ogdewski-blog - Tumblr blog

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I read a couple articles today about how the creation of SKYNET or an AI entity similar to SKYNET is very probable, almost inevitable. They went on to talk about the different paths that AI could take in order to better itself. It compared the differences between AI like SKYNET and AI similar to the AI in the film Her, saying that it is more likely AI will be like SKYNET rather than the benevolent AI in Her.

[ogdewski-blog]

I would like to write about what it means to be an American or a patriot in our current society. It seems like now more than ever arguments flare up across the country about the problems in society and why it is tearing this country apart. I’d like to talk about what we think about all these issues such as kneeling during the anthem or Trump calling out the NFL as unpatriotic. I think these issues would be fascinating.

[ogdewski-blog]

Women in STEM

The central argument in the “Women in STEM” article is that women are not treated with equal respect and are not taken seriously in workplaces of STEM fields. I would agree with this central argument because it is certainly true that women have to do a lot to prove themselves in these almost uncomfortable work environments. My own mother had to deal with issues similar to those presented in the article when she worked at CitiBank. But once she proved herself to be a skilled and valuable worker the questioning and mistreatment stopped. The article says that we have a long way to go before we are seen as equals in STEM workplaces, which is a very accurate statement.

I do not think every anecdote in the article has total merit though. As with most prejudices or stereotypes or even misplaced comments, they start off with some basis of truth. One of the women told of how she received extra scholarships based on merit and fellowships. When she went into her grad school classes her male counterparts would say it was simply because she was a girl. Clearly a false and misguided statement, but not totally unreasonable to say without knowing the facts of the matter. At MIT, one of the most prestigious tech schools in the entire world, the acceptance rate for male undergraduates in the year 2007 was 5% compared to 17% for females. This is one example of how in certain cases, being a female could help your chances of acceptance. The gap has since narrowed and is currently 6% to 13%, but it is still indicative of the institution taking matters too far to the other side of the spectrum to try to right a wrong in society.

[ogdewski-blog]

Easy writing

For me, personal stories are relatively easy to write about. As someone who is not a particularly strong writer, I find that writing about personal life events is easier than giving a book report or analyzing an article. It is easy for me to recount a night’s events in my head and put them on paper for all to read. It is even easy for me to think of stories from years past and to spin them in a way that makes for an interesting read. On the contrary, I often have trouble with writing assignments such as book reports. The key difference for me is that, because it is mine,when writing about a personal story, I know what the message and meaning of the story is. That makes it easy for me to convey a clear and concise thesis with my writing. On the other hand, when I read another author’s work, it is up to my interpretation. Since I cannot read the author’s mind, I do not know that my interpretation is actually correct. So it is more difficult for me to explain the author’s thinking in an essay. I also sometimes find that I am forced to find a meaning behind the author’s writing and to write about it in order for my paper to seem well written. When I write about a personal story I just explain what I want to explain and tell a story to the reader. That is why I think it is easier to write about personal stories.