Skip to main content

Robotics Essay

This week we've been discussing the latest in robotics technology -- machines currently in use and in development. The overriding question concerns the effect, or potential effect, of the various technologies on society and human lives.

Robots are currently used in homes, in factories and hospitals, and in law enforcement and the military. There are numerous projects, funded both publicly and privately, to develop more and more sophisticated robotics to fulfill a wide range of tasks.

Do you believe the impact of robotics is mostly positive or negative? Consider the current applications in health-care, the military, manufacturing and entertainment, as well as proposals suggested by the literature and/or videos viewed in class.

Consider the following links in addition to the short story and the discussion so far when developing your thesis:
Print out at least ONE of the above and use it in your essay, along with the story. You may of course also refer to your own experience and the ideas presented in science fiction books, films and video games.

And, as a bonus, here's the website for IEEE's online magazine Spectrum (subtopic: robotics)

Popular posts from this blog

O Brother, A Response Paper

Hello Freshmen... Your assignment for the weekend is to write a 250-word (one page) response paper on O Brother, Where Art Thou . Please type and format according to MLA. You may choose from the two topics below: (1) Respond to the lyrics of one song from the film. Using your lyric sheet (or the internet ), connect the lyrics of one song to the movie's characters/setting/events. In other words, explain how the lyrics are relevant to the film. (2) Choose one of the historically relevant elements of the movie and look up an article on Wikipedia . Print out the article; then, summarize it and connect it to the movie's characters/setting/events. Be careful not to plagiarize the article, which should be stapled to your reponse. Ideas discussed in class include The Great Depression, con artist, chain gang, Populism (George Wallace, Huey P. Long, W. Lee O'Daniel), Ku Klux Klan (William Joseph Simmons), and George "Babyface" Nelson.

ACT Prep

Good luck on the ACT tomorrow, those of you who are taking it. To help you prepare, and for future reference, here are some materials for you to work with at home: ACT Prep - from the official site - including sample tests Test Prep Review - has "self-assessment modules" in several subjects ACT Sparknotes ACT Test Questions

Career Search

A good place to start with your career search is a personality test. There are several online to choose from, and there are many career aptitude tests, as well. Generally speaking, my advice is to look for a career that combines your interests and your aptitudes (both in your personality and your skill set). Look through the following and see if any are helpful: 16 Personalities (based on the Meyers-Briggs ) Skills Profiler (from the U.S. Department of Labor) Princeton Review Career Quiz Free Career Aptitude Tests (a list from The Balance ) Later this week, we will try to match up your aptitudes and interests with a career by looking at College Board's BigFuture site. We will also look at the ACT in detail ( Planning Your Future e-book ). Finally, we will explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook to see more thorough descriptions and projections.