Brain mapping is a relatively new technology. However, its applications on a large scale can be predicted already. With its magical power, brain mapping can serve in investigating criminals, patients with disorders of minds, and even naughty children if their parents want. Similar as the gene technology, test-tube baby technology, etc., ethnical problems relating to brain mapping has been brought up. The society is considering issues like, who is eligible to decide when, where and to whom the technoligy can be used, how to keep the information of brain mapping safe and private. To minimize the negative effects of brain mapping, I think scientists could work on two aspects: policy and technology.
First, governments should make laws to regulate the issues relating to brain mapping. Once put into use, governments should build a system to clarify who can decide the usage of brain mapping as well as methods to protect the information relevant to brain mapping. In addition, a special department might need to be put in the government to deal with the issues.
Second, scientists should work on technological aspect to develop ways to ensure the safety of the information got. In other words, besides working on developing brain mapping the technology itself, scientists should also put efforts in developing technologies on safety system. Only if a strong technological backup forcing is presented, can scientists and governments be able to control the leaking of information.
The realising of brain mapping's applications are still seem to be far, though, considerations on how to prevent negative ethnical issues to happen is necessery now. Only when scientists develop technological and political parts well, can we minimize the potential unethical abuses of brain mapping.
2008-11-04
Protfolio 4: the major difficulty I have in acadamic writing
One major problem I encounter in almost every kind of writing is grammar. I would make mistakes in punchuation, preposition, citation, etc. I've tried nearly all possilble errors, of course, not on purpose. Well, I've dig for the causings and realised that the problem is not that I don't know the correct ways of writing but that I write too few, read too few and thus I'm not familiar with the grammar knowledge. I may have encountered a certain point, but would forget it during the writing process. Therefore, the best way seems to be, as suggested by Ms Khoo as well, to read more. Yes, to read more and construct a proper "English mindset". Fortuanately, there're plenty of interesting English books I can choose from. Hopefully, I can pick up grammar knowledg as well as vocabulary during my way of mass reading.
Another problem making me sick is about expression. This divides into two aspects. One is I often use wrong words or wrong combinations of words. Similar with the grammar one, I blame this problem for lack of reading. Moreover, I'm too lazy during the writing process. I don't bother to look through the dictionary to confirm the correct way of using a word. Even if I looked a word up, I might lose my patience in the half way and fail to finish reading the complete explaination. To improve the situation, I need to correct my attitude and put in more efforts. The second aspect about expression is my writing is often weaker than my mind. I would repeat typing and deleting and try to find the best way to express myself. However, most of the times I still fail to express clearly, though I've gone through trial and error. I think this problem reflects my general English ability, relating to every aspect. Therefore, I suppose only during long enough process of continuous learning could I improve my expressing skills.
By discussing the two problems, I realise I need to read more proper English writings. The process seems to be long, but I will definitely give a try.
Another problem making me sick is about expression. This divides into two aspects. One is I often use wrong words or wrong combinations of words. Similar with the grammar one, I blame this problem for lack of reading. Moreover, I'm too lazy during the writing process. I don't bother to look through the dictionary to confirm the correct way of using a word. Even if I looked a word up, I might lose my patience in the half way and fail to finish reading the complete explaination. To improve the situation, I need to correct my attitude and put in more efforts. The second aspect about expression is my writing is often weaker than my mind. I would repeat typing and deleting and try to find the best way to express myself. However, most of the times I still fail to express clearly, though I've gone through trial and error. I think this problem reflects my general English ability, relating to every aspect. Therefore, I suppose only during long enough process of continuous learning could I improve my expressing skills.
By discussing the two problems, I realise I need to read more proper English writings. The process seems to be long, but I will definitely give a try.
2008-10-05
Portfolio 3: Summary of one grand challenge facing by engineers today
One of the grand challenges for engineering nowadays is how to prevent terrorists from using nuclear weapons to threat the world. Since the beginning of nuclear era, materials for making nuclear weapons have been manufactured globally. Some countries can’t prevent these materials from theft or transaction. In addition, terrorists nowadays might have mastered the knowledge to make nuclear weapons.
The main problem for the terrorists now is lack of fissile material, which is plutonium or uranium with large portion being able to perform rapid nuclear fission. Both plutonium and uranium suitable for making nuclear weapons are rare.
Since fuel for nuclear power reactors are not powerful enough to make a bomb. Terrorists’ main targets are fuels specially produced for some large power needed reactors. Plutonium is radioactivity and an ideal fuel for nuclear explosives. Plutonium is world widely used, so that it’s also a target of the terrorists.
Therefore, engineers face the challenging of find, record and keep all the harmful nuclear materials over the world and prevent them to be used out of terrorism purpose.
To prevent terrorism nuclear attack, keeping the materials, detecting the materials at a distance, making devices harmless, building systematical deals after a nuclear explosion and determining the troublemaker are the main challenges.
Some are information based, which means the existed nuclear materials and weapons must be monitored well to prevent theft or illegal diversion.
Another potential danger is terrorists might produce homemade bombs from parts of used bombs. The homemade bombs are more powerful.
In addition, some irresponsible professional designers also help terrorists to build bombs of mass destruction.
When facing technical problems during building a whole bomb, terrorists tend to raise nuclear panics among public. They would use conventional explosives to spread radioactivity materials, which could cause long-lasting deadly diseases in a large scale. Hence, engineers must know how to monitor the materials in daily time and clean the city after explosives.
One last challenge is how to make non-military usage of nuclear energy safe. In other words, engineers have to make sure countries use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose doesn’t make bombs. It’s difficult because countries would tend to do so out of financial factors and records are unreliable.
There are some workable engineering solutions.
One is to plant a device near any nuclear reactor to detect and prevent moving of nuclear materials. This kind of device is under research and testing.
Another solution is stopping transportation of nuclear materials. However, it’s tough, because a large amount of transportation occurs every day. It’s hard to examine each. Moreover, none effective way to detect nuclear materials during transportation is available now.
One new way is to detect nuclear materials without opening the goods during transportation. It is something like an X-ray. However, this method won’t work if the materials were shielded with a lot of water.
Engineers are simulating real time examining procedures. Tryouts even happen between Russia and America. A reasonable budget to popularize the procedures is needed.
Even though new challenges are likely to come, they will be solved relying on the ability of system and engineers as well as the mastering of nuclear knowledge.
The originally article can be found here.
The main problem for the terrorists now is lack of fissile material, which is plutonium or uranium with large portion being able to perform rapid nuclear fission. Both plutonium and uranium suitable for making nuclear weapons are rare.
Since fuel for nuclear power reactors are not powerful enough to make a bomb. Terrorists’ main targets are fuels specially produced for some large power needed reactors. Plutonium is radioactivity and an ideal fuel for nuclear explosives. Plutonium is world widely used, so that it’s also a target of the terrorists.
Therefore, engineers face the challenging of find, record and keep all the harmful nuclear materials over the world and prevent them to be used out of terrorism purpose.
To prevent terrorism nuclear attack, keeping the materials, detecting the materials at a distance, making devices harmless, building systematical deals after a nuclear explosion and determining the troublemaker are the main challenges.
Some are information based, which means the existed nuclear materials and weapons must be monitored well to prevent theft or illegal diversion.
Another potential danger is terrorists might produce homemade bombs from parts of used bombs. The homemade bombs are more powerful.
In addition, some irresponsible professional designers also help terrorists to build bombs of mass destruction.
When facing technical problems during building a whole bomb, terrorists tend to raise nuclear panics among public. They would use conventional explosives to spread radioactivity materials, which could cause long-lasting deadly diseases in a large scale. Hence, engineers must know how to monitor the materials in daily time and clean the city after explosives.
One last challenge is how to make non-military usage of nuclear energy safe. In other words, engineers have to make sure countries use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose doesn’t make bombs. It’s difficult because countries would tend to do so out of financial factors and records are unreliable.
There are some workable engineering solutions.
One is to plant a device near any nuclear reactor to detect and prevent moving of nuclear materials. This kind of device is under research and testing.
Another solution is stopping transportation of nuclear materials. However, it’s tough, because a large amount of transportation occurs every day. It’s hard to examine each. Moreover, none effective way to detect nuclear materials during transportation is available now.
One new way is to detect nuclear materials without opening the goods during transportation. It is something like an X-ray. However, this method won’t work if the materials were shielded with a lot of water.
Engineers are simulating real time examining procedures. Tryouts even happen between Russia and America. A reasonable budget to popularize the procedures is needed.
Even though new challenges are likely to come, they will be solved relying on the ability of system and engineers as well as the mastering of nuclear knowledge.
The originally article can be found here.
2008-09-18
Writing assignment 1
One possibel disadvantage of focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education rather than language arts is that engineers might end up lacking language skills, and thus facing problems in publishing their ideas. For example, Michael Faraday discovered the Law of Electromagnetic Induction as early as the 1830s (Anonymous, 2008, para. 16-17). However, the world only got to know his great idea some 30 years later. Why? Faraday did not spend these years polishing his work; instead, he struggled to get it published, because he was very bad in writing. He treid to make others understand his great work, but his writing only made his ideas more confusing. Though he finally managed to find someone who could understand his broken language, it was really a waste of time for a scientist as brilliant as Faraday--he could have used the time to do more significant studies. In contrast, Stephen Hawking shows how good language skills can help to convey knowledge to the public. A Brief History of Time is undoutedly one of the most outstanding po;ular science books so far. As Hawking himself had said:"The aim is to put it in a form that's understandable" (Anonymous, 2001, para. 8). Indeed, he made his complex ideas clear by explaining abstract physics concepts in a way that even laymen can understand. Not only did good language skills help Hawking make himself understood, but they also help to give every reader a beneficial science lesson. Comparing the two examples, it is easy to conclude that language skills are very important to a scientific worker. Similarly, we can suppose it is the sme case with an engineer. Lacing language skills can be an obstacle in an engineer's work. It is also an unavoidabel disadvantage of focusing on STEM education to the detriment of language arts.
References
Anonymous, Michael Faraday. (2008). Retrieved September 2, 2008 from
Anonymous, Hawking's briefer history of time. (2001). Retrieved September 2, 2008 from
2008-09-14
Portfolio2--One common grammar mistake of mine in acadamic writing
In academic writing, one of the grammar mistakes I always make is about the using of correct prepositions. In English, different words have their own fixed prepositions to go with. I do find it very hard to remember all the combinations. Therefore, I tend to make mistakes like “lacking of something”, “end in doing something”, and “spend time to do something”. On the contrary, we should use “lack”, “end” and “spend” as “lacking something”, “end up” and “spend time doing something”. I think the most likely reason for me to keep making such mistakes is I am not familiar with English. I read too few articles, wrote too few essays and did too few exercises. For prepositions, I think the best way to remember how to use them is through practice and exercises. Once I complete enough exercise, I should be familiar with their usage and pick up the way to use them through the process of learning. Therefore, I will read more academic reading in my future study and pay special attention to the using of prepositions. In addition, I will find more on-line exercises to help me distinguish the right way of using prepositions and common mistakes students tend to make. I know learning prepositions is a time consuming process, but I am sure it is a worthy process.
Some exercises for proposition usage I find:
1. Fill in the right preposition
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/exercise.asp?exid=916
2. Fill in the missing prepositions
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/exercise.asp?exid=918
3. To, for and so that
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1614_gramchallenge37/
(the last exercise is not about preposition. But I still think it's very useful)
Some exercises for proposition usage I find:
1. Fill in the right preposition
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/exercise.asp?exid=916
2. Fill in the missing prepositions
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/exercise.asp?exid=918
3. To, for and so that
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1614_gramchallenge37/
(the last exercise is not about preposition. But I still think it's very useful)
2008-08-21
Some reflection with respect to the first two articles--Assignment 1
As it is said in the article, achievements in engineering accelerate human civilization dramatically since the Industrial Revolution. Many mission-impossibles are fulfilled within some decade of years. However, many problems also rise as the by-products, such as global warming, deforestation, water pollution, etc. Therefore, in my opinion, instead of seeking new ways to give our development one more burst, the most important challenge for modern engineers is to find a way for sustainable development of the human race.
Sustainable development might not seem as urgent as some of the challenges, but its influence is deep and long-lasting. Take global warming as an example. The global temperature is rising at some 0.6 or 0.7 degree centigrade annually. The change is hard to feel in our daily life. However, if no countermeasures were taken, in a few years, the whole Earth would be heated up by about 6 or 7 degree centigrade. How would this matter? First, global temperature and precipitation distribution would be very different from now. Thus, agriculture is affected. For some regions, arable lands can’t be used any longer; for some new crops have to be brought in from other places, therefore local ecological balance is violated. Second, there will be more natural disasters, such as earthquake and tsunami, and of more strength. Third, the volume of ocean will expand. Sea level would rise and ocean would swallow lands. The worst thing about this is the expansion of the ocean body would last for years even if actions were taken immediately. Therefore, we’ve no time to wait and waste. It’ll be too late if we took actions only after problems became obvious.
However, as the problem of sustainable development doesn’t seem urgent, it is harder for engineers to solve it. Insufficient funding and public attentions are the main obstacles. Perhaps this is not only a challenge for the engineers, but the challenge of the whole human race.
Sustainable development might not seem as urgent as some of the challenges, but its influence is deep and long-lasting. Take global warming as an example. The global temperature is rising at some 0.6 or 0.7 degree centigrade annually. The change is hard to feel in our daily life. However, if no countermeasures were taken, in a few years, the whole Earth would be heated up by about 6 or 7 degree centigrade. How would this matter? First, global temperature and precipitation distribution would be very different from now. Thus, agriculture is affected. For some regions, arable lands can’t be used any longer; for some new crops have to be brought in from other places, therefore local ecological balance is violated. Second, there will be more natural disasters, such as earthquake and tsunami, and of more strength. Third, the volume of ocean will expand. Sea level would rise and ocean would swallow lands. The worst thing about this is the expansion of the ocean body would last for years even if actions were taken immediately. Therefore, we’ve no time to wait and waste. It’ll be too late if we took actions only after problems became obvious.
However, as the problem of sustainable development doesn’t seem urgent, it is harder for engineers to solve it. Insufficient funding and public attentions are the main obstacles. Perhaps this is not only a challenge for the engineers, but the challenge of the whole human race.
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