Waste Land Documentary

In my Gifted and Talented class, we recently watched a movie called Waste Land. It is a documentary of these people who are "pickers" in a place not too far from the glorious city of Rio.

- I can honestly say that I have never seen another film like this one, and it was actually very interesting. It is so hard to believe that people all the way across the globe are in situations like the ones shown in the movie. It makes me appreciate my life just that much more. The thing about us is that we don't realize what we have and we always want more. However, instead of looking at those who have more than us, we should look at those who have so much less and be greatful.

-In the beginning of the film, I was somewhat confused. I did not understand why all of these people were wandering around and fishing things out of the garbage. Then when they explained how they pick out the recyclable materials, it all made sense. However, it was hard to take in that so many people did this for a living. My opinion did change throughout the movie because I realized how hard their lives were but how seriously they took their jobs as pickers.

-Vik Muniz clearly made a large contribution to the pickers of Jardim Gramacho. He had the idea of making these paintings where recyclable materials would be a large part of the picture. He helped these people realize that there is a world outside of the garbage that they live in. He completely changed their perspective on modern art. Vik Muniz asked one of the pickers what they thought of modern art before this project and he said that he thought it was crap but now he thinks it's amazing. Vik also helped these people realize that they are beautiful and that they should be proud of who they are and where they're from. Also, that they can become whatever they want if they try hard enough. His own story is very inspiring; he grew up poor and now he is so successful.

-This movie did make me think about how much garbage I produce in a day. However, I feel like there is no way I can reduce this amount! I recycle whenever something is recyclable. However, I could probably switch from water bottles to a reusable one. Also, I could switch from paper lunch bags to a reusable lunch bag.

-There are many areas of people in poverty that wouldn't mind getting Vik Muniz's help. There are several places right in the United States that could use help from Vik to realize that there is more to the world than the place that they live in and that they can accomplish whatever they want as long as they make an attempt to and try hard enough.

PassionProject.

In my Gifted and Talented class, we are doing something called the “Passion Project.” It is based off of the “20% Time” conducted by Google. Basically, it is where one day of every five day week, which is technically 20% of the work week, the employees work on something other than their daily jobs. The topic I picked is psychology. One word, a million ideas. Psychology is known as the science of mind, brain, and behavior. It is such a diverse topic and I will be exploring a different aspect of it every Friday. I’ll be posting my progress. Can’t wait to get started!

TerriSchiavoBioethics

     One of the most controversial cases in the history of the United States was that of Terri Schiavo. In our Gifted and Talented class, we learned all about this case and the controversy involved. Ms Schiavo was 26 years old when her heart stopped beating and the oxygen supply to her brain was cut off. This is where the brain damage started and she later fell into a coma. She was in the coma for fifteen years and over this course of time, her husband and family were involved in several court cases. Her husband, Mr Schiavo wanted to remove the feeding tube because he believed that that is what his wife would have wanted. Legally, he was her guardian. However, her family wanted something different. They believed that the doctors should do everything possible to sustain young Terri Schiavo's life. The US Supreme Court refused to get involved in such a case since there had been no one like this before so they had no idea what to do. Judge Greer says that since Terri has no chance of recovery, the doctors may remove the feeding tube on the 3rd of January in 2003. Even the governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, gets involved by asking the court to appoint a new guardian for Terri Schiavo, but the court does not act upon this. The feeding tube was not removed earlier so the Judge orders the feeding tube to be removed on the 15th of October in 2003. Her parents petitioned the Federal Court but to no avail; Schiavo's feeding tube was removed on October 15th, 2003. A law is passed six days later. Terri's Law, which gives governor Jeb Bush the power to order doctors to feed doctors to feed Terri Schiavo. On the 23nd of October, 2003, the feeding tube is reinserted. On the 6th of May in 2004 the County Court rules that Terri's Law is unconstitutional so the law is striked down on September 23, 2004. There were several more court appeals and controversy over the next few months, same as before; should the feeding tube be removed or not? On March 18 of 2005, the US House of Representatives and the US Senate both tried to block the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, but Judge Greer ordered the tube to be removed anyway. The Senate passed a bill two days later calling for the federal court to review the case and it was signed into law by President Bush the next day. Finally, after some more controversy and dispute, Ms.Schiavo died on March 31st, 13 days after the feeding tube was removed on March 18, 2005. 
     I think that it was fine to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. I mean, you could always hope for a miracle, but what are the chances of that? One in a million? Once the doctors declared Terri's coma irreversible, I think that the right thing to do would be to disconnect the feeding tube, therefore ending Terri's life. This may sound cruel, but it would be best for everyone because they could move on with their lives and Terri would be put to peace. I understand why Terri's family wanted to keep her alive, it is very hard to let go of a family member. However, her husband was looking at the reality of it, which was that Terri was not going to survive so it would only make sense to put her out of her misery. 

Natal Bioethical Issues

My ratings for natal bioethical issues from 1-9, 9 being the most controversial:


1. Natural Reproduction
2. Carrier Testing - genetic tests of parents that show the risk of passing on  a genetic disorder
3. Prenatal Testing - genetic screening of fetus for genes that cause genetic disorders
4. Fertility drugs - Prescription drugs which increase a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant
5. Artificial Insemination - insertion of sperm into female reproductive tract by syringe in a doctor's office
6. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis for Diseases - Fertilization of sperm and egg in a Petri dish. Embryos are screened for a certain genetic disorder.  Those without the defective gene are inserted into the female reproductive tract via a syringe in a doctor’s office.
7. In Vitro Fertilization - Fertilization of sperm and egg in a Petri dish. Viable embryos are chosen and inserted into the female reproductive tract via a syringe in a doctor’s office.

8. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis for Non-deleterious Traits - Fertilization of sperm and egg in a Petri dish. Embryos are screened for genes of non-deleterious traits (such as hair color, height, sex). Those with desired genes are inserted into the female reproductive tract via a syringe in a doctor’s office.

9. Cloning - the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another

     I thought the least controversial was the idea of natural reproduction. That is a natural everyday thing and there should not be any controversy over it other than personal problems such as whether or not one can afford to take care of their baby. I said that carrier testing was a two on the controversy scale because a couple may still want to have their baby even if they know they are going to pass on a disease. Some people may not want to reproduce knowing that they will pass on a disease, however not everyone can afford this service. The third most controversial thing on my list is prenatal testing because it isn't very controversial. I think the couple should be able to decide whether or not they want to have this done. The fourth natal bioethical issue on my list is fertility drugs because if someone is not able to reproduce, they should be allowed to try whatever they want at their own risk. The sixth thing on my list was pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for diseases. I chose to put this as number six because I think that it is fine for anyone who can't reproduce themselves to have it done in a lab. Screening for genetic disorders just prevents their child from having them which doesn't cause any harm to anyone so there shouldn't be any controversy over that. The seventh thing on my list is in Vitro fertilization because I can understand why there would be controversy over such a topic. I think that it is fine to do as long as the woman does it at her own risk. The eighth thing on my list is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for non-deleterious traits. I think this is a highly controversial topic because some people may want to do this, but it seems wrong. When you say that you want one trait over another, you are putting down the other trait. For example, if I said I wanted brown hair and blue eyes, I would be saying that I do not want blonde hair and green eyes. The last and most controversial thing on my list is cloning. Some people may say that it is an acceptable thing while other may say that it is wrong. I, personally, think that cloning is very wrong. 

     I would stop at number 8. Natural reproduction is a part of life. Carrier and prenatal testing just test for genetic disorders so they can be prevented. Fertility drugs, artificial insemination, and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for diseases help a woman who may be having trouble reproducing to become pregnant. In Vitro fertilization also helps a woman who cannot reproduce to have a baby. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for non-deleterious traits is wrong in my opinion. If one cannot get pregnant, they should use one of the alternatives such as fertility drugs or artificial insemination, not something where they get to "design" their baby. Cloning is another thing which I find to be very wrong. There is no need to make an identical copy of someone using their genes and DNA. If cloning became common, there would be chaos in the world. 

Gattaca Review

     In my Gifted and Talented class, we recently watched a movie called Gattaca. In this movie, parents had the option to determine their children's traits. Vincent, the main character, had a very high chance of dying early due to heart problems, he was not a "designed baby." He had a little brother, Anton, who was designed by his parents and was far more superior than Vincent. Vincent was very interested in space, but he would never be allowed to go in space because of who he was, he was an invalid. He takes the identity of a man named Jerome Morrow. He learned how to use his blood and urine samples to pass off as his own. The mission director in the movie was killed, which called for investigation. Jerome left an eyelash at the crime scene and was very close to having his identity be revealed. His brother,Anton, happened to be one of the crime investigators. They found out that the eyelash belonged to Vincent Freeman, however they could not find Vincent Freeman because he had disguised himself as someone else. In the end, Jerome was being sent on a space mission, which had always been his dream when the doctor at the gate saw his true identity. Although, for some reason, the doctor let him go through anyway and did not report him. The true Jerome Morrow ended up killing himself because his first attempt at suicide didn't work. Even with such superior abilities, he was always second best, never first. Personally, I did not like it very much. It's not that the movie was bad, it's just that I am not very into science fiction. The story line was confusing at times, but I enjoyed the ending, it made me think. I do not think the real Jerome, the man in the wheelchair, should have killed himself. I really liked the last few things Jerome (Vincent) said at the end. He said that it was surprisingly hard to leave a world in which he didn't belong, but he heard that all of his atoms were pieces of stars to begin with so maybe he was just going home after all. Overall, this movie was okay, I think anyone who is interested in science fiction would really enjoy this movie, however I am just not that interested in this genre. 

values.

We are now learning about ethics in our Gifted&Talented class. We recently took a value survey to determine what our values are. The survey said that the following were my values:

-love,friendship,personal closeness
-family, love, emotional security
-fulfillment, intellectual and vocational achievement
-financial securty, money, status

I feel like these things perfectly describe my values. I do believe in friendship, I can't imagine a life without close friends and family. I love my family very much and I wouldn't be anywhere without them. I plan on graduating highschool and going on to a good college to continue my education. I hope to achieve my goals in life, one of them being to become a pediatrician. Another thing I value is financial security. It may sound a little superficial but I feel like if I am financially stable, I would be able to live my life without having to worry about money. This survey describes my values pretty accurately, however, I also value religion, health, honesty, equality and courage.

Outliers: The Trouble with Geniuses, Parts 1 & 2

We all know someone who is different, in an exceptional way. In our Gifted and Talented class, we are reading a book called Outliers the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. This book shares the stories of famous and some not so famous people who are, without a doubt, outliers. You may be thinking, what is an outlier? An outlier is something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body. In other words, someone or something that is unique and different. Gladwell introduces his theories on why some people are successful. Unlike most other books about success, he explains how these people became successful. His findings will shock you.

Chapter three is titled, The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 1. There is usually a quote in the beginning of each chapter and the one for this chapter is as follows, “Knowledge of a boy’s IQ is of little help if you are faced with a formful of clever boys.” This quote fits perfectly with what is being said in this chapter which is that a high IQ isn’t the key to success. Someone with a much lower IQ can turn out to be just as successful as someone with a very high IQ. This chapter talks about one extraordinary man, Chris Langan. In case you don’t know who Chris Langan is, let me tell you that he is the smartest man in America. With an IQ of 195, he can easily be declared a genius. However, someone with a fraction of his IQ can be just as successful as he is. This goes to show that your IQ shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Gladwell also mentions that intelligence has a threshold. This means that you don’t have to be the best at what you do, just good enough.

In chapter four, The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2, the main concepts are practical intelligence, entitlement, and childhood surroundings. The term practical intelligence means having the knowledge needed to be “socially smart”. Robert Oppenheimer would be a very accurate example of someone with practical intelligence. When he was in college, he made an attempt to poison one of his professors and he failed. However, he was able to convince the administrators of the school to not expel him. Being able to easily change the views of people requires a great deal of practical intelligence. What does the term entitlement refer to? In the text, it is talking about the middle class children who were good at speaking up and asking questions. They did what they had to do in order to get what they want. This is a crucial ability to have, the ability to be heard. Entitlement was not present in the lower class children. Childhood surroundings also play a very important role in one’s future. An important term about this concept is “concerted cultivation”. Concerted cultivation is how you are raised. Some people have many opportunities growing up and are very involved in extracurricular activities, but these are mostly children from families who can afford it. Poorer families don’t have the money to put their child in so many activities and programs. The culture and opportunities that are provided to an individual play a very large part in whom and what they become.

Is Chris Langan successful? To correctly answer this question, we need to know what the requirements of being successful are. My Gifted and Talented class came up with our own definition: to be successful is to maintain a balance between financial stability and happiness with self and others and to accomplish the goals you want to achieve. According to this definition, I would say that Chris Langan is successful. People could argue and say that he isn’t successful because he isn’t rich, but is money more important than happiness? He may not have a lot of money, but he is happy with his life. He has a farm with animals to take care of, books to read, and he has a wife whom he loves. In my eyes, if you are happy, you are successful and Chris Langan definitely seems happy to me.

We are only on the fifth chapter of this book and I feel like I’ve already learned so much. For example, I learned was that your IQ doesn’t matter. You can be just as successful as someone with a much higher IQ than you. I found out that since intelligence has a threshold, you don’t have to be the best at what you do, just good enough. Gladwell also introduced me to the concept of concerted cultivation, which is how you are raised. I have realized that entitlement is one of the keys to success. You have to be able to speak up without a problem and by doing this, you will get far. When you don’t understand something, ask questions, don’t stay in the dark. Another important factor in who you become is when and where you were born and the opportunities you are offered along the way. I will be sure to apply the things I have learned so far. It’s hard to believe how many new things I have learned by reading just a few chapters of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers.