Review your chosen text and:
- Polish the free-write you performed in-class (according to the instructions on the worksheet), and post it here.
- See pgs. 30-31 for how to begin a free-write in chapter 2 of the LBH. Remember, you are using your own personal experience and ideas in order to make a similar argument to that of your chosen author. If you have questions, please email me.
Due before class on February 19th.
Reply: Try to comment on a blog that has no other comments yet.
You finally have the chance to compliment your classmate on his/her success at capturing the essence of the original author's approach to the audience. Yay. Try to comment on a blog of someone whose article you have read. Lone Lia, I will comment on yours.
If you cannot find a commentless blog that you agree with, then you may disagree with a classmate's conclusions. Please be specific as to why, and ask a question that will provoke thought in your classmate about audience, ethos or pathos.
Be academic and professional.
Due before class on February 24th.
Thinking about events that have transpired over the last twenty years its easy to see where consensus science has risen in popularity over traditional science when it comes to explaining the unexplainable. Being that consensus science is based on faith and not actual scientific process, it may best best left to areas like religion that are based on faith and belief. Science that is not based on provable facts open the doors for society to blame problems on things like aliens and even convince them its all real without anything but a general consensus of a few popular or identifiable people to make it true. This has already happened with the creation and funding of SETI - as the entire organization is based on a formula that has not concrete support at all and can't be proven. These combined with mainstream media support has pushed this consensus science to the for front of public belief and questions what is true and what is science.
ReplyDeleteShould we as a society support things that have no backing, well yes if its left in our places or worship and not in the lab. Science is and always has been a process , whether research, experiments or observations to a defined fact. To have faith in ones beliefs is good, to have belief in science without fact is foolish and can impact us as a whole. Consensus science isn't true science and has opened our society where we look to blame anything but ourselves in actions that are destroying our world.
Kevin I really like how your Michael Crichton bog used ethos and logos to pull me in. Reading it I liked how you put yourself in the subject by your own account of SETI at the time because I can relate to the experience. You appeal to my character by are shared Belief that science has a proven process that we have come to trust. This established that you have good judgment (Ethos). Your use of Logos when you said science with evidence belongs in lab and science with no evidence does not. I would like to leave you something to think about. Science is based on observation. Crichton likes to sell SETI as a big scam but SETI purpose was to observe stellar Radio frequency for ET but we often make great discoveries when we are not looking for them. SETI may have not given us little green men but as unintended consequences we have advanced are understanding of stellar Radio emissions.
DeleteA small group of radio astronomers in the United Kingdom had stumbled upon clock-precision radio pulses coming from deep space. The signal was unlike anything ever seen before or even predicted in astronomy.
Antony Hewish built the array to study radio emissions from quasars, a very distant, energetic and utterly mysterious newly discovered class of object (today we know they are the black hole powered cores of active galaxies).
While marking up the chart in her attic, she noticed a peculiar source that was flickering like a police car strobe light. As any good scientist would do, she checked for instrument noise, malfunction or man made clutter. (In 1963 the all-sky glow of the cosmic microwave background was first suspected to be radio contamination from pigeon droppings in a radio communications antenna.)
Bell realized that the source moved with the Earth’s rotation. The source really is in the sky and somewhere out there in the galaxy!
http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/first-seti-candidate-set-rules-of-engagement-130305.htm
The only hope [of science] ... is in genuine induction.
— Sir Francis Bacon
Aphorism 14. In Francis Bacon and Basil Montagu, The Works of Francis Bacon (1831), Vol. 14, 32.
Michael Crichton’s Aliens Cause Global Warming clam in my own example
ReplyDeleteI decided to put a little work into my old pickup truck. It may leak a little bit, but an old pickup is a reliable one if you just put a little work into it now and then. After looking over the thing, I realized it would take a small fortune of cash to get the truck pristine once more. No less discouraged I went through my list. “What can I afford to get done this weekend?” I came to the conclusion that those old Bahha off-road lights were getting dim and the chrome corroded. After nine years and sitting on the front of two of my tucks it was time to replace them. So when I and three of my friends were at automotive store where I found a set of LED Lights that were a modest price. Looking at the box there were no statistics on how bright or what specific type of lights they were. It was a mystery set. They were half the cost of buying new Bahhas. I knew LEDs could be comparable to halogens. My father owns a six hundred dollar set that could blind a pilot out of the sky. Unsure that a pair one sixth the price would have the same effect I asked my friends what they thought of the set. They told me LED would look good and the set look nice. Do you think its work replacing my old Bahhas I asked? Once again the consensus was yes.
Well now I can tell you I wish I stuck with hard facts. After purchasing two sets of the Mystery LEDs and mounting them I found they were little more than fog lights not the high-powered beam I wanted them to be. I found a new pair of Bahhas at another store with stats on the box. They were a newer model of the old set I started with, so then I knew that’s what I should have bought in the first place and bought them.
Now I own 3 sets of lights, not the cheap fix I wanted it to be. But Is my example of how I and my friends all wanted them to be. What they looked like, off-road HI powered beams they were not. The consensus I got from them was based on no real evidence. They offered me a response with what they believed and not on what they knew. Maybe they were just telling me what I wanted to hear, humoring me because their favorite thing to do is not work on an automobile over their weekend. After all this light business I might see through consensus science in the future. (pun intended)
After numerous attempts reading this article, I have come to find that Michael Crichton is trying to stress one main topic. What he is trying to get the readers to believe is that scientists try to mislead people with their views, rather than the factual views that science has shown. A quote in the text really stood out to me when I read it, I believe this one sentence is summing up everything that he tries to stress in the essay. “I want to consider an emerging crisis in the enterprise of science- namely the increasingly uneasy relationship between hard science and public policy.” I feel he does a good job of proving his point in the arguments he makes. One thing I really like about the author is he talks about topics that most people can relate to, and topics that most everyone would have feelings toward.
ReplyDeleteReading Michael Crichton out loud, I imagine myself in a room filled with just ordinary people. As I read and looked around, I could see I was among people who were interested in science “so to speak”. What questions do I expect to hear from them or moreover, what would be my question? Why do we believe science have the “right” answer? I have an interest in science but not the science of politics, human rights, evils of people or prejudice and superstition. Instead of “Aliens Cause Global Warming” Let’s call this “The perils of believing that science have the right answer’. Being captivated by his logic and experience of things that happen during his upbringing. I can relate him crawling under the desk doing nuclear attacks drills in school. I too had to do the fire drill thing in middle school. I can’t believe everything some smart person says about science because science is manipulative. Furthermore, science as we know it today is politically motivated by very persuasive people. Science is everything he describes it to be, but we as humans have used science as a platform for self-benefit. The author goes on to say “I expect science to banish the evil of humans thought” Can science do away with evil thoughts without banishing humans as well? Science has the answer and is used daily, however, where science is seen to do good, the evils of man won’t benefit. What is equally important is that science is used to feed the hungry, cure disease, and it is also used to cause mass hunger and create disease. The authors makes his point but only to an audience that’s looking to change the way science is applied.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I agree with you on your views about science. I like how you incorporated the quotes from the passage to further back your opinion. You also utilize logos, pathos, and ethos in your blog. I'm looking forward to brainstorming more about this paper with you and our group.
DeleteThe audience for my chosen essay is college students, scientists and people concerned with global warming and the environment.
ReplyDeleteIn Michael Crichton’s “Aliens Cause Global Warming,” he starts to establish trust with his readers in his second paragraph by not pushing his readers to disbelieve in global warming or extraterrestrials. He tries to gain his audience’s trust by telling a little bit about himself. Crichton explains that he was born in middle of World War II and lived through the Cold War. Further, Crichton breaks down the Drake equation and fully explains it catching the readers’ trust. He gives unfounded scientific examples from 1975 to 1983. Consequently, he goes on to explain the TTAPS equation and gives an example that discredits the TTAPS study. Additionally, he gains further trust by making a reasonable statement that “the claim of consensus…is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled.” Crichton seems to be very well-informed on consensus decisions by giving several examples of from 1795 to 1961 where the consensus disagreed with some of the “greatest scientists.” He is successful in establishing trust with his audience because he is well informed and gives many examples.
Crichton is successful swaying his audience emotionally. He states that he was born in the middle of World War II and raised during the Cold War. This makes his readers sympathize with him, because everybody knows those were bad times. He swayed the readers’ emotions to anger at scientists who created demons that “haunt our world” today. He invokes pity by his readers by comparing science to selling products.
I would approach the same audience by starting with a short story that relates to my main subject. If it was a conference, I would try to get the audience involved to get more of feel of where they are coming from.
Jess, I agree with you completely as well. I like how Crichton used personal examples to capture the audiences attention. By doing so, I think he was able to gain more trust with his audience.
DeleteAliens Cause Global Warming, by Michael Crichton, is a lecture on how science is useful and helpful, but explains how people take advantage of it and use it to mislead the truth. Crichton uses humor and asks questions to engage the audience into his lecture so that he can explain his feelings and factual views on science. He builds trust with the audience by using factual statistics; Such as, the Drake equation. Which is basically any equation that has no possible known values. The Drake equation is misleading science because it allows people to believe that you can fill in the equation with numbers and get an outcome with how ever many plants, galaxies, etc. but how is this possible without knowing the numbers to plug in because science doesn't have an answer for it. Crichton proved by giving this example of the drake equation and a few other things on how scientist use more of their views instead of factual views.
ReplyDeleteSean, I am doing the same essay. I agree with you on how Michael Crichton establishes trust with his audience. He gave many examples that encouraged his audience to take his side.
DeleteJess, I just finished reading Logical Fallacies on page 218 inquiry. We may have to all take another look at old Crichton. He’s very good at getting our attention, playing on our emotions. He uses a lot of logic, things that I can relate to, putting me right in the mix. I couldn’t help but to agree with him. However, I see this may be a case of Erroneous Appeal to Authority. We have a serious argument here. Maybe we can discuss this more in class or at school. I’m open from 12:00 until we figure this out. I’ve read the entire assignment, and I have to make changes after reading logical fallacies. Jess, I think we are a little to soft with our reply. Take a look at my blog, reply truthfully. Turn out my lights if you must. “I can see real well in the dark” After reading Logical Fallacies, I don’t agree with everything that’s being said here. It’s like getting on the band wagon in this blog room, which is another fallacies.
DeleteI'm pretty sure this is WAY off base but sadly this is what my free writing started off as and I got lost in translation... haha Enjoy the mess that is my mind!
ReplyDelete"Beyond Tradition Notions of Identity"
I sit here confused. An epiphany hit me and then I realized my mind was on to something. I can tell you one thing, as far as I can remember I have always questioned everything. Why do humans act the way they do? Why do we need to know fractions? Why do they call it a bundt cake? The further I go into depth, the more that is getting pulled out of me, only it is with bigger questions that basically mold our culture into the way we are.
Have you ever felt left out of a conversation or had a time in your life where you felt like opportunities weren't given to you because of your identity? When I say identity, I mean anything from race to how you look. If you answered yes, then you're not alone. There are probably countless times we can say yes to this because the world is more prone to going off of looks rather than the inner workings of who we are. Plain and simple, we judge.Women of race for example have two things going against them in this battle. First off would be being a woman. Why does the world view women to be less important and why shouldn't we be allowed to achieve things that men can? Even deeper would be women of different cultural backgrounds. For centuries women were thought of as merely not important. What they said wasn't valued and what they did on a daily basis, was their supposed" job". For example, in the fifties women were thought of as being the homemaker. We cleaned, babysat,raised our children and barely any of us worked or were the main breadwinners within our families. Because of this, women of all race and color have a disadvantage. When thinking of race and gender, one cannot immediately assume that it is equal. It has never been equal. To this day we still struggle to be seen and recognized for the hard workers we are. We strive to not be labeled, and we strive to be heard.Whether we are Jewish,Latina,Native or of European ancestry, we should all stop living in the perception "men do it better" and work together to achieve higher goals.
While in middle school, I was picked on a lot because I was different. Growing up I was adopted which put a huge damper on trying to fit in. Everyone knew me as the adopted weird kid that never matched. I will admit, No, I never matched. However, I struggled with making friends and every time I tried, I would get shunned. Fellow students in my school would harass and bully me at every chance they got. The fact that I was of Mexican and German descent did not help my case either. Would white kids sit with me? Would the athletic people? No, but I can tell you at the teachers first glance they would label me as the trouble maker. All because of my looks, I was never given a fair chance. When in reality, I bleed red, I breathe air, and my inner workings work the same way as anyone else's. So, why should appearance matter? Don't we as a nation want to be better? Don't we wish for more of our country? How about more for our children? I believe breaking cultural barriers can help us overcome more obstacles than we can ever dream of. It has to start somewhere and it has to start with us loving one another and being accepting of who we are. We are individuals, yet we are the same. Be who you are, discover your identity and embrace it. Once we can accept ourselves, the doorway opens up, the stress rolls off our backs that we've carried for so long and then slowly we see the fog clear. The sun will come out and from then on beautiful things can happen.
Reading Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class brings me back to high school. Now this was 15 years ago and some people just a few years. I remember different groups of people. You had your popular crowd who were considered to be rich or athletic. Then there were the skaters to which the popular kids assumed they were dirty and didn’t shower. Some of you might remember the group that couldn’t afford nice clothes. Those group of people were considered nerds. Now there are many other groups in highschool but those were the ones that stuck out to me the most. You are probably all wondering, “So which group were you in”? Well let me tell you I stayed neutral. Thankfully I grew up with my dad in the military so I associated myself with different cultures and people. I did not nor do I now judge people on how they look or what they can afford. I tend to pity the person who does. For we are all human and deserve a chance for better education, living, and good friends. Bell Hooks, author of Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class experienced being an outsider first hand. She is very emotional while speaking of personal experiences. I was only an outsider looking in and never was labeled. I fit in with all crowds. However, just like Hooks I didn’t change who I was or where I wanted to go for anyone.
ReplyDeleteLeah, I’m glad I decided to read your blog. Well, I read all of the blogs. As for your blog; if I were in a room listening to you speak, I could relate to what you were saying because I was somewhat the unfortunate person in school. I don’t remember any of my brothers or sisters going to school, and we were like a staircase. You captured my attention but only for a little while. I could have easily come up with a conclusion for your speech without listening to your entirely; therefore I would have lost interest as fast as you gain my attention. You did use logic in a very smart way to gain some credibility. I can relate to what you are saying, so my emotions were there for you to feed on. However, you Leah, was not one of those unfortunate people. Now Leah, can you get me to become an interested audience of yours without telling me about the misfortune of the people you went to school with. Leah, lets argue. We have already connected emotionally on what you seen in school and what I experienced in school, so this should be easy. What you said is like, in our Inquiry handbook, (Inductive argument) your blog is based on observation; my argument is based on observation and evidence. Leah, you were neutral. Can you capture my attention or get me to feel emotionally connected to what you are saying from your neutral point? I did not read Shadow of Race but if you reply back maybe I can get an idea of what I would like my paper to look like.
DeleteHi Leah,
DeleteI like your free write. I to had a very similar experience in high school. It is so sad even after so many years nothing has changed. I have been out of high school for 6 years and it seems like bullying and people being out casts because they are not rich ect. I have not experienced this yet in College but I also think we are more mature now and are here to finish our education. Good Job on your free write!
In high school, the leaning environment was laid back. There was not alot of studying going on. I got through classes by not having to do much work. Growing up, school was vary much easy for me. During my first semester of college, I was not prepared as much as I should've. I had to study a whole lot more because the work was a lot harder, and still is. College moves at a more faster pace; the work is more complicated and challenging. There is no time for relearning the old stuff. Professors should be aware with what there students know, teaching them the newer stuff at a more comfortable pace.
ReplyDeleteMy high school was the same. we didn't do much but they expected us to know and understand everything. Then come senior year they want to force us all of what we should of been known for college.This first semester of college is not to hard but I don't feel as prepared as of what the teachers were so called trying to prepare us for. If I was in a mind set of what was to come maybe it would be different. I see exactly what you're saying. Especially about professor teaching at a more comfortable pace so everyone can feel like they all are on the same level.
Deletelearning in the shadow of race and class
ReplyDeleteYou know honestly I can't say I can relate to her on many levels but I can understand where she is coming from. Everyone should have a chance. Just because you come from a background that is not as great as the "Jones" some say does not mean you can't be at the same level as the "Jones." When she mentioned her being the only black girl in a white woman's college that can be hard. I have experienced being that outsider in the class when everyones circle is the same and you feel your different. Its hard trying to stay focus and feel comfortable. Its like being the new kid in class that no one wants to talk to or be around. It is a heavy load to not feel in a way accepted. Once she decided to move were she felt like she belong she become more relax and accepted. But like she pointed out she had friends that were in the same system she was in but they still did not accept were they stand and wanted to be just like another group of people and wanted what they had. There were others who had contempt on people that did not share the same class as they did. Which I don't agree because now they are basically doing the same as what a rich person comparing themselves to a poor person is doing. neither way is right whether you Poor looking down on rich or vice versa. People have to learn to not look at one's background but look at everyone as a whole and equally. Accept who you are, work for what you want.
I like your conclusion and I'm also agree people should not judge others for their background whatsoever even more being cruel.
DeleteIf I were to invite the same audience into conversation regarding Crichtons story, "Aliens Cause Global Warming", I too would use examples of consensus science. Big companies, scientists, even politicians use this type of science to lead us regular people to think like them. Yet where is the real hard science? Are we relying on people too much and just agreeing with their soft science reasoning and explanation? I remember about 4 years ago, the nuclear plant in Japan got hit with the crashing waves of the Tsunami that devastated East Asia. The nuclear waste was spilling into the Pacific Ocean. I am from a small island in the Pacific called Guam. It is about 3 1/2 hours away from Japan via Airplane. When this Tsunami / Nuclear accident happened, the island of Guam was in a Panic. Everyone was glued to the news. The big environmental scientist stated that the waters are safe in the Pacific. After serving in the military I know not to believe anything unless I see it in black and white. I have heard and seen many different articles online. Most articles state that the Pacific is a clean unharmed place. However other tide / current charts show that the natural current will bring the waste from Japan into the Coast of California passing South America and Alaska. Where can we find valid Hard Science findings? And at the end of the day how do we know they are telling us the truth? As a reader and undergraduate, I rely on hard science and facts to determine my views about whatever topic I have at hand.
ReplyDeleteKelly, our assignment is on the same paper. Kelly, I have yet to start on this assignment because of my processing speed, “very slow computer head. “ However, in class tomorrow I can explain it to you and the rest of the group what the instructor is looking for. This happened to me two years ago at a meeting at Fountain middle school. Inductive Argument, Logic, Emotions, Credibility, were right there in my face. I did this before. As for your blog, I understand where you are going but we haven’t got there yet. We need to instead of saying make an argument, Lets read this paper so we can tell our side of the story and try to get people to agree with us.
DeleteKelly, as I also share your assignment I liked how you used personnel experience mixed with a very near and real recent occurrence to show point. The relation between the article and modern actions helps make a direct connection with the point of scientific process vs consensus science and even a direct effect of such actions and how media/government may misdirect the public by not providing factual science. I look forward to your finished paper.
DeleteThe story "Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class" brings me back to my high school days. My high school was were all the rich students went, so I can definitely relate to her in the story. Although I was not a rich kid we were more middle class I was not bullied, but many students were. Some of the rich would not want to hang out with some of their peers because they did not have extra money to do everything that the rich people could afford. I wanted a lot of the stuff my peers around me had, but I learned quickly I could not get everything I wanted because my mom was a single mom of 2 children. IfI wanted something I had to work for it. I got my first job at the age of 16 to pay for the extra things I wanted that I did not need. I am happy now that I did not grow up rich because most of those students are still living off mommy and daddy. I have learned you have to work for what you want.
ReplyDeleteI like your free write. I like how you established ethos by using your own experience in high school. I too had a similar time in school. You used good pathos by telling us how your mom was a single parent and you had to work for things you wanted.
DeleteIf I was to invite the same audience into the conversation regarding "Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class", I would ask the academic question "Why is it important you only reach one group of students"? Then from there I would discuss the thesis which is "letting go of material desires in order to survive. The attention would be to get the audience to think logically and look at things from the characters perspective. I would also get the audience to relate using their personal experience.
ReplyDeleteIf I could address the same audience with the same topic. I would start by saying no two people are the same. We are all equal, and should be treated equal. After reading Hooks, "Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class," Thompson's main point was to stress how hard it is for smart, working class, under-priveledge students to succeed in a higher education institution. I agree, because I have seen people make fun of poor students at public schools, with not that much difference in financial status. I know that may make someone hate coming to school. I went to school in New Orleans, were all schools wear uniforms, because the property level is a problem. That stop the class segregation. Money is a distraction when you don't have it. Thats all you can think about. In the time we live in now some electronics are necessities to everyday life for a student. Checking emails on the latest smartphone, typing papers on laptops. All these things take money, and when you don't have it, they become distractions. Learning to go without these things is one way to cope, but your thinking why do I have to settle for less? Or, am I even capable of getting these things because I could never afford them.
ReplyDelete"Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class" after read this story it really made me sad, Its hard to believe how cruel students can be. I can't say that I can relate with her I came from a Country were bully and discrimination is not a big issue everybody is the same however hard work is require to succeed but there were some people who has more than others. Now college is even different I remember when I used to go people is actually helpful and not the opposite, Superior Education change people and help them to act more mature at least where I'm from I can add that people joke around but nothing compare of the story I read.
ReplyDelete