Cyber-debate

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Zsombor

On May 8 we were to discuss the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but due to low attendance, our conversation shifted to something equally exciting. Fanni and I started a debate on Facebook after she’d posted an article about Neil Harbisson, “the world’s first cyborg artist”.

This weird-looking gentleman was born colorblind. At the beginning of the 2000s, he began a project with Adam Montandon, which later became the “Eyeborg” project. They developed a “head-mounted sensor that translates colour frequences into sound frequences”. (Wikipedia) Today, after a series of events, Neil has a camera implanted into his skull that enables him to hear colors, thus overcoming the problem of colorblindness.

“I’m dressed in C major” says Neil in his rather funny and refreshing 10-minute TED presentation. It is definitely worth watching.

Although we couldn’t recall what our debate was originally about, we managed to raise a short but interesting discussion by reading out a few quotes. There were funny ones, such as “Now if I have problems perceiving a color I don’t know who to go to – an opthamologist, a neurologist, or a computer programmer.” But he went further than that with somewhat radical thoughts, which became the basis of our discussion. “Technology is made by humans so if we modify our body with human creations we become more human.” This statement could entail a day-long debate.

One of the teams is working hard to put together their story.

In the end we divided the group into two teams, put down words on slips of paper, then both teams had to roll the Story Cubes to tell their stories, using all the words. We had great fun again. Sick minds always save the night.

We have two meetings left until the summer break. Next time we’ll be discussing the issue of computers in education, that is, can computers replace teachers in the long run? If you like the topic or want to try out the tasty grilled chicken, join us next week, and don’t forget to spread the word.

Least Wanted

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Zsombor

TAKE FIVE is a place of ambivalence, setting the conflicting aims of raising hard-hitting issues in hopes of inciting heated debates, and at the same time providing an opportunity to chill out at the end of a grueling day playing one of our hilarious games. A bittersweet combination served along with sizzling grilled chicken and steaming tea, just to make the substantial topics easier to swallow.

In the past month our discussions have revolved around crimes, but not ordinary ones – acts that are unlawful from the perspective of jurisdiction, but far not so clear-cut when it comes to common sense.

Juvenile Crime – April 10th

Imagine the unfortunate case of a 10-year-old who finds a loaded pistol at home, and, having watched a few action movies instead of bedtime reading, he sets off to school armed just to show off. Things, however, go off the rail when he encounters his most hated teacher of all down the corridor, and, for some reason, he decides to put an end to the matter by simply pulling the trigger.

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Among the flood of questions there are a few to highlight. What happens to the child? He has commited a premeditated crime, but was he fully aware of the consequences? Should he be admitted to a correctional institution or put behind bars? Is a reformatory enough to “fix” his mind? How can we be sure he would not pull the triger again once released?

We concluded that under no circumstances should children be imprisoned. The only feasible way is higher quality correctional facilities, and what’s even more important, children’s seamless reintegration into society should be ensured in the first place.

Copyright Matters – April 24th

“You wouldn’t steal a car. You wouldn’t steal a handbag…” You may remember the short anti-piracy ad before movies on DVDs. Those forty seconds convey the explicit message that stealing a car is no different at all from downloading a movie from the net. This is a logical nonsense in itself. When a car gets stolen, it is no longer there. When a movie is downloaded, however, the source file remains intact – we make a copy.

Embed from Getty Images

That’s where the problem of copyrights begin, as it is rather difficult to decide whether an author actually suffers a financial loss in case his work goes viral on the net without its users paying for it. Think of aspiring musicians who use Internet as a diving board into success! Besides discussing personal aspects in groups of two, and clarifying the current related laws in Hungary, we focused more on the above-mentioned approach.

I myself made attempts to challenge every point that supports piracy, but to no avail. It appears that all of the relevant industries somehow benefit from illegal downloads. Many people download a game only to try it out before finally purchasing it. Similarly, if someone falls in love with a song or performer, chances are that he will end up at a concert. Cinemas don’t seem to have run out of viewers either.

“Don’t make people pay for music, says Amanda Palmer: Let them.”

When we were arranging for the Copyright Matters discussion, Nóra posted a TED Talk which I promised her to watch. I must admit that this presentation has been one of my most cathartic TED experiences. Once you watch it, you will understand why. (English and Hungarian subtitles are available.)

Special thanks go to Zoli for helping us as a professional to put together the questions and provide background information for the copyright topic.

Facebook me!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Zsombor

Last week we began with a TED talk recommended by Nóra. In her 20-minute long presentation, Sherry Turkle talks about how social networks have changed relationships and the way we shape our self-image. The witty title Connected, but alone? suggests that even though we are able to get in touch with a huge number of people via the net, it isn’t necessarily the way out of solitude. As a matter of fact, it might have the opposite effect.

Zoli reflected on the presentation in detail by giving a speech offhand. He pointed out that it’s not the technology that influences social behavior, but the way we use it. He says that a weak-minded person or somebody who is inherently socially awkward will easily fall victim to virtual reality. It is up to us to keep it under control. You will be able to read more in his upcoming post.

After discussing how much time we spend socializing online, we attempted to collect the pros and cons with regard to social networks. Among the most useful features are organizing groups or events. The advertising potential of these sites are also worth mentioning. In addition to inviting all your contacts to check out your new page, you have the possibility to invest money into advertising. You can even narrow down your target audience based on age, gender, or anything.

The most irritating downside is obviously the loads of spam we encounter on these sites. Besides constantly receiving requests from friends (asking to vote on their pictures or videos for a contest), we come across the most malicious invention of the internet: hoax – scientifically doubtful writings that warn us about the dangers of butter, or fake solicitations with stock photos… and the list goes on forever. Unfortunately, people don’t take the trouble to look them up on sites specializing in scams and hoaxes, just carelessly click on share.

We finished our discussion with the question “Have you had any unpleasant experiences with online communication?” The most frequent answer was related to the previously mentioned socially awkward people who act totally differently behind the screen and in person.

We will keep pursuing exciting and controversial topics. Check our Facebook page for the latest event.

TAKE FIVE — English Language Club

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Tag Archives: TED talks

Cyber-debate

Least Wanted