1.) The role of myelin in the frontal lobe and decision-making is that since the frontal lobe isn't fully connected yet and doesn't have much myelin, which basically acts as insulation for the nerves, it is less capable of making good decisions. Adults have fully developed frontal lobes and more myelin, thus their brain signals can flow more freely than that have teenagers.
2.) The role of the cerebellum in decision-making is to coordinate the thinking process and to smooth over the thoughts resulting from life experiences in an organized matter. The cerebellum doesn't fully develop until the late 20s, so it is certainly not completely developed in a teenager, and thus the adolescent thinking process is less organized, leading to worse decisions.
3.) The role of socialization in the moral development of children is to shape their possibly already existing moral codes so that they adhere to the norms. The implications of socialization on the possibility of a universal moral code are that if our morality can be molded from that start, we can aspire as a race to achieving a universal moral code where we can all understand each other and be truly unselfish through cultural experiences.
4.) When I'm making a decision, I try to consider all of the pros and cons of that decision, and the results of it if I take action. In doing so, I weigh the benefits of that decision against the costs, and can determine if it is a good decision to take action on or not. For example, I'm looking at colleges right now as a junior in high school, and when I'm narrowing colleges down it's a matter of weighing the good against the bad. Eventually, I'm going to have to make that big decision and choose my college, and to do that I'll have to determine whether or not the benefits of that college will outweigh the costs by just trying to predict all the possible outcomes. I'd say that being able to make good, smart decisions, is extremely important and definitely matters. The decisions I make now determine my future, so it's worrisome that my brain isn't as capable of making them according to the neurological studies.
Friday, May 24, 2013
The 16th Man Blog Post
1.) Knowledge issue question: Can sports really change people's minds so drastically as to significantly change the world, or it something else beyond the sport itself?
2.) My CAS activity: World Challenge Ecuador
In relation to Mandela Quote: Mandela believed that something like sport could change the world, and it's the aspect of sports that involves people of different cultures being able to work together that is what has that ability. When I go to Ecuador this summer, I'm going to be doing some community service for mentally challenged kids who speak a totally different language and who have grown up in a completely different culture. We will be working together, and will be simultaneously understanding each others' lives better while doing so. In that way, we will be bridging cultural gaps, like the rugby teams did, but on a bit smaller scale.
2.) My CAS activity: World Challenge Ecuador
In relation to Mandela Quote: Mandela believed that something like sport could change the world, and it's the aspect of sports that involves people of different cultures being able to work together that is what has that ability. When I go to Ecuador this summer, I'm going to be doing some community service for mentally challenged kids who speak a totally different language and who have grown up in a completely different culture. We will be working together, and will be simultaneously understanding each others' lives better while doing so. In that way, we will be bridging cultural gaps, like the rugby teams did, but on a bit smaller scale.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Reflection Assignment
1.) Emotion and memory have many links, and can be quite dependent on eachother. When a person feels an intense emotion, it is more likely that they will have a more vivid memory of the situation surrounding that emotion. Conversely, memories are often based upon what someone felt at a time rather than what they saw, smelt, or touched. For example, I can remember times when I was really sad, but not exactly what was going on at the time. This however is not always the case. Sometimes intense negative emotions that are scarring and traumatic can cause someone to subconsciously rid of the memories of that situation. A memory can actually cause new emotions too, for example remembering a lost loved one can stir up emotions of grief and sadness. Basically emotions and memories are connected in various ways that directly affect one another.
2.) High reason is "the point of view that someone other than you might take with respect to your future," it "values pure reason and logical deduction above all else." Somatic hypothesis is when you have a gut feeling about something, a feeling about something that affects you physically and affects your decision on something. For me, when I'm making a decision I tend to try to be as logical as possible but I don't disregard my gut feeling either. I'm currently looking at colleges and I look logically at their benefits as well as if they just feel right for me in my gut. That being said, I'm not terrific at making decisions as I put a lot of thought into each one I make.
2.) High reason is "the point of view that someone other than you might take with respect to your future," it "values pure reason and logical deduction above all else." Somatic hypothesis is when you have a gut feeling about something, a feeling about something that affects you physically and affects your decision on something. For me, when I'm making a decision I tend to try to be as logical as possible but I don't disregard my gut feeling either. I'm currently looking at colleges and I look logically at their benefits as well as if they just feel right for me in my gut. That being said, I'm not terrific at making decisions as I put a lot of thought into each one I make.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Thoughts and Questions on Language
Concept: Is human language innate or learned?
Packet: B "Language"
Pages: 80-81
My thoughts: I believe that language is innate in humans, and that there is an inherent ability in humans to communicate with words/sound. However, that doesn't mean that I don't think society and culture affect language, as they certainly do. It's just that society forms the language that is already there; it shapes it but does not create it.
Two "good TOK questions" for this concept:
1.) What causes society to have such a large influence on language?
2.) Is it possible to understand abstract ideas of others properly without verbal language?
Packet: B "Language"
Pages: 80-81
My thoughts: I believe that language is innate in humans, and that there is an inherent ability in humans to communicate with words/sound. However, that doesn't mean that I don't think society and culture affect language, as they certainly do. It's just that society forms the language that is already there; it shapes it but does not create it.
Two "good TOK questions" for this concept:
1.) What causes society to have such a large influence on language?
2.) Is it possible to understand abstract ideas of others properly without verbal language?
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Save the Ainu Language!
1. The Ainu language is a language of Japan, specifically the Kuril Islands and Hokkaidu, that is nearly extinct. The word Ainu means human in the language.
2. The Ainu have unknown origins but once they came into contact with Japanese people they experienced racism and various conflicts, leading to the banning of their language and near slavery in the Japanese fishing industry. Many Ainu today like to identify as Utari instead.
http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Ainu
3.
This is an image of 5 Ainu gathered around reciting a "Yukar", or tale of a hero. I feel this supports the saving of the Ainu language as the Ainu valued oral literature and within the language reside many stories to be told.
http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/en/study/eng13.html
4.
This is an image of an old Ainu man. It is reflective of the Ainu culture as all men had long beards like him and he is wearing traditional clothes. I feel that this photo just carries within it the feeling of how old and important the traditions were to the Ainu.
http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/en/study/eng01.html
2. The Ainu have unknown origins but once they came into contact with Japanese people they experienced racism and various conflicts, leading to the banning of their language and near slavery in the Japanese fishing industry. Many Ainu today like to identify as Utari instead.
http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Ainu
3.
This is an image of 5 Ainu gathered around reciting a "Yukar", or tale of a hero. I feel this supports the saving of the Ainu language as the Ainu valued oral literature and within the language reside many stories to be told.
http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/en/study/eng13.html
4.
This is an image of an old Ainu man. It is reflective of the Ainu culture as all men had long beards like him and he is wearing traditional clothes. I feel that this photo just carries within it the feeling of how old and important the traditions were to the Ainu.
http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/en/study/eng01.html
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Symbols
http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/30/3061.html
1. The Cultural Origins
This is and Egyptian hieroglyph thats means "underworld" or "kingdom of death." The star in its center is an Egyptian hieroglyph that means, not surprisingly, star.
2. What it Represents
This was mostly explained in #1, but it also can a computer sign that means "system" when it is upside down.
3. Emotive, ambiguous, or vague?
I'd say this symbol is vague, as it is just a circle with five lines in it, and I can't really deduce any real knowledge about what it means from that.
4. Knowledge Issues
The problems of knowledge that I identify with this symbol are that it can easily be mistaken by people who are computer savvy as the symbol that means system instead of an Egyptian hieroglyphic. Additionally for people who don't know Egyptian hieroglyphics and aren't involved with computers, it wouldn't be able to be understood. Lastly, since it is round and has what look like spokes, the symbol would probably be assumed to have something to do with wheels when first guessing its meaning.
5. Similar Symbol
A symbol that looks similar to the one I originally chose is this http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/30/3019.html. This is a symbol within Buddhism called the Wheel of Life. Symbols.com says that "Its eight spokes represent the eightfolded way: right knowledge, right state of mind, right speech, right action, right way of living, right striving, right vigilance, right meditation." This symbol looks very much like mine, and it actually does have a meaning that involves a wheel and spokes.
1. The Cultural Origins
This is and Egyptian hieroglyph thats means "underworld" or "kingdom of death." The star in its center is an Egyptian hieroglyph that means, not surprisingly, star.
2. What it Represents
This was mostly explained in #1, but it also can a computer sign that means "system" when it is upside down.
3. Emotive, ambiguous, or vague?
I'd say this symbol is vague, as it is just a circle with five lines in it, and I can't really deduce any real knowledge about what it means from that.
4. Knowledge Issues
The problems of knowledge that I identify with this symbol are that it can easily be mistaken by people who are computer savvy as the symbol that means system instead of an Egyptian hieroglyphic. Additionally for people who don't know Egyptian hieroglyphics and aren't involved with computers, it wouldn't be able to be understood. Lastly, since it is round and has what look like spokes, the symbol would probably be assumed to have something to do with wheels when first guessing its meaning.
5. Similar Symbol
A symbol that looks similar to the one I originally chose is this http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/30/3019.html. This is a symbol within Buddhism called the Wheel of Life. Symbols.com says that "Its eight spokes represent the eightfolded way: right knowledge, right state of mind, right speech, right action, right way of living, right striving, right vigilance, right meditation." This symbol looks very much like mine, and it actually does have a meaning that involves a wheel and spokes.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
WOK Language-Global Views
Quote: "...learning additional languages enhances the learning of the 'mother tongue' as well as broadening a student's worldview."
As an IB student, I strongly agree with this statement. I take French, Latin, and, of course English, and I'm also in Greek Club. I personally love languages, and learning them is a really interesting process. I've noticed that I'm become significantly more aware of other cultures while learning French, Latin, and Greek, and I've broadened my world view immensely. Learning another language also helps me more clearly understand my mother tongue, as I can see how other languages work grammatically, and pick out the differences between that language and my own.
Alex and Ray
Alex and Ray display real enthusiasm for learning languages. I couldn't believe how fluently and easily Alex spoke the languages he demonstrated in the video. Not only did he know it, he had a natural accent as well. I aspire to be able to speak multiple languages one day, even if I didn't have the advantages Alex did at traveling around at a young age.
Ray also was able to travel around the world because of his job, and that traveling is what triggered his love for learning languages. Both of these people showed how nice it is to be able to speak to people around the world, and how it facilitates traveling and working in other countries. Their international abilities and worldliness are definitely qualities that support language learning. Lastly, I do know someone who demonstrates the same qualities in my school: Meredith Sullivan. She travels often and is so eager to learn new languages that she does whatever she can to go to the native countries. I've heard her speak multiple languages, and she is always so committed to learning more about them.
The Best Way to Learn a Language
I think that I am more of a auditory and kinaesthetic learner. I find that in French class speaking out loud and hearing the vocabulary that Madame Blanc uses helps more than when I am studying vocabulary off of a sheet. Also having the experience of talking with others in a group and trying to find the right words to convey our thoughts together is really helpful. Whenever I am forced to come up with new vocabulary to convey an idea, that usually sticks in my mind. That's why I really want to go to France, so I can have the experience of being surrounded by the language and being immersed in the culture.
As an IB student, I strongly agree with this statement. I take French, Latin, and, of course English, and I'm also in Greek Club. I personally love languages, and learning them is a really interesting process. I've noticed that I'm become significantly more aware of other cultures while learning French, Latin, and Greek, and I've broadened my world view immensely. Learning another language also helps me more clearly understand my mother tongue, as I can see how other languages work grammatically, and pick out the differences between that language and my own.
Alex and Ray
Alex and Ray display real enthusiasm for learning languages. I couldn't believe how fluently and easily Alex spoke the languages he demonstrated in the video. Not only did he know it, he had a natural accent as well. I aspire to be able to speak multiple languages one day, even if I didn't have the advantages Alex did at traveling around at a young age.
Ray also was able to travel around the world because of his job, and that traveling is what triggered his love for learning languages. Both of these people showed how nice it is to be able to speak to people around the world, and how it facilitates traveling and working in other countries. Their international abilities and worldliness are definitely qualities that support language learning. Lastly, I do know someone who demonstrates the same qualities in my school: Meredith Sullivan. She travels often and is so eager to learn new languages that she does whatever she can to go to the native countries. I've heard her speak multiple languages, and she is always so committed to learning more about them.
The Best Way to Learn a Language
I think that I am more of a auditory and kinaesthetic learner. I find that in French class speaking out loud and hearing the vocabulary that Madame Blanc uses helps more than when I am studying vocabulary off of a sheet. Also having the experience of talking with others in a group and trying to find the right words to convey our thoughts together is really helpful. Whenever I am forced to come up with new vocabulary to convey an idea, that usually sticks in my mind. That's why I really want to go to France, so I can have the experience of being surrounded by the language and being immersed in the culture.
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