Popular Science

As is stated on his website “davidabanks.org”, David Banks holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies From Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute among other degrees. In today’s society one might think such accomplishments would naturally give his thoughts the value of being credibly and eagerly shared. Unfortunately, this is not the case when criticizing the work of such a charismatic speaker as Sherry Turkle as he did in his article “Make Conversation Great Again". In an age where delusions are…

Positivist Theory Positivist theory was created from positive philosophy and the influences of practical science (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Positivists rejected the established philosophy of Enlightenment thinkers (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). When society went through significant changes during the American and French revolutions as well as a middle class that united in strength and the Industrial Revolution is when positive philosophy took its roots (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Saint-Simon was a socialist who…

Can you name critical points in your life that have changed it dramatically? What about critical points in the world’s history? The concept of a critical point is something that can be seen in various sciences. Critical point is a moment when something radically changes its state or direction. For example, in physics, there are critical points when water changes its state – once it falls below 0 Celsius, it becomes an ice, and once it rises above 100 Celsius, it becomes a gas. An example of the…

What is culture? Should it be taught? Masoud Ranjbaran Iran University of Science and Technology Foreign Language Department The complexity of culture is the main reason that it prevents scholars to reach consensus on its definition. Looking through the lens of each researcher, they provide useful information about different aspects of the concept. This construct is the cynosure of different disciplines such as anthrophony, sociology, psychology and linguistics. Kroeber and Kluckhohn…

explained by the vegetable spirit and its fermental virtues because it was the vital ether in the world and God’s agent on Earth. Newton’s vegetable spirit represents the struggle between science and religion within our class. Ultimately, Newton thought the vegetable spirit rectified the growing division between science and religion, would eliminate atheism, and lead alchemists and laymen alike to (T)ruth.…

Forensic science is a widely explored topic, featured in television shows and books, however there are many unseen faults to this “science.” Can it be considered a science despite its faults? That is a question often asked by experts, and maybe that’s a question that should be asked in our everyday lives. People are often wrongfully convicted due to the lack of precision within forensic science, it changes people’s lives by allowing the guilty to go free and the innocent to rot away in jail for…

FF vs SF: Is FF Really the Ultimate Loser? Science fiction and fantasy fiction are both popular and loved genres of popular culture. While some people enjoy both of them, an online blogger called Ryan Somma made a comparison between two genres, favoring science fiction. Although one can agree with a few of his arguments, they still have some flawed and non-accurate points. He claims that FF is less epic than SF, therefore it is inferior to SF. He also claims FF romantizes past and uses…

Chemistry. In essence, a lack thereof of such curiosity fuels the desire to transition from Chemistry to another science-related fields. One popular change is from Chemistry to Biology. I personally think that changing my major to Biology will be the easy route to take because the comparison between the two illustrates a rather compelling idea of 39 credits to obtain a Bachelors in Science in Biology, as compared to the 48 credits required for a Bachelors in Chemistry. The what/if degree audit…

Science Fiction vs Absurdist Fiction: A Battle of Genres When classifying a piece of literature, it is imperative to consider its genre. A text’s genre can answer the unknown inquiries that a reader may come up with. For example, a genre can explain why a book is written this way, why it contains such language, and why certain plot elements are the way they are. Science Fiction and Absurdist Fiction are two noteworthy genres to consider. Science Fiction is classified as “literature of the…

What changed the way we think? Kaitlyn Huff HIST 110-07 Professor Geraghty October 15, 2014 The changing of the human intellect during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries can be contributed to multiple aspects that were seen during those time periods. There are three aspects in particular that can be said to have the most significant role in changing the way individuals of those times thought and their daily life, in general - royal societies, coffee-houses, and salons.…