New horizons: What to read next?

We are now working actively on the essay that is our major academic writing assignment this term, and which will consume some time over the next few days.

But in your free time, when you are not working on the essay, what would you like to read and discuss next week?

There are two options:

1. We can continue on with Quest, doing as much of chapter 8 as we have time to cover next week.
   or
2. We could read, as a critical, academic exercise, a short novel - not an easy reader version, but the full, original text of a famous English novel. This would mean some extensive reading practice, averaging about 17 pages / day starting tomorrow. 

Although I favour the idea of reading and critically discussing a novel, which provides both valuable reading practice with an authentic text of some length and hones our skills in applying what we have read in a discussion of issues that arise, there are also advantages to sticking with a bit more Quest, which is the less challenging option. 

In accord with the fundamental democratic principle that all have a right to voice their opinion, including opinion that is against what is popular, accepted or liked, before the majority make a decision that binds all, please feel welcome to share your ideas on this. 

We will decide tomorrow morning. 

Waiving visa for tourism to boost economy

Visa application is one of uncomfortable things that tourist will be face before they are going to travel aboard. The application includes at least two or three documents such as passport, bank statement, hotel address, photocopy, and so on. This causes deterring tourists from applying visa and changing their trip.

In “Visa rules for Chinese coming to the UK to be relaxed” points out that UK will make visa application easier to apply for Chinese visitors because the UK wants to show that it open to trade and investment and UK businesses would be appreciate at this plan.

After I read this article, I think to the agreement between Thailand and Japan three months ago that waives visa requirement for each other visitors who have purpose of travelling. Japan government want to boost its economy by tourism, and it think Thai people is potential tourist due to increasing of Thai tourists in consecutive years. For Thai people who want to travel and live in Japan not over fifteen days, they do not need to apply a visa; they just use their passport for entering Japan. I think this happens because Thailand and Japan have a good relationship, they think each other is trustworthy.

Thai government is going to have same kind of agreement with China in coming day, after visiting of China prime minister. China is the world largest number of population, with over one billion people, and Chinese tourists who have to go aboard are increasing every year. Simplified visa application to Chinese tourists will be beneficial to Thailand economy and helping Thai tourism businesses.

__________

Reference

Visa rules for Chinese coming to the UK to be relaxed (2013, October 14) . BBC NEWS Business. Retrieved October 14 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24512781

Has Law persuaded you?

We have now read how Law presents a thesis with which most people disagree, how he then supports that thesis by presenting a strong argument for it and rebuts (answers) the opposing arguments of those who disagree with his main supporting argument, and how he finally addresses and rebuts a number of arguments opposing his thesis. Has he convinced you?

If Law has not convinced you, you need to either present a new argument that shows why it is morally OK to eat meat, or to show us where Law's main supporting arguments fail. Can you do this?

Most people, as Law acknowledges in his introduction, do regularly eat, and love to eat, meat. Presumably these billions of people do not think that they are acting immorally when they do so. But are they right? The great majority of people, including the slaves themselves, once believed that slavery was morally acceptable, and they were all wrong, as were the large majority who once believed that sexism and racism were both normal and nothing wrong, examples that Law uses to help clarify his ideas on speciesism. Are the great majority of us similarly in error on the issue of eating meat?

I enjoy meat and think that there is a weakness in Law's arguments. We did not read "Carving the Roast Beast" because I want to convert anyone to vegetarianism. We read it because it is a very good example of critical thinking in academic writing, and excellent preparation for our major academic writing assignment this term, which is to write a persuasive essay answering one of Hartmann's questions in Part 5 of "Medicine and Drugs: Addictive Substances". As Hartmann points out on page 226, whatever proposition we decide on for our main idea that answers one of her questions, there will be opposing arguments from those who disagree; and we need to predict and to address those arguments that oppose our proposition.

Of course, just because I disagree with Law is not a good reason for you to think he is wrong - after all, I might be wrong. If it is your opinion that eating meat is not morally wrong, you need a sound supporting reason for that, a supporting reason that is strong enough to counter Law's contradictory thesis.

So, is Law right or wrong? Why?

__________

Reference

Law, S. (2003). Carving the roast beast. In The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas, p. 124 - 140. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Response writing 1: Take babies from FAS babies? Quest 2, p. 218, ex. F.

In her concluding exercise to the three reading parts of chapter 7, Hartmann asks us to do some response writing on different topics that the previous readings have discussed (2007, p. 218, ex. F).

Response write on the following question:

• 1. Should FAS babies be taken away from their mothers? Why or why not? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Response writing 2: Fathers of FAS babies. Quest 2, p. 218, ex. F.

In her concluding exercise to the three reading parts of chapter 7, Hartmann asks us to do some response writing on different topics that the previous readings have discussed (2007, p. 218, ex. F).

Response write on the following question:

• 2. What should be the responsibility of the fathers of FAS babies? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Response writing 3: One abused substance in my country. Quest 2, p. 218, ex. F.

In her concluding exercise to the three reading parts of chapter 7, Hartmann asks us to do some response writing on different topics that the previous readings have discussed (2007, p. 218, ex. F).

Response write on the following question:

• 3. What is one substance that is abused in your country? What is its effect on the society?  

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Response writing 4: Someone with an addiction. Quest 2, p. 218, ex. F.

In her concluding exercise to the three reading parts of chapter 7, Hartmann asks us to do some response writing on different topics that the previous readings have discussed (2007, p. 218, ex. F).

Response write on the following question:

• 4. Do you know someone with an addiction? If so, at what step (from page 212) is this person?  

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Response writing 5: Groups such as AA. Quest 2, p. 218, ex. F.

In her concluding exercise to the three reading parts of chapter 7, Hartmann asks us to do some response writing on different topics that the previous readings have discussed (2007, p. 218, ex. F).

Response write on the following question:

• 5. What do you think of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

One solution: Dealing with women who use drugs when pregnant

Although I don't want to tell you what my thesis statement is yet, when I read the BBC News story "Depression risk 'starts in the womb'," I got an idea for a proposition that answers the first of Hartmann's questions in Part 5 - Academic Writing - of chapter 7: "What should be done about women who drink or take drugs when they are pregnant?" (2007, p. 224)

The article reports the findings of a long term study of more than 14,000 mothers, which shows a correlation between depression in the mother during pregnancy and depression in their children when they become adults, although the authors caution that the link is not causal ("Depression risk", 2013).

As I was writing my summary, I wanted to weaken the main verb in the last clause. Had I written the article, I would have said that the correlation might not be causal, rather than the much stronger claim that it is not causal. Although in class and in my review comments I've sometimes suggested the opposite, there are times where a weaker statement is preferable, and I think this is one of those times. But this is a minor point, and since I was summarizing, I did not change the idea in the original, even though I don't agree with it. And perhaps the authors of the journal article can indeed support the stronger statement.

More to the point for the essays we are writing over the coming week to answer one of Hartmann's questions on page 224 or her question on page 227, the article reminded me of some other things, which in turn suggested an interesting, I hope surprising and unusual, answer to the first of the questions on page 224. I will tell you what my proposition is, but after Monday when we look at thesis statements and hopefully also manage to analyse Hartmann's example paragraph on page 227, with its wonderfully controversial main idea in the topic sentence, and of course after we answer an exam question on Law's dialogue.

__________

Reference

Depression risk 'starts in the womb'. (2013, October 10). BBC News Health. Retrieved October 13, 2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24465624

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Answering question 5: Alcohol wins

In our discussions predicting the answers to some questions about drug use and abuse, I added a fifth to Hartmann's five questions (2007, p. 204): of the popular addictive drugs that people like to use for fun, which are the most and least harmful? The answer is that alcohol is by far the most harmful drug in popular use.

Harm to users and to others for
some popular drugs of addiction.

As Nutt, King and Phillips tell us in their paper "Drug Harms in the UK: A Multicriteria Decision Analysis" (MCDA), although "heroin, crack cocaine, and metamfetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals" (2010), when harm to others and society is taken into account, alcohol is the addictive drug that causes the most harm, easily beating both heroin and cocaine in the harm it causes to users and to society.

This article by Professor Nutt and other experts caused a lot of controversy when it was published in The Lancet, one of the worlds most prestigious academic medical journals. The controversy was not among experts in the field, who are in agreement, but among politicians and ordinary people, who were upset because the solidly supported conclusions of the paper flatly contradict some popular ideas about drugs: it is false that heroin is more harmful than alcohol, for example. It is also true that many illegal drugs, such as marijuana, are much, much less harmful than the legal drugs alcohol and tobacco.

Breakdown of criteria contributing
to harm ranking of addictive drugs.

This upset politicians and some others because they want to keep heroin illegal, and champagne legal, they want cocaine to be illegal, but red wine legal, they want beer to be legal, but marijuana illegal. And they need a good reason for discriminating, to say which popular drugs should be legal and which illegal. Expert opinion, supported by the facts, is that if harm, especially harm to others, is the reason for deciding which drugs are legal and which illegal, then the drug that should be most severely punished is alcohol. But we don't see politicians or citizens in the pub saying that people who produce and sell champagne, cognac and Singha beer should be executed or imprisoned for a very long time, nor do we see those people saying that beer drinkers are criminals worse than marijuana and yaa baa addicts - but the facts are that alcohol is the most harmful drug that is in popular use.

Either current law in many countries, including Australia (my country), the US, the UK, and Thailand, is both seriously irrational and immoral, or there is some other good reason for the popular discrimination in favour of some drugs, the ones that politicians and many people happen to use, so that it is not merely blind prejudice to force the personal preferences of one group on everyone.

Is there any such good reason why such a harmful drug as alcohol, which is especially harmful to others and to society, is legal, while less harmful drugs such as heroin and yaa baa are illegal? I can think of no such reason, but perhaps someone else can. Can you?

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York McGraw-Hill.

Nutt, D. J., King, L. A., & Phillips, L. D. (2010, November 6). Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis [Abstract]. The Lancet, 376(9752), 1558 - 1565. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6 (As indicated, this link is to the article abstract (summary). The full journal article with the support is available from the webpage, but requires registration with The Lancet.)

The noise

Growth of population in the city rapidly increases causes the living area is not enough and some people ought to live near the inappropriate area such as the airport or factory zone, and they have to face with the pollution problem which directly effect to their health. However, the population in these areas still continuously increases since the people do not aware of this issue. The recent research may cause them reconsider about this issue since the researchers point out the interesting relation between a risk of admissions and deaths from heart disease and the aircraft noise.

According to “Aircraft noise 'link' to stroke and heart disease deaths” in the BBC News Health (2013), the researchers point out that the aircraft noise may cause the increase of risk in heart disease since it can cause the increasing of blood pressure by annoying people. However, airport authorities attempt to tackle this problem and there is the information which demonstrates decreasing in number of people who are affected by airplane noise.

When the Suvarnabhumi Airport was available for service, the surrounding people immediately got the noise problem which effect to both their health and house. The people call for the airport duty and the news agent reported this news for many times. The airport has tried to solve this problem by paid the compensation. Although, the people realized that wasn’t the good solution but they didn’t know the better solution either. I really pity them and completely agree with the researchers since I have to face with noise problem for many years. I think I can’t effectively work and feel exhausted all day, and I wish the scientist will discover the way to solve this problem in near future.

__________
Reference
Dreaper J.(2013,October 9). Aircraft noise 'link' to stroke and heart disease deaths.BBC News Health. Retrieved October 9,2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24432162

Children on Drugs

Cocaine is one of the most drug that people around the world use. It makes a very big economic system but where is the main place that they use to grow cocaine.

According to Scenes from Peru's Cocaine Capital in the TIME World (2013), Many counties in South American have been using and growing coca, a raw material of manufacturing cocaine, for a thousands years by tradition and religious belief, but nowadays, one of the South American counties, Peru, have a rebel from coca seller and drug seller. They resist the government because the government want to stop coca cropping.

Many counties in the world have a drugs problem. Drugs problem makes counties break down and one of the big problem is children drugs addict. As I see many children in Thailand, they tend to addict drugs because of social and economic. First for social, a lot of Thai children addict drugs by their friends. It starts with their friend persuade them to try to smoke cigarette and than change to something that have stronger effect. Many children smoke because they want be cool and sometime they want to socialize with other peoples. Second for economic, in this cause it may start by their family. A lot of Thai people have less education so when mafia or gangster offer them to sell drugs, they will do it because it is a simple task and  it is an easy way to earn a lot of money. When they become a drugs seller, they usually become the drug addict too and it effect to their children after that children will do the thing that like their parent did. Consequently, these two reason make Thai children tend to addict drugs.

__________

Reference

Scenes from Peru's Cocaine Capital. (2013, October 9). TIME World. Retrieved on October 9, 2013 from http://world.time.com/2013/10/09/scenes-from-perus-cocaine-capital/photo/aptopix-peru-coca-growing-valley-photo-gallery/

Balance Your Time

Do we spend too many hours to work today? The idea of work less but gain more seems to be the thinking of the lazy man. However, there are some interesting researches that show the number of working hours decrease noticeably across developed countries.

According to “Working hours, Get a life” in The Economist, it points out the interesting fact from the OECD- a club of rich countries-that while in 2012 people in developed countries worked fewer hours than 1990, their works were more productive. Moreover, some researchers suggest people to work moderately not only for being healthy but also being able to create the great work.

From my point of view, there are a lot of successful people who dedicate themselves to their work and they gain a high position, great works, and good reputation. And of course, it means that they give the most of their time for working. Some may see them as a workaholic but I think there are significant different between the one who work like a crazy and the one who crazy in love with their job. When you have a passion and fall in love with your job, it can take all 24 hrs from yours and you are happy with that. If you have the happy things to do like you think you born to do it, why don’t you lose your time with other things. Frankly, I envy this type of people because I know the power of passion and love that can change the world. For example, Steve Jobs who devoted himself to his Apple company then he created the phenomenal products that change the behavior of most people around the world.

Moreover, the right measurement to decide how many hours to spend on work is happiness. I think happiness is vital for your healthy life. By the way, people has a different kind of factor that causing happiness; for illustrate it, if you happy with leisure time than working, you should spend your time on that; however, there are more importance factors that you must consider, such as if you have a financial problem but you love to chitchat with friend, you should manage the time to balance your life on both side.

__________

Reference

C.W. and A.J.K.D. (2013, September 24). Working Hours, Get a Life. The Economist. Retrieved October 8, 2013 from http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/09/working-hours

Sweet Violent

When I was young, I used to fight with my siblings when I want something that they had. I ran riot because I was innocent, and I didn't know what the reason is. However, when I grew up, I realize that fighting is the way of uncivilized people, and I’m not a savage who fights just only because of the infinity of desire.

Black masked man who turned peaceful protest into violent.

According to the BBC news article “Brazil Rio and Sao Paulo teacher protests turn violent” reports that the peaceful protest of Brazilian teachers, who ask government for better salary,  has become violent after the violation of black mask anonymous men, who led off the battle and many public ravages.

The teacher is an occupation which is counted to be the basis of country development, but it is also well known that this career gets an inappropriate income. In Thailand, too, the teacher gets just a minimum of salaries that may be lower than government policy.

When I read this article I think it makes sense that Brazilian teachers should protest because if they think they work hard, so their income should be suitable. If it is not, they should complain to the government to get more. Peaceful protest is acceptable, but what if nobody cares about a compromise bargaining. Here the violent comes and people run riot.

a lashings of people who support pay raises of Brazilian teachers 

It is not 100% sure that a compromise can solve every problem, but how far should people do to get something they want in a complex society. What we should do when our problem seem to be negligible to others. What if violent can give a fast and direct answer. __________

Reference

Brazil Rio and Sao Paolo teacher protests turn violent.(2013, October 8).  BBC News, Latin America & Caribbean. Retrieved on October 8, 2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24439987

Bad habits or addictive drugs

Actually, I got used to tobacco when I was a teenager, at that time in Taiwan it was easy to get cigarettes and smoking in the school with classmates, I have never tried to quit it until meeting my wife, "stop smoking if you want to ask me out" she said.

According to "'Tobacco-free' plan for Republic of Ireland" the writer report a plan in Ireland that is less than 5% of the population smoke in 2025. In march 2004, the Republic of Ireland introduced a total ban on smoking in the workplace, interestingly, including pubs and clubs, the ban has been successful, with a 97% compliance rate; however, "it's morally wrong to de-normalize smoking", smoker group said and fought for their rights to smoke in public areas.

In my opinion, tobacco is not addictive drug. But it's harmful habit and quit it without any pain easily. For most of smokers, like us, we share our complains, ideas, personal opinions and moods when we are smoking, it's relaxing time for us to have a short "man's talk". To stop smoking is quite easy for me because I have reason to do it and it's not necessary to go to rehabilitation center, that's depend on your mind.

"It's awesome", I said, when the first time I have morphine and cannabis. At that time, I realized why people will addict to drugs and could not quit them all the life because you will forget all the worries, just like a bird fly in the sky and also a jaguar run in the south Africa, that's all up to your imaginations; However, I won't try that kinds of drugs anymore because those are definitely "addictive drugs".

Reference

'Tobacco-free' plan for Republic of Ireland. (2013, October 3). CNN News Retrieved October 7, 2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24386229

Discussion. 1: drug use up or down? Quest 2, "Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide"

Hartmann’s reading in Part 2 of Chapter 7, “Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide” (2007, pp. 203 - 211) discusses several addictive substances and their use in several countries. Before we read it, we want to see what ideas we already have so that we can check them as we read the text. This is the purpose of the prediction making exercise C. on page 204, which we are doing here.

Response write on the following question:

• 1. Is the use of drugs and alcohol increasing or decreasing in most countries? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Discussion. 2: disease transmission. Quest 2, "Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide"

Hartmann’s reading in Part 2 of Chapter 7, “Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide” (2007, pp. 203 - 211) discusses several addictive substances and their use in several countries. Before we read it, we want to see what ideas we already have so that we can check them as we read the text. This is the purpose of the prediction making exercise C. on page 204, which we are doing here.

Response write on the following question:

• 2. How does the use of drugs contribute to the transmission of disease from one person to another? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Discussion. 3: adolescent drug use. Quest 2, "Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide"

Hartmann’s reading in Part 2 of Chapter 7, “Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide” (2007, pp. 203 - 211) discusses several addictive substances and their use in several countries. Before we read it, we want to see what ideas we already have so that we can check them as we read the text. This is the purpose of the prediction making exercise C. on page 204, which we are doing here.

Response write on the following question:

• 3. What illicit drugs are used by adolescents? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Discussion. 4: most commonly used. Quest 2, "Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide"

Hartmann’s reading in Part 2 of Chapter 7, “Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide” (2007, pp. 203 - 211) discusses several addictive substances and their use in several countries. Before we read it, we want to see what ideas we already have so that we can check them as we read the text. This is the purpose of the prediction making exercise C. on page 204, which we are doing here.

Response write on the following question:

• 4. What is the most widely used psychoactive drug? What is the second most widely used one? 

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Discussion. 5: most / least harmful. Quest 2, "Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide"

Hartmann’s reading in Part 2 of Chapter 7, “Drug Use and Abuse Worldwide” (2007, pp. 203 - 211) discusses several addictive substances and their use in several countries. Before we read it, we want to see what ideas we already have so that we can check them as we read the text. This is the purpose of the prediction making exercise C. on page 204, which we are doing here.
This question is not one of the four that Hartmann asks us to discuss, but I think it is also useful to think about in advance.

Response write on the following question:

• 5. Which recreational drugs of addiction do you think are most harmful? Which are least harmful?  

__________

Reference

Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Check it: history or mystery

As much as anyone else, scientists and other academics love a good story. I like a good story. But should we let a good story interfere with the true story surrounding something or someone?

In "History: Great myths die hard", Héloïse D. Dufour and Sean B. Carroll use specific examples from the lives of Louis Pasteur and Ian Fleming to argue that very real harm is done to both the scientific and wider community and to students of science and medicine when the natural human desire for an inspiring story is allowed to twist historical reality (2013). This harm consists not only of false views both of what science and scientists can do, but warps our "understanding of the pace and complexity of science" (2013, Myth Busting section, para. 1). The authors document how the desire for a heroic story can combine with poor academic standards to give birth to myths which might well be moving, but which are also false. Dufour and Carroll emphasize that their examples show that "storytellers — journalists, authors, film-makers, scientists and educators — need to be vigilant when it comes to their sources" (Myth Busting section, para. 2).

I didn't include it in my summary, but Dufour and Carroll also make largely positive comments on the use of Wikipedia, with which I agree. Wikipedia is a great place to start researching on a topic, and if it's a good article, everything is supported by citing primary or at least secondary sources. The articles that do not do this are likely garbage and best not trusted too much. The Wikipedia article on Pythagoras is a good example of high academic standards: when the anonymous Wikipedia editor writes that "there is disagreement among the biographers as to whether Pythagoras forbade all animal food,³⁹ or only certain types,⁴⁰" (Pythagoras, 2013, Life section, para. 8) the two footnotes are to the best sources we have: the classical texts by Aristotle and Diogenes Laertius, who I've also cited in an earlier comment. These are secondary sources since Aristotle and Laertius were writing centuries later and reported what earlier writers had said about Pythagoras and his ideas on eating meat. We do not today have any primary source by Pythagoras or anyone who knew him.

In contrast to the high academic standards of honesty and checking in the Wikipedia article, we see Sari Kamin writing in the popular Huffington Post that Pythagoras is a famous vegetarian (2013). I guess that Kamin is just an incompetent fool rather than a liar, but neither foolish incompetence nor lying make for a good reputation. And Kamin is very honest about her source for the unsupported and unsupportable claim that Pythagoras was a vegetarian: she got it from a book by Rynn Berry. But she did not check this claim by Berry, whose book is likely a tertiary source, or something even worse, that is, based on what someone else said that someone else said that someone said. If Berry put this claim about Pythagoras in the book, then I think that makes Berry dishonest and not to be trusted. Perhaps he really believes what he says, but if so he is an incompetent and unreliable fool. I think it's more likely that he is a liar - it's hard to believe that he wrote a book and didn't do any research at all to uncover a more accurate view of Pythagoras, but perhaps he blindly trusted someone as untrustworthy as himself. And then Kamin trusted him because he seemed to be supporting the vegetarianism that she favours as much as he does - and that makes her and all her other claims about vegetarianism look doubtful.

Another pro-vegetarian website that is garbage is Happy Cow, whose unknown author also repeats the claim that "Pythagoras of Samos was a vegetarian Greek philosopher/mathematician who discovered the Pythagorean Theory" (n.d., para. 1). Again, making this unsupportable claim does not help the vegetarian cause - it just makes the supporters look unreliable and dishonest.

Stephen Law is much more careful in his statements and in his use of sources, and gives a far more solid argument in favour of vegetarianism.

Mysterious myths might be more exciting, but seeking and telling truth is the business of academic work, even though it also takes more effort than just making something up or repeating what sounds good, however  pleasing or popular the myth might be.

__________

Reference

Dufour, H. D., & Carroll, S. B. (2013, October 2). History: Great myths die hard. Nature. Retrieved October 6, 2013 from http://www.nature.com/news/history-great-myths-die-hard-1.13839

Kamin, S. (2013, April 29). Pythagoras' other theorem: A short history of vegetarianism. Huffington Post, Huffpost Taste. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heritage-radio-network/history-of-vegetarianism_b_3164074.html

Pythagoras. (2013, September 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:36, October 6, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pythagoras&oldid=574764061

Pythagoras of Samos. (n.d.). Retrieved from Happy Cow website : http://www.happycow.net/famous/pythagoras_of_samos/

Physics VS Psychics

Physics, a general analysis of nature, is conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves. Skeptics try to make assumptions and do the experiments to disclose the secret of nature. Some are successful while some are still struggle until the last breath in their lifetime. Without our ancestors's great discoveries, we may not thrive or even survive as highly developed creatures on the earth as we are today. Hence, we should always bear in mind the merits of our generous and hard working forefathers.

According to the article "Top five physics discoveries chosen by magazine", there are five discoveries that are quite outstanding since they seem to transform our understanding of the world. They are in chronological order as follows:

        Quantum teleportation (1992)
        The creation of the first Bose-Einstein        
        condensate(1995)
        The accelerating expansion of the universe (1997)
        Experimental proof that neutrinos have mass (1998)
        The sighting of the Higgs boson at Cern (2012)

In my view, physics is quite a difficult subject. I hate to only remember physics' formulas and substitute their values without comprehensive understading of why and how does each variable come from. With repetitive reading and practicing, finally I am amazed with how powerful this discipline is. It can unlock any mysteries about our earth or even the universe. I enthusiastially watch how innovative technologies are implemented based on the researches in physics to improve our qualities of lives.

However, one day after I had a chance to read a book written by  Dr. Art-Ong Jumsai Na Ayudhya, I change my mind about the value I give to physics. Dr. Art-Ong illustrates the most advance discovery regarding traveling in physics that is to travel with the speed of light. By the way, this speed is not enough to bring humans to reach some galaxies that are far away from us within our lifetimes. Additionally, Dr. Art-Ong points out a better way of communication, the way that we can get in touch with lives in the other galaxies that is to use "telepathy". Telepathy is the fastest way that our messages can travel, however; only well practiced minds will be able to master this competency.

I myself also hope to possess this ability. I would like to know whether there is the other forms of lives outside the earth or not. What do they think about our planet earth ? Have you guys believe in psychics ?
__________

Reference

Morgan, J. (2013, October 3).  'Top five physics discoveries' chosen by magazine. BBC News Science & Environment. Retrieved October 4 from  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24282059.

Teacher is revered?

Should teachers retain elevated status? If you are Thai, your answers must be “Yes”. But, there are many people in other countries might say “No”. Why? What is wrong with those who believe so? Or What is wrong with Thai culture?

 The consequences of two researches have a coincidence in which teachers in China are considered, by attitudes to professional status, trust, pay and desirability of teacher, the highest respectable person from the public comparing in 21 countries.  In “Teachers in China given highest level of public respect” also significantly states that UK, although it is in a lower range than China, display positive views toward teachers that they should be supported better salaries and had more respect by students.

In Thai culture, it seems common to pay respect to any teacher, even though he or she doesn't teach us in a class room. We have been taught that teachers are our second parents who both enlighten and take care of us. Similarly, as the article say, Chinese teachers are compared with doctors. That is to say, China is likely to have a cultural emphasis on the important of teachers as Thailand.

 On the other hand, some countries, such as US. and Japan, have different views. The first country compares teachers with librarians. The second one compares with government officials. Do they suggest that they have different sets of value?  Frankly, I’m not sure that I know well about those cultures, but I do think it might be concerning seniority, especially in western culture where people believe in equality. Teacher might be considered as adults who love teaching people as a career. Anyway, this supposition is probably not compatible with Japanese culture in which respectability is found in any level of society. But as a Japanese manga lover – a fan of comics created in Japan -  I know, form many comics that I have ever read, Japanese respect every elders. Then, in my opinion, the low level of public respect must relate to teachers’ salaries, which is one of studied factors.

However, teachers play an important role in education in every county. No matter how much they receive admiration, as long as people do think teachers educate their children, they must provides teachers something which can encourage them in doing their jobs well.
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Reference

Sean Coughlan. "Teachers in China given highest level of public respect" .(2013, October 4) BBC New Education and Family. Retrieved October 4, 2013 From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24381946

When sci fi movies meet real world

Have you seen sci-fi movies and thought some technologies in the movies are so spectacle? Many of them came to real life or at least it close to happen.

According to "'Terminator' self-assembling cube robots revealed by MIT," scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in California demonstrate their M-Blocks robots, which can flip, jump and assemble themselves into different shapes, project researching in their Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The researhers believe if they continue developing this project, they can use a large number of M-Blocks robots to
adapt to whatever task or shape that they want and they can apply this kind of robot to construct self repairing buildings.
Click to see Video

At fist time i see the title of that article,I am excited and feel that it is so interesting. The World is going to have more wonderful innovations inspired by sci-fi movies. I think of many movies that have the same kind of idea that robot can re-assemble themselves. Robots in the movie "Transformers." They are so intelligent that they can transform their shape and appearance as they wants.

In "The Matrix Revolutions" (2003) ,each machines, enemies of human-beings, can also assemble or group together to be new shape or to form strategic attack. Scene of battle for Zion is so spetacle espicially when watch in theather.

"Star wars," film series, is one of my favorite movies. When i was young, Jedi's light saber is so cool. I saw some light saber toys from Japan cost estimated ten thousand Yen but in that time i can't afford that.

Another smart divice that i can remember is Jedi breathing device. After searching for more information, I found "Jedi breathing device
Wesa Goin' Underwater, Okiday?." The writer says that this small mounthpiece supply oxygen to help Jedi go underwater for two hours. I pridict that If this devices come to reality, people will totally forget the heavy weight oxygen tank.

Anyway, we can see many fictional piece of technoly that exist in real life. These technogy can change the way people act in various situation. GPS navigation technology is one of the best example. I rarely use map book after i knew Google map. Smart phone and touch screen technology are also change people habit and lifestyle.

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References

"'Terminator' self-assembling cube robots revealed by MIT", BBC News Technology, Retrieved October 4, 2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24397880

"Jedi breathing device"  Retrieved October 4, 2013 from http://starwars.com/explore/encyclopedia/technology/jedibreathingdevice/