TOW #24- My Stroke of Insight

            We often hear people describe themselves as strictly “right-brained” or “left-brained.” Right brain thinking is non-verbal and intuitive while left brain is verbal and analytical. Although we may identify with one hemisphere of the brain more than the other, they work together in our everyday lives to process information. Chronicled in Jill Bolte Taylor’s discovery and enlightenment in My Stroke of Insight, there is great importance in having a balanced brain. When Taylor was a thirty-seven year old Harvard-trained brain scientist, she experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate, Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. Taylor’s stroke was a blessing and a revelation for her. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter."

            The right and left sides of the brain focus on different skills which, when combined, enable individuals to be rational and spontaneous, analytical and creative. It wasn’t until experiencing the stroke that Taylor’s consciousness shifted and found deep inner peace. This was an eye-opening experience for her because it was the first time that she was really able to see the power of the right hemisphere. She came to the realization that the two sides must be balanced in order to maximize our quality of life, believing that “the more time we spend running the deep inner peace circuitry of our right brain, then the more peace we will project into the world, and ultimately the more peace we will have on the planet.”

TOW #23- Political Cartoon

As our reliance on technology has continued to increase, people have put forth the assertion that technology has a negative effect on modern society. Mike Smith, an award-winning editorial cartoonist featured daily in the Las Vegas Sun, applies this notion to his work. But what Smith and others fail to consider is how much technology makes life easier for us and that there may be other correlations to student’s test scores than just our usage of technology.

Yes, the amount of time we spend using our beloved devices is a lot more than it should be, but that’s not to say that this only applies to Americans. Our dependence on technology is global and comparing test scores in China and the U.S. based on our usage of it is invalid. Even those top test scoring students in Shanghai probably use a decent amount of technology. But just because Chinese students test better, doesn’t mean they use technology any less. If anything, the correlation comes mostly from the rigor and importance stressed on academics and that technology is a tool when it comes to preparing for tests.

In my experience as a student, technology has made many aspects of learning better. Having all the files that I need for my classes in the school-issued laptop makes it much easier to stay organized. Not only am I no longer needed to lug around all of my heavy books and binders from class to class, there are so many aspects of using technology that make learning easier. I am constantly using Quizlet’s learning tools to help me prepare for tests. The repetition of flash cards and games drill the information into my brain quickly and I’m not wasting pages of paper in the process. Technology has pushed us forward more than it has set us back, we just need to know our limits with how much it should be used. 

TOW #22- Feel the Math

            As far as the 2016 presidential race goes, many have been surprised with how far the Sanders campaign has come. They expected Hillary Clinton to get an easy democratic nomination with no one else in her way. But even though Sanders gave Clinton a bit of a run for her money, the facts show that Sanders has slim chances of winning the nomination.

            Paul Krugman informs readers in his article, “Feel the Math,” that at this point it’s all about delegate counts, where Clinton has a substantial lead with the voting more than half over. Taking account of what we know about demographic factors, like that Sanders mainly does well in very white states and in caucuses, the Times’s Upshot calculator informs us about the remainder of the race and what to expect. It shows that Sanders would need to win by about a 13 point margin from here on in. Krugman’s statistics go on to say that at this point, “it’s something like a 90 percent probability that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee.” Even though Wisconsin is a demographically favorable state for him to win next week, unless it’s a huge blowout (which the polls aren’t showing), Clinton will still be very much on track for the nomination.

            Wherever we stand with our political opinions, it’s important to keep our eyes open and be more realistic about our choices. The Sanders campaign has shocked many people with how far it has gotten and with how many people have shown support for it, but as time moves closer to November, the end comes along with it. 

TOW #21- Social Disgraces

Regardless of how you feel about Facebook and Twitter, there’s no denying that they’ve changed our world. But the topic of debate that surrounds social media is whether or not they’ve changed the world for the better or for the worse. Kristin Appenbrink’s essay, “Social Disgraces,” takes a closer look at this topic and shares common social-media faux pas that many of us do. To a certain extent, it is easy to see why the “limitless opportunities to connect with others… and irritate them” can make us rethink our ceaseless usage of social media. But at the end of the day, the positive impacts that social media brings into our lives outweigh the negatives.

Communication is the single most important aspect of social media and it is something that many of us take for granted. It allows us to message, share pictures and videos, and keep in touch with people on the other side of the world. Last year, my friend studied abroad in Spain for a year. Needless to say, I missed her and social media helped me stay in contact with her. I could view all her pictures and send her messages with just the click of buttons. The half a world away that distanced us was irrelevant and helped keep a friendship alive. Social media lets us be close to the people in our lives that we love, even when we are nowhere near them.

Sure, we consume a solid amount of time on Facebook and Twitter that could be spent doing other things. Sure, we have probably irritated others on social media at one point or another. But these things do not compare to the value it brings into our lives. And whether or not people agree with that or not doesn’t matter because social media has and will continue to shape the world around us, for better or for worse. 

TOW #20- My Stroke of Insight

            Oftentimes, we hear people describe themselves as strictly “right-brained” or “left-brained.” Right brain thinking is non-verbal and intuitive while left brain is verbal and analytical. Although we may identify with one hemisphere of the brain more than the other, they work together in our everyday lives to process information. Chronicled in Jill Bolte Taylor’s discovery and enlightenment in My Stroke of Insight, there is great importance in having a balanced brain.

            In 1996, when Taylor was a thirty-seven year old Harvard-trained brain scientist, she experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate, Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. Taylor’s stroke was a blessing and a revelation for her. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter."

            The right and left sides of the brain focus on different skills which, when combined, enable individuals to be rational and spontaneous, analytical and creative. It wasn’t until experiencing the stroke that Taylor’s consciousness shifted and found deep inner peace. This was an eye-opening experience for her because it was the first time that she was really able to see the power of the right hemisphere. She came to the realization that the two sides must be balanced in order to maximize our quality of life, believing that “the more time we spend running the deep inner peace circuitry of our right brain, then the more peace we will project into the world, and ultimately the more peace we will have on the planet.”

TOW #19- The Wrong Way to Teach Math

From the time we begin elementary school, we are taught about the importance of math. By the time we get to high school, we have mastered addition through division and are sent through geometry, algebra, and calculus. But what are we getting out of this? How does all this math help us in the real world? Through Andrew Hacker’s article, “The Wrong Way to Teach Math,” it is evident that there is minimal correlation between the rigorous content that we are taught in math class and its application in the real world.

For one thing, many students “can’t see how such formulas connect with the lives they’ll be leading.” As a high school student, I can understand this statement. It’s one thing to understand a concept in math class and it’s another to understand why you’re doing it. Teachers put so much emphasis on the rigor and range of the math we are taught. I can understand how math acts as a way of problem solving and exercising our brains, but for the amount of time and brain-power we put into something, as students, we deserve to know why we are doing what we are doing. As Hacker stresses, we need to raise the importance in the proficiency of “quantitative literacy.” We need to be comfortable reading graphs and charts and adept at calculating simple figures in our heads. As Hacker puts it, “Ours has become a quantitative century, and we must master its language.” The problem is, there is this assumption made that all kinds of math will make us more numerically adept. But this is flawed. Our society needs to put more emphasis on the idea of quantitative literacy than on our high advancements in math levels. 

TOW #18- Would You Care More If I Was a Panda?

The World Wildlife Fund is an organization that challenges environmental issues through various campaigns. In this advertisement, they make the argument that in today’s society we tend to only focus on well- known endangered species such as the panda and neglect other lesser known animals like the bluefish tuna. The image displays several bluefish tuna, one of which is wearing a panda mask, and questions, “Would you care more if I was a panda?” This interesting approach by the organization is quite to the point. Without researching this advertisement, I wouldn’t have known that it was a bluefish tuna fish. The unrealistic aspect of the lone fish wearing a mask with the question being asked are intriguing because they hold truth to an audience guilty of paying more attention to the well-known endangered animals.

The audience aren’t the only ones guilty of this. The logo of the World Wildlife Fund depicts the image of a panda. By choosing the mask of a panda to cover the face of the fish, this organization is guilty too. Despite this, it makes the argument even more effective. With many people being guilty of focusing only on well-known endangered species, including the organization advertising the problem, there is more unity in making change to a realistic issue. The World Wildlife Fund effectively promotes helping all endangered species, not just the ones we’re more aware of. They’re changing the idea of how people, including their own organization, make change within biodiversity conservation.
 

TOW #17- Flaws in the New SAT

As a junior in high school, the stress of college-admissions tests is something that I’ve become familiar with this school year. With the addition of the New SAT as another test option, deciding which test I wanted to take wasn’t the easiest. But after reading public education director of FairTest Bob Schaeffer’s view on the New SAT, I don’t regret deciding to take the ACT. In his brief letter, he highlights how “none of the coming changes to the SAT address the test’s historic flaws.”

He focuses on how the revised exam is still “just as susceptible to high-priced, test-prep “steroids” as its predecessor.” It is understandable that these exams help colleges make decisions, but there must be a better way. The unfair financial problem created by these exams leaves those that can’t afford tutoring with bad results and those that can with good results. The same disadvantageous aspects of the test are still here, skewed significantly “by race, gender and family income.”

Schaeffer closes the letter with facts that look into the direction colleges are starting to go in. More and more are no longer requiring applicant to submit scores from any standardized exam. He supports his position by including that this is true with more than 850 accredited, bachelor-degree-granting institutions, including 200 of the most selective in the country. Schools are seeing the problems with these tests and want to get rid of them too. It is evident that this college-admissions process is changing, especially with the dissatisfaction that people like Mr. Schaeffer are seeing in the direction that the New SAT is going. 

IRB Intro Post #3

My third IRB will be My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. In it, she tells of her experience of having a stroke in her left hemisphere, and how that gave her insight into brain functioning. I have an interest in psychology and I hope that by reading this book I can gain a deeper understanding about the way our brains work. 

TOW #16- Words Don’t Mean What They Mean

            As simple as human communication is perceived to be, the logic of indirect speech is a complex subject matter. In his book, The Stuff of Thought, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker explains why speaking plainly may not be all it's understood to be. He compares examples from pop culture and uses a metaphor to underline the misleading, important details of language.

            In this essay, Pinker references the movie Tootsie and the TV show Seinfeld to display the complexity of communication in sexual relationships. He writes, “It is in the arena of sexual relationships, however, that the linguistic dance can be its most elaborate. In an episode of Seinfeld, George is asked by his date if he would like to come up for coffee. He declines, explaining that caffeine keeps him up at night. Later he slaps his forehead: “‘Coffee’ doesn’t mean coffee! ‘Coffee’ means sex!” The moment is funny, but it’s also a reminder of just how carefully romantic partners must always tread. Make too blatant a request, as in Tootsie, and the hearer is offended; too subtle, as in Seinfeld, and it can go over the hearer’s head.” This example clearly captures Pinker’s main idea: words usually have implied meanings that can complicate our thoughts and actions.

            Pinker also creates a metaphor to emphasize the importance in understanding the various meanings of language. To conclude the essay, he writes, “Language is a window into human nature, but it is also a fistula, an open wound through which we’re exposed to an infectious world.” This comparison beautiful summarizes his main idea by addressing the advantages and disadvantages that come along with language. It allows us to communicate with one another, but it also poses a threat of negative consequences. The details that Pinker includes to examine this aspect of language makes his essay interesting and effective.  

TOW #15- Girl at the Mirror

In my bedroom, there is a framed copy of one of Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers. Titled Girl at the Mirror, this painting depicts a young girl contemplating her own reflection. Rockwell’s details capture the poignancy and uncertainty of growing up.

Painted in 1954, the scene is mostly dark, with the brightest part of the composition focused on the young girl and her reflection. She has a magazine opened up on her lap that reveals a movie star. Scattered on the floor is lipstick and a brush, while a discarded doll is off the side. The way that these details are juxtaposed makes it immediately apparent that this girl is on the verge of leaving behind her childhood toys and her innocent unawareness of her appearance, and entering into the stage of her life where Hollywood and advertisers’ ideas of beauty are suddenly powerful forces in the understanding of identity.

Rockwell’s use of color and lighting, along with the sad and anxious facial expression of the girl, are important components of this painting that reflect a depressing mood. The dark colors blend to contrast with the soft white that the girl is wearing. While the child is pure, the world around her is dark and gloomy. These details are representative of the juxtaposition between childhood and womanhood that is being depicted in the painting.  

The girl is inevitably transitioning out of childhood and is faced with the harsh expectations and realities of growing up. Rockwell’s depiction of this is a work of realism that has and will continue to be relative in society and pop culture. 

TOW #14- You Don’t Need More Free Time

            The disproportionate cycle of long workweeks and cherished weekends leaves many Americans with the struggle of keeping a healthy balance between work and life. It’s understandable to assume that the reason problem is simply because people don’t have enough free time. But despite this commonplace belief, Cristobal Young, an assistant professor of sociology at Stanford University, argues it to be more complicated than that. He explains that it’s not just that we have a shortage of free time; it’s also that our free time, in order to be satisfying, often must align with that of our friends and loved ones.

            In a study that Young and his colleague published, they examined the day-to-day fluctuations and patterns in people’s emotions, week after week. They found that for both employed and unemployed people, well-being is lowest Monday through Thursday, rises on Friday, and peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Young’s parallel comparative results between employed and unemployed people support his argument by showing that whether or not someone has free time has minimal correlation to emotions.

            Young then raises the question: why is the weekend also so important to the unemployed? Directly answering his own question, he introduces the concept of “network goods,” things that derive their value from being widely shared. He uses an example of a computer to explain that its value depends in large measure on how many other people also have a computer. As communication technology, it is indispensable when everyone you know has one. But if you were the only person with a computer, its value would be limited. This analogy makes Young’s point about free time, because it is also a network good. Weekends are valuable because most people have them, not just because they are a respite from work. He concludes that you cannot get more “weekend” simply by taking an extra day off work yourself.