TOW #24: Modern Myths

Scientific magazine, Natural History, is well known for chronicling the discoveries made by various science centers, so it is not surprising that paleontologist, science historian, and evolutionary biologist, Stephen Jay Gould had his essay published within its pages. Cleverly disguised as a dissertation to point out the inaccuracies regarding the beginnings of baseball, its true roots deal with humans and our fascination with origins. In his essay, The Creation Myths of Cooperstown, Gould compares the tale of the Cardiff Giant to the Abner Doubleday conception of baseball by citing the similarities in why they were fabricated. As a desire that traces back to our basic inclinations, Gould insists that the abundance of myths about beginnings is not coincidental. He argues that the reason we prefer creation myths to evidence of evolutionary development lies in the fact that “creation myths identify heroes and sacred places” (Gould 530), giving meaning to our otherwise mundane world. This, in fact, is the main purpose of the essay: to explore the human yearning to know how things began and in doing so, broaden the scope of thought for readers. 

Of all the parts of the essay, it is Gould’s tone which is most revealing to this purpose. His colloquial writing makes the article less formal, allowing his satire to leave a lasting impression. Even with this humor though, a distinctly cynical mood is felt, confirming the particular audience for whom the writing is intended -- those who blindly believe the myths they are told. His multiple allusions to differing creation stories are among one of his most successful strategies for this audience. By providing readers with familiar areas of reference, the allusions give specific examples of paradoxical inconsistencies with creation myths. However, the main reason Gould is able to realize his purpose, in my opinion, was not due to what he said, but rather, what he didn’t say. The prime success lies in Gould’s avoidance of any mention of religion, a slippery slope considering the topic. Keeping the writing strictly secular prevented partitioning of the audience and thus a stronger impact on readers.

TOW #23: Why Blood Drives Need Saving

       The simplicity of an unnatural image like blood within a donation box efficiently grabs attention from the public.  Without thinking, people are able to tell that something is “incorrect” about an image like that.  So the fact that something is different also tells them that there is an underlying message.  If the image was a donation box filled with a few coins, the viewers might not stop to “listen” to the message.  Even if the text were more direct and changed to “we also need you to give blood,” the viewer would have turned the magazine page already or turned their eyes to a different billboard.  The fact is that an abnormal image, no matter how simple it may seem, perplexes the viewer and draws their interest to the point where they want to comprehend it.                

         The creators assume that although its audience is concerned with the health of mankind, it is not informed enough on the ways to help and the variety of resources needed by societies like ARCBS.  In other words, people care enough to give money, but they also need to care enough to give blood.  By visually attaching “Money Isn’t Everything” to the image of the collection box, the ARCBS contradicts the assumption made by its audience that money is all that their society needs to make a difference.   

The text contradicts the image of the box and tells viewers that they need to do more than empty the spare change from their pockets.  Yet it does this in an indirect way that is a subtle suggestion.  The word “blood” is barely used in the advertisement as it only appears in the society’s name and their website.  The simple idea of blood being donated to the box, not money, serves the purpose of soliciting action.  It’s important to note that the donation box is not full.  This reinforces the overall theme previously explained of a void and has the connotation of lacking.  The blood implies what the society wants from the viewer and the emptiness of the box implies why they want it.  If the box were filled to the top, the viewer may not have sympathetic emotions that inspire him/her to go out and donate blood.  One might think “they don’t need my blood if the box is full.”  Instead, the pathos aspect of the advertisement invokes concern on the part of the viewer and encourages them to act.

TOW# 22: Ex-convicts Near You

       After spending over three years in prison, James Daniels thought that he had done his time paying for his crime. So when he was released, he was surprised to find that the majority of American society would be unable to see past the previous felony. He spent four years following his release working hard to earn a second chance in this country, only to be rejected in both economic and social aspects. Daniels explained his situation, detailing its roots in misconceptions held by the common citizens of America. "I made dumb mistakes when I was younger that led to my conviction," Daniels tells everyone, "But there's a lot more to me than just that."

       In the four years since his release from prison, Richard Cobbs has applied to over 75 different jobs, each one with no successful result. It is not for dispossessing the proper experience or the proper skills, in fact, at age 52, Cobbs has gained experience in laundry, sanitation, and catering work, as well as training in basic culinary arts. The reason he faces numerous denials is because of a simple little box; a box which many of us check off without a second thought, a box which imprisons a person to certain social standard, a box which determines the content of your character for you, a box which labels you an ex-criminal. Cobbs is just one of the current 70 million people in our country who have felony records and who, because of this record, are automatically disqualified from jobs even before getting an interview. A practice like this does not encourage the path to normal life for ex-convicts, but instead disallows it by hindering the steps necessary to support oneself in the world. Without a job many of these ex-felons are kept from the fundamental requirements for life, causing many to face the difficult choice of looking for different ways to provide themselves with basic food and shelter. It is this sense of hopelessness caused from a denial of necessities that often causes these people to reenter the incarceration system, not a desire to commit crimes again. Attempting to continue a normal life under these conditions is difficult, but living with the social stigma of being an ex-convict is nearly impossible.

TOW 21: Visual Ad

           As a coalition between the two countries during the early 1990s, this advertisement was published in numerous magazines in both Japan and the United States with the short phrase "even our art begins to look less beautiful. End water pollution." With this, the objective of the image is fairly clear -- to convince its viewers to end water pollution before its too late. It's method of presenting this argument, however, is quite interesting indeed. It is obviously  reference to the famous Japanese painting, "The Wave" and so its reference to the damage done to artwork across the world is prevalent. The actual makeup of the image itself, is also what makes it such a powerful piece. Much like the original painting (woodblock) itself, the power is held in the artistic techniques of the author.
         The power of the image comes from first from the use on contrasting colors to break up the image. The deep blue of the background and of the wave itself, contrast deeply with the images of the boats and especially of Mount Fuji in the back. This allows the image to really tell a whole story, describing the setting and the events that take place in the scene. Of course, this would all be amiss if no to mention the obviously misplaced imagery of trash filling the ocean. This causes an emotional appeal to the viewers of this image, causing a powerful call for change regarding the situation. Another similarly important aspect to the image is it perspective. The wave itself seems to be in the foreground do to its forced perspective compared to the mountain, however, it is not merely the wave that appears to be the focal point, but rather, the trash that is within it. Unlike the original picture, the focal point seems to be focused on what is in the water rather than what is beyond it, namely, Mt. Fuji.

TOW #20: The Pursuit of Beauty

      In his article in the New York Time's, author Alec Wilkinson explores the implications of what it means to do what you love -- what makes it beautiful to you. He takes an interesting stance on a topic which has been discussed for years; exploring its implication on a truly different level. For his own article, he explores the idea of "beauty" through mathematics. He reveals to the audience that he had "only passed high school math because he cheated" -- an effective method to bring readers to a closer level to his narration. In doing so, he then explains the significance of  a man he met through his daughter who was nothing short of mathematical genius, successfully solving an equation which had remained unsolved for over 20 years. This transitions him to the idea of number theory, a branch of pure mathematics that truly and completely serves no purpose whatsoever. What it did provide people who were involved, however, was a complete satisfaction in the use of numbers sequences. He ties it back to the the mathematician aforementioned, Ytang Zhang, in how his had particularly felt after solving the equation. He described it as an "exile from this dreary world", something that "he was passionate about, without completely understanding why".
      All of which lead Wilkinson to his ultimate conclusion regarding beauty. It ultimately is in the eye of the beholder and it is ultimately how it makes one feel that indicates its true beauty. The fact that the author utilized the idea of solving math problems to describe the ambiguity of beauty is extremely effective. After all, for many, and obviously for the author himself, the idea of solving math problems is the last thing that would be considered beautiful.

TOW #19: Half the Sky

         Interestingly enough, the main argument in this book is presented early within its pages in a very similar manner to Declaration of Sentiments we read in class. Like this speech, the claim is proven deductively, through the presentation of "known truths" and the consequences of said truth. Then, for the rest of the early chapters, gives evidence to inductively support the claim that was put forth earlier. It begins with an admittedly basic concept; the true and all too often ignored fact that there is a rampant oppression of women and girls in the developing world and that this oppression is indeed a violation of human rights. The book goes on to explain this country's high value in human rights, and how this is the very thing that was seen to give "birth to the United States" (43). With this provided knowledge to the subject -- the major premise -- the book goes on to explain that when human rights are in violation and a group of individuals is being oppressed, it is the duty of the others to rise to the occasion and take action against it. This premise too is supported by a myriad of examples in American history, starting with the initial Declaration of Independence, to the Emancipation Proclamation, and the more recent struggle for civil liberty. Using these examples provides a strong credibility to the general truth they use for the rationale in their argument.
         The earliest chapters (the first five that I read) fulfill the same role as the bulleted points in both the Declaration of Independence and Declaration of Sentiments -- to inductively prove that the minor premise of the general truth applies here and now. To do this the authors must provide evidence of human right violations in the form of women's oppression. In chapter 1, this is explored through the life of a Cambodian girl who was sold into sex slavery and in chapter 2, with an Ethiopian woman who faced devastating injuries for her pregnancy. These (and many more) prove the general truth is in fact applicable, and therefore, action is necessary. This is ultimately the main goal of the book -- to encourage a global call to arms against the oppression of women.

TOW #18: We Need Better Presidential Debates

 

          Written by Robert Donovan and John Rosenkranz for the Wall Street Journal, this article takes a direct stance on the current format of the presidential debates. The authors do this by first identifying and exploring the cons surrounding the style of debate used now. This includes not only personal opinions on the matter, but also numerous data points to explore regarding the topic. This, in fact, is where the true strength of their argument lies -- in the facts. The authors of this article are meticulous with the examples they provide to support their case. They argue that the current method of debating -- which they describe as being nothing more than a "ploy" to ask catch the presidential hopefuls off guard -- is ineffective at its job andpresnts an ill representation of their true ideals. Instead they suggest hosting these debates in an Oxford debating style. This style is unique from the present method in that is more structured and formulaic.  Oxford Style debates follow a formal structure which begins with audience members casting a pre-debate vote on the motion that is either for, against or undecided. Each panelist presents a seven-minute opening statement, after which the moderator takes questions from the audience with inter-panel challenges. Finally, each panelist delivers a two-minute closing argument, and the audience delivers their second (and final) vote for comparison against the first.

          The evidence provided from these two co-authors is quite impressive. To prove their argument, they provide many examples of their point -- a strong appeal to logos. This brings a lot strength to their argument. By including references to numerous debates that have followed the same debate structure and how they too would work for the presidential debates.

TOW #17: Canadian Journalist Ad

       Juniper Park is a global advertising agency which has worked with numerous companies throughout its 50 year run. Over these years it has become known very famously for its clever use of symbolism in its ads to successfully display its message to the public. In August of 2012, Juniper Park's published it most recent series of ads for the NGO Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. The NGO is a strong petition group which protests the Canadian acts for restriction of journalists. This particular ad by the company depicts these very journalism tools (cameras, recorders, etc) as weapons, with the phrase "information is ammunition" written toward the bottom. This simple ad is extremely powerful in its use of creative juxtaposition of camera material and a high power gun. By comparing these two things, the ad is able to lead viewers into the conclusion of similar abilities. In showing that a camera can be just as powerful as a gun, it follows the theme of the well-known adage, "the pen is mightier than the sword".
         The ad also is very smart in utilizing very dull color tones. This, although being the opposite of eye catching, actually gives the advertisement a greater sense of urgency. Truly the success of the advertisement comes from its ability to illustrate a correlation between journalism and warfare -- against the same enemy. To many, the use of firearms is the only way to counteract evil in this world. However, this ad suggests that this is not necessarily so, instead providing the idea that journalism can be just as powerful in ending countering such things. Given the intent of the ad and the simplicity of its message, the audience for such an ad is the general public. With this message, the ad hopes to bring forth a call to action from viewers, in hopes of getting them to also protest the acts about journalism restriction.

IRB Intro #3 Half The Sky

Half The Sky is a self proclaimed "call to arms, call for help, call for contributions and call for volunteers" toward one of the greatest humanitarian issues of our era. Focusing on sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and girls' education authors Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn argue that the oppression of women is the ultimate paramount moral challenge facing our society, comparing it to the fight against slavery from the past. Though the subject matter in itself was not necessarily the most eye catching to me for this book, it was actually my brother who recommended that I read it. He too explained that he did not have much initial interest in reading it (but as it was a required reading for his college he didn't really have much of a choice) but it's subjects and themes cover much more than just the oppression of women -- focusing on the discussion of moral values in a society and what implications they have on a culture.

TOW #16: Race in America

       Inspired by recent debates filling American life regarding the idea of racial prejudice within the United States, writer Matt Leran began his article series, Race in America. Written exclusively for the opinion pages of the New York Times, Race in America is an exploration into the "identity of America" through the lens of its actual citizens. This series is particularly insightful in that it utilizes the stories and experiences of actual American people to paint its narrative about what America is truly like -- for all people. The stories within its pages do an exceptional job of describing not just the events that people have experienced in this country, but the rather, who is experiencing them, driving home the point that this truly is not a dividing subject about different races, but a unifying one about joint human experience. Not to discredit its as an informative piece, however, as it does provide a good deal of knowledge on a topic that many who are not directly related to are not aware of. Of course, this used of anecdotal structure is what holds this piece together and also what makes it most successful as it adds to both its appeals to ethos and especially to pathos.
      What makes this article series different from any other piece looking into the racial divide in America is, as I mentioned before, its use of stories to describe its message. Whether it be from Maya McCoy about her conversation to her black son, or Josh Frias about growing up being told by his white parents that racism doesn't exist, this article presents a myriad of experiences from all different perspectives on the issue. What this brings to the article is a greater level of ethos for connecting to the American people, it isn't just a writer telling you what is going on in America, it is people describing there personal experiences within it. It also brings success in its appeals to pathos for the same reason. Having real people describe what its like believing that "race definitely factored into how one participated in school" or that is truly "isolated one from their peers" brings an emotional pull that is unparalleled by mere statements of racism in America. This makes the article stand apart and, consequently, be extremely successful in doing what it sets out to achieve.

TOW #15: What Would Martin Luther King Do?

     Written just in time to celebrate this upcoming holiday of Martin Luther King Day, this article takes a almost satirical look into the way politics is carried out in this country in comparison to the high moral standards we hold ourselves up to. In this way, the author, Will Tennen, takes a memorialized figure such as Martin Luther King Jr, and compares his actions to our own as a country. It is a humorous strike on the saying, "what would Jesus do?" in comparing moral standards to the actions of others. Though the article takes a satirical jab at almost all elements of the political spectrum, including the way in which debates are now run, his most adamant is at the policies of Republican front runner Donald Trump, particularly his stance on Muslims in this country. In his article, author Will Tennen uses powerful allusions to past events in order to draw convincing comparisons to the faults in our political upbringing and consequently bring forth a sense of change.
     Beginning his article with a quote from King Jr himself about the "necessity of social justice in America" brings a strong and forward message to his audience about the topic of his discussion throughout the rest of the piece. This powerful quote is then easily used to negate the modern tactics and policies of recent politicians, bringing a source from which to point flaws in our current character as a country. It is from this very quote that Tennen derives the morality with which to ask his ending question, "what would Martin Luther King Jr. do?". He asks this regarding our political attacks, our split congress and of course immigration reforms. It seems that this saying repeats itself throughout the article, being referenced in relation to other aspects of King's life. Overall, the success of this article can be accredited to this clever idea repeated throughout its work.

The Elegant Universe (IRB #2)

      The latter half of Brian Greene's non-technical book takes an interesting turn in subject matter, switching from the development and evolution of string theory to its relation to what he refers to as "hidden dimensions". In his last chapters he takes this topic -- which, in some scientific way that I cannot claim to understand, connects back to string theory -- and explores, in a similar way, its implications to the human condition as a whole. This comprehensive study of the theoretical 11th dimension and its relevance to the unification of the twenty first century follows through Greene's technique approaching these especially technical subject matters, by connecting them to everyday life of people. He does this, as mentioned in the previous post, most effectively through his colloquial writing style. However, another aspect to this style that became cleat to its success appealing to the layman is Greene's creative use of metaphors and other analogies. These analogies not only add a creative flair to the writing, but also give an easier understanding to the complexity of his subject matter.
       The most effective metaphor to be constantly referred to throughout the book is his comparison of the fabric of space to a quilt. Albeit amazingly simple, this metaphor which compares the very fabric of our universe to the simple stitched fabric of a quilt makes it unquestionably easier to understand the topics as hand. Greene is able to explain the "Newtonian directional physics" that are  "law to the relativity of interstellar connectivity" (203) which this metaphor. He explains that "like the quilt, they particles are stitched together. And, very much like the quilt, there are tiny holes which can let other pieces of matter through" (100). This constant relation back to quilt furnishings makes it easier for myself and other audience members to relate to what is being stated throughout the book and what ultimately contributes to its success.

TOW #13: WWF (Visual Text)

          The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) is the world's leading non-profit conservation organization. Their primary goal as an organization is to combine global reach with a foundation in science, involve action at every level from local to global, and of course to ensure the delivery of innovative solutions to meet the needs of people and nature across the world. Or, in layman's terms, to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats on the environment. In order to achieve this goal, the WWF relies heavily on the sponsorship and support from the common citizen and it is for this reason that the majority of their advertisements are geared toward the general public. This ad in particular is used to demonstrate the harsh effects of deforestation, showcasing its impact on the wildlife in an area. Through the use of symbolism and contrasting color palettes the WWF ad is able to successfully bring forth an emotional response from the audience, causing a reconsideration of deforestation and an ultimate demand for change.
         The true genius in this ad comes from its masterful use of symbolism. In showing the cluster of trees in the shape of lungs, the ad symbolically represents the life of the forest and corresponding wildlife. So, with this comparison made, the effects of deforestation are made much more powerful -- showing the death that it causes. In that sense, the contrasting colors of the various hues of brown against the hues of green also create a powerful image for onlookers. This stark difference in colors make it clear how different the brown depicts a sense of death and destruction. It is the four words at the bottom which serve as the final call to action for the audience of the image. The words, "before it's too late" make it clear that the WWF wants those who see this image to make a change and to end the death of the forest. Ultimately, it is these four simple words that make the point of the ad crystal clear and cause a stir in anyone who looks upon it. It is for this reason that this ad is so successful, because it is able to call to the emotions of its audience.

TOW #12: The Elegant Universe (IRB)

          Written in response to his major success with his theories in numerous published scientific magazines The Elegant Universe, by Brian Greene provides a comprehensive, though strictly non-technical, assessment of string theory and its shortcomings. In doing so, it also takes a unique perspective on what scientific discovery is truly about and how this relates to the expectations we have toward our own capabilities -- something which he refers to as the "ultimate theory". It was this amazing insight which ultimately made the book a finalist for the non-fiction Pulitzer prize in 2000. Though the book begins on a primarily scholastic subject, it quickly evolves to something much more in depth and thought provoking as the work continues. Greene's success most heavily falls in the fact that he tells such a topic in an almost narrative form, one which is very unlikely given the subject matter. He is most effective in his use of colloquial diction to describe the mysterious of the universe to the "average man".
          Beginning with a brief consideration of basic physics, the book concentrates on the major conflicts regarding the study. Greene establishes a historical context for string theory as something that could someday become a necessary means of integrating the probabilistic world of particle physics and deterministic Newtonian physics of the macroscopic world. And yes, as Greene himself admits, "this is just as complicated as it sounds" (Greene 45). This concession of its difficulty is one of the many things that makes the book such an enjoyable and easy book to read. Greene continue this colloquial throughout the rest of the chapters to easily relate to audience members. This book, probably better than any others I've read, best relates its scientific work to the average and everyday lives of its audience, only furthering its discussion on the common man.

TOW #11: The Art Of Dying

       Written as an editorial in The Guardian, the emotionally charged article, "The Art of Dying", takes a unique look into the work of famous physician, neurologist, and best selling author Oliver Sacks, a man who successfully revolutionized the way scientific case studies were told. Following the announcement of Dr.Sacks' terminal cancer, the author describes, in much detail, the emotions of finding out the misfortune of such an influential man while simultaneously exploring the lasting legacies of his life (and death) on the science community. The author of the article, Ranjana Srivastava, does this most effectively through the use of many difference anecdotes, describing her own time as a physician and how Sacks had inspired her in her work. This use of these anecdotes serve to bring an emotional feel to the writing and convince the audience, assuredly other fans of Sack's work, of the very thing that sacks himself believes -- that his death should be seen as a way to remember his accomplishments and that there truly is value in embracing our mortality.
        Like much of its body, the article begins with an anecdote. The author tells of her feeling when it was first announced that Dr. Oliver Sacks, her idol, had been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, discussing the immediate distress that she felt as a "stab through the heart" (3). She is recalls "a former patient who came into the hospital dying of liver failure and metastatic bowel cancer" (5) and begins to tell of the struggle she felt to break the news of her terminal condition. It was at this point that the work from Oliver Sacks had inspired her most, and taught her how to treat people, not just conditions. In a similar fashion, it was the words from Sacks himself who was able to bring her comfort, "like the genial, grandfather-figure he is, he reassured us, oncologist and all, that he still felt intensely alive" (5).  Srivastava ends her article with similar message, exploring the numerous works done by Sacks and expressing the extreme gratitude she felt toward him. She believes, as many still do, that Sacks did what other biological scientists were afraid to do. He taught what it meant to be human and frail.

TOW #10 Gold's Gym Advertisement (Visual)

     Gold's Gym is a well known and nationally recognized American gym that has been around for about 50 years, first opening its doors to the public in May of 1965. To celebrate its successful achievement in longevity, and ultimately to showcase their "legacy of strength", Gold's Gym began its "growing stronger together" campaign in the beginning of 2015. This campaign focused primarily on the introduction of the gym to new clients and began a strong push for new members. As a result of this new campaign the following ad was published in many fitness magazines across the nation. The simplicity of this advertisement is what makes it so successful, utilizing strong contrasting colors and a juxtaposition of contrasting images to depict the effect of their gym in hopes of compelling new people to join. 

      The most eye catching part of this image is the use of bold black letters across a bright yellow backdrop. These colors are not only successful in drawing in attention due to their brightness, but also in serving as an extension of their own product since black and yellow are the colors of the gym. Due to the intensity of these colors, this ad immediately stands out and leaves a lasting impression for readers. However, the most eye catching, and relevant to the point of the ad is the use of contrasting images to represent letters. The way that the two beginning images are positioned makes them appear to take an "A" shape, and because of this, spell the word "FAT" in bold letters. This word corresponds to the emotional response brought forth when viewing the two images of overweight men and brings an ultimately negative connotation to the entire idea. By contrast, the bottom image not only displays a man who is obviously in better shape, but is positioned in such a way so that his body appears to make an "I" shape. With this, the last word appears to be "FIT" rather than "FAT". It this way, the ad implicitly showcases the the positive effects of the gym, making a man (and his corresponding word) go from fat to fit. 

TOW #9: Dumb Kids' Class

         Mark Bowden, a veteran writer for the monthly journal The Atlantic, often focuses his writing on the societal repercussions -- or possible repercussions --  of various political decisions within the country. His essay, Dumb Kids' Class, is no exception to this tradition. Following the presidential consideration of the 'No Child Left Behind' policy by the Obama administration (one which ultimately resulted in no change) Bowden published this article giving a unique perspective to education in this country. Telling of his early childhood in which he was placed in the so-called "dumb classes" before being promoted to the higher level classes, Bowden explores the idea of how early influences affect how children view themselves in the future. Through a satirical description of his time spent in the "dumb" class, strongly facilitated by his use of ironic statements, Bowden intends to show his audience -- the voting class citizen of America who could have a say in the consideration of the policy (at least theoretically) -- that categorizing children at an early age can be dangerous as it is something which remains with the child for life and often results in a parochial outlook toward ones abilities.
          By utilizing ironic statements to describe his childhood experience Mark Bowden successfully creates a humorous tone to his article, accentuating his idea that even with good intentions, the categorizing of students harbors negative results. Bowden begins this style with his description of "the invaluable lessons of the dumb classes" (45) which consisted of avoiding the "spit pit" (44) and how to draw blood without too much injury to yourself. By describing such lessons as "invaluable" and essentially the most important to such a class, Bowden shows how little emphasis was placed on a group of children who were considered academically inept. Bowden directly addresses this fact, stating that "children are exquisitely attuned to the way adults size them up, so there was never any mystery about where anyone stood" (30). In this way, he explains that it is these influences which ultimately lead to children who do not see any more worth than where they were placed. Most powerfully, and what brings the most success to his article, is his use of a similar ironic statement at the end, stating "It’s well and good to enjoy the world’s esteem, I learned, but better still to be underestimated" (54). This ending concludes his idea with the final thought that many children placed in these "dumb classes" are not expected to do anything exceedingly important in the future, and this idea is what leads them down that path precisely.

IRB Intro #2: The Elegant Universe

For my second independent reading I decided to read, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. As far as subject descriptions go, the title itself is pretty self-explanatory. This book details the many misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding the current explanation for the happens of the universe -- known as String Theory. With this book author Brian Greene attempts to relate this scientific theory to the human struggle and desire to find what he describes as an "ultimate theory". It was this aspect that truly drew me in to the book. It is not simply a study of the universe, but rather, of the human beings that live within it.

TOW #8 Survival of the Sickest pt. 2 (IRB)

              In completion of Survival of the Sickest, it becomes clear that the initial purpose revealed through the first few chapters is indeed the primary purpose of the book in its entirety. As previously mentioned in an earlier post, Dr. Sharon Moalem's goal in writing such a text is to change the way people view diseases and essentially eradicate the parochial views that correlate with such ideas. To do so, Moalem examines the causes of many common diseases (the latter part of the book dedicated to the diabetes and anemia), tracing their origins and consequently formulating probable reasons for their prevalence to this day. Such an idea that detrimental ailments could somehow prove to be helpful for survival requires an entire reversal of mindset for most individuals. This, in the truest sense, is Moalem's objective. In causing a reconsideration of ideas that many consider "obvious" Moalem extends his message to a further audience -- those outside the medical field.
               The previous post identified appeals to logo, satirical humor and simple diction as Dr. Sharon Moalem's successful techniques in writing. However, after finishing the book, it became obvious that the actual art in writing factored into the success of the purpose. Examples of this "art" in language are seen in his use of repetition and isolation of paragraphs. Toward the end of the book, Moalem utilizes repetition of the phrase "we will know". In repeating this phrase, Moalem successfully gives strength to the meaning of the idea of knowledge. Knowledge is one of the primary motifs present in the book. It is used to facilitate the idea that knowledge is responsible for the outlook of life. In addition, his separation of his paragraph such as "this is true" at the end of his chapters adds emphasis and meaning to his ideals. In this way, Dr. Sharon Moalem's book was extremely successful in accomplishing his purpose.

TOW #7: First Kill the Witches. Then, Celebrate Them (Non-fiction)

               Published in the New York Time's editorial pages, the article First Kill the Witches. Then, Celebrate Them by Stacy Schiff explores the origins of one our country's favorite holidays: Halloween. Especially fitting for this time of the year, Schiff's article looks into the causes of a holiday that essentially celebrates objects which have historically been looked down upon. In her exploration of such an evolution, Schiff speaks to the flaws of American culture, negating it as being especially superficial in its ideals and prone to make mockery of past tragedies. She utilizes a variety of different rhetorical devices in order to achieve such a purpose, the most prominent being her use of situational irony and satire. Allowing her to add an element of humor to her article, these devices are exceptionally successful at bringing the true purpose of the article to fruition.
            Motivated by the fall weather and the coming of such a beloved holiday season, Stacy Schiff decided to take a look into the history of Halloween, primarily focusing on the evolution of witches in American culture. She begins by sharing the findings of her interviews with residents of Salem Massachusetts about witches. Such an interview demonstrates Schiff's use of situational irony within her text to facilitate the meaning to be taken away from the article. The interview showcases a dramatic lack of knowledge toward the historic Salem witch trials, ultimately allowing Schiff to argue her point further. However, with this all being said, Schiff also utilizes the humorous element of satire to keep her article from sounding too serious. She not only describes the ironic elements of Halloween but also the what it demonstrates about American culture, in a comedic fashion. Such a strong control of language is was truly marks success in Schiff's article by allowing her to point out the issues with one of America's holidays without placing blame on the practice itself.