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MeggettoO
#21 Posted : Monday, July 19, 2010 10:25:07 PM
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Technology has improved the lives of humans across the globe. New technologies are the latest scientific developments that have not been tested for long periods of time. The development of new technologies is often to solve problems associated with an earlier form of the technology. While new technologies are welcomed, more often than not they reveal problems that are more serious than the problems they were intended to solve. In the late 1950's a German pharmaceutical company released what was known at the time as the "wonder drug". The "wonder drug", otherwise known as Thalidomide, had proven to be an effective pain killer. It was used to treat insomnia, headaches, colds and morning sickness. It was most often prescribed for diminishing the effects of morning sickness. Although Thalidomide was very effective at curbing the unpleasant side effects of morning sickness, it would later prove to be detrimental to a pregnant woman's child. Researchers did not suspect, nor did they test, that Thalidomide was able to cross a woman's placenta and harm her unborn child. In the late 1960's, scientists noticed an increased rate of birth defects that correlated with use of Thalidomide. With further investigation, the increased number of birth deformities was a result of Thalidomide use in early pregnancy. In the early 1950's Thalidomide was hailed as the wonder drug, but by the late 1960's Thalidomide was taken off the market. Thalidomide would have not had such a devastating effect in the late fifties and early sixties, if researchers performed long term trials on the drug, instead of releasing it for public use without knowing possible long term effects.

While new technologies often reveal larger problems at a later point in time, sometimes a new technology can withstand the test of time and prove to be a lifesaver. Edward Jenner, now known as the Father of Immunology, made a rather large and important discovery in the late 18th century. Smallpox was a devastating infectious disease that plagued societies as early as the 16th century. Efforts made to stop the spread of the disease were ineffective. In 1796, Jenner made a key observation that would be the beginning of the end of smallpox. He noticed that milk maids did not get infected with smallpox. He speculated that milkmaids were immune to small pox because they usually got infected with cowpox, a disease that is very similar to smallpox. One day he inoculated a young boy with the puss from the blister of a milk maid infected with cowpox. Several weeks later the boy was exposed to smallpox. The young boy did not get smallpox. Was this just a coincidence? Jenner went further and performed his experiment on twenty three more people, a large sample size at the time. None of the individuals inoculated with cowpox were infected with smallpox in their lives. This discovery led the way for other scientists to continue on Jenner's path of finding a vaccine for smallpox. Countless numbers of trials were performed before the smallpox vaccine was distributed throughout the world and inoculated into millions of people. In 1979, over two centuries after the discovery of the smallpox vaccine, the World Health Organization deemed smallpox eradicated. This new technology in 1796 withstood the test of time and proved to be one of the world’s most successful discoveries.

Technology is ever evolving. How can one be sure that the today's newest technology will not be tomorrow's worst nightmare? Numerous scientific trials and rigorous testing must be performed for many years on a technology before it should be released to the public. When this protocol is not followed, new technologies can become disastrous. This was the case with Thalidomide, a new painkiller released in the late 1950's.Thalidomide had only undergone limited amounts of scientific trials when it was released to the public. Only a few years later, this drug was discovered to be the casual agent of the increased number of birth defects among young children. The smallpox vaccine, which was first discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, was extensively researched, tested and improved upon for more than a hundred years before it was distributed to the public. A new technology in 1796, did not reveal problems later in time; it solved one of the biggest problems in history, smallpox.
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defeoluc
#22 Posted : Monday, July 19, 2010 10:43:15 PM
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The 21st century has not been without its fair share of technological advancements. From the internet, mobile phones, to even medical interventions, every aspect of human life has in some way or another been affected by the growing monopoly of new gadgets, and technologies. These new technologies have been made possible by further scientific knowledge, and modern day inventor’s applications of these concepts. An issue arises when big companies use these new technological advancements for consumer exploitation, and ultimately maximum profit growth. For example, the corporation apple, which is best known for the ipod, has recently released their newest gadget, the iphone 4. This mobile phone is the first of its kind to have conference calling built directly into the phone, preying on the consumers desires, apple is aware that this phone is likely to sell out quickly in all countries available. However, it has recently come to media attention the apple CEO, Steve jobs, was aware of a malfunction with the phone that causes reception loss, and dropped calls, when the phone is held in the normal fashion. His plan was to release the phone anyways and cash in on unwary consumers, only to again make a profit on whatever ‘fix’ apple can accomplish in the future. Actions like these exemplify that with new technologies there are bound to be problems, and with money hungry corporations in power the problems will not be revealed until they become the consumer’s problems.
On the other hand, much technological advancement has been paramount in the way hospitals and health care is run in the newest century. The difference is the market these advancements are projected to. For a technology to be considered safe and effective within the medical community it is subject to vigorous testing, before it is used on patients throughout the world. The magnetic resonance imaging (mri) machine, has become a major part of the health care system all throughout North America. It is used all day everyday to view images of patient’s bodies, and assist in diagnosis among practitioners. The issues involving the mri machine were worked out before it was used in public hospitals, and technological advancements are only furthering its efficiency, rather than hashing out new problems.
Overall, new technologies are used to gain profit in large corporations, and this often leads to any problems in the technologies being covered up from the consumers in order to maximize profits. It’s when the focus is shifted to medical advancements, that enough testing is done on the technologies before they are launched, and problems are solved in advance, rather than in the future.
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sampsons
#23 Posted : Monday, July 19, 2010 11:11:58 PM
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New technology is constantly being created to both enhance and simplify our lives. While a new technological advancement may at first seem attractive, overtime problems and risks associated with the technology are often revealed. A classic example is the possible like between cellphones and brain tumors. No one can deny that cell phones have greater simplified the lives of countless people. While in the beginning they were seen as a luxury for businessmen and the upper class, as prices become more reasonable more and more families were purchasing cell phones for safety reasons. As the technology developed more people, and younger people, started possessing cellphones. As internet access, camera capabilities, and more applications that you can count have became available for cellphones, they have become almost a necessity in the developed world. However, as cellphones developed more advanced capabilities, people found reasons to use them more frequently, and for longer periods of time. Slowly studies began to emerge of a possible link between cellphone usage and brain tumors. While the results are still inconclusive, health professionals are still advising the public to be wary of their use of cellphones, and to use a home phone when possible, or perhaps a bluetooth device.

However, not all technologies have possessed hidden problems. An example is the popular networking site, Facebook. Recently there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the networking site's privacy policies, and what information the companies that advertise on Facebook have access to. While the media may make this out to be a scandal, this should be no surprise to the public. Since the creation of the internet it has been know that you can never be completely confident that the websites you visit are safe, and that the information you post can remain private. Reports have surfaced regarding online bullying and online predation via Facebook, yet this has not seemed to deter its dedicated users, or prevented new members from joining everyday.

While the advances in technology have simplified and enhanced our lives in many ways, there are risks associated with some technologies, and this leaves people with a choice to make. Whether or not you are willing to risk the possibility of cancer for the convenience of a cellphone or whether you risk the online predators for a chance to reconnect with old friends, depends on the values an individual places on these benefits and opposing risks. If the technology improves your life in a significant way and the risks are minimal, then the technology will most likely outweigh the potential problems. The risk of running into problems can also be decreased if people educate themselves about the dangers or possible problems with the technology they choose to use. Knowledge is power, both in the creation of technology, and in the use of it.
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nicolelovat
#24 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 12:49:49 AM
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- Introductory remarks regarding Newton's 3rd law lack validity, and comments like this should be avoided. F1,2 = -F1,2 does not have any bearing on new technologies & drawbacks.
- You need to define (task #1) the meaning of the statement, which is not apparent here.
- The prompt is new technologies DISGUISING problems later revealed...how did the invention of cars disguise a problem that was later revealed?
- Your 2nd example: hydroelectric power, is invalid. There are many drawbacks (mainly environment) with hydroelectric power. Stick to examples that you have adequate background in so that a marker who is well-read in the examples you use doesn't find them incorrect.
- Conclusion is very strongly worded, yet the claims you make regarding the criteria on which to judge if a technology will or will not disguise a problem were not well-supported by your previous text.
- Great spelling/grammar.

caga wrote:
Technology doubles every seven years. From iPads to netbooks to 'Flex-Fuel'
cars, the technology industry is continually expanding with new discoveries being made everyday. However, Newton's third law of motion states that with every reaction, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, with the emergence of new technology, there is often an associated drawback that is at times revealed long after the introduction of that respective invention. This has presented itself most prominently in the automotive industry. With the development of the internal combustion engine in the early 20th century, scientists were thrilled to introduce the first of many gasoline-run cars. Today, cars have attributed to the depletion of oil reserves, mass pollution and the general deterioration of the planet. While transportation itself was revolutionized, scientists were unable to avoid the hidden problems that this single form of technology would eventually cause.

While some technology does present itself in a way that masks potential drawbacks, there are technological inventions that do not hide later problems. A strong example of this is the development of hydroelectric power. In the 1904 World Convention in Switzerland, physicists were eager to present the first application of hydroelectricity to power an incandescent light bulb. Despite the fact that this technology was groundbreaking, it did not manifest any later problems due to the fact that the technology relies on water, a virtually infinite resource that comprises approximately 70% of Earth's surface. Furthermore, the numerous years of research that went into this technology before it was publicly revealed ensured that the process of power generation was both economically efficient and safe.

The issue of new technology masking future problems is a longstanding one and is difficult to resolve. Nonetheless, history has determined specific scenarios that determine when the benefits of an emerging technology outweigh the associated drawbacks. If the resource that the technology relies upon is non-renewable and noticeably limited, the problems will eventually eventually reveal themselves later. However, if the resource is unlimited and the process is relatively safe, the benefits will be long lasting and stable.

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nicolelovat
#25 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 12:53:17 AM
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- Stick to the 3-paragraph format outlined in the WS manual
- Excellent example regarding the beef & E. coli.
- Again, excellent example regarding C. botulinum.
- Careful with capitalization: there are a few errors in-text
- Some minor spelling errors


eschaffer wrote:
In the world of research and development, scientists are constantly striving to invent new technologies that are able to change the way we currently live our daily lives. Yet depending on the discovery, our lives can be changed for the better, or simply unearth a problem that was previously overlooked

Take for example the increased incidence of E.coli in our food supply, specifically regarding our consumption of ground meats. In order to reduce the bacterial load on our ground beef, countless hours of research has been invested in the use of radiation to kill bacteria on the surface. This new technology has proven to be safe and effective at reducing the bacterial load of the finished product as it leaves the packing facility for the supermarket. However the use of radiation is simply a means of dealing with a problem that has been overlooked. The current mass slaughter techniques employed in north america lead to fecal contamination that was previously unseen in our food supply. A more effective method of dealing with this problem would have simply been to reexamine the process instead of inventing a new technology.

Other new technologies in the food supply may be able to deal with problems previously associated with the old way of doing things. Clostridium Botulinum has always been a hazard associated with canned goods. Current techniques exist in order to decrease the pH, kill the spores with heat, or decrease the available water to within an acceptable limit. All of these methods manage to accomplish the desired goal, however they can lead to increased sodium in our foods, as well as changes in the desired taste or texture. Many new perservatives that are being currently studied by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency allows for the ability to attack the spores without changing the food istself. These new technologies are able to not only deal with the issue of Clostridium on our food, but also the previous problem with increased dietary sodium intake and poor food quality. In the area of food research, new technologies can sometimes be seen as solving not only our original problem, but combating many others as well.

When deciding whether a new technolgy is simply a band-aid solution or a revolutionary change to the existing landscape, one must be able to take a step back. If a technology simply changes the end result without addressing the prior issues, it simply hides our problems. However if the technology addresses the root of the problem, while also solving other issues associated with our previous methods, it would be safe to consider this technology a revolutionary way of doing things.
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nicolelovat
#26 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 12:59:19 AM
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- Misuse of punctuation (example, 2nd sentence) throughout.
- Use of overly descriptive language detracts from content of essay (ex. Starting from deep ocean floors...)
- Various grammatical errors makes the essay difficult to understand.
- Be careful with all-or-nothing statements like 'usage of such machines is proving to be detrimental to our atmosphere only'...highly debatable.
- Your examples are garbled because you are attempting to use too many. For example, in your first paragraph, you describe: Cars, Farm Production with Mechanized Farming, Nuclear Bombs, etc. STICK TO ONE example.
- Careful with run-on sentences.
- Again, too many examples used to support your 2nd paragraph (making all the examples weak and non-supported).
- By the end of your essay (conclusion, 3rd paragraph), you have lost focus completely on the prompt and have engaged in a discussion regarding the pros and cons of machines. Stick to the MCAT essay format in the WS manual.


GillI wrote:

The beginning of nineteenth century saw the boom in technological advancement and usage. To keep up with the fast life of globalization, machines were introduced in every sector of human life! Now, no area on earth is left uninhabited by machines. Starting from deep ocean floors drilled by oil wells to high speed jets flying across the clouds, machines have allowed human beings to access every portion of our mother planet. However, the excessive usage of such machines is proving to be detrimental to our atmosphere only. Cars were introduced to cover distances quickly, but over the ages have become an increasing concern to the global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions. To increase farm production by twenty folds, machines have replaced human beings and in result strengthened the vicious cycle of poverty in various developing nations in Asia and Africa. Even in the area of scientific advancement, creation of nuclear bombs and their usage has left behind the legacy of genetically impaired inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their pro-genies to suffer. Thus, in an attempt to modify and improve human life, technological advancements have dragged with themselves hidden problems that later on prove to be a hindrance to human existence itself.

However, nothing is perfect. If the technologies drag along problems for the future, the cure must lie within them. Advancement in computers and machines has allowed humans to use great their mechanical advantage to cope up with various natural disasters. If cars lead to global warming and global weather changes, computers have help predict these changes in advance through various weather satellites in space and machines help cope up with the approaching disaster. If the BP oil spillage in the Gulf coast has caused contamination of water, it is through machines that the oil well has been mechanically repaired and water cleansing as been possible on such a large scale. It is through scientific advancements only that humans have reached to a better understanding of their genetic makeup and can provide better medical aid to the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and allow human life expectancy to increase. The knowledge and experience of using machines help us to amend/deal with the problems lingering with their usage.

Thus the notion goes: ‘solution lies within the problem’. Heavy advancement in technological world since ages has now opened various challenges and problems in our world today, but the solution is also buried within them. Better technologies can allow us to predict beforehand the approaching problems due any machine usage. Thereby, if at one hand machines pose a threat to our world in the future, it is through technology that we can be made aware of this threat and can deal with it.

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nicolelovat
#27 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 1:04:01 AM
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- Usually it is not a great idea to begin essays with questions: it lacks confidence & gives a poor impression.
- Various significant spelling & grammatical errors
- Excellent example regarding the weapons in Afghanistan.
- 2nd example is good because it follows the theme of the first example, but perhaps you could explain better the problem of grenade-related American soldier deaths before you present your example (would make the support stronger).
- First sentence of conclusion should not be there: waste of word count/time
- Your statement that new technologies in underdeveloped countries mask problems etc is not specific enough to your essay. It would be better to say new 'weapons technologies', since this claim is supported by your examples. Also, you don't need to re-iterate your examples in such detail in the conclusion.

zandrosc wrote:
New technoliges and andvances are suppose to enhance the lives of their users, but is this really what always happens? New technologies can be defined as state of the art computers, transportation, or weaponry. Sometimes new technolgies, such as weaponry, will temporarily mask a problem, only to be revealed in the near future. In the 1990's, Afghanastan was having a great deal of problems with civil rebellion. In order to help combat this, the United States offered support in terms of weapons and training to Afghan forces, including Osama Bin Ladin. ALthough this temporarily helped the problem, these new technologies led to more violonce by the likes of 9/11 followed by the War of Afghanastan. As seen with this example, sometimes new technologies merely mask a problem only to be seen in the near future.

Although sometimes new technology mask a problem, other time the new advances can completely solve the problem. Thousands of American lives have been lost when invading hostile buildings. To combat this one of the latest weapons, the Javelin, was created in order to protect these American lives. The Javelin works as a rocket propelled grenade without leaving a trace of where it originated, thus protect the lives of the American soldiers. As see with this example, sometimes new technologies completely solve a problem.

It is diffuicult to determine whether or not new technologies mask or solve a problem. Nonetheless, when new technologies are introduced to underdeveloped countries they merely mask the problem, while in developed countries they often act to completely solve the problem. When advanced weapons and training was introduced to the underdeveloped country of Afghanastan in order to protect against rebellions and civil violence, the effects were temporary and the country ended up being more hindered as a result of these weapons. However, in the United States, new technologies such as the Javelin has solved the problem of lost soldiers when invading hostile buildings. In sum, when regarding new weapon technology, it appears that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer; in developed countries new technologies solve problems, but in underdeveloped countries, they hide problems.

-Thank you Nickie
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nicolelovat
#28 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 1:10:13 AM
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- Weak definition of new technologies
- How did thalidomide disguise a problem later revealed? You have to define your examples in terms of the prompts given. For example, you could say that the problem of maternal suffering (in the form of morning sickness) was disguised, only to be revealed again as maternal suffering (in the form of caring for a sick child).
- Essay is much too long: you can cut out 90% of the details in your stories & instead focus on developing ideas (its not an exercise in regurgitation, but rather essay writing).
- Smallpox example: how is this an example of rigorous testing? Thalidomide underwent more testing than the smallpox vaccine did.
- Your conclusion is good, but too many details of previous examples. Also, you aren't really concluding anything about the original prompt by saying rigorous testing is needed for new products. Instead, you should have said 'if there is rigorous testing, it is less likely that a new technology will disguise a problem...' etc.


MeggettoO wrote:
Technology has improved the lives of humans across the globe. New technologies are the latest scientific developments that have not been tested for long periods of time. The development of new technologies is often to solve problems associated with an earlier form of the technology. While new technologies are welcomed, more often than not they reveal problems that are more serious than the problems they were intended to solve. In the late 1950's a German pharmaceutical company released what was known at the time as the "wonder drug". The "wonder drug", otherwise known as Thalidomide, had proven to be an effective pain killer. It was used to treat insomnia, headaches, colds and morning sickness. It was most often prescribed for diminishing the effects of morning sickness. Although Thalidomide was very effective at curbing the unpleasant side effects of morning sickness, it would later prove to be detrimental to a pregnant woman's child. Researchers did not suspect, nor did they test, that Thalidomide was able to cross a woman's placenta and harm her unborn child. In the late 1960's, scientists noticed an increased rate of birth defects that correlated with use of Thalidomide. With further investigation, the increased number of birth deformities was a result of Thalidomide use in early pregnancy. In the early 1950's Thalidomide was hailed as the wonder drug, but by the late 1960's Thalidomide was taken off the market. Thalidomide would have not had such a devastating effect in the late fifties and early sixties, if researchers performed long term trials on the drug, instead of releasing it for public use without knowing possible long term effects.

While new technologies often reveal larger problems at a later point in time, sometimes a new technology can withstand the test of time and prove to be a lifesaver. Edward Jenner, now known as the Father of Immunology, made a rather large and important discovery in the late 18th century. Smallpox was a devastating infectious disease that plagued societies as early as the 16th century. Efforts made to stop the spread of the disease were ineffective. In 1796, Jenner made a key observation that would be the beginning of the end of smallpox. He noticed that milk maids did not get infected with smallpox. He speculated that milkmaids were immune to small pox because they usually got infected with cowpox, a disease that is very similar to smallpox. One day he inoculated a young boy with the puss from the blister of a milk maid infected with cowpox. Several weeks later the boy was exposed to smallpox. The young boy did not get smallpox. Was this just a coincidence? Jenner went further and performed his experiment on twenty three more people, a large sample size at the time. None of the individuals inoculated with cowpox were infected with smallpox in their lives. This discovery led the way for other scientists to continue on Jenner's path of finding a vaccine for smallpox. Countless numbers of trials were performed before the smallpox vaccine was distributed throughout the world and inoculated into millions of people. In 1979, over two centuries after the discovery of the smallpox vaccine, the World Health Organization deemed smallpox eradicated. This new technology in 1796 withstood the test of time and proved to be one of the world’s most successful discoveries.

Technology is ever evolving. How can one be sure that the today's newest technology will not be tomorrow's worst nightmare? Numerous scientific trials and rigorous testing must be performed for many years on a technology before it should be released to the public. When this protocol is not followed, new technologies can become disastrous. This was the case with Thalidomide, a new painkiller released in the late 1950's.Thalidomide had only undergone limited amounts of scientific trials when it was released to the public. Only a few years later, this drug was discovered to be the casual agent of the increased number of birth defects among young children. The smallpox vaccine, which was first discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, was extensively researched, tested and improved upon for more than a hundred years before it was distributed to the public. A new technology in 1796, did not reveal problems later in time; it solved one of the biggest problems in history, smallpox.

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nicolelovat
#29 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 1:14:40 AM
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- You have become completely distracted from the prompt, and are instead caught up in another topic: corporate fraud. How does your example fit into the box of 'new technology that DISGUISED a problem that is revealed later'?
- Your MRI example is somewhat weak. First, because it doesn't really fit the theme of your first example (so they are not directly comparable). Secondly, you don't really establish how the MRI solved a problem.
- Careful with capitalization, & grammatical errors as well as omission of key words in sentences.
- Conclusion is poorly worded. Again, make sure it is following the WS manual MCAT essay structure.


defeoluc wrote:
The 21st century has not been without its fair share of technological advancements. From the internet, mobile phones, to even medical interventions, every aspect of human life has in some way or another been affected by the growing monopoly of new gadgets, and technologies. These new technologies have been made possible by further scientific knowledge, and modern day inventor’s applications of these concepts. An issue arises when big companies use these new technological advancements for consumer exploitation, and ultimately maximum profit growth. For example, the corporation apple, which is best known for the ipod, has recently released their newest gadget, the iphone 4. This mobile phone is the first of its kind to have conference calling built directly into the phone, preying on the consumers desires, apple is aware that this phone is likely to sell out quickly in all countries available. However, it has recently come to media attention the apple CEO, Steve jobs, was aware of a malfunction with the phone that causes reception loss, and dropped calls, when the phone is held in the normal fashion. His plan was to release the phone anyways and cash in on unwary consumers, only to again make a profit on whatever ‘fix’ apple can accomplish in the future. Actions like these exemplify that with new technologies there are bound to be problems, and with money hungry corporations in power the problems will not be revealed until they become the consumer’s problems.

On the other hand, much technological advancement has been paramount in the way hospitals and health care is run in the newest century. The difference is the market these advancements are projected to. For a technology to be considered safe and effective within the medical community it is subject to vigorous testing, before it is used on patients throughout the world. The magnetic resonance imaging (mri) machine, has become a major part of the health care system all throughout North America. It is used all day everyday to view images of patient’s bodies, and assist in diagnosis among practitioners. The issues involving the mri machine were worked out before it was used in public hospitals, and technological advancements are only furthering its efficiency, rather than hashing out new problems.

Overall, new technologies are used to gain profit in large corporations, and this often leads to any problems in the technologies being covered up from the consumers in order to maximize profits. It’s when the focus is shifted to medical advancements, that enough testing is done on the technologies before they are launched, and problems are solved in advance, rather than in the future.
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nicolelovat
#30 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 1:19:37 AM
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- Careful with spelling/word omissions & switches. Sometimes you use a word such as 'like' instead of 'link' etc.
- Various grammatical errors
- Sentence structures tend to be very confusing and lack sophistication.
- How did cell phones DISGUISE a problem that has been later revealed? Unless you define the problem as 'safety', your example is not applicable (safety from predators traded for health safety). Also, there is no actual proof that cell phones cause brain tumors. Stick with examples that are widely accepted as true.
- When you discuss Facebook as your positive example, don't detract from that by bringing up its weaknesses. Also, what problem did Facebook solve?
- Conclusion doesn't bring examples to bear on a set of criteria for decision making. Stick with the WS manual advice.

sampsons wrote:
New technology is constantly being created to both enhance and simplify our lives. While a new technological advancement may at first seem attractive, overtime problems and risks associated with the technology are often revealed. A classic example is the possible like between cellphones and brain tumors. No one can deny that cell phones have greater simplified the lives of countless people. While in the beginning they were seen as a luxury for businessmen and the upper class, as prices become more reasonable more and more families were purchasing cell phones for safety reasons. As the technology developed more people, and younger people, started possessing cellphones. As internet access, camera capabilities, and more applications that you can count have became available for cellphones, they have become almost a necessity in the developed world. However, as cellphones developed more advanced capabilities, people found reasons to use them more frequently, and for longer periods of time. Slowly studies began to emerge of a possible link between cellphone usage and brain tumors. While the results are still inconclusive, health professionals are still advising the public to be wary of their use of cellphones, and to use a home phone when possible, or perhaps a bluetooth device.

However, not all technologies have possessed hidden problems. An example is the popular networking site, Facebook. Recently there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the networking site's privacy policies, and what information the companies that advertise on Facebook have access to. While the media may make this out to be a scandal, this should be no surprise to the public. Since the creation of the internet it has been know that you can never be completely confident that the websites you visit are safe, and that the information you post can remain private. Reports have surfaced regarding online bullying and online predation via Facebook, yet this has not seemed to deter its dedicated users, or prevented new members from joining everyday.

While the advances in technology have simplified and enhanced our lives in many ways, there are risks associated with some technologies, and this leaves people with a choice to make. Whether or not you are willing to risk the possibility of cancer for the convenience of a cellphone or whether you risk the online predators for a chance to reconnect with old friends, depends on the values an individual places on these benefits and opposing risks. If the technology improves your life in a significant way and the risks are minimal, then the technology will most likely outweigh the potential problems. The risk of running into problems can also be decreased if people educate themselves about the dangers or possible problems with the technology they choose to use. Knowledge is power, both in the creation of technology, and in the use of it.

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kumarS
#31 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 2:26:26 AM
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Thanks for marking this! :)

In the modern era of new inventions and highly advanced electronics, the possibilities are limitless when developing new technologies for the public. From computers to cars to simple household machines, every year there are hundreds, if not millions, of new products developed each day to make public lives easier and more interesting. However, in the excitement of obtaining new technologies, people often belatedly realize that there is a serious error with their product that renders it either less convenient to use or simply useless. A recent example of this is seen with the newly released 4GB iPhone. Apple had marketed this product as not only having a more sleek and exciting design, but also more functions that make time management simpler. However in Apple's rush to bring the product to the market, within weeks of selling the product to the public, it was discovered that there was a serious fault with the internal antenna of the phone that allowed users to make phone calls, resulting in dropped calls and lowered calling capabilities. This rendered the iPhone virtually useless, as these calling capabilities were one of its main functions.

However, not all new technologies hide serious functional problems that are later revealed to its users. In the video gaming industry, developers and companies realize that their target demographic is a very fickle age group, quickly moving on to other video games if a certain product doesn't meet their satisfaction. As a result of this, large companies, like EA games, that are large producers of video games not only spend millions of dollars marketing their new products and the exciting new technologies within the games that are offered, such as more realistic cut scenes or various battle modes, but also invest in researchers to determine weather the games are faulty and need more development or not. This results in new video games and technologies that, once bought, reveal no problems other than having the user compromise sleeping or eating habits to play it.

It is difficult to determine whether new technologies hide problems that are revealed to the consumer once bought. However, a good criteria to use to assess the quality of the product is to determine the amount of time and money companies invest in researching and testing the product. We have seen that companies such as Apple did not invest an appropriate amount of time into testing their product due to their eagerness to release it to the public. As a result, a major design flaw in the product was only discovered upon its purchase, permanently compromising the integrity of the company. However, in companies that develop video games and technology, a considerable amount of time is invested in testing and perfecting the quality of the product to ensure that the target consumers remain loyal and interested in their new technologies. It is clear that new technologies hide problems that are only revealed later if an inadequate amount of time has been invested in perfecting and testing the product.
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SugieJ
#32 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 4:44:31 AM
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In an age where new inventions are created daily, there can be hidden problems attached to these creations. These issues usually are not thought out untill well after the product has gone mainstream into many countries world wide. This mass distribution of potential problems can cause extreme danger to the environment in the future. Once known for being a safe way to create energy for cities, the technology of nuclear power plants has many problems that were not considered before its creation. Nuclear power plants provide a substantial amount of power to a majority of European nations, Canada and the United States. This way of power creates a large unforseen amount of nuclear waste that is pilling up and has no present solution. Currently part of the Nevada Desert in the United States is being used as a nuclear waste land. At this location, barrels upon barrels of nuclear waste is pilling up effecting the local environment negatively. Any bit of nuclear waste that leaks out of the barrels can kill wildlife, contaminate water and alter soils. This bad management of nuclear power still occurs in hopes that future generations will be able to properly purify the waste created through its use. This continued use of nuclear power has caused unsolvable environmental damage which overpowers the technology's power producing benefits to the world.

Even though some technologies have dark secrets that are not considered upon there creation, there are also creations that cause little to no harm. These technolgies may have a few problems that were not considered upon creation; however, these problems are solvable allowing for these technologies to fully benefit the world. The use of solar panels to collect solar energy from the sun has been around for decades. Through its use, cars and houses are powered with no forseen further damage to the environment. The only backfire to this techonology is that it only is helpful when the sun is out, making it useful only in some parts of the world. This problem is only minor since there are many other ways to complement solar energy through the use of wind or hydro power. The ability of the solar panels to collect clean energy with no current unsolvable issues is definately benefital to the world. It is clear through solar panel energy that as long as the unforseen problems of new technologies are solvable, it is more benefital to the world.

When it comes to new technologies, it is hard to tell if its usefulness to world will over power its future problems. There is however one key factor to determine this, if the problem has a solution. If the hidden problems are not currently solvable, then the benefits the technolgoies provide are outweighed by their problems. In the nuclear power plants example it is clear that even though efficient energy can be provided to the world, its unsolvable waste issue overcomes its benefits. On the other hand, if the hidden problems do have a current solution then the technology's power is stronger than its detriments. This is clear in the case of solar panels in which there are no unsolvable unforeseen issues which can outweigh its ability to create clean energy. To determine if a technology is benefital or problematic to the world it is important to look at it if the problems it causes can be solvable or not.
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SugieJ
#33 Posted : Tuesday, July 20, 2010 4:48:36 AM
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Hi I was just wondering what time zone this forum is sent in.
it is currently 8:46 pacific time where I live however my posted essay says 4am(no where in canada)so I was wondering if my post is considered late or not?

Also I was wondering what type of font will we be using on the MCAT?
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nicolelovat
#34 Posted : Wednesday, July 21, 2010 1:37:12 AM
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Feedback: 3.5/6
- Iphone example is not entirely consistent with the prompt: how does it disguise a problem that is later revealed? More so, it causes a problem, or is a problem in and of itself.
- Serious run-on sentences, especially in the 2nd paragraph. A good test for this is if you need to take more than one breath while reading a sentence aloud to yourself. Decent example.
- Excellent conclusion.

kumarS wrote:


In the modern era of new inventions and highly advanced electronics, the possibilities are limitless when developing new technologies for the public. From computers to cars to simple household machines, every year there are hundreds, if not millions, of new products developed each day to make public lives easier and more interesting. However, in the excitement of obtaining new technologies, people often belatedly realize that there is a serious error with their product that renders it either less convenient to use or simply useless. A recent example of this is seen with the newly released 4GB iPhone. Apple had marketed this product as not only having a more sleek and exciting design, but also more functions that make time management simpler. However in Apple's rush to bring the product to the market, within weeks of selling the product to the public, it was discovered that there was a serious fault with the internal antenna of the phone that allowed users to make phone calls, resulting in dropped calls and lowered calling capabilities. This rendered the iPhone virtually useless, as these calling capabilities were one of its main functions.

However, not all new technologies hide serious functional problems that are later revealed to its users. In the video gaming industry, developers and companies realize that their target demographic is a very fickle age group, quickly moving on to other video games if a certain product doesn't meet their satisfaction. As a result of this, large companies, like EA games, that are large producers of video games not only spend millions of dollars marketing their new products and the exciting new technologies within the games that are offered, such as more realistic cut scenes or various battle modes, but also invest in researchers to determine weather the games are faulty and need more development or not. This results in new video games and technologies that, once bought, reveal no problems other than having the user compromise sleeping or eating habits to play it.

It is difficult to determine whether new technologies hide problems that are revealed to the consumer once bought. However, a good criteria to use to assess the quality of the product is to determine the amount of time and money companies invest in researching and testing the product. We have seen that companies such as Apple did not invest an appropriate amount of time into testing their product due to their eagerness to release it to the public. As a result, a major design flaw in the product was only discovered upon its purchase, permanently compromising the integrity of the company. However, in companies that develop video games and technology, a considerable amount of time is invested in testing and perfecting the quality of the product to ensure that the target consumers remain loyal and interested in their new technologies. It is clear that new technologies hide problems that are only revealed later if an inadequate amount of time has been invested in perfecting and testing the product.
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nicolelovat
#35 Posted : Wednesday, July 21, 2010 1:41:34 AM
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- Nuclear power example is excellent, but poorly supported/worded. You list many negative aspects of Nuclear power, but really all you want to establish is that it was developed in order to be a clean, high-yield source of energy. It disguised the 'environmental problems' and wastefulness of fossil fuels, only to reveal later the same environmental problems (now to do with nuclear waste).
- Solar panel example is great: it follows the same theme AND is solid.
- Excellent conclusion. I really liked your approach to establishing criteria.
- Careful with the multiple spelling errors.

SugieJ wrote:


In an age where new inventions are created daily, there can be hidden problems attached to these creations. These issues usually are not thought out untill well after the product has gone mainstream into many countries world wide. This mass distribution of potential problems can cause extreme danger to the environment in the future. Once known for being a safe way to create energy for cities, the technology of nuclear power plants has many problems that were not considered before its creation. Nuclear power plants provide a substantial amount of power to a majority of European nations, Canada and the United States. This way of power creates a large unforseen amount of nuclear waste that is pilling up and has no present solution. Currently part of the Nevada Desert in the United States is being used as a nuclear waste land. At this location, barrels upon barrels of nuclear waste is pilling up effecting the local environment negatively. Any bit of nuclear waste that leaks out of the barrels can kill wildlife, contaminate water and alter soils. This bad management of nuclear power still occurs in hopes that future generations will be able to properly purify the waste created through its use. This continued use of nuclear power has caused unsolvable environmental damage which overpowers the technology's power producing benefits to the world.

Even though some technologies have dark secrets that are not considered upon there creation, there are also creations that cause little to no harm. These technolgies may have a few problems that were not considered upon creation; however, these problems are solvable allowing for these technologies to fully benefit the world. The use of solar panels to collect solar energy from the sun has been around for decades. Through its use, cars and houses are powered with no forseen further damage to the environment. The only backfire to this techonology is that it only is helpful when the sun is out, making it useful only in some parts of the world. This problem is only minor since there are many other ways to complement solar energy through the use of wind or hydro power. The ability of the solar panels to collect clean energy with no current unsolvable issues is definately benefital to the world. It is clear through solar panel energy that as long as the unforseen problems of new technologies are solvable, it is more benefital to the world.

When it comes to new technologies, it is hard to tell if its usefulness to world will over power its future problems. There is however one key factor to determine this, if the problem has a solution. If the hidden problems are not currently solvable, then the benefits the technolgoies provide are outweighed by their problems. In the nuclear power plants example it is clear that even though efficient energy can be provided to the world, its unsolvable waste issue overcomes its benefits. On the other hand, if the hidden problems do have a current solution then the technology's power is stronger than its detriments. This is clear in the case of solar panels in which there are no unsolvable unforeseen issues which can outweigh its ability to create clean energy. To determine if a technology is benefital or problematic to the world it is important to look at it if the problems it causes can be solvable or not.
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cadduri
#36 Posted : Wednesday, July 21, 2010 4:00:59 AM
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Today, we are constantly being inundated with new technologies, or new ways of completing a task to make our lives easier. These “new technologies” can include something as basic as a new appliance, such as a car, a dishwasher, or anything electrical, but it could also include a medical advance such as a new medication that allows symptoms of a disorder or disease to be alleviated. For example, approximately 40 years ago, the medical field came out with a “new technology” in the form of a new drug that was supposed to be great for alleviating morning sickness in people that were pregnant. Although this drug made women’s lives easier in that it did temporarily take away morning sickness, there were also problems that were revealed later. Of these women that were given this drug, 50% of them had babies that were born with missing limbs. Therefore in this case, with this “new technology” problems with the drug were revealed later after the women had already ingested the drug and did not have symptoms due to their morning sickness. Initially the drug seemed great in that it delivered what it was set out to do (reduce morning sickness), however the hidden problems of the drug were revealed later when the women gave birth.

However, sometimes new technologies actually do make our lives easier, in that there are no potential problems with the technology that is revealed later, but by utilizing these new technologies we actually prevent future problems. For example, there have been “new technologies” or medical advances that look at screening measures, such as screening for colon, prostate, uterine, or breast cancer. If one is screened with these measures on an annual basis, these screening tools could actually prevent someone from developing an advanced case of these types of cancer. In this case these new technologies are not detrimental in that they do not hide problems revealed later, but they actually prevent potential problems.

Therefore new technologies can actually be either very bad in that these new technologies such as medications could lead to future problems, or they could be very good for us in that they prevent future problems. A good rule of thumb to determine when a new technology would be good or bad for us is to look at the issue of weather this new technology is curing something that may already be in existence, or if this new advance is trying to be preventative. When women were ingesting the new medication for morning sickness, they already had morning sickness. In ingesting this drug and trying to temporarily alleviate this morning sickness, there were other interactions with this drug that resulted in future problems. However, if one is trying to be preventative in that you do not have a diagnosis of a type of cancer such as colon, or uterine, and you are utilizing a new technology to be preventative, future problems will be minimized in that you significantly reduce your chance of developing an advanced stage of the type of cancer that you are being screened for. Therefore in this way new technologies will prove to be great for us.
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nicolelovat
#37 Posted : Wednesday, July 21, 2010 5:24:14 PM
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- Great example (thalidomide), and I like how you related it back to the prompt.
- Careful with sentence structures: at times your choices/order of words can be confusing.
- Various spelling/grammatical errors.
- Careful with run-on sentences
- At times, your vocabulary lacks sophistication (ex. 'bad' vs. 'good'...perhaps 'detrimental' vs. 'beneficial' instead?)
- Your conclusion in the 2nd paragraph that "In this case these new technologies are not detrimental in that they do not hide problems revealed later, but they actually prevent potential problems." is not entirely true. You established that they may DETECT problems NOW, before they are revealed later, making these problems more manageable in the present. Prevention means STOPPING something from happening, whereas DETECTION means knowing something is there, so you can deal with it. By confusing these definitions, you weaken you 2nd paragraph & the conclusion.


cadduri wrote:
Today, we are constantly being inundated with new technologies, or new ways of completing a task to make our lives easier. These “new technologies” can include something as basic as a new appliance, such as a car, a dishwasher, or anything electrical, but it could also include a medical advance such as a new medication that allows symptoms of a disorder or disease to be alleviated. For example, approximately 40 years ago, the medical field came out with a “new technology” in the form of a new drug that was supposed to be great for alleviating morning sickness in people that were pregnant. Although this drug made women’s lives easier in that it did temporarily take away morning sickness, there were also problems that were revealed later. Of these women that were given this drug, 50% of them had babies that were born with missing limbs. Therefore in this case, with this “new technology” problems with the drug were revealed later after the women had already ingested the drug and did not have symptoms due to their morning sickness. Initially the drug seemed great in that it delivered what it was set out to do (reduce morning sickness), however the hidden problems of the drug were revealed later when the women gave birth.

However, sometimes new technologies actually do make our lives easier, in that there are no potential problems with the technology that is revealed later, but by utilizing these new technologies we actually prevent future problems. For example, there have been “new technologies” or medical advances that look at screening measures, such as screening for colon, prostate, uterine, or breast cancer. If one is screened with these measures on an annual basis, these screening tools could actually prevent someone from developing an advanced case of these types of cancer. In this case these new technologies are not detrimental in that they do not hide problems revealed later, but they actually prevent potential problems.

Therefore new technologies can actually be either very bad in that these new technologies such as medications could lead to future problems, or they could be very good for us in that they prevent future problems. A good rule of thumb to determine when a new technology would be good or bad for us is to look at the issue of weather this new technology is curing something that may already be in existence, or if this new advance is trying to be preventative. When women were ingesting the new medication for morning sickness, they already had morning sickness. In ingesting this drug and trying to temporarily alleviate this morning sickness, there were other interactions with this drug that resulted in future problems. However, if one is trying to be preventative in that you do not have a diagnosis of a type of cancer such as colon, or uterine, and you are utilizing a new technology to be preventative, future problems will be minimized in that you significantly reduce your chance of developing an advanced stage of the type of cancer that you are being screened for. Therefore in this way new technologies will prove to be great for us.

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