Lesson    10/8/2017

Perception is the way something processes information and rationalizes it for its own understanding. Humans are very capable at this and we have established our perceptive superiority over other species many times. However, the methods of obtaining information, intentions, and rationalizing capabilities are all inherently flawed which makes this still a very inaccurate process. This can be supplemented by science.

                          TOK Lesson         17/9/2017

What is the social function of the arts?

The visual arts can function as languages of praise and celebration, anger and protest, satire and ridicule. Advertising art is a common illustration. Art can influence social behavior in the way that it is presented and can therefore evoke emotion from the viewer depending on their cultural background and place in society.

To what extent are the arts influenced by the society and culture in which it is pursued?

Culture and society can justify if a piece of art is considered morally alright depending on what religion or history the culture has had. A lot of art is of weather and the world around the artist, so depending on where the art was drawn, changes the style and the subject of the art.

How important are the arts?

Arts is a very important subject in life as this is the area of study which allows the expression of emotions and oneself through multiple medias such as literature, art and more.

To what extent does the expression of knowledge vary according to different forms of the arts?

Different forms of art are all designed to convey knowledge in different ways. Much like English does this in literary terms, different forms of art act like languages. Each one has an individual language to express a concept or understanding in ways that can appeal to various audiences.

Are there any central concepts for which we need specific language before approaching the arts?

Not really, the arts can be a form of free self-expression, therefore there are no particular concepts needed in order to approach arts.

                                    Finding Clues

Decide what objects in your bedroom would help you determine who you are.

My computer, photo albums, literature, peculiar looking objects, small trinkets of seeming insignificance, objects in hidden locations

What problems would you experience when trying to do this?

Passwords that protect electronic devices, finding hidden locations in my room, differentiating between trivial and important items

How are they similar to those facing an historian?

Historians need to learn languages and forms of communication in order to understand historical civilizations, finding hidden or secure locations where important historical information can be found, deciding between what is relevant and irrelevant 

How good is your memory? How reliable is it as a guide to the past?

My memory is a reliable guide to the past only in terms of what I have experienced/witnessed or deemed necessary/important to remember 

If you keep a diary, what do you keep to include or omit?

I would include all interesting and successful features of my life and omit most mistakes or rather unfavorable situations. This, however, is natural and part of a person's desire to maintain their image of social elf. Lying or manipulating events is there to convince oneself. After that, it is easier to persuade others.

Would you be more inclined to trust an autobiography, or a biography written by an historian?

I would be more inclined to trust the biography because, despite it potentially lacking in personal experiences, it remains a much more factual setting with less deceiving emotions or the omission of unfavorable events (i.e. the autobiography of Gandhi gives much more personal views rather than his biography which represents his place and involvement in the larger events)

To what extend do you think people learn from their mistakes, or tend to repeat the same mistakes? 

I think that people tend to learn from their mistakes only if repetition causes personal harm or if improvement avoids this and potentially improves their own situation. Things that do not impact them negatively or impact them positively are prone to repetition, however, this may create problems for others.


                                  Quotes

‘Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present control the past.’ Orwell, 1903-1950.

‘Those who don’t study the past are condemned to repeat it.’ Georges Santayana, 1863-1952

‘The only thing we learn form history is that we learn nothing from history.’ Hegel, 1770-1831

I agree most with the quote by Georges Santayana. This is because I believe that the bottom line of societal improvement is through education and that most past mistakes were as a result of the lack of public education. Informing people of this depravity is our best chance of avoiding it

To what extent is history influenced by the society and culture in which it is pursued? 
     The claims made in this article are; government textbooks are important to represent an unbiased history and instill national pride within the youth, and the opposition states, government regulated textbooks are a step back to totalitarianism and would present a biased and heavily edited version of history. The ways of knowing found within this issue are primarily of language. The information passed on through textbooks (language) are being influenced, therefore, this influences reader's perception of history. 3 possible knowledge questions could be (how is government regulated book control beneficial/harmful to the people?, in what ways can government regulation be used as a tool of power?, to what extent are future generations affected by government influences). 

                 The meaning of words- feminism

KQ: What is the role of language in creating and reinforcing social distinctions, such as class and gender?


Language is one of the fundamental driving forces of growth and innovation through the communication with others. Its use can inspire change and improvement and can give rise to many new things and concepts. Ideas, definitions and many other things can be adapted into language to aid our knowledge and understanding of these topics. However, because of the diversity of human understanding and interpretation, language can be used to represent points of different angles which can contradict or misrepresent. Many of these issues can be found with the modern controversy of feminism.

In general, feminism is the advocacy and agenda of pushing female rights. Throughout history, this has been attempted in a multitude of ways. These range from the original radical and militaristic approach to the modern vocal fight through social media. There have been adversities faced through both approaches, however, the direct and physical approach could be less misinterpreted and achieved direct results. Now a days, all social movements are conducted purely with language and the anonymity that the internet provides combined with already established freedom of speech brings a crowd of people who do not have the same conviction or ideals. 

Feminism is seen by many as an excuse to justify a lifestyle now a days, and in many instances this remains true. Modern feminism in first world countries has no more adversities and is descending into trivial things such as sexist air conditioning and criticizing men's suicide support groups. The way they represent their cause can shine a negative light on all of it, especially when the tone is condescending and filled with cursing. This is an example of internal stigmatization but it can also be found externally. Many misogynistic people and more conservative parties act external pressure onto the feminist movement by calling out hypocrisy or generally voicing their discontent. Both of these negatives and their constant vocal involvement continuously prevent the focus on serious topics by overshadowing the silent majority. Unfortunately, this inflation of voices is what gives modern feminism a bad reputation.

                                 Human Sciences

Perception:

Perceptions are a very powerful influence on observation and gathering data. If researchers don't stay objective, they can fall for a psychological social construct called 'conformation bias'. This occurs when a researcher only acknowledges facts and information that conform with their prediction. This skews observation from reality and results in inaccurate data

Emotion:

Human sciences show us that emotion is a result of a large variety of factors. When linking this to the levels of understanding in psychology, we know that human behavior is a result of biology, society and cognition. Occasionally there are abnormal factors which are unexplored but the majority falls into these 3 categories. Each one provides a different perspective and allows for the creation of a larger picture.

Language:

Language is a very important factor of communication. Even in the animal kingdom we can observe how certain creatures communicate with each other in order to get what they want. We can also observe that some are better at this than others. This is often due to an evolutionary straight which we can perceive as charisma. Charisma is many things but it is often the use of language which is appealing to others. Obviously, if a person with this lingual mastery enters a poll (where people will vote based on who they prefer) being a great orator will give them a significant advantage.

Reason:

The logic of scientific discovery is that we research and obtain information in the hopes of incorporating it into technology. This technology is used to increase the standard of living for humans and make life more comfortable and interesting. Of course it is also done to satisfy a natural curiosity or levels of military power. In short, logic and research are tools in which we can systematically satisfy our irrational urges and desires.

Mathematics:

human behavior is the result of trillions of unaccounted biological and environmental factors to such a complexity that we need grouping methods to limit the factors of calculation. As a species, we have not been able to identify ever one of these factors which leaves us with to many placeholders in a massive equation. Until these placeholders have been replaced with values, we are unable to calculate human behavior purely mathematically.

Religion:

I have already established that reason is the tool of often irrational behavior. Religion is the product of superstition and fear but also of human hopes and aspirations. These have served as motivators since the beginning of human though and conception. Many famous scientists have religious backgrounds but this may simply be due to association. However, we must also consider all the limitations that religion has imposed on scientific discovery, which makes it difficult to praise it.

Natural Sciences:

Human sciences are much more complex than natural sciences because of their higher level orders of operation. Gravity is a law of physics and is easy to explain and calculate. The relation between atoms is chemistry which has its own rules and calculations that are based on pre-conceptualized physical knowledge. The growth of cells is part of biology which is based upon both chemistry and physics while the study of the brain is based upon neurology, biology, chemistry and physics. This level of intricacy is what differentiates it but it is still based on the same principles.

Ethics: 

Morality and their responsibilities are a product of empathetic human thought (one of the most complex neurological processes). Since humans have both designed these concepts and accepted them socially, the only ones who can place value on it are humans themselves. Therefore, if humans chose to abide to these rules it is not only their responsibility, but literally they are the only ones who can uphold moral responsibility.

The Arts:

Knowledge gained from human sciences is concrete and absolute (implying that it is done correctly). It usually breaks behavior into all of its basic components which allow us to see exactly what, how and why something is happening. However, due to technological and conceptual limitations, we can not currently achieve the knowledge of complex thought and emotion. Currently, only the human arts and literature (areas where the mind has full creative freedom without scientific restrictions) can provide us with the level of insight into our psyche which allow us to witness and understand the complexity of what it is to be human. 

History: 

It is fundamental that scientists know the history of their subject because of the building block effect. In order to increase our levels and complexity of research and understanding, we must be able to rely and trust on pre-conceptualized knowledge. Only by using previous research as building blocks, are we able to exponentially increase our levels of technology and scientific understanding which can propel us into a highly sophisticated future as quickly as possible. Therefore, history and other past learning experiences are vital for us to enhance our knowledge

                                                           Lesson      2/14/2017

Politics do not necessarily need to priorities truth in their venture. Politics are all about the balance of power in the pursuit of national interests. While the truth should be a goal for every human being and organization, the modern world is built on deceit and the struggle for data. After all, knowledge is power. Attaining harmful evidence on another party and hiding one's own evidence puts someone in the place of a significant advantage. Therefore, it is in no politicians or governments interest to primarily peruse the truth over their power agendas.

Political rhetoric is much like advertisement, they are designed to be convincing but must abide by state and country laws. Political rhetoric can go as far as possible until it reaches a certain threshold. This includes, withholding information and using false information as evidence. These are against the law and go against any sincere purpose of a government body. Once this starts to occur, the government must be weeded out for corruption and uprooted to bring in people that are more trust worthy. If this does not happen, the country could very well go down the path of corruption and into dictatorship.

                                 Lesson           3/2/2017

“Facts are needed to establish theories but theories are needed to make sense of facts.” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge

It is well established that theories are a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena. Most theories that are accepted by scientists have been repeatedly tested by experiments and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena. A fact is a thing that is known or proved to be true. Theories explain certain occurrences and facts support the validity of these theories. This statement is a circular example of the two requirements that make up the scientific method.

When looking at this statement, one can see that it is the ideal connection between history and the sciences (Areas f Knowledge). History includes all past events of existence and is the entire collective of the development of the human race that led us to this moment in time. It can also be seen as a timeline for trials and errors and we can see how human conceptual understanding has evolved. Every time, we learn or understand something we write it down. As time and effort progresses, we can dismiss false information or build on base knowledge to give rise to complicated and sophisticated understandings such as the quantum theory or atomic fission. The progression of knowledge that is built on history is achieved through science, as the rigorous testing and theories can amount to great technologies and improvements over time.

The assumptions made by this claim is that facts and theories need to work hand in hand in order to have any significance in our understanding. While this is true, facts do single handedly remain the underlying principle of all knowledge. Only because there is no theory to make sense of a fact, this does not abolish the fact. However, if there are no facts to establish the theory, the theory becomes obsolete. Sometimes we must realize, that in order to further our understanding, we need to take educated and evolutionary guesses and form them into theories. Than do we have the focus to direct our research towards something in order to prove/disprove something (quantum theory). So, really, we can pursue both things separately as long as we make sure that they add up to each other in the end, to create factual knowledge.

Regarding this statement, there is absolutely no bias to be found. It is stating that understanding cannot be achieved without the other which is counterproductive to successful persuasion which relies on deceiving and not teaching critical thinking to its audience. Belief is also absent as it argues the importance of evidence in order for things to be valid. This is the opposite of belief. There are also few flaws to be found, sure, anything can receive criticism but this statement is the foundation of all modern science and information. Having been accepted by such a variety of academics and the mass population, this statement holds massive validity which makes it valid, certain, truthful and reliable and is the keystone for justification in the first place. Additionally, it is the definition of objectivity which makes it impossible to be categorized as subjective. The only thing it can be properly criticized for is being limited. It is a very rigid statement and does not allow for much artful thinking, however, considering that its purpose is to ensure accurate understanding, this seems like a small price to pay.

                                     TOK Lesson        2/21/2017

•1. Which of these claims do you regard as being scientific? Justify your answers. What are your criteria?

During the first seven days after birth, it is dangerous to expose a child to the outdoors or to strangers.

= (the immune system of the child might be very weak and could it pose serious health risks prematurely exposing it to a bacteria filled environment)

When a man and a woman both have sickle-cell anemia, it is dangerous for them to have children

= (sickle cell anemia is a recessive mutation. If both parents have it, there is 100% chance that their offspring will have the same disease. Sickle cell anemia is responsible with many circulatory system issues and can present serious health risks

Smoking cigarettes is dangerous

= (it has been proven that tobacco is a carcinogen and there is a scientifically established cause-effect relationship between cigarette use and certain types of cancer. All components in cigarettes are known to be toxic )

A live, non-insulated electric wire is dangerous to touch.

= (based upon our knowledge on how electricity behaves, it is well known that electrons take the path of least resistance and will flow through the human body into the ground because of its water based composition. Depending on the current, the water in the body heats up and expands, leading to ruptures which can be fatal)

Driving after drinking alcohol is dangerous.

= (alcohol is absorbed in the bloodstream and affects certain areas in the brain. This decreases awareness and reduces threat correspondence which could lead to road accidents when driving)

•2. Suggest how each of them could have come into existence. What sort of thinking processes might have been involved?

Each of them probably came into existence based off of experiences and observations. The scientific ones just underwent rigorous testing and analyses while the non-scientific ones where largely created due to generalizations or other forms of irrational conclusions.

•3. Is it possible to construct very different, but equally believable routes by which these claims could have come into existence? Compare different claims

The scientific method is critically acclaimed and thought in all credible education systems for a reason. This is because it provides the most credible results which can be analyzed and used for further knowledge. Other routes may also be believable but cannot provide the same standard form with any experiment can be tested against.

•4. If science and taboos are both laws, then how, if at all, do these types of laws differ?

Only scientifically viable laws can withstand the scrutiny of the scientific method. Therefore, they are more credible and can be used as anchor points of society to improve and develop. Laws that have not been proven beneficial simply serve as an obstacle to human development and the greater good.

                                         TOK Lesson                2/16/2017

For this TOK lesson, the class was shown a Ted-ed video about the scientific method. In the video, we were presented with the functionality and capabilities of the human brain, even before we used technology to aid our scientific endeavors. It explains how the earliest scientists became pioneers in their fields because of their curiosity and application of knowledge. The example it gives is the father of geography: Aristotle. It shows how he used basic mathematics and the catalysis act of staring into a well, as a way of measuring large geographical distances.

The video keeps mentioning multiple incredible and groundbreaking feats of human thinking and providing the dates in which they were done to prove that people are fully capable of discovering new things and benefiting society. It also talks about the scientific method, and how we can reach greater levels of analysis by looking at each other's work and co-coordinating our efforts in the pursuit of knowledge. The ultimate point of the video is to show that by expanding awareness or adapting different perspectives, we can discover and explain new things for the betterment of the world.

                            TOK Lesson                   2/7/2017

Cholera Article

The article discussing the Cholera outbreak states that the disease could be airborne, implying that something in the air is making all the people fall ill. John Snow's hypothesis was that the cause of Cholera originated within the water pumps that the local residents were drawing from.

Evidence to support this includes residents who were actively withdrawing water from the well were falling ill, when the well was closed down Cholera cases began to drop and the causation evidence which is that human sewage was leaking into the waterway and is a proven cause of Cholera.

An experiment to back up John Snow's claims could be running chemical tests on the water or using animal test subjects to see if they would fall ill.




Natural sciences:

Natural sciences are a branch of science which deals with the physical world (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.) Natural sciences gain knowledge of the world through theories which are supported by evidence. Theories are proven or disproved through the scientific method which is a rigorous testing heme that ensures accurate results. Previous knowledge can be used to explain or find connections to the processes occurring in new investigations. They act as a form of template which makes it easier to construct further knowledge upon.

A specific experiment I can recall in science is the discovery of gravity. The researcher rigorously tested his theory to find out all the intrinsic parts which make up the phenomenon he described as gravity. These results were published and serve as a basis for modern education in physics.

                             ToK Presentation Reflection                2/2/2017

For this semester's Theory of Knowledge presentation, my partner and I have decided to discuss the topic of video games and how their influences can correlate with violent behavior. We focused on the 2 ways of knowing (Emotion and Reason) and the are of knowing (Human sciences).

For my part of the presentation, I presented a counter claim that stated that video games do not influence behavior that leads to homicidal violence. I argued the case that the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook was more affected by mental illness and predispositions to violence, rather than the sole responsibility of video games was the cause for his violent behavior. I also presented other facts and reasons that went against or offered alternatives for video games being the cause of violent behavior, including statistics and psychological case studies. At the end of the presentation, my partner and I agreed that video games are just a minor factor that ties in with many other influences and reasons.

What I believe I did well for this presentation is the presentation of hard evidence. I referred back to the real life application, provided other supporting statistics, utilized counter actin case studies and offered alternative lines of reason. I spoke loud and clearly, and matched my speaking time to that of my partner. I believe that our presentation was well structured, paced and offered a two sided argument with an open ended conclusion as well as debating our knowledge question. Areas for improvement include looking up more at the audience and spending less time reading from a script. Additionally, more reference should have been made to the ways of knowing and the area of knowing as a key component of the knowledge question. All in all, I feel that we discussed a relative topic effectively and delivered a generally respectable presentation.

TOK Lesson   6/12/2016                 Reason

Deductive reasoning: starts with a general theory, statement, or hypothesis and then works its way down to a conclusion based on evidence

(ex. Suppose that you wanted to find a fruit to eat. You look through the refrigerator and find a celery stick, a Granny Smith, and a cup of beans. You know that neither celery nor beans are fruits. You also know that all apples are fruits, and a Granny Smith is an apple. Therefore, the Granny Smith has to be a fruit)

Inductive reasoning: starts with a small observation or question and works it's way to a theory by examining the related issues

(ex. The cost of goods was $1.00. The cost of labor to manufacture the time was $.50. The sales price of the item was $5.00; so, the item always provides a good profit)

Core Intuitions: Core intuition is the gut feeling you have about certain things. A natural sense of knowledge for something

(ex. it is your core intuition that 1+1=2 because it is inherent that 2 of 1 thing add together to make 2 things)

Subject-specific intuitions: This is similar to core intuition but it is more specific to certain areas of familiarity and expertise

(ex. it is a subject-specific intuition that the tree will support your weight because you have climbed many trees and feel that the proportions of the tree are suitable)

Social intuitions: This is the interpretation of other people. Their face expressions, body language and own intentions

(ex. it is your social intuition that somebody does not want to attract attention because of their reserved body posture, hidden and emotionless face expression and their silent behavior) 

                                   What is love?

Today we watched a TedEd video on what love actually is. Love is never really defined by most people and only ever explained relatively (love is like....., more important than......). Love is largely influenced by external influences which all contribute to the individual's personal feelings of love. On a biological standpoint, love is said to be a neurological brain function that attract's a person to others in  order to reproduce. Although, the most socially accepted standpoint is that love can be defined as a combination of experiences, feelings, brain chemistry and cultural expectations.

                       Quote on emotion and reason

Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason. (Oscar Wilde)

With this quote the author intended to say that humans are able to survive and prosper through their rational capabilities but do not comply with rational thought when it is prioritized above their emotions. Personally, I agree with this statement. The duality of mankind is something that has allowed us to reach great developmental heights but it is also responsible for our downfalls. The truth of this is that we like to perceive everything on a rational basis when it does not effect us. It becomes difficult to comply with rational thought when something personally effects us as we become emotional to prioritize our safety and well being.

James Lange Theory 

The James Lange Theory is a counter theory to the conventional response theory. This theory states that biological response occurs after the emotion of happiness and fear (fear = increased heart rate, etc.). The James Lange theory states that emotions such as fear and happiness are the response to a biological occurrence (increased heart rate, etc. = fear response). The theory shows how emotions are strongly influenced by biology and it has been hard to disprove.

 Can feelings have a rational basis? Would it be better or worse if emotions could be justified? Are emotions and feelings essential? Is ‘emotional intelligence’ an oxymoron?

      Feelings can have a rational basis if they are an instinctual emotion derived from an actual fear or concern. We would be worse off since most emotions are the cause for irrational behavior which is often the cause for an uncontrolled situation. Feelings are essential to our survival but emotions are only an evolutionary trait which we need to nurture in order to maintain a psychological balance.

Can there be ‘correct’ or ‘appropriate’ emotional responses? Is it ‘correct’ to be horrified by accounts of torture?

      There can be no correct emotional response or appropriate one, there can only be a normal response which is defined by the way the majority reacts. It is considered normal to be horrified by accounts of torture.

Is it possible to experience an emotion, a feeling, an attitude or sensibility that cannot be expressed in language? Can an emotion, such as love or grief, have its origins in, or be shaped by, language?

It is very common to feel an emotion that cannot be expressed in language. This is because many emotions are too complex to be conveyed through a limited means of communication. Many emotions are shaped by language since it is a form of communication that everybody relates too. The definition established by language is often the way we personalize an emotion.

Is the knowledge gained from emotional responses influenced by culture? Are concepts such as patriotism and racism examples of collective emotions? What does it mean to be responsible for our emotions? Can emotions be classified as ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Do emotional responses emanate from cultural influences?

Knowledge is empirical and cannot be gained from emotion but we can develop empathy which is a form of understanding. Collective emotions are a common way people feel towards something. A common love or hate are strong examples of this. To be responsible for our emotions is to be held accountable for the and realize their influences and consequences. Emotions themselves cannot be classified as good or bad directly since they are relative concepts, however, they can be classified as self or other oriented. Emotional responses probably don't vary due to culture but are interpreted differently.


Does emotion reside in the realm of private knowledge in the sense that it cannot be verified by others? Is all private knowledge necessarily some form of emotion? Is physical pain or hunger an emotion? Can people be wrong about their own emotions? Do people have, in some sense, exclusive access to their emotions or can others lead them to recognize previously unknown emotions?

The biological responses correlating to certain emotions can be recorded but the intricate details of the feeling cannot. Private knowledge is not necessarily a form of emotion but it can be when connected with personal feeling. Pain and hunger are biological responses which catalyze and emotion which becomes associated to this feeling. People can only re-evaluate their emotions or feel differently about the same thing since emotions are subjective. Emotions can obviously be influenced by others but they can't be specifically shaped since nobody knows the details of someone's emotions.

Is there any kind of knowledge which can be attained solely through emotion? Is the answer to the question dependent on factors such as gender, age, culture, and/or socioeconomic group?

No knowledge can be attained solely through emotion, only a personal understanding of facts and information. Knowledge is empirical. Many of these categorizations can influence people's emotional response to a situation since they have been confronted with different situations due to these attributes.

Is emotion an essential ingredient of scientific or artistic knowledge? Can there be creativity without emotion?

Emotion is definitely not an essential ingredient for the empirical part of science but it is important for an ethical balance. Artistry is a form used to express thoughts and emotions. Art is strongly connected with emotions and it is an essential part. Creativity cannot exist without emotion since it is a product of imagination and not pure logical thought. 

Lesson 3/11/2016              Primary Emotions

Can you recognize these emotions on the faces below?

I can recognize the general feeling of the emotion and what could potentially catalyze such a reaction but I cannot specifically discern what the individual is feeling.

Which other, perhaps more complete, emotions can you think of?

More complete emotions are simple ones that are very general and do not require a specific mimic. a simple smile shows happiness while a frown usually implies annoyance or sadness. These are very simple and often reoccurring which is why they seem more complete.

Are your emotions innate or rather a product of the knowledge community you belong to? How do other ways of knowing influence your emotion and vice versa?

Emotions are mostly more of a product of the knowledge community that an individual is exposed to. There are some innate attributes which stem from a natural response but most of it is social promotion and avoidance. For example, a society that sees pain as a test of endurance will have most people eager to engage in activities of pain and tend to relish it more as it garners social acceptance. In modern societies it is seen as signs of harm and strictly avoided or treated instantly with melancholic compassion.

In your culture, is it ok to show your emotions?

In culture 100 years ago, it used to be unfitting and socially frowned upon to show your emotions as composure and stoic expression was well seen and deemed 'classy' which was what everybody aspired to. With modern social elements and the rise of a free expression movement, showing emotions and accepting openness has become the new public agenda and is considered brave and admirable.

Lesson 1/11/2016                   The meaning of emotion

During this lesson we watched a video on defining emotion and specifying what it is/does and useful for. In the video it said that emotion was a complex biological response to certain stimuli (ie. dark outside, silence and foot steps behind you promotes the emotion of fear). Scientists are still trying to specify it but are able to narrow it down to psychological, expressive and conscious behavior). These emotions are natural responses which allow us to learn and survive even if they are not generally well seen in our society.

The way we can divide an event and the response is with the first and second claim. The first claim would be the factual event (ie. a man loses all of his money in a gambling event). This can be recorded and clear evidence can be found. The second claim is the reflection on the event. Depending on how it affects you, these physical/experienced occurrences can promote a certain reaction which we describe as emotion (ie. the wife of the man now does not have enough money for her child's birthday present due to the husband's actions and feels despair, sadness and anger).

Lesson 20/10/2016                          What is Language?


How do we define language?

Officially, language is defined as the ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication, particularly the human ability to do so, and a language is any specific example of such a system


Is it simply a pattern of symbols and sounds that communicate meaning?

Language in its basic form is a pattern of symbols and sounds but it is the way they are utilized, changed, and extended upon by the people that use a language which allows it to evolve and suite the needs of communication that these people have throughout time.


Is it still a language if no one speaks it? What if one person speaks a language but no one else understands. Is it still a language?

It is by definition, still a language if no one or only one person speaks it. However, it is regarded as a dead language since it is no longer in use and doesn't evolve. If the language is not tied into an utilized system (ie. Latin is predominant in the judiciary system), then it soon becomes outdated and forgotten, to the point where nobody knew it ever existed. That is when it is no longer a language but a forgotten concept.


Do we need to know a definition of a word in order to understand its meaning?

The meaning of the word is something more personally oriented while the definition of a word is a general description. It is up to the user to try to match the word with the proper definition to what he means.


Do words have meanings or do we give them meanings?

Words are just noises emitted by our mouths. We give a pattern of these noises meaning by associating them with a definition that is perfected by continuous use and improvement


What do they mean when they claim young people no longer use language properly? 

What the mean by that is that young people are changing the definitions of words to suit what they mean to communicate. This change of the language is unfamiliar to older people who have a different meaning/definition connection to the same words.

Are other systems of communication language?

Yes, as long as there is a system behind it that the target group of people are able to understand and apply, it can be considered a language as it is a form of communication (ie. sign language, braille, etc.).

Is body language actually a language?

Body language is not an established form of communication with a variety of options to express oneself. It can only convey basic emotions or common courtesy based on  the standards of a society or how well an individual knows you. In order to become a language, it needs to reach a higher word amount in order to express more complicated ideas.

What about music and math? Computer code?

Music is a form of emotional expression. There is no way for a composer to convey their exact intention without some context in a language people understand. Without the lyrics, there is only the feeling of the song without explanation. Math is set on explaining universal rules in terms of numbers and quantity. It is not designed to express things of human complexity that do not follow a set of rules. Computer code is based on the conventions of the English language, but it is still just a group of base words used to create a system. All the context is written in a pre-established language.

What distinguishes language from a more general idea of communication?

What separates a language from more general communication is the establishment of rules for the form of communication that introduce set definition, clarity and an established basis to further
the language with more words and linguistic choices. Organized complexity is what this could be described as.

Lesson 18/10/2016                  Ways of Knowing: Language


For today's lesson, we looked at what makes a language. On what thinking structure are languages created. To find this out we had to create our own, using words and symbols to convey a message. The language should not be connected to English or any other existing language in any way. We worked in groups of 2-3 to create a new language and try to effectively communicate with the class. My group did pretty well because we used very common movements and hand motions that everybody could associate with but for the groups who decided to go for speech, this was a bit more difficult.

I think I have realized why this new language (not connected to any existing language) failed to communicate an idea without the help of gestures. It was so disconnected from the sounds and letters we know in our language that it was impossible to properly interpret with the thinking we do in our languages. Everything about them was unfamiliar and we tried to associate factors from it to our own languages which prevented proper understanding. For a language to function, you require a large period of time for its users to gain mastery of it. With this element of time and specialization, we are able to communicate effectively in our communities.

Lesson 11/10/2016          Memory Contaminates Perception


This lesson we read an article in The Guardian about how memory contaminates perception. I was introduced to the topic of visual working memory which stores repeated everyday tasks visually and prompts the mind to repeat these behavioral patterns when confronted with the same visual stimuli. Essentially, it is a form of self mental programming to assist us with everyday tasks and to complete them with mechanical efficiency in order to provide consistent repetition which usually aides us in these tasks. One example would be driving a car. The brain compares the current visual stimuli with that of previous iterations and causes the person to instinctively perform habits such as adjusting the mirror or fastening the seat belt.

One potential problem for this is the way it affects our perception. Even though it is designed to perfect everyday physical patterns to a consistent standard, it limits our perception of new ways or information. It works in a predictive way that causes the mind to premeditate images based on previous stimuli. This was shown in the 2 tests taken from the article, where people judged multiple dot movements based off of the primary one that they were expected to focus on. This limits our ability to instantly cope with new information that defies a certain pattern or associated task. It makes us less directly visually aware but relies heavily on memory associated with visual stimuli. This can make people slower to react in events of sudden change such as road accidents or other standard defying events.

Lesson 10/6/2016              Perception of color

This lesson we explored deeper into the human sense of sight, particularly color. Color is a a part of our vision enabled by the cone cells in the back of our retinas. These allow us to to distinguish details in the light that is reflected back to our eyes. By being able to see parts of the visual spectrum, we can garner more details and information from our vision and are better able to distinguish similarities and differences. As was seen in the Vsauce video, electronics are able to adjust their LED output to match wavelengths, which allows our brains to see a certain hue of color and witness the full scope of our visual sense in an electronic device.

However, our sense of sight can be deceived since our brain processes color based off of a system. If we are able to use that in a certain way or alter its exposure, we can trick it into distinguishing things that are not actually real. This was seen in the printed image video and the ocular illusion one. The printed images reflected the the exact wavelengths to trick the brain into perceiving a sense of volume  and depth which we are regularly exposed to with 3D objects in our every day lives. The ocular illusion video set up color in a way that our brain was fooled into perceiving movement or another image at a second glance.

The final video shown was the TED talk where probably the most was explained in terms of color (how it helps us and how it can be deceived). He explained how it allows us to detect things and its relation to other senses (ie. sound). He also explained how context was important for our vision and how it makes clarity of the visual information we receive to provide us with a means of interacting with our physical world.






This image is the classic '2 faces or 1 chalice' optical illusion where shifting the color of the context allows us to see 2 different items. It provides insight into the way our brain works to distinguish things depending on their surroundings.