Portfolio 5: Write a 300-350 word response to the following prompt using the information in “A computer that can ‘read’ your mind” and the “Ethics and mapping the brain”. The two articles describe the positive and negative effects brain mapping could have on society. Imagine you are a researcher (of any topic, brain mapping or otherwise). How would you predict and minimize potential unethical abuses of your work?
If I am the researcher of brain mapping, I will know the best in-depth on the present situation of this issue. Brain mapping, with its considerable amount of pros and cons, is considered to be a ‘double-edged sword’ and it will be a major concern to me if my research is exposed to potential unethical abuses by others. The predicted areas of unethical abuses could be the selection of employees, intrusion of personal privacy and insurance coverage, all based on the result generated from brain mapping devices.
With the introduction of brain-mapping device to society, it may become an unethical issue when comes to the selection of employees. Being realistic and practical, employers may adopt this device to observe their personality and behavior patterns to access whether they are suitable for the job. Despite having qualifications and specialized skills, it is of no guarantee that they will be given the job if the brain scan results differ from the expected. From this, it is said to be unfair and discriminatory to choose employees based on brain-mapping technology.
Another area of concern is the intrusion of personal privacy. It will be a huge disaster to witness people abusing mind-mapping technology to read one’s mind unnecessarily just to track one’s actions and thoughts for their own benefits. Personnel like politicians, high-ranked officials and celebrities are more vulnerable to such treatment as their actions and thoughts may be critical or economically beneficial to others. As a result, there will be an entire loss of freedom and personal privacy as every movement and thought is meticulously monitored by others.
Last but not least, insurance companies may not permit insurance at full coverage to people that may possibly diagnose certain particular diseases/disorders in the near future based on brain-mapping technology. It is labeled to be unethical if the insurance companies adopt this system to avoid huge compensation and losses. On the other hand, this group of people not only suffers from physical impairment, but also incurs a monetary loss in insurance premiums. To resolve this problem, mind-mapping technologies should be prohibited to insurance companies.
To minimize the pre-mentioned unethical abuses, appropriate knowledge and skills on mind-mapping should be imparted to the users, ensuring that they are well-educated and informed before implementing it. Furthermore, government and related authorities should also implement strict rules and regulations to avoid the possibilities of being a menace to society.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Portfolio 4
What difficulties do you have writing in your engineering classes? You may use your work in MLE 1101 to give examples. How do you resolve the difficulties? How will you continue to improve? Use approximately 300 words.
During our engineering classes, we are given tutorials to complete upon after respective lectures to ensure that we are able to grasp the concept and apply it on problem-solving questions. For a chemical engineering student like me, I am pre-allocated with MA1505, a mathematics module for all engineering students and MLE 1101, material science and engineering module that is taken by some of the engineering students this semester. MA1505 module emphasizes mainly on calculations which only require minimal writing, but MLE 1101 is different. It requires calculations and conceptual and application-solving writing skills in completing tutorial questions.
Sometimes, I could not express my answer directly to the questions’ requirement due to sentence structure problems, lack of key terms pertaining to the question or excessive irrelevant ideas mentioned. These few reasons would naturally result in the loss of precious marks during tutorials and examinations as well. Then moving on to grammatical mistakes that I usually commit, although it may not be a vital component in MLE classes, the proper use of words, grammatically correct sentences and appropriate style of writing would definitely convey a positive impression to the tutors.
To resolve these problems, always read the question carefully to look out for the main ideas that it is asking for. It not just only applies to MLE, it basically applies to all other modules as well, especially in modules which emphasize on good writing skills. Another good method is to focus on the key terms mentioned in the lecture notes and apply it appropriately to the questions. Understanding the concept is also another important factor that leads to effective and enhanced ease of writing.
However, we should also be tackling on the root causes of problems encountered in writing skills by conscientiously improving on our proper use of English in terms of writing, reading and speaking as well. Since I am currently taking EG1471, it serves as an ideal platform in resolving the language problems I am weak in, and at the same time, it also enables me to venture to other new aspects of effective writing. Other than in school, I would allocate some personal time to read newspapers, magazines and online articles to further improve my standard of English as well.
During our engineering classes, we are given tutorials to complete upon after respective lectures to ensure that we are able to grasp the concept and apply it on problem-solving questions. For a chemical engineering student like me, I am pre-allocated with MA1505, a mathematics module for all engineering students and MLE 1101, material science and engineering module that is taken by some of the engineering students this semester. MA1505 module emphasizes mainly on calculations which only require minimal writing, but MLE 1101 is different. It requires calculations and conceptual and application-solving writing skills in completing tutorial questions.
Sometimes, I could not express my answer directly to the questions’ requirement due to sentence structure problems, lack of key terms pertaining to the question or excessive irrelevant ideas mentioned. These few reasons would naturally result in the loss of precious marks during tutorials and examinations as well. Then moving on to grammatical mistakes that I usually commit, although it may not be a vital component in MLE classes, the proper use of words, grammatically correct sentences and appropriate style of writing would definitely convey a positive impression to the tutors.
To resolve these problems, always read the question carefully to look out for the main ideas that it is asking for. It not just only applies to MLE, it basically applies to all other modules as well, especially in modules which emphasize on good writing skills. Another good method is to focus on the key terms mentioned in the lecture notes and apply it appropriately to the questions. Understanding the concept is also another important factor that leads to effective and enhanced ease of writing.
However, we should also be tackling on the root causes of problems encountered in writing skills by conscientiously improving on our proper use of English in terms of writing, reading and speaking as well. Since I am currently taking EG1471, it serves as an ideal platform in resolving the language problems I am weak in, and at the same time, it also enables me to venture to other new aspects of effective writing. Other than in school, I would allocate some personal time to read newspapers, magazines and online articles to further improve my standard of English as well.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Grammar Exercise answers
Answers to Exercise
1. Is (only ramp is the subject, the tiny lots and confusing signs are not taken into consideration)
2. Are ( Sons are just before the verb, so the verb is in plural form )
3. Is (the verb is determined by the subject after it, evidence is not countable, so it is a singular verb)
4. Brings (news is not countable, so it takes singular verb)
5. Was (there is only one farm= singular form)
6. Is (there is only one session, do not misinterpret it with ‘the ministers and its people’)
7. Is (Nobody is being elected, so it is a singular form)
8. Does (Do not be tricked by healthcare products, emphasis is on the use)
9. Causes (Emphasis is on the politician(singular), not on his fiery speeches(plural) )
10. State (reports- countable, it takes plural verb)
1. Is (only ramp is the subject, the tiny lots and confusing signs are not taken into consideration)
2. Are ( Sons are just before the verb, so the verb is in plural form )
3. Is (the verb is determined by the subject after it, evidence is not countable, so it is a singular verb)
4. Brings (news is not countable, so it takes singular verb)
5. Was (there is only one farm= singular form)
6. Is (there is only one session, do not misinterpret it with ‘the ministers and its people’)
7. Is (Nobody is being elected, so it is a singular form)
8. Does (Do not be tricked by healthcare products, emphasis is on the use)
9. Causes (Emphasis is on the politician(singular), not on his fiery speeches(plural) )
10. State (reports- countable, it takes plural verb)
E-Portfolio 3 (summary of clean water)
Read and summarize a 500-1000 word article related to the 14 grand challenges for engineering. The article should be from a reputable source (e.g. not Wikipedia). The summary should be approximately 300 words. Remember to include a citation for the article.
“Clean water has been a scarcity in Earth.” Without much doubt, few will object to such statement. Now, many parts of the world have been experiencing water shortages and unfortunately, it has also become a rising problem that relates to the survival of every living organism. Basically, water serves as the main purpose of hydrating our bodies and maintaining the proper functioning of our biological system. Furthermore, it is used for domestic, agricultural and commercial purposes and not forgetting the natural-occurring water movement cycle which essentially sustains lives.
This problem, however, still persists although there are abundant water supplies throughout the world. The main contributing factor can be explained by the fact of uneven distribution of water supplies among nations. In addition, natural disasters like droughts and nation’s political and economic constraints can also result in water shortages as well. In those countries experiencing water shortages, people are usually in poor state of health and prone to all kinds of diseases with their low immune system. Expectedly, there is a worrying rise in mortality rate resulting from poor health conditions.
As it concerns one’s survival, engineers have come out with solutions to enhance water availability for everyone. Desalination, a process whereby portable water is produced by removing salt out of seawater, has been commonly practiced worldwide, especially in Middle East. However, due to its high cost and energy-consumption, impoverished nations are not able to have it established to resolve the problem. On the other hand, engineers have also adopted the idea of recycling waste water and sewage treatment, reducing water usage and setting up decentralized distilled units that could possibly relieve water shortage issues.
For these reasons, engineers play a significant role in present society and possibly, they could formulate feasible yet low-cost solutions to address to current water shortages, provided considering the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development.
• National Academy of Engineering (2008). Grand Challenges for Engineering; Provide access to clean water. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9142.aspx
“Clean water has been a scarcity in Earth.” Without much doubt, few will object to such statement. Now, many parts of the world have been experiencing water shortages and unfortunately, it has also become a rising problem that relates to the survival of every living organism. Basically, water serves as the main purpose of hydrating our bodies and maintaining the proper functioning of our biological system. Furthermore, it is used for domestic, agricultural and commercial purposes and not forgetting the natural-occurring water movement cycle which essentially sustains lives.
This problem, however, still persists although there are abundant water supplies throughout the world. The main contributing factor can be explained by the fact of uneven distribution of water supplies among nations. In addition, natural disasters like droughts and nation’s political and economic constraints can also result in water shortages as well. In those countries experiencing water shortages, people are usually in poor state of health and prone to all kinds of diseases with their low immune system. Expectedly, there is a worrying rise in mortality rate resulting from poor health conditions.
As it concerns one’s survival, engineers have come out with solutions to enhance water availability for everyone. Desalination, a process whereby portable water is produced by removing salt out of seawater, has been commonly practiced worldwide, especially in Middle East. However, due to its high cost and energy-consumption, impoverished nations are not able to have it established to resolve the problem. On the other hand, engineers have also adopted the idea of recycling waste water and sewage treatment, reducing water usage and setting up decentralized distilled units that could possibly relieve water shortage issues.
For these reasons, engineers play a significant role in present society and possibly, they could formulate feasible yet low-cost solutions to address to current water shortages, provided considering the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development.
• National Academy of Engineering (2008). Grand Challenges for Engineering; Provide access to clean water. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9142.aspx
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Grammar Exercise
Grammar Exercise on SUBJECT-VERB-AGREEMENT
1.The long ramp, as well as the tiny lots and confusing signs in mall carparks
_________ (is, are) driving motorists crazy.
2.Either John or his sons __________ (is, are) going to get the assets from their company board.
3.There _________ (is, are) still some missing evidence that may lead us to new discoveries in solving this murder case.
4.The recent news on Sichuan Earthquake _______ (bring, brings) fear to the victims’ families and nationwide as well.
5.Half of his animal farm _______ (was, were) wrecked by the massive fire and as a result, a lot of work had to be done to rebuild back what it used to be.
6.A joint session of the ministers and its people ________ (is, are) specially scheduled next week to enhance better understanding of one another.
7.Neither Nat nor Jane ________ (is, are) going to be elected as the incoming President of Sports club.
8.Reliable resources have been reporting that use of healthcare products ________ (do, does) not make any wonders in our body systems.
9.It is the politician himself, not his fiery speeches that ________ (cause, causes) the civilians to go on violent demonstration.
10.Some reports, citing from political sources, _________ (state, states) that this nation is going to experience political unrest if nothing has been done to it.
1.The long ramp, as well as the tiny lots and confusing signs in mall carparks
_________ (is, are) driving motorists crazy.
2.Either John or his sons __________ (is, are) going to get the assets from their company board.
3.There _________ (is, are) still some missing evidence that may lead us to new discoveries in solving this murder case.
4.The recent news on Sichuan Earthquake _______ (bring, brings) fear to the victims’ families and nationwide as well.
5.Half of his animal farm _______ (was, were) wrecked by the massive fire and as a result, a lot of work had to be done to rebuild back what it used to be.
6.A joint session of the ministers and its people ________ (is, are) specially scheduled next week to enhance better understanding of one another.
7.Neither Nat nor Jane ________ (is, are) going to be elected as the incoming President of Sports club.
8.Reliable resources have been reporting that use of healthcare products ________ (do, does) not make any wonders in our body systems.
9.It is the politician himself, not his fiery speeches that ________ (cause, causes) the civilians to go on violent demonstration.
10.Some reports, citing from political sources, _________ (state, states) that this nation is going to experience political unrest if nothing has been done to it.
Portfolio 2 (common grammar mistakes)
Identify 1 of your common grammar mistakes and explain how the grammatical structure should be used correctly in 200-300 words. In addition, include a practice exercise or activity (not already assigned or in the textbook) related to the grammatical structure. The resources in SELF or on ITSELF may help you.
To write a well-written essay, the proper use of grammar forms is one of the few important aspects that the writers should take into consideration of. Basically, it serves as the basic building block in possessing good command of English, however, it has often been neglected by the writers whom generally overlook and place emphasis on other aspects. Meanwhile, I will focus on one of the grammar forms: SUBJECT-VERB-ARGUMENT in particular.
In simple, SUBJECT-VERB-ARGUMENT (SVA) is defined as a singular subject should come with a singular verb whereas a plural subject should follow by a plural verb. SVA may seem to be straightforward and logical initially but with the incidence of complex and contradictory situations, it may confuse the writers, whom in turn become susceptible in making grammatical mistakes in sentences.
To start off, when comes to indefinite pronouns like ‘everyone’, ‘anyone’ and ‘somebody’, they may seem to be plural but in actual fact, they are always singular and require singular verbs. On the contrary, indefinite pronouns like ‘all’ and ‘some’ can be singular or plural, depending on the specific count of the subject. Then for fractional expressions, they can be either singular or plural as well, depending on the meaning it takes.
Regarding on words ending with‘s’, it can take singular or plural verbs by determining the nature of word form. Besides, two subjects joined by a conjunction contain a plural verb naturally but, the writers have to take note of phrases (non- conjunctions) that seem to join two subjects together. It may not necessarily be plural, depending on the root of the word form as well.
Last but not least, when there is a lengthy explanation that comes after the subject, writers tend to misinterpret it as plural form. To be grammatically correct, they just have to stick to the subject without considering the explanation. In addition, the subject always comes after the verb for an expletive construction which involves ‘there’ at the beginning of a sentence.
In conclusion, a good writer is someone who never fails to emphasize on the significance of grammar structure and also, not neglecting other aspects that contribute to a beautiful piece of essay. Hence, the use of proper grammar structure is at its essence of having good understanding of English.
-The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, “Subject and Verb Agreement”, [online document]
Available at: http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
a heartfelt thanks to my long-time buddies, terence and lihao for contributing useful comments with regards to my online essay. I could see the huge potential in you two to become young, promising and talented engineers in the future making. Let's do our best and work towards the same goal for the goodwill of society. cheers! =)
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