The Herald - Just yesterday, Charlie Gordon, age 37, passed away after tripling his IQ in an operation a few months ago. After interviewing many people and asking them what they think of it, I have come to a conclusion that most people strongly disagree that this experiment should never even exist. Mr Lim, one of the interviewees, said, "From a religious point of view, altering your brain and tripling your IQ is going against God. God has reasons for everything - from being mentally retarded to being disabled." This is a meaningful sentence to me.
Although this experiment could be considered as the scientific breakthrough of the century, many scientists are against this idea as they find it cruel. Take Charlie Gordon, the poor man who had suffered terribly from this experiment, for instance. In his journal, he wrote that as he begin to deteriorate, he was very frustrated and mad for getting stupid. Thus, this experiment only caused Charlie to be happy for a few months and after that, his life was like a nightmare.
In conclusion, I think that this experiment is redundant and only adds to the suffering of mentally retarded people. If I had a chance to undergo this operation or stay mentally retarded, I would immediately choose to stay mentally retarded. I prefer to be naive and innocent rather than be a genius for a few months and pass away after that.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Should the experiment on Charlie Gorden have taken place?
This was an experiment which will mark the new beginning of Charlie Gordon's life and probably the start of new science technology, which will enable people to triple their IQ.
This will open up a new level for technology and probably be the invention of the decade or century. For Dr Strauss and Professor Nemur, the ability to make this experiment a successful one will help not only the world, but also help themselves become famous overnight. Charlie's parents, Mr and Mrs Gordon, will also agree that the experiment should be done. That is because no parents want their children to be mentally retarded. They want the best for their children. They do not want them to go out into the world and be ostracised for their intellectual level. They want their children to be respected as smart kids that will excel in everything they do. Mr Steven Ng, a representative of the Welberg Foundation which founded the project, will also want the experiment to be carried out. Why? For his and the company benefit. The company will then be acknowledged as the foundation which founded the project and be recognised all over the world.
However, despite all this, there are still some who do not believe in the experiment. Fanny feels that it is not appropriate for Charlie to become intelligent suddenly. She gave an example of how Eve listened to the snake and ate from the tree of knowledge. It was evil and going against the creation of God, she thought. And how Charlie gained his knowledge is considered by her as religiously unacceptable. She believes that this is going against nature. Joe Carp and Frank Reilly cannot accept the fact that Charlie Gordon has become the present clever self. They wanted the ignorance and dullness of Charlie, but since he had become knowledgeable and understanding, they could not bear it. They wanted the old Charlie Gordon, innocent and naive.
And what I think is, the experiment should not have been carried out.
Charlie Gordon was once a man with an IQ of 68. But the change has been so sudden, his IQ had tripled. But he had a trade-off. He gained something less important than what he had lost. Friendship. Nobody wanted to friend him anymore after he turned smart. Never mind if he always got laughed at for his stupidity. Ignorance is a blessing. Probably it is better to don't know the truth than to know it. For Charlie, it might be. He once laughed with his friends over his little mistakes, but now, he cannot even laugh because he has no friends. I would rather choose to be mentally retarded with friends than intellectually capable with no one to love. Though I might be constantly teased at, but I don't know. But I know I at least still have friends who will mingle with me. IGNORANCE IS BLISS.
This will open up a new level for technology and probably be the invention of the decade or century. For Dr Strauss and Professor Nemur, the ability to make this experiment a successful one will help not only the world, but also help themselves become famous overnight. Charlie's parents, Mr and Mrs Gordon, will also agree that the experiment should be done. That is because no parents want their children to be mentally retarded. They want the best for their children. They do not want them to go out into the world and be ostracised for their intellectual level. They want their children to be respected as smart kids that will excel in everything they do. Mr Steven Ng, a representative of the Welberg Foundation which founded the project, will also want the experiment to be carried out. Why? For his and the company benefit. The company will then be acknowledged as the foundation which founded the project and be recognised all over the world.
However, despite all this, there are still some who do not believe in the experiment. Fanny feels that it is not appropriate for Charlie to become intelligent suddenly. She gave an example of how Eve listened to the snake and ate from the tree of knowledge. It was evil and going against the creation of God, she thought. And how Charlie gained his knowledge is considered by her as religiously unacceptable. She believes that this is going against nature. Joe Carp and Frank Reilly cannot accept the fact that Charlie Gordon has become the present clever self. They wanted the ignorance and dullness of Charlie, but since he had become knowledgeable and understanding, they could not bear it. They wanted the old Charlie Gordon, innocent and naive.
And what I think is, the experiment should not have been carried out.
Charlie Gordon was once a man with an IQ of 68. But the change has been so sudden, his IQ had tripled. But he had a trade-off. He gained something less important than what he had lost. Friendship. Nobody wanted to friend him anymore after he turned smart. Never mind if he always got laughed at for his stupidity. Ignorance is a blessing. Probably it is better to don't know the truth than to know it. For Charlie, it might be. He once laughed with his friends over his little mistakes, but now, he cannot even laugh because he has no friends. I would rather choose to be mentally retarded with friends than intellectually capable with no one to love. Though I might be constantly teased at, but I don't know. But I know I at least still have friends who will mingle with me. IGNORANCE IS BLISS.
Thematic Apperception Test
The Thematic Apperception Test, or TAT, is a projective psychological test. Historically, it has been among the most widely used, researched, and taught of such tests. Its adherents claim that it taps a subject's unconscious to reveal repressed aspects of personality, motives and needs for achievement, power and intimacy, and problem-solving abilities.
The TAT is popularly known as the picture interpretation technique because it uses a standard series of provocative yet ambiguous pictures about which the subject must tell a story. The subject is asked to tell as dramatic a story as they can for each picture presented, including:
- what has led up to the event shown
- what is happening at the moment
- what the characters are feeling and thinking, and
- what the outcome of the story was.
If these elements are omitted, particularly for children or individuals of low cognitive abilities, the evaluator may ask the subject about them directly.
There are 31 picture cards in the standard form of the TAT. Some of the cards show male figures, some female, some both male and female figures, some of ambiguous gender, some adults, some children, and some show no human figures at all. One is completely blank. Although the cards were originally designed to be matched to the subject in terms of age and gender, any card may be used with any subject. Most practitioners choose a set of approximately ten cards, either using cards that they feel are generally useful, or that they believe will encourage the subject's expression of emotional conflicts relevant to their specific history and situation.
About the scoring system of the TAT, The TAT is a projective test in that, like the Rorschach test, its assessment of the subject is based on what he or she projects onto the ambiguous images. Therefore, to complete the assessment each story created by a subject must be carefully analyzed to uncover underlying needs, attitudes, and patterns of reaction. Although most clinical practitioners do not use formal scoring systems, several formal scoring systems have been developed for analyzing TAT stories systematically and consistently. Two common methods that are currently used in research are the:
- Defense Mechanisms Manual DMM. This assesses three defense mechanisms: denial (least mature), projection (intermediate), andidentification (most mature). A person's thoughts/feelings are projected in stories involved.
- Social Cognition and Object Relations SCOR scale. This assesses four different dimensions of object relations: Complexity of Representations of People, Affect-Tone of Relationship Paradigms, Capacity for Emotional Investment in Relationships and Moral Standards, and Understanding of Social Causality.
Finally, about the history of the TAT: TAT was developed by the American psychologists Henry A. Murray and Christiana D. Morgan at Harvard during the 1930s to explore the underlying dynamics of personality, such as internal conflicts, dominant drives, interests, and motives. According to Melville scholar Howard P Vincent, the TAT “came into being when Dr. Henry A. Murray, psychologist and Melvillist , adapted the implicit lesson of Melville’s [Moby Dick] “Doubloon” chapter to a new and larger creative, therapeutic purpose.”
After World War II, the TAT was adopted more broadly by psychoanalysts and clinicians to evaluate emotionally disturbed patients.
Later, in the 1970s, the Human Potential Movement encouraged psychologists to use the TAT to help their clients understand themselves better and stimulate personal growth.
With that, I hope that you've learnt more about the Thematic Apperception Test.
With that, I hope that you've learnt more about the Thematic Apperception Test.
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief
The 10 differences on Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief ( movie and book) are:
1) Book: Percy did not have any electronic gadgets with him. Movie: Percy had an iPod Touch.
2) Book: Percy can breathe underwater. Movie: Percy can only hold his breath for roughly 7 minutes.
3) Book: Percy, Grover, and Annabeth were allured to stay at the Lotus Hotel and Casino by taking the green credit. Movie: Percy, Grover, and Annabeth were allured to stay at the Lotus Hotel and Casino by eating Lotus Flowers.
4) Book: Luke captured the flag in the game of 'capture the flag'. Movie: Percy captured the flag in the game of 'capture the flag'.
5) Book: Percy consulted the oracle before he went out of Camp Half-Blood. Movie: Percy snucked out of Camp Half-Blood.
6) Book: Percy fought with Ares in a sword fight at the beach. Movie: Ares was never shown.
7) Book: Percy did not fight with the Hydra. Movie: Percy fought with the Hydra when he was trying to get one of the pearls.
8) Book: Percy was given the pearls to get out of the underworld. Movie: Percy had to find the pearls to get out of the underworld.
9) Book: Poseidon left before Percy was born. Movie: Poseidon left Percy when he was 7 months old.
10) Book: The shoes 'activate' when you say 'Maia'. Movie: Percy had to run like a plane on a runway.
If I had to choose between the book and the movie, I would choose the book. My favourite scene was when Clarisse tried to bully Percy in the toilet, but ended up being soaked in toilet water. Annabeth, too, was not spared and the whole toilet was flooded with toilet water. However, the strange thing was that Percy was not wet at all. There was even a circle of dry floor around him. This incident would let the readers wondering why this has happened, thus creating suspense. I find this scene very interesting as it also depicts the characters' feelings, like Percy's and Annabeth's surprise why Percy was not wet.
If I had to choose between the book and the movie, I would choose the book. My favourite scene was when Clarisse tried to bully Percy in the toilet, but ended up being soaked in toilet water. Annabeth, too, was not spared and the whole toilet was flooded with toilet water. However, the strange thing was that Percy was not wet at all. There was even a circle of dry floor around him. This incident would let the readers wondering why this has happened, thus creating suspense. I find this scene very interesting as it also depicts the characters' feelings, like Percy's and Annabeth's surprise why Percy was not wet.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Avatar
On the movie 'Avatar', I have these ten questions:
1) Why haven't the technology of the wheelchair improve?
2) Why can't they treat a wounded soldier during a battle?
3) Why are the soldiers still using guns and planes?
4) Why does Jake prefer to side the Na'vi and not getting his legs back?
5) Why does the animals suddenly helps the Na'vi fight the humans?
6) Why does Jake still uses a video diary? Shouldn't the technology be improved by then?
7) Why does Neytiri rescues Jake instead of killing him as Jake was a 'dreamwalker'?
8) When Neytiri's father dies, he gave Neytiri the bow. Does it make Neytiri the new leader or Tsu'tey?
9) Why doesn't the humans float on Pandora? Is the gravity pull on Pandora the same as on Earth?
10) Why are Pandora's trees green and everything else are weirdly coloured?
Comments:
I think that 'Avatar' is a wonderful movie and I'll give it a rating of nine out of ten. The plot is well thought out and well developed. The details are so carefully thought out and used as though they are a part of the environment. It was as though I've been transported into Pandora while watching the film - it was so realistic from the thin legs of Jake to the emotions of the Avatars. However, there are ten questions I would want to ask about the movie ( as mentioned above ) as I did not really quite understand them.Overall, I feel that 'Avatar' is worthwhile watching it and of course, I would recommend the movie to all my friends.
Comments:
I think that 'Avatar' is a wonderful movie and I'll give it a rating of nine out of ten. The plot is well thought out and well developed. The details are so carefully thought out and used as though they are a part of the environment. It was as though I've been transported into Pandora while watching the film - it was so realistic from the thin legs of Jake to the emotions of the Avatars. However, there are ten questions I would want to ask about the movie ( as mentioned above ) as I did not really quite understand them.Overall, I feel that 'Avatar' is worthwhile watching it and of course, I would recommend the movie to all my friends.
Ten Short Stories
Today, I'm going to write a story about two stories from a book titled 'Ten Short Stories'. The two stories I'm going to combine are The Umbrella Man and The Sound Machine. The Main Characters are Mr Brown, a retired policeman and the Thief.
Here's how the story goes:
Mr Brown is a plump and lazy retired policeman in his sixties. Though he is overweight and does not like to do any work, he is very intelligent in coming up with solutions for his problems. The place that he lives in the outskirts of his country called 'Luck Land'. If you wonder why is it called 'Luck Land', you'll soon find out...
Recently, Mr Brown's neighbourhood had a series of umbrella thefts. Almost every single day, someone would report his or her umbrella missing. As Mr Brown sells umbrellas, he has alot of umbrellas in his shop. In fear of his own umbrella being stolen, Mr Brown hid all his umbrellas in a secret room in his house. Unfortunately, that night, his house was broken in and some of his favourite umbrellas were stolen. Thus, the next day, Mr Brown dejectedly went to the police station and report his stolen umbrellas. When Mr Brown went back home, he begin to devise a plan to catch the thief. As he paced around his living room, his thoughts went to the soud machine that he had been building during his free time....
After his retirement (and before he started selling umbrellas), he would sit in his armchair daydreaming. One day, he came up with a brilliant notion. He immediately went to the neighbourhood library and borrowed many books about sound. During his policeman days, he was very interested in sound as he always thought that he could use the voice of the criminals to track them down. Hence, once he got his desired books, he spent days and nights reading through them. Slowly but surely, he begin to build his sound machine. After months of arduous reading and constructing, he managed to build his sound machine. On the day he tested out his time machine, he was elated and nervous. 'Will my sound machine work?' he would ask himself again and again. As he hold his breath and pressed the button of the sound machine, it did not respond. Infuriated, he pressed again. Still, nothing. He was incensed and begin kicking the time machine. But, it still did not move. He stomped back to his house with the sound machine and made some modification. He added some functions and buttons.
A few days later, he tested it out again. This time, the sound machine only cluttered and again, silence. That was the last straw. Mr Brown picked the sound machine up, went back into his house, shut the door, and chucked the sound machine in one corner of his house. He begin to think of another pastime, but could not think of any. Therefore, he started to sell umbrellas.
Now, Mr Brown once again put his brilliant mind to use and, after hours of thinking and thinking, he found a solution. Instantly, he went to work. By evening, he was done with his plan. After he ate a delectable dinner, he went to bed. Mr Brown's plan was to use the sound machine as an alarm to wake him up when the thief stoles his umbrellas. Peacefully, Mr Brown drifted off to sleep...
In the middle of the night, the thief nimbly made his way into Mr Brown's house. As quiet as the wind, he tiptoed to where Mr Brown kept his umbrellas. Unfortunately, as he opens the door, the sound machine rang shrilly, 'Ringgggggg!'
Mr Brown woke up in a shock. In his haste, he accidentally knocks the lever that holds the sound machine over the thief. 'Creak....' went the sound machine when it topples down and landed on top of the thief with a 'thump!'
Rushing towards the sound machine, Mr Brown's face turned as red as a tomato when he turns on the light. The thief was none other than his competitor, Mr Joe! After the police came and questioned him, Mr Brown learnt that Mr Joe went around stealing the neighbourhood's umbrellas so that he could sell them. 'No wonder my friends all said that Mr Joe was selling the same umbrellas twice or more!' Mr Brown thought.
Finally, the next day, the whole town learnt of it and Mr Joe had to pay for all the umbrellas he had stolen at twice the price. Meanwhile, Mr Brown was the talk of the town as everyone praises him for his bravery. But, modest Mr Brown, with a wave of his hands, told everyone how lucky he was as he explained what happened that night. In the end, everyone, except Mr Joe, went back home feeling safe and content.
Here's how the story goes:
Mr Brown is a plump and lazy retired policeman in his sixties. Though he is overweight and does not like to do any work, he is very intelligent in coming up with solutions for his problems. The place that he lives in the outskirts of his country called 'Luck Land'. If you wonder why is it called 'Luck Land', you'll soon find out...
Recently, Mr Brown's neighbourhood had a series of umbrella thefts. Almost every single day, someone would report his or her umbrella missing. As Mr Brown sells umbrellas, he has alot of umbrellas in his shop. In fear of his own umbrella being stolen, Mr Brown hid all his umbrellas in a secret room in his house. Unfortunately, that night, his house was broken in and some of his favourite umbrellas were stolen. Thus, the next day, Mr Brown dejectedly went to the police station and report his stolen umbrellas. When Mr Brown went back home, he begin to devise a plan to catch the thief. As he paced around his living room, his thoughts went to the soud machine that he had been building during his free time....
After his retirement (and before he started selling umbrellas), he would sit in his armchair daydreaming. One day, he came up with a brilliant notion. He immediately went to the neighbourhood library and borrowed many books about sound. During his policeman days, he was very interested in sound as he always thought that he could use the voice of the criminals to track them down. Hence, once he got his desired books, he spent days and nights reading through them. Slowly but surely, he begin to build his sound machine. After months of arduous reading and constructing, he managed to build his sound machine. On the day he tested out his time machine, he was elated and nervous. 'Will my sound machine work?' he would ask himself again and again. As he hold his breath and pressed the button of the sound machine, it did not respond. Infuriated, he pressed again. Still, nothing. He was incensed and begin kicking the time machine. But, it still did not move. He stomped back to his house with the sound machine and made some modification. He added some functions and buttons.
A few days later, he tested it out again. This time, the sound machine only cluttered and again, silence. That was the last straw. Mr Brown picked the sound machine up, went back into his house, shut the door, and chucked the sound machine in one corner of his house. He begin to think of another pastime, but could not think of any. Therefore, he started to sell umbrellas.
Now, Mr Brown once again put his brilliant mind to use and, after hours of thinking and thinking, he found a solution. Instantly, he went to work. By evening, he was done with his plan. After he ate a delectable dinner, he went to bed. Mr Brown's plan was to use the sound machine as an alarm to wake him up when the thief stoles his umbrellas. Peacefully, Mr Brown drifted off to sleep...
In the middle of the night, the thief nimbly made his way into Mr Brown's house. As quiet as the wind, he tiptoed to where Mr Brown kept his umbrellas. Unfortunately, as he opens the door, the sound machine rang shrilly, 'Ringgggggg!'
Mr Brown woke up in a shock. In his haste, he accidentally knocks the lever that holds the sound machine over the thief. 'Creak....' went the sound machine when it topples down and landed on top of the thief with a 'thump!'
Rushing towards the sound machine, Mr Brown's face turned as red as a tomato when he turns on the light. The thief was none other than his competitor, Mr Joe! After the police came and questioned him, Mr Brown learnt that Mr Joe went around stealing the neighbourhood's umbrellas so that he could sell them. 'No wonder my friends all said that Mr Joe was selling the same umbrellas twice or more!' Mr Brown thought.
Finally, the next day, the whole town learnt of it and Mr Joe had to pay for all the umbrellas he had stolen at twice the price. Meanwhile, Mr Brown was the talk of the town as everyone praises him for his bravery. But, modest Mr Brown, with a wave of his hands, told everyone how lucky he was as he explained what happened that night. In the end, everyone, except Mr Joe, went back home feeling safe and content.
The End
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