our lives.
Most of the daily tasks an individual experiences are time and effort consuming. These two fundamental qualities could be tremendously saved by the use of computers. The average period required to prepare a decent meal for a middle-class family is around an hour to and hour and a half when using traditional methods. This time could be literally reduced to half if computerized devices are used instead. Moreover, a busy businessman is enabled to easily close a profitable deal just with a touch on this highly programmed laptop while enjoying his family vacation and not having to exert an extra effort of traveling long distances just to sign a deal.
On the other hand, new generations are growing remarkably dependent on these modern utilities, which make them handicapped when it comes to preparing a cup of tea. In addition, psychologists suggest that one of the main reasons for suicidal rate increase is recent electric inventions. This is due to that humans by nature stay emotionally healthy through socializing, but due to the importance of modern technology to maintain a financially satisfying standard of life they gradually insulate themselves. As time passes by each of these individuals gets stuck in a vicious circle of loneliness that eventually leads to suicidal attempts specially among youngsters.
In conclusion, similar to every other invention computers has its benefits and drawbacks, I personally think it all depends upon how we use the given tools. Moderation is the key here to keep the balance and allow us to live in harmony.
It is often argued that maintaining public libraries is no longer necessary in today’s world because the development of computer technology has allowed us to access a great deal of information on the internet more efficiently. While I accept that there are clear benefits of online libraries over public libraries, I believe that it is still worth spending money on maintaining public libraries.
There are two main advantages of online sources of information. Firstly, online sources can store a huge amount of information that is greater than any physical library. This allows researchers to easily get the information they need without having to travel to a local library. Furthermore, people can look for information on the Internet whenever they want, while most libraries can only be visited during several hours per day. This is therefore particularly beneficial to those who have a hectic schedule and cannot visit these places during the operating hours.
However, the preservation of local libraries is still necessary because of their distinguishing features which cannot be substituted by online sources. Libraries, in some countries, are still one of the most popular means of accessing information among senior citizens, regardless of the availability of online information. In fact, most elderly people these days are technophobes and therefore physical libraries are their preferred option. Furthermore, public libraries can be considered a more reliable source of information, compared with online sources. Indeed, there is an abundance of inaccurate and unreliable information on the Internet, while libraries have proved to be a more reliable information source, with the information being carefully categorized by library staff members.
In conclusion, despite the benefits of computer technology in providing information, in my opinion, there are good grounds for rejecting the view that spending money on maintaining public libraries is unnecessary.
With the Internet having a huge impact on our shopping, work and communication, we can now live without any face-to-face interaction with other people. Whilst making modern life more convenient in some ways, this situation is a negative trend in the long run.
In this day and age, we can literally stay at home and have almost anything delivered to our homes as most consumer goods are widely available for online purchase. We also have more opportunities in terms of employment because many applications like Skype or Google Hangouts allow employees to work from home. Members of an organization nowadays rely on email and other online platforms to maintain effective communication and ensure their businesses operate smoothly. When it comes to
personal relationships, we use Facebook to connect and stay in touch with friends and relatives. The Internet, without doubt, enhances our shopping experiences, makes our workplaces more streamlined and efficient, and facilitates our communication with others.
However, we are faced with a foreseeable and unfortunate consequence due to our reliance on such technology. We are losing direct interactions that are deemed extremely important in this technological era. Children hardly spend time talking to their parents because they are too engrossed in media hype on Facebook. It is common to see both young and old people with their eyes glued to their phones instead of having conversations like they did before the advent of smart devices. This is leading us toward a society where people will turn to favoring virtual interactions and undervaluing real life relationships.
The influence of the Internet on many aspects of our lives is remarkable. However, the benefits it offers do not justify the fact that it is inflicting severe damage on our relationships, which can only flourish on the basis of true communication.
It is claimed that modern technological tools for communication, including social media, are gradually replacing direct contact among people. From my perspective, the drawbacks of this trend totally overshadow its merits.
To begin with, it is true that the emergence of social networking websites and applications such as Facebook have revolutionized the way people contact one another. To be more specific, nowadays, regardless of geographical distance, people from most places on the planet can send messages or make use of video calls to keep in touch with their loved ones, eliminating the need for people to gather in one place for face-to-face conversations. In terms of business, thanks to the invention of online-based communication tools, including Facebook and Viber, people working in enterprises can conduct their meetings via the internet, also eliminating the need for people to be in the one place to conduct a meeting. As a result, face-to-face conversations are gradually being replaced by virtual communication exchanges.
However, the aforementioned merits are totally eclipsed by the potential negative drawbacks of this trend. Firstly, in this technological era, with the development of online communication tools, it can be seen that many people are substituting their real-life relations with digital communication. In fact, a large number of young people nowadays tend to prefer making friends via means of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to gathering at a real place. In the long term, this would gradually alienate people from communities, which could even lead to social isolation and a lack of many interpersonal skills. Secondly, literacy skills of many people could also be negatively affected due to the lack of social interaction and ways to transmit formal messages. It is true that most individuals, especially teenagers, often use informal language with several emoticons when communicating on social networking. Consequently, their ability to read and write in situations that require formality is greatly reduced.
In conclusion, although social media has brought some benefits for society, the drawbacks of overusing such advanced technology to replace real-life communication is much more significant.
It is true that medicines and other products are routinely tested on animals before they are cleared for human use. While I tend towards the viewpoint that animal testing is morally wrong, I would have to support a limited amount of animal experimentation for the development of medicines.
On the one hand, there are clear ethical arguments against animal experimentation. To use a common example of this practice, laboratory mice may be given an illness so that the effectiveness of a new drug can be measured. Opponents of such research argue that humans have no right to subject animals to this kind of trauma, and that the lives of all creatures should be respected. They believe that the benefits to humans do not justify the suffering caused, and that scientists should use alternative methods of research.
On the other hand, reliable alternatives to animal experimentation may not always be available. Supporters of the use of animals in medical research believe that a certain amount of suffering on the part of mice or rats can be justified if human lives are saved. They argue that opponents of such research might feel differently if a member of their own families needed a medical treatment that had been developed through the use of animal experimentation. Personally, I agree with the banning of animal testing for non-medical products, but I feel that it may be a necessary evil where new drugs and medical procedures are concerned.
In conclusion, it seems to me that it would be wrong to ban testing on animals for vital medical research until equally effective alternatives have been developed.
