The Sleeper Curve Technology And The Media Media Essay

The Sleeper Curve Technology And The Media Media Essay Johnson notes that the sleeper curve is a comparison between the level of I.Q and other neurological capabilities in relation to the changing technology aimed at showing how the modern forms of technology and the media are responsible for sharpening our minds (Johnson, page 34). Contrary to most peoples expectations that TV and video games play a role in sharpening our minds, Johnson proves that the complexity of the TV shows aired and video games that are played have a fundamental role in sharpening our minds and making us more attentive. He notes that the attributes derived from playing games and watching television make us more perceptive and train our brains to things in a sound manner. He states that This growing complexity involves three primary elements: multiple threading, flashing arrows and social networks. (Jazz Corner 2005 and The New York Time, 2005). This way, our IQ levels are increased and our brains become more sharpened. He therefore advocates for young people to co ntinue playing video games and watching modern TV shows. He goes on the further state that, The quickest way to appreciate the Sleeper Curves cognitive training is to sit down and watch a few hours of hit programming from the late 70s on Nick at Nite or the SOAPnet channel or on DVD. (Jazz Corner 2005 and The New York Time, 2005). According to Johnson, a sleeper curve can be explained in three different models or levels which are the common driving forces in the sleeper curve. These driving forces include economic factors, neurological factors, and technological factors. The economic factors driving the sleeper curve include the changes that have been effected in the industry to suit the needs of the viewer while at the same time satisfying the financial needs of those in the show business industry. Changes have been cited in the television industry in recent times most of which have been due to changing consumer preferences. This has been done through the introduction of TV series aimed at meeting the viewers needs. For instance, there has been an increase in the story line complexity and television shows that aired 20 years ago re now being regarded as primitive by the viewers. This explains why older shows like the Dragnet cannot match up to most modern shows being produced such as the Sopranos. This has e nsured that people adopt the concept of Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), in an attempt to understand peoples emotional intelligence through reading their minds (Johnson, p.98). For instance, the producers and media people have to read the viewers emotional cues, anticipate their inner feelings and thoughts (Johnson p.98,99). Likewise, when watching television with friends or families, one also has to read their minds; what they anticipate and feel about the program. Therefore, television provides a medium where one can assess peoples emotional intelligence (Johnson, p.99). Technology is a major factor that helps in the understanding of the sleeper curve. The ever changing technology is responsible for the sleeper curve. The technology that is used today cannot be compared to the technology that was used 20 years ago. Everything has changed. First there was the adoption of VCRs, and then came the introduction of CDs and DVDs. This also ranges from the video games that kids play to the TV shows being aired. For instance, the type of video games that were being played 20 years ago ( ie Pong or Duck Hunt), cannot be compared to the ones being played today ( ie Call of Duty or Halo). Most of the games played then just required minimal skills which ranged form motor coordination to pattern formation and understanding. The video games that are played today are very advanced as compared to those that were played back in the early 1970s. Modern video games create a whole new virtual world. For instance, digitalization has been on the rise in the show business. This is usually present in the TV and video games. For instance, Sleeper, the 1973 science fiction explains the incompatibility between the scientists in 2173 and the 21st century generation. The film is against the current generation trying to impose scientific and technological advancement used in cloning. However, current series such as Greys Anatomy embraces technology and scientific advancement by hypothesizing the probability of cloning in the near future. Therefore, the TV and video games pertaining technology helps compare cultures and the superiority of the current intellectual riches. The neurological aspect of the brain is an important factor to look at when dealing with the sleeper curve. The way we think and look at things today is not the same way people looked and thought of things 20 years ago. Today, education does not take place in class alone. There are numerous activities in living rooms and basements which help kids to become smarter today. The mindset of children today cannot be compared to the children in 1970 or 1980. Today, children get introduced to very complex aspects of technology at very young ages. This facilitates adoption of the current trends of technology at the tender ages. The change in the neurological setting is what facilitates an overall need in the change of how technology evolves and our reaction to the different aspects of technology. Viewers have a need to maintain their connection between the virtual world physics and their brain chemistry, therefore, they are attracted to systems that explore the environment and have clearly de fined rewards in spite of them probably having the virtual characters. This explains why the people who are above the age of twenty are not attracted to the rescue princess like games or videos like Nintendo or Zelda. The more grown up video games such as Halo or Call of Duty and the The Sopranos are what they are watching or playing. Additionally, people love mind bending files like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Momento and Pulp Fiction which help them develop neurologically. For instance, Momento uses a reverse chronological order whereby the audience is barely aware of the events preceding in attempt to confuse them. As the film ends, both narratives converge and one understands that the investigation taking place resulted to someone death. Watching the television shows provides a platform for improving our neurological development. Consequences The sleeper curve undermines the long headed belief that pop culture is on a race to the bottom, where the cheapest thrill wins out every time. Johnson quickly states that the sleeper curve has not yet become more superior than the traditional culture. It undermines the premise that mass culture pales in comparison to High Art in its aesthetic and intellectual riches. However, to me his argument is invalid. The sleeper curve has greatly impacted the popular culture generation in the way they live and has therefore become more dominant than the traditional culture. In comparison to the older generations, the impacts of video games, TV shows, and technology are greatly felt in the society today. This has changed the American cultural values and the pop culture which was disregarded is now being embraced in a different style and people view it from a different perspective. Earlier on, people detested videos with extreme violence which are now embraced and used to make kids sharpen brain s. They improve the level of perception and increase the analysis speed of viewers. The TV shows and video games are actually making people smarter as opposed to the belief that nothing good can come out of TV shows and video games. The videos and TV shows are now incorporated in education and children are able to grasp more within a limited span of time. Children can now cope with school subjects like mathematics by using video games like Dungeon and Dragons that help kids to increase their calculation capabilities. Additionally, embracing the current trends in technology increases important learning skills such as reading speed and accuracy. Modern TV shows have subtitles that allow viewers to quickly read through and grasp the concept of the TV shows. This way, viewers can master how to read through these subtitles and lines with ease and use the same strategy when studying large volumes of books or numerous readings. The video games that were present 20 years ago are not the same as those which are played today. Games like Pac-Man and Tetris which were very popular back in the 1980s and 1990s are not as challenging as the video games today. Take for instance, a game like Grand Theft Auto 3 which requires mor e than just pattern recognition and motor coordination. Modern games are designed not only to create a challenge for the players, but also to sharpen the skills of the players. Modern games are created to bring into existence an imaginary world which has a lot of details and is very competitive in nature. Importance of understanding the Sleeper Curve It is very important to understand the sleeper curve because of the impact it has on our daily activities. Everyone is affected by the sleeper curve either directly or indirectly. The sleeper curve also affects the way we interact with the environment in general. Understanding how the sleeper curve operates is an important thing to put into consideration. If we are able to understand the changes brought about by the sleeper curve and the resulting effects, we can understand these changes and how vital these changes are as it helps one to come to terms with and evaluate the sleeper curve. This is because video games and TV shows have a great influence in our lives today. If video games and TV shows make kids smarter, then they should be looked into deeply. Anything that affects the social, cultural, and educational aspects of children should probably be looked at very closely. The advantages accrued to the sleeper curve outweigh the negative effects and therefore, people should embrace modern forms of technology particularly the video games and modern TV shows. As we have seen, video games and modern TV shows are major contributors in our cognitive thinking and which increase our IQ. Children who play video games and watch modern TV shows are generally smarter and their smartness is explicitly shown in the educational field. Children learn how to grasp so much in such a small amount of time which also teaches them how to find their way out of difficult situations. People should therefore engage in, embrace video games and television shows to actually see the quickest way to appreciate the sleeper curves cognitive training (Jazz Corner 2005 and The New York Times 2005).

Hamdi et al. v. Rumsfeld Essay -- Guantanamo Bay Secretary of Defense

Hamdi et al. v. Rumsfeld Hamdi et al. v. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, et al. could prove the undoing of the Bush administration’s legal defense of the abuses at Guantanamo Bay. In this case, four British citizens are suing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as well as a host of Army and Air Force Generals and policy apparatchiks for allegedly authorizing the use of torture in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. The four were captured in Afghanistan, either by Americans or America’s ally, the Northern Alliance, and transported to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where they were held for over two years. Their status there was not as enemy combatant, which guaranteed them certain protections under the Geneva Convention, but rather as unlawful combatants. They were held without being charged of a crime, without legal representation and were never even brought before a military judge until Rasul v. Bush established their Habeas Corpus rights. They were released in March 2004 without being charged. Their suit accused Rumsfeld et al. of false imprisonment and torture. They were allegedly hit with rifle butts, punched, kicked, â€Å"short shackled† in cramped, painful positions and threatened with unmuzzled dogs. Their cells were cold and exposed to the elements, little better than cages and medical care was denied. The plaintiffs contend that this was the result of deliberate and foreseeable action taken by Defendant Rumsfeld to flout or evade the United States Constitution, federal statutory law, United States treaty obligations and long established norms of customary international law. This action was taken in a misconceived and illegal attempt to utilize torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading acts to coerce nonexistent inform... ... Hamdi’s allegations are correct. And the jurisdictional argument has been rejected by the Supreme Court in Rasul v. Rumsfeld. The final part necessary for strong suit against Rumsfeld et al. would be for the Supreme Court to find the conditions in which they were held to be actionable under the Alien Tort Statute. This is the most ambiguous piece in the case. The proof and jurisdiction issues have been dealt with already; the third and final piece will make or break Hamdi’s case. I believe there are actionable causes in this case under the Alien Tort Statute. A close examination of the Founders provides evidence for a liberal (â€Å"expansive† is the pejorative term Scalia uses) interpretation of the statute. With these actionable causes as a capstone to the case, Rumsfled et al. will have to put a spirited defense or risk losing an embarrassing and expensive suit.

Born in East LA Essay

What do see when you take a look at a Latino? Do you notice what they are wearing? Or how they walk? Or maybe you just jump into a conclusion and stereotype him/her as an illegal immigrant. Throughout the years Latinos have faced many challenges because of their skin color, the way they dress, or because of the way they talk. Many films have shown Latinos as illegal immigrants to show us how the world views them, but a specific film â€Å"Born in East L. A† shows us how even though a Latino can be an American Citizen they still face many racist stereotypes. Even though a Latinos parents or grandparents have immigrated into the United States years ago and have permanent residency in the United States, they can still face push and pull factors that can motivate them to either go back to their country of origin or motivate them into staying in the United States. In this paper I will show how Born in East L. A represents Latinos as illegal immigrants through the techniques of stereotyping, immigration, and push/pull factors. Born in East L.  A shows us the story of a Chicano named Rudy (Cheech Marin) is deported after being caught in a police raid at toy factory while looking for his cousin. Because of the police raid Rudy is caught and is deported to Mexico even though he is an American citizen. Rudy tries to explain to the police that he is an American citizen but when is asked to show proof of citizenship he figures out that he does not have his wallet and is forced to stay in Mexico. Even though Rudy is an American citizen but is of Mexican descent, he is stereotyped as an illegal immigrant because of his accent and because of the way he looks. One particular scene in the movie that shows massive stereotyping about Latinos is the scene where the French woman appears walking through the city and is gazed upon all the Latino men. This is an example of stereotyping because the woman represents the sexual desire for a white woman by Latino men (Lizzberry). The woman is being tracked across the city to represent how Latinos chase the American dream and how badly they desire the need to assimilate in America (Lizzberry). Another scene from the film that depicts stereotypes is the scene in which the INS officers raid a toy factory and quickly assume that all the Mexicans working in the factory are illegal. The film shows this stereotype by labeling the INS officers â€Å"La Migra† which is Spanish for immigration officers, and all the workers begin to run out the factory trying to avoid being caught and deported. From that particular scene the audience can already assume that everyone that was working in the toy factory was an illegal immigrant because all the workers were being show cased as illegals because they began to run away from the INS officers. In America immigration has become a major problem over the years causing many states to create their own immigration laws which do not allow illegal immigrants to have jobs, own a house, or own a car without proper documentation. In Born in East L. A we are shown how Mexican immigrants continue to try to cross over the border to the United States by having them run across a hill and avoiding the border patrol agents. The role of immigrants in this movie was to portray how Latinos are being classified as illegal immigrants throughout America because of their skin color and background. Towards the finale of the film Rudy gathers a group of illegal immigrants to help him cross the border by having them all rush down the hills in large groups which end up scaring off the border patrol agents allowing Rudy and the other people to safely cross the border (Fregoso 61) Even though Latinos cross the border into America they still face many challenges that can push them back towards their home countries. One factor that pushes Latinos back in the film is how the film showcases Rudy and all his attempts to try to cross over to the United States but fails many times. By showcasing this people can see why many immigrants suffer to try to cross the border on a daily basis. Even though it is hard to cross the border into America, many immigrants still try to do so because they are being pulled in by the opportunities that await them in America. Another factor that pulls Latinos into this country is the chance to get ahead in society; many immigrants come to America for a better education and high paying jobs that they couldn’t receive back in their countries. In the film we are shown how Rudy is forced to cross over south of the border to Mexico thus showing us how hard it is to cross the border (Fregoso 67). Throughout the movie we are being showed many stereotypes that fall into the Latino category such as being called an illegal immigrant. We are also being showed how immigration can cause Latinos to be deported because of their skin color and we also see how different push/pull factors affect the Latinos. From the film we can tell that many Latinos want to come to America ecause of job opportunities that the Anglos offer because they always end up losing workers because of INS raids. Because of the raids company owners are forced to quickly hire workers who can work at low wages so they are forced to hire Latinos because they view the Latinos as illegal immigrants seeking quick employment for mostly any rate of pay. Since many job opportunities open up for the Latinos they keep crossing over the border on a daily basis to pursue the American Dream and to better their lives.

Are Athletes Treated Differently From The Rest Of The...

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