Your Brain Is Evolving Right Now?

Gary Small explains that our brains are evolving as we speak due to daily exposure to technological devices. While strengthening new neural paths Gary also says it weakens our old ones. Not only does it affect our thought but also our feelings, behaviour, and how our mind works. He used studies and statistics as very good evidence to support his statement. I completely agree with him and think it is a convincing argument. I feel like technology is destroying all social interaction we had and replacing it with technological ways of socializing.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Nicholas Carr summarizes his article by saying that search engines, like Google are changing our attention spans and making it to where we do not need to retain information since it is just a click away. He says it is reducing the capacity of how hard he concentrates and contemplates. He says he cannot absorb information as well as he could before, due to the convenience of technology. I agree with what he is saying because I too feel like technology is disrupting my ability to get and keep information.

Learing Theory, Video Games, And Popular Culture

James Gee's thesis on this article is that he believes video games actually improve the way our brains work and helps us think more efficiently. His evidence consists of good examples of visualizing experiences. I agree with his article video games do sharpen our imagination

Do They Really Think Differently?

The main thesis in this article is how kids of today are raised in a very different way than that of our predecessors, the digital world. He uses studies from many different occupation to demonstrate the difference technological advances has affected our brains. After reading his article I feel that he makes many good points about his argument and is convincing of his position. I agree that things like video games and e-mails,etc are reprogramming and therefore changing the way we live and behave in a way

A big lovemark I have has to do with basketball. I am pretty picky about what kind of gear I get because I want my things to be best in quality. Even though I know different kinds of gear don't give you different results I usually tend to lean towards certain brands, perhaps because of their price. I think well they cost more so they should be better right? Also I see professional athletes promoting certain brands as well as if to try to let me know the best stars use the best equipment. Let's use Spalding basketballs as an example. They aren't really any different then any other brand of other basketballs are they, yet that's the only brand I hear about. I can't even name another brand, can you? There is no special or different quality with that as there is with any other brand. Nothing about them makes it better than other basketballs so why do more people buy them? The secret is support and advertisement, so pretty much whoever has more money. They can get the best of what they're looking for. I know I am expressing myself through the things I get. I see people like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James use that gear and I instantly want to reflect their ability. And how better to do that than use their gear. Other things like Under Armour spandex are treated with higher appreciation than other brands but they don't really make that significant amount of difference. I feel the need to get those over other kinds because I naturally see them more often than I see the rest. Other things like wristbands, headbands, and armbands are usually one certain kind because of their popularity, like nike. By spending the most money and getting the right people for the occasion companies can manipulate the general public to buy  their brand over other regardless of whose brand is actually better.

The thing I learned about in this part of reading, also what kind of made me upset is how people can manipulate and ultimately use your dopamine levels to persuade you to want to do things like gamble. Casinos purposely put pictures of diamonds and cherries and things like that, along with other things like loud noises and whirling wheels, to stimulate your neurons and hook you into wanting to continuously bet and gamble. The fact that they know we get three to four times more excited when receiving an unexpected rewards makes it that much easier to get us to spend money on those things.
   Also i found that having a "hot streak" doesn't necessarily mean you cannot miss a shot or are unbeatable. Every "shot" is it's own independent event and is not a result of any previous event taken but people believe something that is actually a figment of their imagination. Our dopamine levels are actually the thing that makes us think they cannot miss a shot, since they help with prediction. My question is can you control your dopamine levels knowing it is being manipulated into releasing on cue?? The answer I found is that you cannot control your dopamine levels since they trigger when an unexpected event happens and can not be controlled with something random.

We're All Doomed!!

My essay is about an article titled "Why Are Protein Supplements Bad for Kids?" by Joseph Eitel (http://www.livestrong.com/article/504638-why-are-protein-supplements-bad-for-kids/). He argues that protein supplements are bad for society's youth. The thesis of this argument is that most of the Americans today, including kids are consuming more than the recommended amount of protein WITHOUT the use of any kind of supplement therefore making the protein intake excessive with any supplement use. Protein is unhealthy when it is overused, especially to people whose bodies are still developing and are more sensitive to illnesses.

      He argues that the CDC suggests much higher protein in your calorie intake, so taking additional protein may be harmful for a person. He has examples of how much a normal amount of protein is required and then compares it to how much the CDC recommends we take. Another example used is that kids who take excessive amounts of protein are more prone to weight gain, saying one gram of protein has four calories in it. A fact given by him was that protein supplements contain small, but potentially dangerous levels of metals and that kids are more sensitive to these metals than adults are so by taking supplements kids are increasing the chance of ingesting harmful amounts of  toxic metals. He goes further saying that even if the protein amount is monitored and kept at a safe level kids would still be missing out on other specific, important vitamins that children need for a healthy growth. Since those supplements are mostly protein it does not assist in giving kids the nutrients they need. 

      He included a 2010 study by Consumer Reports saying that out of fifteen supplements they tested three of them contained a higher than acceptable amount of toxic metals. I went to similar articles (http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=protein_supplements_shown_to_contain_toxic_heavy_metals), and they also had the same study by the same people. So i finally went to the Consumer Reports' website (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/overview/index.htm) and found out that the study he gave me was correct and not altered in any way. He also gave some statistics of how much protein we are supposed to take and how much the CDC recommends we take. I went to the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html) and found the numbers of the stats. They were accurate to what he gave as well. I understand his point of view and why he would argue that. His argument was strong and had support. He gave out some good evidence to back up his reason for not wanting protein supplements handed out to our kids of today. 

Reading Quest 1

I found that the facts about how we decide on this book are astonishing. The difference between rational thinking and emotional thinking are closely related but then again can make you make completely different decisions. Also what motivates people to decide rationally or emotionally is hugely based on the kinds of situation they are in. I'm still amazed on how the brain is constantly changing and adjusting as the result of what you experienced, in a good or bad way. Your brain subconsciously analyzes and pre-determines actions by what it feels is out of the ordinary and then reacts based on what it thinks the original result would be. I was a little confused on how the mind can react on things so quickly without any time to actually analyze the situation and what makes emotion and feeling overtake  rationality.  My question is "Can you solely rely on feeling or emotion, and if you can what is the difference between that and subconscious reaction?"

TAKING YOU IN DEPTH...

In this video I made I show how these 3 things,supplements ,ipods,and certain artists of music, are a big part of popular culture today. These things not only affect me i'm assuming and are used daily by thousands even millions. You see professional trainers and athletes now a days using supplements, vitamins and even steroids unfortunately but this is what today's society is into, including me. Ipods are very popular for the reason that, well, everyone loves music!! Technology allowed us to be able to make these compact,convenient and very necessary (in my opinion) devices for people to enjoy and share their passion of sound.

As for the artists themselves? They are an advertisement with legs! Anything they put out, wear, promote, talk about, etc. instantly becomes the new "thing". These artists have SO MUCH influence over the people that we are drawn by everything they do. Things they consider popular are automatically popular to us. I mean c'mon think about it, guys wearing skinny jeans?? But nevertheless, all these examples of things help make up what today's society and the people living in it are like and into.

@whitekong714

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Gamifying Education

Personally.. I LOVE the fact of the idea of gamification in our education. I think it can and will help many students having trouble adapting to the standard way of learning and will find this interactive way more stimulating and gratifying. Teachers who give this kind of learning are giving students a chance to connect the importance education with the exciting purpose of video games. Students will greatly relate to this type of learning I think because most of our youth is OBSESSED with technology and the fun objective of games so putting them together will motivate students to WANT to learn. I, personally am going to really enjoy this type of class because I have some trouble focusing and keeping information that is taught the way it is currently taught. Using this method will help people like me to secure information better and relay it back when necessary  more efficiently. I constantly see a goal I have to reach or a level I have to surpass and things like that will keep me motivated and transfixed on always trying to "beat the level" or learn something new. This is a wonderful idea that should be applied to every school system to help those who cannot learn with the same method as most students.

my FAVORITE class already!!