Frankenstein....Good...

     Frankenstein is a story about a scientist who created a monster through stitching different dead body parts together and reviving it through electricity. It is a novel/movie that has the main purpose of scaring people. In simple terms, it was made to be part of the horror genre. However this work is not just something scary, it also contains moral issues relating to science and society. Frankenstein showed its audience that morality should be taken into consideration when using and working with science. Science is not an instrument to do anything that one wants. It is a way of doing things for the better of the entire community. In the film, the scientists revived a girl monster just because they want to revive another dead body again. However, they did not expect that these monsters will eventually lead to their own destruction. At the same time, Frankenstein's monster also killed a lot of civilians. Whenever we use science, whatever the purpose is, we should always think of its effects on the environment, people, and society.

     In the movie, the monster was dumb. In the movie, the monster needed to practice and had a hard time in speaking with other people. I think the purpose of this was to make the monster scarier in the movie. It is because the inability of the monster to communicate with the people caused the tension in the story. The civilians did not know what the monster wants, therefore they think it is something to be scared of. I guess making the monster dumb in the movie worked because it was able to send the message that misunderstanding can lead to grave consequences and at the same time, it made the movie funnier.

Marco Ragaza
2013-59623
STS THX

Mind Museum

              Being a mind mover gives you power. You get to know what other people think and you try to create series of illusions to confuse their mind. After doing so, you can manipulate their mind and control them for a period of time. That’s what I thought. But seriously, what is a mind mover? What do they do and why are they called such?  

                Like a teacher, mind movers try to integrate new knowledge to their guests/students by sharing their thoughts and background about a particular subject, say chemistry and physics.  But, they are not the typical instructors who keep on feeding you a lot of information until your brain shuts down. Instead, they will try to move you, physically and mentally. They will encourage you to inquire more about your environment by enticing your mind to scientific concepts. They do this by carrying out an experiment using ordinary tools and perform a seemingly magic show. For instance, they will use ethyl alcohol on money and try to burn it. Without doubt, it will burn. That’s how normal people, especially kids, predict it. Fortunately, it won’t. Because of some scientific concepts, a five hundred pesos bill would not burn because of fire if it is applied with ethyl alcohol and water. But, the most important part of this show is the explanation why such thing occurred. Is it black magic or science? This initiation in the concept will garner curiosity to the viewers. And, this curiosity will, hopefully, move the people to act to satisfy their questions in mind.

                What made mind movers a distinct type of teachers is their unique process of teaching their students. Usually, teachers will try to input new information without the students being engaged with it. For example, a type of combustion is being discussed without the students seeing the process itself, from start to end. On the other hand, mind movers will let you experience the process itself, such as pressure, by being able to see it effect on a container, for instance. Personally, this method seems effective because it turns on the start of every educational adventure. Instead of answers, they give the guests questions to explore.

Al Francis Masallo
2013-10197
E-one

Moving our Minds

To complete the CS week events, of course, the most important thing is to feed our minds and thus the “Mind Movers”! Basically it is the talk of science in the simplest way. Simple, because I think most of the topics were already been discussed when we were in elementary and high school but were unfortunately neglected by many of us. Like for example, what is science?  We all talk about it every day and yet for some they can’t even answer this question. Well moving on, what I like about this talk is that they showed us that experimenting is within our reach. Who say we can only make experiments in laboratories? Well for safety purposes, really we need to do it in a lab but I’m talking about simple experiments that don’t require expensive equipments to start operating. We just need our creative minds and tada! an experiment within minutes or even seconds!

The main objective of this talk is not to know who’s the smartest of all when it comes to science rather this talk is to let people share what they know to those that still don’t know so that knowledge and wisdom may spread making us a country of science enthusiasts and that maybe someday progress is also just within our reach. Truly this event was a success and honestly it amazed me. And of course it was a really fun experience!

2013-26908

Jessa Ann F. Belderol

Section: THX

Frankenstein on Morality and Science

              Experiments are important measures taken by our society to increase humans’ thinking capacity and to create tools, such as robots and machines, to make our lives efficient and effective. However, there are experiments which will demand more than just ordinary materials. These processes are so complex that they will now require to explore the concept we called life. Whether it is through the use of a part of a living organism or through common things meant to create a new life form, such experiment, without doubt, plays and destroys our idea of life – a sacred gift that should be diligently maintained.  This reminds us once again the limits of science. Is it acceptable to play with life for the sake of knowledge?

                Clearly, we cannot just do anything we conceive, because, one way or another, we will face unknown consequences which could hurt us, literally. For instance, a man who wants to light up a fire for the sole purpose of wanting to see its color could, if not performed and studied well, put a house on fire. And in extreme cases, he could even kill hundreds of people. Another example is Frankenstein, a man-made monster, who brought chaos to the human community. Although it is only a fictional character, it shows the tendency of humans in performing forbidden actions, such as the creation of super viruses that could be used to annihilate enemy of a state or being a god-like by trying to produce an organism like humans. From the movie Frankenstein, we are at least warned to reflect on the role of morality and science. Even if science can be used to help our cost, such as stem cells and in vitro fertilization, we should always question if it is morally correct to perform such method, and more importantly, will such action be subjected to consequences we cannot afford.

                Lastly, although science is used to understand the things around us and the world beyond us, we can generally live without too much of it, that is, we are contented with what we have and we use it only to generate solutions to our problems and not to make unorthodox inventions created just for fame, money, and power. This idea of living with enough scientific products can be seen in the depiction of Frankenstein being dumb. Personally, I believe it was done to show how Frankenstein wanted to gain knowledge, specifically the ability to speak, to be part of the society. Although he cannot speak, he knew that people did not like his existence. After some time, he learned how to speak and was able to interact with people. His newly found ability; however, turned him into a terrifying monster. That is, he destroyed a facility for his own desires. This increased in knowledge can either be good or bad. Like humans, the more we study the structures of the earth, the more we gain power to manipulate it. And, if not guided properly, such knowledge will be a threat to humanity.

 

Al Francis Masallo
2013-10197
E-one

 

The so called 'monster'

Science knows no boundaries by making the impossible possible which was portrayed in the movie "Bride of Frankenstein". In this film, being able to rise from the death seems very reachable and possible by experimenting on dead people and actually making them live once more. That is science, it teaches us we can do and go beyond what we could ever think of. Though not all people go with this thinking for they pursue morality especially in the case of reviving dead people. Religiously speaking, an act of bringing a dead person into life again is against its belief of God as our one and only creator and it also goes against the concept of death itself for anyone could be revived anyway. But if you ask me, well, morality is defined to be an understanding's belief of what is right or wrong and a right thing can be a bad thing for another prior to what he/she believes in. 

In the film, the monster was made dumb because, i think, it showed the viewers that though reviving of the dead is now possible still there are imperfections and flaws that should be addressed which is natural since its maker has his/her own flaws and imperfections as well. But as we continue to live, we meet persons that will teach us what we lack and in return we share what we know to them making us both learn from each other.

2013-26908

Jessa Ann F. Belderol

Section: THX 

Mind Movers

            Science was my favorite subject in school. Was. Way before science became long lectures with complicated equations inside laboratories with laboratory equipments whose main purpose was more for display than experiments. Where did the fun go? Where did the actual learning go?

            Our guests from Mind Museum, who refers to themselves as "Mind Museum", made me realize that it was not just me with the same question and same situation. The figures they presented to us on Filipinos' proficiency in science have been declining. The numbers are what you may call "disheartening". And yet, this is where the Mind Museum (first science museum ever built in the Philippines) and these "Mind Movers" come to help us pick ourselves back again.    

            Being one of the guests of Mind Museum not long ago, I have experienced first-hand what they were discussing in class. Guests were presented with rooms about Atom, the Earth, Life, Technology, and the Universe. Had I been a guest in the Mind Museum when I was young, my fascination in science would not have been short-lived.

            The best part would be the science show they demonstrated in class. Experiments, science shows, "magic" in science: these are the ways that science must be presented every day. Even the mind movers agree that aside from sparking curiosity, one must learn to show science. Talking about science would get you a few nods (and yawns) but when you show someone what you are talking about, they get involved, and they actually retain in their minds what you are saying. That simple experiment you did will go a long way when done right, like the way they burned (or tried to) the paper bill after soaking it in 40% alcohol and 60% water or the "fire jet" to explain pressure. Even having people dance to explain the state of matter! Fun when associated with learning can really do wonders. If everyone who teaches science actually did what these Mind Movers do, there may come a time that everyone could actually appreciate science.

 

Balignasa, Catherine S.

2013-19732
Section: THX

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT:

TOPIC: Historical Development of Computers

Computers of Yesterday and Today

      I know the first thing you do after you wake up every morning: it is to check your phones, go online and check your social media accounts. The computer truly has become a big part of each of our lives.

      The term computer which is a machine, an electronic device that executes the instructions in a program, is very different from its former meaning. The computer was defined as a job title specially for the women. From manual down to hi-tech, from the size of the room to pocket-suzed, a lot of developments happened with computers. It has played a big part in the lives of people and has become a catalyst of change in society then and now. But a long time passed before the computers became as high tech as they are now.

      During the Pre-Mechanical Era (3000 B.C.- 1450 A.D.), different writing tools, letters and numbers, and even the first books and libraries were created. Phoenicians created symbols that expressed single syllables and consonants while Greeks added vowels and Romans gave letters their Latin names creating the alphabets we use today. The Egyptians came to develop paper from papyrus plants and the Sumerians for the stylus that could scratch marks on wet clay. Mesopotamian priests kept the earliest books, Egyptians kept scrolls and Greeks were the first ones to bind papyrus leaves to turn it into books. The Egyptians were the first to develop the first numbering system and the Arab developed the concept of zero. 

      A lot of inventions were invented during the Mechanical Era (1450-1850). There came the first movable metal-type printing process by Johan Gutenburg of Germany, 1450. John Napier created the first general-purpose computer, the Napier’s Bone, which enables users to multiply and divide and even get square roots and cube roots, and the Slide Rule which was used by William Oughtred and the NASA engineers of Gemini, Mercury and Apollo programs that landed men on the moon. Charles Babbage, the father of the modern computer, invented the Difference Engine (1822), a steam driven calculating machine about the size of a room which was able to compute tables of numbers, such as logarithm tables. It was never completed so he devised the Analytic Machine. Lady Ada Augusta Lovelace Baron was known to be the first computer programmer. The beginning of telecommunication also arose during this era. Voltaic cell, Morse code and Telegraph, telephone and even radio were created during this era. Also, George Boole developed binary algebra which is known as Booleian Logic and became vital to the invention of binary computers during the 20th century.

      The so-called electromechanical era, 1840 to 1940, was marked by the development of computers. It paved the way for Pehr and Edvar Scheutz to create the Tabulating Machine which was capable of processing fifteen-digit numbers, printing out results and rounding off to eight digits. Another invention of this time was the Hollerith desk, consisting of a card reader which sensed to the holes in cards, a gear -driven mechanism which could count and display the results of the count. Herman Hollerith’s success made him the “father of information processing”. He founded the Tabulating Machine Company which later became the Computer Tabulating Reading Company and retired in 1921. His company later became the IBM Corporation of today. One of the most important inventions of that time was the Vacuum tubes by Lee de Forest. It was the first major electrical part of the computer replacing manual switches. 

 Onto the fourth era, 1941 down to the present. Howard Aiken developed Harvard Mark I in 1942 which was the first stored-program computer and the first programmable digital computer made in the U.S.  But it was not a purely electronic computer for it was constructed out of switches relays, rotating shafts and clutches. The first computer bug was seen in this computer. It was Grace Hopper who saw a dead moth which hindered the reading of the punched cards, thus she coined the term Computer bug, referring to computer problems, and Debugging, meaning to eliminate problems. Also, she invented the first high-level language, “Flow-matic”, which later became COBOL. Another invention was the Colossus- built during World War II by Britain in order to break cryptographic codes used by Germany. Through the invention of transistors, computers became smaller. Magnetic tape disks also replaced punched cards as external storage devicesr. During the 1960’s, computers became less expensive for transistors were replaced by the integrated circuit thanks to Jack Kilby. The birth of microprocessors also led to the PC, and Altair 8800m was the first ever personal computer to be produced. Amiga was then the first multimedia computer with advanced graphics.

      Through the inventions of different inventors and the brilliant minds to grace thr computer's history, life was made easier for the people of the present times and of the next generations. We are now able to access all sorts of information with just one click on our computers provided that it has an internet connection. With these developments, we are now also capable of developing better products and conduct research with the aid of these devices. Computers also shorten distances for we can now interact with our family and friends in the other parts of the globe as if they were just in front of us. Though we are given comfort by these devices, let us not forget our traditions, the value of being industrious, and the fact that abusing this technology has great consequences on the human race and on the Earth.

SOURCES:

http://www.dia.eui.upm.es/asignatu/sis_op1/comp_hd/comp_hd.htm

http://www.livescience.com/20718-computer-history.html

http://people.bu.edu/baws/brief%20computer%20history.html

http://wikieducator.org/History_of_Computer_Development

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computing_hardware

http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?category=cmptr

The Monster Within

            Morality is regarded as the differentiation between the good or right and the bad or wrong ideals set differently with every culture, religion and philosophy. In some ways, morality defines the standards to which every member of the society should think and live. On the other hand, science is viewed as a body of knowledge which thrives to understand the infinite possibilities, to test the limits of human abilities and to provide for the society’s best interest.  It is enriched by the efforts of scientists specializing in their respectable fields. 

            In Frankenstein, these two contradicting entities have outlined the plot severely. A scientific creation was deemed a monster by the people who believed that those who died should stay dead since it goes against their faith where God alone could grant life. However, there are scientists devoted to the task of conquering the greatest fear of human existence -- death. With this goal in mind, they have gone to every measure to generate beings back from the dead with physical abilities greater than the humans though relatively lower mental abilities.

            Dr. Frankenstein’s creation depicted as dumb in the movie adaptation successfully made people realize that the humans are not at all different to the being they call a monster. This creature was initially presented with the inability to converse and pretty much know nothing about the world but as the film progressed he learned personally from people and his experiences.  It is the same state humans were before acquiring the knowledge and wisdom they value domineeringly.

            The similarity does not end there.  The ‘monster’ was portrayed as a violent murderer but would you not do the same things if faced with life-threatening situations? After all, it is inevitable to act after one’s sense of self-preservation. Moreover, the sense of belongingness and acceptance is not foreign to everyone. Imagine if that is all you want from your community but all you receive is a series of varying horrified expressions. You end up lashing at them in frustration. Lastly, anyone desires to love and be loved, may it be from family, friends or that special someone. You may search everywhere but if there is one thing you will realize, love can be granted, shared and received but it can never be imposed to others.

            People have been afraid of this ‘monster’ without taking into consideration that his actions and ideas reflect that of his creator, a human, with all the good and the bad traits. Inside every person, a monster lurks. It is up to you how to tame it by pursuing ways for moral nourishment as everybody is also created innately good.

Soliman,Karla L.
2013-09067
THX: E-One

The Mind Movers

Last Tuesday, some guest speakers from the Mind Museum to inform us about the things they are doing in the museum. They taught us how to share our knowledge to those who are having problems with Science, on how we can change their attitude towards learning Science. They also informed us the current status of the literacy in Science in our country and as I see the  numbers, it’s a bit disappointing that we are one of those on the bottom list who are lacking in literacy about Science. Its really disappointing that we are one of those countries which are so much into internet access but lacking in the field of Science.

They taught us how to enlighten the minds of those who are ignoring the subject matter. And it is by catching their attention by means of making their curiosity work for them. And through curiosity, they will be the ones to make ways just to find answers to their inquiry like what Albert Einstein did. They told us that Einstein said that he do not have any special talent in him, but its curiosity which moved him to reach his goals.

Aside from that, they also taught us how to teach Science by just using the things we usually see in our house. They said that we do not need to go to laboratories just to explain the events occurring in such phenomena. Like for example, by using alcohol, plastic container, a piece of cardboard and matchstick, they were able to explain pressure. They also explained surface tension by means of putting flame on the paper bill without burning the actual bill. They just used alcohol which is a 40% alcohol and 60% water. They also talked about volatile liquids. Aside from these experiments, they also taught us how to explain things to young learners even without using any material or objects. They explained to us the behavior of molecules in each state of matter. And we really had fun with the learning cause we are dancing.

Its true that our attitude towards learning Science is really a big factor on how we can the present conditions we are into with regards to Science. We will not be able to progress as long as lack Scientists. I agree with what my Philosophy professor keeps telling us about our country, he said that we can not reach our goal to be one those countries leading in terms of economy as long as we keep presenting handicrafts in every expo unlike to others countries like Singapore and China who always present their latest inventions and gadgets. Its true that through Science and Technology, we can make a difference.

The Issue of Immortality in Frankenstein's Monster

“Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are "good" (or right) and those that are "bad" (or wrong).” -From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

So Morality is simply knowing between what is good to not. But for me, there is no such thing as bad. The term bad for me was only used to describe a thing with the absence of goodness in it because not all good for others are also good for others.

Frankenstein’s monster is just a representation of what humans are capable of doing, that humans can even bring back the life of the dead. And within it embodies two concepts in our society, Morality and Science. On the side of morality, in the eyes of the normal people its bad to bring back the life of the dead. But maybe for the eyes of others, its not that bad as long as they do not interfere with their culture and beliefs. And I guess, some may treat those creatures as one of their Gods. On the side of Science, one thing is for sure, that Science almost everything is possible with it. Almost everything we see are explainable with Science. And most specially, we humans are now capable of doing everything whatever thing, concept or idea that may come into our mind.

The monster was made dumb maybe because they do not want them to be better or more intelligent than us. They want to them to be of the lower type. Maybe they are afraid that these such creatures may rule the world as they became so intelligent. And for me this works. Cause it would be so unbelievable for a relived human to be better than the normal. And it is so impossible for them to be greater than us for maybe they already forgot the things they learned while they are still alive.

Bringing back a dead back to life is a good idea for it may lead to immortality. But still, I am believing to the saying that “Change is the only permanent thing in this world.”. So everything needs come to an end. And in the eyes of the church, it is a bad thing to do. So we should not relive the dead.

“The Real Monster”- Reaction Paper on the Bride of Frankenstein

Morality almost always draws the line when it comes to how much scientists are allowed to do. The issue of bringing someone back to life has always been a perfect example of the line that must never be crossed, always accompanied by the line, “One must not play God.”

Frankenstein has brought a human being back to life but people view him as a monster. The reason is clear: he does not belong in the world of the living anymore. Add that to his violent and impulsive nature where he does not even hesitate to take the life of the townspeople when he is crossed.  Dr. Frankenstein has acknowledged that this power is not meant to belong in the hands of irresponsible and greedy human beings but he is a bit too late. We could see that Dr. Frankenstein did not want any part in the making of the bride for the monster after realizing it was wrong to even have made one. It took a great deal of forcing before he eventually gave in, half-heartedly if that is any consolation. There was a point where they killed a young woman for a fresh heart. This just shows how having the power to bring back human life also means people get to decide who lives and who dies. Imagine if we were given that kind of right: dead people’s hearts replaced by prisoners’ heart. We might even take a random person’s heart to bring our family back to life!

The monster is not able to talk but he is not really dumb. He understands, he thinks, and he would have responded as we normally do had he been thought to speak from day one. Having the monster unable to talk in the film may be more of “adding thrill” to him. He appears scarier and more “non-human” to the other characters in the movie and also to the audience. Also, had he been able to talk, he would be able to tell people about his thoughts and feelings unlike the usual grunts and hand gestures that make him look angry and like he is ready to kill someone on sight, giving people the “right” to pursue him and kill him. And then there is the guilt effect for the audience. From the start of the movie, viewers see him as a danger and must go back to the world of the dead as soon as possible. We are made to believe that he is too dumb and would fight for as long as he could. And yet, he knew he belonged to the dead. He finished himself and his bride. The monster was not the one at fault in any way. He was just made and used by some human being who wanted to try playing God. And yet, he had the heart to let Dr. Frankenstein escape. By creating a so-called “monster”, we do not realize that we become one. 

2013-19732

Balignasa, Catherine S.

Section: THX

The Humanity of Frankenstien (the Monster)

   I suppose what one has to realize when first talking about morality is the flexibility of its restrictions. It’s very nature as a mere abstract ideal lends to it a fair degree of uncertainty and subjectivity from place to place, culture to culture and even from one person to another. This is, perhaps, its most peculiar feature.

   As far as we know, only man is ever capable of ever distinguishing what he deems to be “good” or “bad.” In the natural world, even the most advanced plants and intellectual animals have no real sense of morality. They act on instinct, for the sake of their own survival, as it was programmed by nature. No plant or animal would ever have the mind to sacrifice itself for the betterment of another. No, only man has the capacity to do so.

   Therefore, in the pursuit of investigating this wide, unfeeling world one may also encounter such manifestations of natural instinct. When an animal maims a naturalist, one may see the cause as due to anger of the animal, when the truth actually is that the animal is merely acting on an instinct to protect its territory and, by extension, its life. The ethical extension of our insight into matters regarding the natural world are mere artificial constructs from our own minds that perhaps aid in allowing us to understand the matter in terms we would understand.

   This alludes to the reason why we place such ethical implications on these natural acts. It all boils down to understanding. For man all things have must have a purpose, much like their own lives must too. If something happens there must be a reason for it. For something to happen for nothing seems almost surreal and scary.

    In the same way, when one talks of the moral implications of certain scientific endeavors, those are, as well, a representation of the how we fear the knowledge of the unknown and untested. Frankenstein’s Monster was an experiment to realize the power of man to conquer death, a concept that must have been so unbelievable and sacrilegious to the people that they were very much afraid of it. The rather macabre process and the resulting monster did not help much in convincing them either.

   Notice, however, that the resulting monster was not at all the savage, instinctive animal the townspeople thought it was, but was very much human, emotionally and morally active. Unlike the book’s incarnation of the monster, in the film it was portrayed as rather dull and simple-minded, very much like a child. This act actually seems to emphasize more the innocence of the beast and allows the audience to empathize more for it draws not on mere intellectual aspect but more so on the more human emotional aspect of the monster. So instead of hearing how human the monster is, we instead feel how human he is.

Miguel Augusto A. Racadio

2013-59621

STS THX E-one