A Humble Proposition: Satirical Writing

            The Internet is the spark of controversy of all forms in our modern world; legal issues of piracy, conflict regarding the effects it has on the health of its users, and pointless and endless controversy regarding how, much time teenagers and children spend immersed in it all spark from the supposed “greatest invention” humanity can be accredited for, however, dare I say it that should any one man or woman be able to device a solution that will bring an end to this endless disputing, he or she should be regarded as the greatest mind humanity has and will ever know, and be showered with unending riches throughout the duration of their entire lifetime.  

            Many claim the conflicts which arise on the Web, whether it be bickering between acquaintances or bullying and hate crimes, are so abounding that it would be impossible to eliminate them in one swoop, yet I do say they are mistaken, for I have humbly devised a humble plan that will humbly end all conflict born from the Internet now and forever in a single step. My humble plan will indeed end all discussions over Internet legal issues such as piracy, it will bring about a change for the better in the health of the common people, and best of all end all discussions about how it affects our youth, for the humble plan I humbly devised will indeed humbly end it all. What is my humble plan you ask, well it is one that has been applied by other minds throughout history although none as brilliantly as I; to eliminate the conflict, we must destroy its source.

            My scheme has been the product of long periods of thought and process and has been devised in such a manner as will flawlessly eliminate all issues that sprout from the Internet. No longer shall theft occur in the form of piracy by illegal downloads of music, movies, or software; nor in physical form of contraband CD’s and DVD’s. Artists, authors, and movies will no longer gain recognition by aid of the internet; and this very want of known entertainment would bring an end to contraband for no one would purchase a CD or DVD of a movie or artists of whose very existence he or she was oblivious to regardless of how cheap it might be. Furthermore, the sheer number of musical albums, literary pieces, and works of film will plummet as in modern day a huge portion of our entertainment is generated by indie developers who will no longer possess a portal through which they may make public their creations, thus curtailing the repertoire of entertainment contrabandist could use.

            My proposal of humble origins would also promote healthy habits through the elimination of online commerce. No longer would people be able to rely on electronic commerce for their goods, they would need to go to stores and physically purchase whatever items they might need. No longer could presents be ordered online, nor movies be streamed, humanity would once again be forced to be active, and to interact with one another. Some might claim the elimination of online commerce might take a toll on the economy since this is what a huge portion of the world’s trade consists of, however I say this would do nothing but help the economy since online businesses would need to adapt to the new personal form of market, and businesses which were thrown into bankruptcy by online commerce and streaming such as blockbuster would have a chance to once again prosper, this new need for person to person shopping experiences would be the gateway to creating millions of jobs as businesses would have plenty a new position to fill both new businesses and old. Businesses ruined or damaged by piracy such as is the case with record and movie stores would once again come to light as the main outlets for these forms of entertainment.  

            The final and perhaps strongest point in my humble proposition, is that the elimination of the internet would take away the ability of children and teenagers to explore their talents and learn about interests outside of what they learn in school, and instead give rise to generations of well-taught machines who are taught in the best manner possible: strictly to the test. Children need not know about rich foreign cultures other than those taught in social studies courses, nor do they need to learn to write outside the standardized format. A child will no longer be able to learn cursive in second grade through online learning sites, after all, that is third grade work. Children need not learn varied musical styles that they will not learn outside their music courses, after all that time could be spent learning complex polynomials. Teenagers need not be exposed to writings and music of others like them, they should be learning the correct way to do things, the way the teachers mandate.

            I do not reject the knowledge nor the ideas of other men and women of possible solutions to this problem, but I do confess with utter honesty and confidence that I doubt any other system proposed will work as flawlessly as my own. I also assure that I nominate this humble proposition for consideration wishing only to better the world, I wish to dictate that I hold no bias into the carrying out of this plan, but I do once again state, that I firmly believe that my humble plan which I have so humbly devised will bring an end to all conflicts as I have mentioned in this proposition.

Haptic 3-D Technology Designed By a Team At The University of Bristol Could Change Modern Medicine

                We have seen it on television and movies for years, it is employed by Tony Stark in all his creations in the Iron Man films, but at long last the technology of haptic 3-D holograms is no longer just a dream trapped in science fiction. Researchers at the University of Bristol’s department of computer science have created tangible 3-D holograms which can not only be seen and molded by users but also felt as if they were real shapes and objects. The technology is based on ultrasound; complex patterns of ultrasound are manipulated in order to create an array of air disturbances which can be formed into 3-D shapes the users can feel on their skin. Sensors are used which detect the position of the user’s hands within the array and focus the ultrasound waves in those areas; allowing the users to feel the objects freely without limitations of fixed parameters of the shapes which are tangible. The possible applications of the technology are endless, applicable to all fields from entertainment to sports and everything in between. The use for it in forms of media such as movies and video games is clear, to be able to hold a weapon from a video game or directly feel objects or props from a movie would create a new level of immersion for these mediums, but it doesn't end there. Michelle Starr, a writer for cnet.com, has listed the opinions of Dr. Ben Long, the project's leader, in regards to what he believes are this technology's potential uses in her article "Ultrasound creates a haptic shape that can be seen and felt." Dr. Long stated he believes the technology could be implemented in medicine allowing doctors to feel the different shapes in full body CT scans, giving them the ability to physically detect tumors. Dr. Long has also said he believes the technology can be used for experiences as simple yet enriching as it would be to be able to touch and feel objects in museums which are too fragile to be given into the hands of the common public. Haptic 3-D holograms have enormous potential for use in medicine, entertainment, sports, and even every day household use and I personally cannot wait to see how this technology advances and what potential it holds.

If you wish to learn more about this technology the article by Michelle Starr which I referenced can be found here: http://www.cnet.com/news/ultrasound-creates-a-haptic-shape-that-can-be-seen-and-felt/ The article also has a video which demonstrates how to shapes are "seen" with the technology by reflecting the Ultrasound waves on oil.

Perfect portrayal of Net Neutrality

         This satirical cartoon portrays and ridicules the principles of net neutrality. These principles, which were protected by law as of 2010 due to the FCC's net neutrality rules, states that all websites and consumers of the internet should receive an equal service speed and freedom of usage. However as of January 14, when a court of law stated the FCC did not have jurisdiction to impose its net neutrality rules on internet service providers, net neutrality has been hanging by a string, ready to be cut by large Internet providers such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. Under the new rules of net neutrality proposed by the FCC, these large Internet Service Providers would be able to charge large content providers such as Netflix and Facebook extra fees for "fast lanes;" meaning their users would enjoy a much faster service speed than would users of small independent sites. As portrayed in the cartoon, the smiling player clad in purple shorts represents large content providers who could afford these fast lane services, while the disadvantaged player clad in blue shorts represents all the small, independent websites and content providers who would not be able to afford the preference. The lowered section of the court in which the blue player stands represents the huge disadvantage that the less resourceful websites face against the giant content providers who can afford the fast lane services; consequently; the absence of a visible way for the blue player to get out of the "ditch" mirrors the inability of these small websites to ever overcome these limitations since by being stuck on the slow lane they would be unable to turn the profit to afford the fast lane services. The confident and smug look of the purple player reflects the fast lane companies' confidence that they will not be defeated. The blue player's side of the court being lowered instead of the purple player's side being elevated, reflects that the net neutrality laws, while helping big content providers, would have a much higher degree of influence in destroying small websites. Uncle Sam can also be seen leaning over the lowered side of the court, representing the U.S. government's claim that under these rules the net is "still neutral" despite this obviously not being the case. This artist's portrayal of the effects of the net neutrality rules is both effective and humorous, portraying the situation in a way that all of the American public can relate to, after all, anyone who saw themselves in the position of the blue player would indubitably feel cheated.

The Issue of Net Neutrality

        Barbara Van Schewick is a professor at Stanford Law School and the director of the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, as well as an expert on net neutrality. Schewick articulated her opinion on the issue of net neutrality in her op-ed article Is the Internet about to get sloooooow? In the article Schewick argues that should the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allow internet providers to divide the bandwidth they provide to specific websites, they would limit the innovation, communication, and political action which the internet provides to its users worldwide.
        Net neutrality is a principle that has protected the freedom and value of the internet to its users, and prevented the discrimination of internet sites and users from internet providers, and is one that must remain intact. Net neutrality is supported by the 'open internet' rules set by the FCC in 2010 which prevent web providers from playing favorites. Without net neutrality web providers such as AT&T and Comcast would have the ability to provide 'fast lane' access, meaning much faster speeds of use to those who visit the site, at extra charges to these websites. This would of course be nothing to the giants of the net such as Facebook or Google, but smaller independent sites would be left behind having to make ends meet with much slower bandwidths for their users. This net hierarchy where the bigger websites have all the speed destroys all chance and purpose for smaller independent web developers to bring life to their ideas because they would be unable to compete with the already established giants who would dominate the net. Already established small websites such as forum sites or sites dedicated to the sharing of music or art, which far outnumber the already established giants, would have no chance to grow or compete and it would even affect the millions upon millions of people who frequent the huge number of websites falling under this category since they would not be able to enjoy some of their favorite websites. Chat sites or websites dedicated to specific interests through which members can meet others who share in their passions would also be robbed of the ability to provide their users with tolerable loading speeds, limiting the freedom and possibility of communication which these sites provide. Independent musicians, artists, film-makers, writers, web and game designers as well as all other types of people who have or depend on websites to share their creations would lose the possibility to do so taking away from their ability to share their talents and the ability of the world to enjoy it. Net neutrality is a principle that must remain active, its absence would not only limit the freedom of all web users to enjoy their favorite websites with ease, but also the ability of these websites to create an enjoyable memorable experience to these very patrons. It would destroy the great opportunities for communication and expression which make the internet such an incredible invention and possibly one of the greatest humanity has ever produced. 

The Innovation of Driverless-Cars

    Driverless or self-driving cars have been a around for longer than most think, the first car by the name of the linrrican wonder was driven in 1925. The linrrican wonder was driven through a traffic jam in New York city and functioned through a transmitting antenna, passengers of a car driving behind it sent signals captured by the antenna which controlled small motors in the vehicle. Now in 2014, Audi tested the technology of driverless by matching two Audi (NSU) RS7 performance sedans head to head in a racetrack in Northern Germany, one car was being piloted the other was not, the driverless vehicle won the matchup by 5 seconds. Audi is currently testing unmanned cars at speeds of of up to 305 kilometers or 190 miles per hour, in order to create awareness about these vehicles and convince regulators they are safe for every-day use. The potential of autonomous cars in regards to comfort and convenience is massive, with possible benefits including reduction of traffic and better traffic flow, less collisions with car communications as well as cars being able to drive passengers who are intoxicated, under age or over age, blind, distracted or otherwise limited helping to reduce the risks of collisions and deaths caused by these types of drivers. A multitude of car-manufacturers asides from Audi are developing self-driving technology including Mercedez-Benz, Tesla Motors Inc. and even Google. So far 4 states in the U.S. have passed laws allowing driverless cars on their roads; Florida, Nevada, California, and Michigan. Members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) even predict that by 2040 75% of motor vehicles on the road will be driverless.