Category: Mind

The transport sector has undergone rapid changes due to improvements in technology. Scientific innovations and advancement has made the greatest contribution to transforming transport industry. The transportation industry has been enhanced by continuous innovation in automotive designs. This has affected positively the living standards of individuals in society (Armi 45). Comparing the living standard of people in the 18^th century with the current generation, significant changes are noticeable. In the 18^th century, the transportation system was not efficient enough because the transport designs were not very efficient in terms of speed and luxury. However, the transport system in the current world is very complex in terms of speed, comfort, and convenience. It is important to give credit to the individual artist and designers behind the crucial transformation of the transportation system. Thus, this paper gives an analysis of three major contributors that shaped the transport system through their innovative minds (Adler 23).

First, the credit goes to Jason Castriota, who is a U.S. designer. Jason is remembered for his contribution to designing Ferrari p4/5. He also designed Meserati Gran Turismo. He is a man, who sparked greatest competition to other known cars such as the BMW series. Jason’s Ferrari designs also challenged Audi A4, Range rovers, among others (Bellu 45).

Jason’s design created a positive impact in the world of sport. This is because Ferrari is found in the sports arena. Ferrari has greatly influenced the world of sports because of its ability to run at high speed and negotiate sharp corners while at it. Jason, innovations in modeling Ferrari are crucial, as it has created pressure on other competing firms such as the BMWs. This has compelled the competing firms to augment their qualities to keep them in the market. Competition, among firms, is very valuable to the customers. This is because customers will enjoy the incessant enhancement of the vehicle’s features. Thus, the consumer’s living standards are significantly improved (California 45).

Another contribution of Jason’s innovation is the creation of the social class. Ferrari is a high eminence model, and because of its class, its prices are significantly elevated. The model creates a social class distinction because only the wealthy afford to purchase it. As a result, the Ferrari model has been associated with wealthy people. Thus, a person strives to own it as a mark of distinction of the class they belong to. Musicians across countries are in a quest to acquire the modest of owning the brand. This has influenced the world of entertainment as musicians use vehicles to pass the message to their fans (Pendergast 87).

Finally, Ferrari’s invention is functional in the advisement of different products and services, in the world. Marketers in many countries have used Ferrari as a tool in making their advertisements. Due to the fame, the Ferrari model has in people’s minds, the advertisers relate their products to the qualities of the Ferrari model. Consequently, this has increased sales of these firms leading to increased profits margin. Therefore, Jason’s innovation has marked a considerable transformation of the economic improvement as a tool of enhanced transport efficiency and increased sales due to advertisement (Lamm 96).

Second, the credit to transform the transportation industry through automotive design goes to Bruno Sacco. Bruno is the designer of the Mercedes-Benz and has stood firm to maintain the mission of the brand to its customers. Bruno believes that innovative technology is only recognized if combined with equal innovative design. Bruno was born in Italy, in 1933. He pursued a career in engineering. He concentrated much on bodywork and modeling. In 1975, Bruno was a modeling head of the Mercedes-Benz. Bruno is now a retired designer of Mercedes-Benz (Heilig 54).

Bruno, in his position as ahead of the styling department and other numerous positions he held in the Mercedes-Benz; had significantly enhanced Mercedes-Benz qualities. Bruno’s continuous improvement he instituted in the Mercedes-Benz is very beneficial in maintaining brand loyalty. Mercedes-Benz is the greatest innovation in the world because of the different ways people view innovation (Lamm 123).

First, a Mercedes-Benz vehicle is a status symbol. This represents one of the models that are benchmarked to the individual status quo. As a result, those who own the vehicles belong to the upper social class. This is the reason why only individuals who belong to wealthy families target the Benz. Therefore, individuals who own the model feel satisfied because they view themselves as attained the self-actualization level (Willi and Zöllter 47).

Second, Mercedes-Benz models are preferred by individuals because of their high quality; thus, individuals are ready to spend more to acquire the high quality inbuilt in the model. The high quality guaranteed in the production of the Benz makes the vehicles stable and less vulnerable to breakdown. As a result, the cost incurred due to vehicle breakdown is minimal. This renders the brand economically efficient in the long run (Larimer 39).

Third, Bruno’s design is indispensable in the transportation world because of safety considerations. Mercedes-Benz is the safest brand in terms of use. Rarely do Mercedes-Benz involved in road accidents. Safety is a pertinent issue in the transportation industry. Thus, the safety measures of the Mercedes-Benz are vital in the survival of a human being due to the low level of accidents. This makes the brand preferable over other brands in the industry. Consequently, the high value and safety measures of the Mercedes-Benz create a competitive power over other competitors. This leads to an augmented need for continuity of innovations in the transport industry (Pendergast 25-47).

Finally, as a social status symbol and the safety consideration of the brand, Mercedes-Benz is favored by high profile personality. For example, most presidents in the world use customized Mercedes-Benz brands. This is an indication of how Bruno’s designs are essential in the world of transport (Finkbeiner 90).

Finally, the last designer unique in the world of transport is Peter D. Horbury. He was born in Alnwick, England. Peter is a vice president in the design of Volvo. He is a British car designer, and he has worked in various roles, in the automotive industry. However, his renowned work is in the design of the Volvo automotive. Peter’s efforts in the Volvo Company helped in diverting the traditional Volvo look for the new styles. He forced for change of the boxy look of the car in favor of new looks, which was to transform the Volvo industry completely. Through his effort, he brought the vigorous transformation of the Volvo cars. The model mostly targeted the outside looks of the car making them more competitive. The transformation also made it possible for the model to catch up with the changing technology (The University of Michigan 76).

The design works of peter manifest a transformation of the look of the Volvo cars. This favored the adaptation of these cars into various uses. First, Volvo is a high-quality brand, which is relatively expensive as compared to other brands such as Toyota and Nissans. The quality of the brands makes the models be associated with class distinction. People of the upper social class own Volvo cars (Plunkett 234). This is because of their high prices due to high quality. Improvement of quality of the vehicles makes them safe to use; thus, Volvo use is less prone to accidents resulting from mechanical failure and other cases predominantly in low-quality vehicles (The University of Michigan 65).

Second, Peter managed to change the outlook of Volvo to include the sports outlook. Volvo models have positively improved racing industries. Sportsmen are increasingly purchasing Volvo for racing purposes. The inclusion of sporty tests in the design has enhanced the sports industry, which is the greatest reason for social interaction as fans come together to celebrate the events (Indiana University).

In conclusion, the contribution of the Bruno, Peter, and Jason is essential to the world of transportation. They have helped in bringing new technological advancement that has enhanced the quality of Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari. This has made traveling luxurious events due to continuous innovations of the models of cars. The three designers will be remembered for their contribution. Finally, the enhancement of transportation through innovative designs is essential to economic development. This is because the enhancement of transportation efficiency leads to an increase in productivity of the individual worker. Thus, economic development becomes real and achievable. Therefore, continuity of automotive design to change the normal process to complex technology to increase transportation efficiency is essential.

Works Cited

Adler, Dennis. Mercedes-Benz: 110 Years of Excellence. New York: Motorbooks International, 2000. Print.

Armi, C. Edson. American car design now: inside the studios of today’s top car designers. New York: Rizzoli, 2003. Print.

Bellu, Serge. Louis Vuitton: The Art of the Automobile. New York: Abrams, 2008. Print.

California University. Architectural Digest, 56 (1-3). London: John C. Brasfield Pub. Corp, 2011. Print.

Design Documentation. Design & applied arts index, 14(1). London: Design Documentation, 2001.

Finkbeiner, Matthias. Towards Life Cycle Sustainability Management. New York: Springer, 2011. Print.

Heilig, John. Mercedes-Benz SL. New York: Motorbooks International, 2003. Print.

Indiana University. Automobile magazine,21 (8-12). New Delhi: K-III Magazine Corp, 2006. Print.

Lamm, John. Exotic Cars. London: Motorbooks International, 2008. Print.

Lamm, John. Mercedes-Benz M-Class: The Complete Story Behind the All-New Sport Utility Vehicle. London: Motorbooks International, 2010. Print.

Larimer, Fred. Mercedes-Benz Buyer’s Guide. New York: Motorbooks International, 2004.Llc, Books.

Newbury, Stephen. The Car Design Yearbook 3: The Definitive Annual Guide to All New Concept and Production Cars Worldwide. New York: Merrell, 2004. Print.

Norris, Ian. Automobile Year 2006/7. New York: Automobile Year, 2006. Print.

Pendergast, Sara. Contemporary designers. London: St. James Press, 2009. Print.

Plunkett, Jack W. Plunkett’s Automobile Industry Almanac 2007 (E-Book): Automobile, Truck and Specialty Vehicle Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies. New York: Plunkett Research, Ltd, 2006. Print.

The University of Michigan. Autocar. London: Haymarket Motoring Pub, 2005.

The University of Michigan. Car and driver, 52. London: Hachette Magazines, 2006. Print.

The University of Michigan. Popular science. London: Times Mirror Magazines, 2008. Print.

Tumminelli, Paolo. Luxury Toys Classic Cars. Manchester: teNeues, 2007.

Willi, Diez & Jürgen Zöllter. Smart: Small Car, Big Deal. New York: Motorbooks International, 2000. Print.

As one of the most valuable human inventions, artificial intelligence is a phenomenal issue in terms of the applied science that is progressively evolving in the current technology-based society. For a better comprehension of the artificial mind, it is essential to examine the notion of the ‘mind’ itself. Considering the philosophical and psychological approach, the concept of mind is classified as “mental states, functions or processes (such as thinking, remembering or believing)” (Erden, 2015, p.111). Besides, the intertwining of the mind and brain are bases upon two critical approaches of dualism and materialism. The dualist concept implies the fundamental division between the mind and brain, where mental and physical are the contrary notions. Materialism is the alternative perspective that believes only in material things. According to Erden (2015), there are three materialist theories, such as identity theory, eliminative materialism, and functionalism, that might facilitate the idea and possibility of the artificial mind.

The particular importance is given to the implications of functionalism as the possible outcomes of artificial minds. As biologically, the human brain can maintain specific mental processes at the current moment. There is a chance for them to be supported by any other material processes until they have proven to be the same in the functional sense. The development of the artificial mind was a time-consuming goal of scientists, engineers, philosophers, and psychologists. Artificial intelligence is the theory that implies the developmental process of computer systems responsible for performing tasks that generally involve human intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) consists of two central concepts, strong AI and weak AI (Erden, 2015).

Strong AI is the idea that artificial intelligence is eventually able to create intelligence equal to or surpassing the human mind. Some arguments suggest a possibility to fully reproduce human intelligence and the human mind with the help of technology. The most common prototypes of strong AI are presented in science fiction stories or films, including robots and machines that are endowed with special skills to think and act with an objective, logic, and intelligence. Besides, those technological inventions perform their tasks regardless of regular or consistent programming by a human.

The weak AI implies the idea that artificial intelligence is only able to simulate a mind. The followers of this idea, however, do not admit the resemblance of this technological intelligence to the human mind, as the followers of strong AI believe. They also might be less inclined to accept the possibility of artificial intelligence. The in-depth examination of this simple distinction between strong and weak artificial intelligence is essential to understand the impact intelligence and thinking have on the emergence of artificial intelligence. There are two critical concepts concerning human intelligence, such as reason and creativity, which means that the mind operates due to the human ability to reason and a certain amount of creativity.

It is crucial to analyze the perspectives and research approaches to human and machine thinking to understand their close interaction. One of the approaches was made by Alan Turing, who raised the most important and influential question in the history of computing: “can machines think?” (Erden, 2015, p. 120). The ideas in his seminal paper, written in 1950, are known as the Turing test that presents an ‘imitation game’ involving three participants. One of them serves as an interrogator who asks questions in a separate room and is obliged to identify a man and a woman among two other participants based on the gender-neutral labels provided.

The typewritten communication is applied, excluding any visual or tactile contact, or hearing their voices. Male and female participants were allowed to give false answers. The key elements of this game include a possibility for imitation and deception to consider the artificial intelligence concerning mechanical participants, as one of the human participants was replaced by the machine later in the test. This approach helps to examine if the machine can imitate intelligence and the overall possibility of the artificial mind and has a direct linkage with the concept of strong and weak AI, obviously supporting strong AI. Turing test is the general modern understanding of machine intelligence and is vital in the philosophy of artificial intelligence.

Another yet controversial approach to the issue of the human and artificial mind is the 1999 Searle’s Chinese room thought experiment. It aimed at presenting machines as the clever processors of symbols (syntax) and human minds that can process syntax as well as meaning (Erden, 2015). This serves as a response to the computational theory of mind (CTM), where the mind’s performance is seen as analogous to a computer. Searle’s Chinese room argument implies imagining oneself locked in a room together with a rulebook and cards with squiggles (Chinese symbols that Searle is not acknowledged with). More squiggles with questions are passed to him under the door by Chinese people and are meant to be answered according to the rulebook. Eventually, Searle succeeds in following the book’s instructions, although he still could not understand the content of the symbols and the game’s idea. He performs the tasks by following the instructions, however, without interpretation.

Searle’s experiment is an argument against strong AI that displays the way a digital computer uses syntactic rules to manipulate symbols, pretending it is a language. It refutes the Turing test, as it did not demonstrate the machine using a language in any meaningful way, even when it managed to deceive the interrogator. Based on these two contrary research approaches, one may conclude that programs manipulate symbols according to the rules and structure provided. However, the mind involves meaning (semantics) since it can understand and interpret those symbols, match them by pattern, and use them meaningfully. As such, human and machine minds differ because humans can understand the symbols and words they manage, as well as make decisions not based on the rulebook. Nevertheless, there are multiple attempts to study other problems for developing an artificial mind based on less traditional ideas of intelligence, which leaves the question of the possibility of the artificial mind open for future discussions.

Reference List

Erden, Y. (2015). Artificial minds. In: J. Turner, C. Hewson, K. Mahendran and P. Stevens, ed., Living Psychology: From the Everyday to the Extraordinary. The Open University, pp. 109–146.

What is the challenge I want to solve?

• A Mind-Reading Shopping Cart is a useful device for those who think that grocery shopping is a burden.
• The cart will provide information on the selected products as well as customer reviews so that the user knows what product is worth buying.
• Furthermore, the software will be able to warn the user about products that do not fit the user’s dietary standards.
• To avoid wasting time at checkout the cart the cart will be able to scan all purchases and accept digital payment.

Professionals are essential when it comes to the development of the innovative product. The customer segments include busy moms, working class that has little time for shopping; the elderly that need help with grocery shopping. The key activities are the activities related to the development and production of the product as well as its distribution and marketing. In a digital age, key resources of product marketing are advertisements and social media. Shopping centers and grocery stores can be beneficial partners when it comes to such product. Software developers can add value by adding new options into the product. Costs that go towards the development of the product, web hosting for the corporate use. Marketing costs take the most.

Introduction

The Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to bring international visitors to the UAE to display their various architecture, commodities, and crafts, among many other things. The UAE anticipates a boost to its economy resulting from the proceeds of the Expo, in particular to such sectors as tourism, entrepreneurship, and employment. The paper aims to discuss Expo 2020 Dubai and the benefits expected from hosting the occasion.

Brief History of the World Expo and its Impacts on the Development of Humanity

The World Exhibition brings together civilizations from all over the globe to exhibit their commodities and artistry and communicate information about their places of origin and motherlands with enthusiasm. It is the pinnacle of human civilization’s tremendous achievements, with an unmatched allure (Craik, 2020). The World Exhibition type of gatherings dates back to prehistoric times. As early as the 15th century, Persia hosted the first Expo, which had a more important purpose than a marketplace (Craik, 2020). The London World Expo marked a watershed moment in the evolution of commodity derivatives to the abundance of new industrial technology and hence is considered the first World Exhibition in the contemporary sense. Western countries developed a strong interest in the Exhibition from that point on, recognizing its critical role in showcasing industrial advancements and fostering the interchange of innovation, commerce, and civilization (Craik, 2020). The second World Expo was held in 1853 in New York, the United States of America, where the developing USA first displayed its capabilities to the globe (Craik, 2020). Those World Exhibitions were representations of an incredible age of creativity, comprehensively showcasing commercial civilization’s latest advancements during that era.

The World Expos staged at the beginning of the twentieth century were continuations of the nineteenth-century conception of techno centrism; yet, there were significant changes. The Environment Expo originated in a technological world and aimed to gaze further into the great expanse ahead, transcend innovation, and focus on culture and human situations. The 1915 World Fair in San Francisco, California, was a monumental occasion for China, as many of its unique displays drew favorable attention from international visitors (Craik, 2020). Nine chambers were dedicated to agriculture, commerce, education, philosophy, the humanities, communications, resources, food, and gardening.

The 2000 World Exhibition in Hanover has frequently been contrasted to the 1900 World Fair in Paris. This Exhibition was the ideal approach to summarize humanity’s successes in the twentieth century and herald a new century and millennia (Eppinger, 2019). After careful thought, the expo administrators incorporated resource sustainability as one of the Exhibition’s issues. The 2005 Aichi Exhibition in Japan picked the concept ‘Nature’s Wisdom,’ emphasizing the importance of reuniting humanity with the environment, society, and ecosystem coexisting harmoniously and unlimited ambitions for the future (Han, 2020). The architects documented humanity’s progressive estrangement from ecology through intelligence and innovation, as seen by the numerous and different exhibitions (Han, 2020). The World Expo is more than a large-scale display; it serves as a global salon, bringing together territories and humanitarian bodies to address worldwide challenges and potential developmental prospects. In essence, the World Exhibition unquestionably contributed significantly to the globalization of culture, entertainment, and, particularly, the exhibition sector.

Impact of the Dubai Expo 2020 on the United Arab Emirates

Economic Development

Expo 2020 has boosted state-led projects in Dubai significantly with enhanced transportation and communications system, intelligent buildings, and the District 2020 Exhibition location area, which will transform once the Fair comes to an end. The most frequently cited estimate is USD 8 billion for Dubai’s investment in the Expo (Nadkarni, 2019, p. 341). Indeed, from the moment the Exhibition was revealed in 2013 until 2031, the occasion is anticipated to produce USD 33 billion for the global economy (Nadkarni, 2019, p. 341). Moreover, it is expected to accelerate Dubai’s productivity expansion to an average of 6.4% yearly between 2014 and 2016 and maybe to 10.5% by 2020 (Nadkarni, 2019, p. 341). There are already preparations underway called legacy strategies to ensure that the property industry continues to expand and market swings are minimized once the Tradeshow millions of tourists depart. Therefore, with Dubai hosting the Expo 2020, the UAE’s economy is expected to grow immensely.

Tourism

Since its launch via various modes of communication, Expo 2020 has played a vital part in Dubai’s digital marketing and identity. Expo 2020 is estimated to draw a crowd of 25 million people (Haneef and Ansari, 2019, p. 287). At the onset of the occasion, up to 100,000 extra hotel spaces, including many modern luxury resorts, will be completed (Haneef and Ansari, 2019, p. 287). To enhance tourism further, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) will host a variety of attractions (Haneef and Ansari, 2019). Additionally, an expansion in the overall number of hotels is projected in the run-up to the Exhibition, as is continued more extraordinary employment creation in the tourism sector. The specific monumental occasion is critical to the company’s overall marketing plan. Therefore, Expo 2020 is an excellent chance for Dubai and the UAE to capitalize on worldwide attention to share their extensive cultural legacy.

Entrepreneurship

More commercial possibilities have been established and will remain over the next six to eight months and beyond due to more corporations setting headquarters in the UAE in the run-up to Dubai Exhibition 2020. Additional assistance has been made accessible through organizations such as Dubai Future Accelerator, which assists business people in utilizing the city as a testing ground for developing answers to future growing concerns. Exhibition 2020 is estimated to attract over 20 million tourists, providing entrepreneurs and SMEs with dramatically increased exposure to external funders, clients, and contributors. It is an ideal platform to encourage their products and services and a unique chance for better communication in an environment where individuals are receptive and willing to discuss. World Exhibition provides business entrepreneurs with a one-of-a-kind worldwide business model for marketing their products and services to a global reach of lenders and firms on a local, metropolitan, and worldwide platform.

The Distinguished Initiatives Associated with the Expo 2020 and the Anticipated Benefits Towards Technology-based Economy

The Expo 2020 Dubai’s initiative is to host the most environmentally responsible World Fairs ever. While this may appear unrealistic, sustainability has been integrated with everything they have done – from architecture and construction to lasting influence long after the Expo. In achieving a sustainable economy, technological innovations and devices will be used. Furthermore, sustainability would be achieved through reprocessing and the promotion of natural alternatives. They anticipate encouraging others to re-enforce their stewardship of the environment and safeguarding the earth for generations to come.

The World Excellence Practice Program showcases natural remedies to the globe’s most pressing problems by highlighting projects from throughout the planet that has delivered resilient and comprehensive initiatives, intending to replicate them elsewhere. Additionally, Expo 2020 will be working towards building the groundwork for future civilizations’ sustainability by focusing on human development and technical breakthroughs while remaining mindful of our planet’s environmental and mineral wealth. In my opinion, the distinguished initiatives associated with the Expo are marked by an important message of promoting innovation for everyone and establishing a support base for creative solutions that change the world for the better. Furthermore, highlighting sustainability as an integral concept of the Fair is an essential step to meeting the needs of the evolving society.

District 2020

District 2020 is the district that will be developed by repurposing the Exhibition 2020 Dubai setting and changing it into a technology-driven, sustainable model of metropolitan community living. Household neighborhoods, greenways, co-working spaces, and intelligent connectivity will be transformed (Haneef and Ansari, 2019). District 2020 aspires to a sustainable lifestyle through the smart network grid (Haneef and Ansari, 2019). District 2020 will collaborate with various groups to use sophisticated new technologies to help companies and residential life run smoothly. A few examples are Ai Technology, the Internet-of-things, 5G network, nanotechnology, advanced analytics, and blockchain (Haneef and Ansari, 2019). Siemens, Terminus Group, and DP World are among the critical tenants of District 2020.

In my view, initiatives such as Scale2Dubai have an important strategic intent since Dubai aims to create possibilities for a wide range of businesses and start-ups. Scale2Dubai, headquartered in District 2020, is a worldwide business initiative that will assist various start-ups and corporations in expanding their operations in Dubai through new market accessibility (Haneef and Ansari, 2019). This campaign will solicit input and partnership from domestic and global groups, Fortune 500 firms, government agencies, and academics. These plans are driven to achieve the Expo 2020 Dubai initiatives to have a sustainable economy for future generations.

Reference List

Craik, J. (2020) Expo 88: ‘Fashions of sight and politics of site’. In Celebrating the Nation. Routledge, pp. 142-159.

Eppinger, J. (2019) Towards the sustainable city: planning and urban development for the year 2000 world exposition in Hanover, Germany. London: Routledge.

Han, S.H. (2020) ‘Stifled by freedom of expression: the “Statue of a Girl of Peace” and the legacy of colonialism and historical revisionism in Japan’, First Amendment Studies, 54(2), pp. 261-273.

Haneef, S. K. and Ansari, Z. (2019) ‘Marketing strategies of Expo 2020 Dubai: a comprehensive study’, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 11(3), pp. 287-297.

Nadkarni, S. (2019) ‘Conclusions: Expo 2020 and its impact on Dubai’, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 11(3), pp. 341-345.

In writing, rhetorical techniques are commonly used to convey a meaning to the reader with the intention of persuading him or her to consider the subject under consideration from a different viewpoint. In the article, “Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike,” the writer, Janet Rae-Dupree has successfully employed these devices to convey her unique message to her readers. She aims to convince her readers that as people become more knowledgeable and experienced, their creativity and ability to come up with new things tend to weaken.

After introducing her essay, Janet gives anecdotal evidence in which she narrates the results of an experiment done by a psychologist known as Elizabeth Newton. This technique immediately makes the article to appear formal and non-biased. The anecdote assists to illustrate her position as well as capture the attention of the readers.

Shortly, after capturing the attention of her readers, Janet then adopts the use of argumentation with the intention of convincing her readers through reasoning to accept her perspective about the “curse of knowledge” (Rae-Dupree, para. 2). To achieve this, she quotes various renowned writers and the experience of various people. Towards the conclusion of the essay, Janet uses lines of dialogue to bring life to the essay and make the readers to reflect more on the main idea of the article.

Knowing the information that Janet is passing across is important because it helps in developing ways of getting rid of the tendency of people to loose innovative skills once their knowledge and experience increases. In addition, the article makes the readers to guard against ideologies that can make them taper off with their creativity.

Assessment of “You’re Bored, but Your Brain Is Tuned In” by Benedict Carey

Benedict Carey’s article “You’re Bored, but Your Brain Is Tuned In” addresses the issue of boredom and its influence in the lives of people. To convey his views about this issue, Benedict uses a number of rhetorical techniques. To begin with, he uses antithesis as an interesting and convenient tool for reinforcing his views about the topic.

For example, researchers have concluded that boredom should “be recognized as a legitimate human emotion that can be central to learning and creativity” (Carey, para. 4). Benedict’s use of antithesis in this instance is aimed at provoking the thoughts of the readers so as to capture their interest in the essay. Perhaps, the essence of the issue at hand could have been overlooked if he did not use this interesting technique.

Second, the author uses contrast in several places in the article. For example, he says, “Yet boredom is more than a mere flagging of interest or a precursor to mischief” (Carey, para. 3). The use of contrast is intended to illustrate the common anti-boredom attitudes that people have, and in doing so, makes it obvious that boredom is also constructive in our daily lives.

Lastly, to support his point of view, Benedict uses facts and research findings that have been discovered by others on the issue. Knowing this kind of information is very important. This is because the author of the article goes contrary to the popular opinion that boredom is not beneficial by illustrating that it assists in the development of brain processes that can be both productive and creative to the individual.

Works Cited

Carey, Benedict. “Boredom may have a purpose.” Chicago Tribune, 2008. Web.

Rae-Dupree, Janet. “Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike.” The New York Times, 2007. Web.

Human mind is a very mysterious issue many scientists want to solve. There is a lot of research where scientists try to understand the nature of human actions, what guides them and how people understand that their actions are appropriate. Reading information devoted to human brain, their behavior and morality, I came across several articles which tried to explain the ties between the mentioned issues.

Human mind, decisions and actions are closely interconnected as this is the main difference people have from animals. Looking at human decisions, it also becomes obvious that all people are different and in case one action or decision seems unethical for one person it may seem ethical to another one. Why does it happen? How do people make decisions in accordance with their actions and what do they do if they understand that their behavior seems inappropriate? All these questions are going to be discussed below.

Therefore, how is morality connected to human behavior and how is behavior connected to human brain? Considering the problem more attentively, it is possible to draw the following conclusions. First, Rorty assures that people are not born with principles and vision of morality, it is a society that makes them who they are.

Remembering the actions of Nazi people, the author says that initially those who acted against humanity were born simple people and the information which was put into their brain affected their understanding of the surrounding world (Rorty 2). Essentially, men in Eastern countries consider women differently than men in Western ones. For many Western representatives the limitation of freedom of Eastern women is immoral.

But Eastern men and women do not consider those actions as immoral ones, they were born in such society and it is natural for them. The information people learn from their childhood is kept in human mind and all the actions people do are based on that data. Obviously, the murderers who kill people do it consciously and no matter how cruel it is these people are sure that they act morally due to their personal vision of live, decisions, and actions they take.

Emberton has drawn a picture in his article having an intention to illustrate how human decisions depend on their mind. Thus, Emberton says that two characters live in human brain, Rex and Albert.

Albert is a one who is responsible for grounded and argumentative decisions while Rex is an impulsive baby who acts in accordance with human personal considerations. The most primitive example which may be drawn to illustrate how these two characters participate in making decisions is as follows. Hence, a person is forbidden to eat sugar as it negatively affects his or her health.

But there are situations when a person commits contrary to prescribed behavior. Having an intention to eat the smallest piece of sugar, Rex is going to do it no matter that Albert uses all the arguments and assures a person not to do it. The same is about other actions, sometimes very serious. It may seem that people act illogically, that it is impossible to conduct in such a way when there is another more relevant and appropriate way of behavior.

In this case Rex has dominated. Albert is a character who uses theoretical knowledge and practical skills in making decisions. However, when it comes to acting, personal inner desires come at the first place and no reasoning is involved. Of course, making decisions people try to rely on common sense, however, this is not always possible as there are human features which are uncontrolled (Emberton).

Therefore, these two articles give the examples of human vision of actions and decisions. These two authors offer the examples which show human actins as a result of behavior and social opinion. Being brought up in particular conditions people start thinking about morality as about obligation, and acting contrary to personal moral considerations seems inappropriate to them.

The main idea of the examples is that people learn something from their childhood and these actions make them act in this or that way. These learnt truths are human inner considerations and when people make decisions they unconsciously refer to those truths. Thiroux and Krasemann support this idea stating that people are brought up in a particular way and when they grow up they feel happiness in actions which have been their modes of behavior for many years.

When people have to act immorally, they are to behave contrary to what they got used to. In this case people feel bad. The morality is defined by Thiroux and Krasemann as the differentiation between good and bad. Therefore, the actions which bring happiness to people are morally correct, otherwise, they are wrong and bring bad mood.

Such theoretical vision of morality is right as when people are brought up in a particular way, they feel uncomfortable when they are made act another way round. Therefore, Thiroux and Krasemann also want to support the idea of brought up mind and as a result human actions. It is possible to create morality for a person if to grow up him/her in particular circumstances (Thiroux and Krasemann 16).

However, there is another vision on the problem. Hauser tries to assure that mind and morality are biological issues and people act in accordance with the instincts they have been born with. According to Hauser and his vision of moral actions, people are born with a particular set of moral considerations and no matter how they live and what they learn they usually refer to these considerations (Hauser 67).

Trying to apply this theory into practice many contradictions appear. Why do different people act in various ways? Why are there people who get pleasure from actions which seem immoral for others? If there are inborn moral considerations, why are people born with the negative convictions? It is obvious that it is impossible to answer such questions.

Returning to the issue of Western and Eastern vision of women’s role in the society, Western men are sure that people are equal and gender roles are not discriminated. If to follow Hauser’s vision of inborn morality, all people should consider women as lower than men from birth. The world is changing and human visions change. If several centuries before Western men also considered women lower from them, now the point of view has changed and human actions have also changed.

Making decisions people involve their brain, their mind influences their decisions greatly and the consideration whether the action is moral or not is defined from the truth people have learnt from their childhood. Depending on the place people are born at this truth may be different.

Works Cited

Emberton, Oliver. “How Do I Get Over My Bad Habit Of Procrastinating?” Forbes. 2013. Web.

Hauser, Marc D. Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong, New York: Little, Brown Book Group, 2008. Print.

Rorty, Richard. “Born to be good.” New York Times. 2006: 2. Print.

Thiroux, Jacques P. and Keith W. Krasemann. Ethics: Theory and Practice, Oxford: Pearson, 2011. Print.

The 21st century has become the era of freedom, as people in many places have almost eradicated social disapproval of gender, values, bodies, or skin color. However, in 2020, the topic of racism has captured the U.S. with strikes, riots, and cruelty. Oladipo states that “racism puts a burden on the society that artificially crafted it” (9). The rise of movements like Black Lives Matter requires demands equal treatment but uses its otherness to provoke conflicts. The reason for the confrontation lies in people’s minds, and people of color still tend to have and use colonized attitudes. This paper aims to discuss why people of color need to decolonize their minds and the ways of doing it.

Education affects minds and builds society, so it is reasonable to dig into pedagogy to discover how the colonized mind was developed. Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed provides valuable lessons about teaching the representatives of minority groups and reveals how their mind works. The book divides people into those with oppressed consciousness and the ones with oppressor consciousness and teaches how to educate the oppressed. Its central point is that such people are afraid of freedom, which affects their behavior and, thus, their whole life. The book includes pedagogy strategies like objectivity of reality, critical view, reflection, and dialogue. These practices, applied to the oppressed, would force them to stop fearing freedom of choice. Freire states that “the oppressed must be their example in the struggle for their redemption” (54). Thus, all of the kinds of manipulations are oppressive, and racism might be conquered if the oppressed change their minds and prevent the oppression from happening.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed describes banking education – narrative behavior in the teacher-student relationship that increases the oppressed consciousness of some. To solve the problem of oppressiveness, education must work in the teacher-student relationship by reconciling the two and emphasizing that both sides are simultaneously students and teachers (Freire 46). Such an approach turns learning into a dialogue that has no room for domination between its participants. The opposite of banking education is problem-posing training when students feel more independent in self-expression and are taught to respect diversity. Representatives of minorities will have to admit that their skin does not define them in the equity environment. Thus, they will need to become brave enough to liberate themselves from stereotypes and false expectations of how they must be treated. Pedagogy of the Oppressed shows that it is human consciousness that causes oppressions, and, to stop them, the oppressed must decolonize their minds.

Freire’s concepts, strategies, and statements formed critical pedagogy based on viewing educational theory as built on ideology, cultural backgrounds, and political influence. Education is capable of helping to lead minds in the decolonizing direction. If it adapts the process to modern realities by analyzing the factors mentioned above, it can find weak points of society, and work on them. However, Drozdowicz claims that “tackling the problem also requires raising the need of internal dialogue and critical reflection on the hitherto applied solutions, existing socio-cultural, economic and political conditions in the teaching milieus” (16). Critical pedagogy reveals the importance of education as it forms one’s mind, and its practices must be well-developed for society to thrive.

Freire’s book and critical education statements claim that minorities provoke others to mistreat them by acting weak and fearful. Moreover, the colonized mind lets such people highlight their specialty to get attention and achieve something. In a world where the ideas of equity are being built to allow diversity to prosper, its representatives behave like they prefer being more special than the average. These collisions have to end, and only changes in people’s minds can force them to stop.

As for the people of color, the colonized mind has an enormous impact on their lives. All U.S. citizens have the same rights and opportunities to live a fulfilling life, yet people of color tend to deny it and blame racism for their failures. Moreover, the colonized mind of a person lets them seek dependence and work for the privileged class instead of aiming to become a part of it. People of color with a colonized mind teach their children that the world is unfair and racism is to blame. Roberts and Rizzo claim that “while parents of color often speak out against those lessons to prevent their children from internalizing them, White parents often remain silent, allowing White children to internalize them” (18). All of these factors, if taken away, will significantly change society and the way how people are treated in it.

People of color need to decolonize their minds for the sake of the equity that is widely supported to make them feel full of value. There were dark chapters of history, yet today, the situation is different, and new conditions must be considered. The colonized mind not only slows down progress but also it harms modern society. Education is the primary social institution that has to adapt to the new reality and value equity by improving teacher-student relationships and preventing any oppression from appearing in the classroom environment.

Works Cited

Drozdowicz, Jarema. “Teaching to Transgress: Subjective Educational Experience in the Model of Engaged Pedagogy of Bell Hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins).” Culture-Society-Education, vol. 15, no. 1, 2020, pp. 7-16.

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Penguin Books, 2017.

Oladipo, Caleb O. “Construction of Racism: The Challenges and Opportunities for Promoting Justice and Modeling Race-Transcending Societies.” Review & Expositor, vol.117, no. 1, 2020, pp. 9-16.

Roberts, Steven O., and Michael Rizzo. The Psychology of American Racism. OSF Preprints, 2020.

Introduction

Eyes help people to see, and thus, individuals can construct vivid images about their environment. Such images help in forming people’s cognitions so that they can be in a position to attach meaning to their natural environment and objects in it. However, can blind people see? If they cannot, then how do they develop an understanding of their environment. Deploying accounts of four blind people, Oliver Sacks argues that the blind teach their other organs how to see. However, how effectively do they learn to see using alternative sensory organs? Rhetoric analysis of Oliver Sacks’ work responds to this interrogative.

Memoirs of the blind

Through memoirs with the blind, Sacks provides detailed accounts of how the blind see and construct motor imageries of their natural environment as opposed to visual imageries. For instance, Hull exemplifies how blindness does not hinder people from perceiving their environment. Sacks write in a manner that depicts Hull as a person who embraced blindness with positivism to the extent that although partially blind in the beginning, he is in a position to go through the transition into the blindness world.

For instance, Sacks writes, “Being a ‘whole-body seer,’ for Hull, means shifting his attention and center of gravity, to the other senses, and he writes again and again of how these have assumed a new richness and power” (Sacks 307). From this firsthand experience with blindness, Sacks learns that the blind can see if they accept their situations and learn to make their other senses effective. As such, it becomes possible to substitute their visual capabilities with motor imageries.

Through memoirs of Hull’s blindness, Sacks questions the capability of the brain to adapt to new experiences even at adulthood, which he conquers it is possible. He reckons that Hull’s case seems an extraordinary one in the context of the existing body of knowledge on the flexibility of sensory areas in the brain beyond the early age. However, Sacks nullifies this assumption by arguing that Hull’s experiences explain the possibility for flexibility in sensory areas in the brain, even among adults in their late ages.

He then backs up this assertion through research conducted in Boston, which proved that even five days of blindfolding an individual could cause some change on the brain’s activity towards non-visual behavioral and cognitive forms. Sacks add that in a study conducted in Italy, it was found that people kept in darkness for about 90 minutes develop tactile–spatial sensitivities. Even though he does not nullify the assumption of the possibility of inflexibility of sensory areas among the adults, citing this evidence gives an indication of the Sacks’ belief that the blind can see, but in not using the eyes followed by processing of the images in the usual sensory areas of the brain among people with normal eyesight.

Arguably, Sacks attempts to exemplify how people can undergo the transition from a visually active environment to a new environment of blindness through the Hulls’ case. However, experiences with other blind people teach Sacks otherwise. For instance, he cites the case of an individual who lost his sight at the age of 15 by claiming that he is not comfortable if he cannot identify himself with the visual environment. Many other correspondents also cite their inability to identify with Hull’s experiences. Therefore, can one lose visual memories? This puzzle continues to trouble Sacks.

Through Torey’s case, Sacks claims that the blind can see by developing an internal eye. This aspect requires the power of imagery imagination. He writes that this aspect enabled Torey to “think in ways that had not been available to him before, to envisage solutions, models, designs, to project himself to the inside of machines and other systems, and finally, to grasp by visual thought and simulation” (Sacks 308). This realization suggests that whatever people see fails to make sense without the power of imagination in their minds. These imaginations help in attaching meaning to the environmental objects, something the blind can do by training their mind to do it without the involvement of the eyes!

Torey and Hull’s memoirs exemplify how the mind can help in shaping the imagery thinking processes. However, can the blind engage in actions based on motor imageries? This aspect is perhaps possible in consideration of the Tenberken memoirs. Sacks write that Tenberken was a doer. He says that Tenkerken could construct internal world visually with her “almost novelistic, visual freedom, along with her remarkable and specific gift of synesthesia” (309), but he quickly wonders whether such a thing exists.

Sacks experience with Dennis Shulman further highlights this interrogative. Shulman claims that even though he has never seen some objects, he thinks of them visually, rather than in tactile. Alrene Gordon recounts a similar experience as after 30 years of blindness. She can still see her hands as she moves them around her blind eyes. These memoirs imply that imagery sensory constitutes a psychological phenomenon with the mind playing essential roles in creating meaning of the environmental objects.

By simply thinking about an object, it can exist even though physically in inexistence. This conclusion is perhaps accurate in consideration of Lusseyran memoirs. Though blind, Lusseyran could project images of conceived images into a virtual screen on the brain. Lusseyran memoirs nullify any hypothetical assumption that an eye is a vital component in helping to construct mental images of objects’ forms. Hence, an imagery form is not a fixed aspect in sensory motors, but it varies depending on the mode of sense.

Sacks explain to the readers that they need to interpret what he has learned from the different experiences of the blind by endeavoring to study how the blind construct meaning of their natural environment. He suggests that the readers should understand that the blind have their way of sensing objects and subsequently projecting virtual objects into their brain. In this way, they can detect the form of an object. Hence, seeing is replaced by other motor mechanisms of determining the form of an object. Hence, the reader should identify with the experiences of the blind by considering seeing a metamodel motor process.

Through the experience of other blind people that Sacks has met, he has learned that not all blind people can identify with others in terms of their experiences in imagery sensory. For instance, Hull claims that he lost visual cognition of how many objects looked like physically. Dennis claims that even after becoming blind, he still has an internal sight, which makes his world still visual. With this and other experiences of the blind people, Sacks believes it is sufficiently accurate to conclude that the blind can see. The only difference is that they deploy other sensory organs, rather than the eye, to sense objects in their environment.

Sacks’ additional understanding ‘metamodel’ and fixed functioning of the brain

Sacks argue that brain function is metamodel (inter-sensory) and not fixed. He states that the brain is organized in a metamodel manner. This assertion implies the sensory areas of the brain are not necessarily specialized to the extent that they cannot only be deployed to attach meaning to only one stimulus, but also other stimuli. Therefore, when one organ becomes ineffective, as in the case of acquired blindness, another organ becomes specialized to sense sight for synesthesia works such that this is followed by further development of the brain sensory area of the new specialized organ to process sight-related stimuli. For instance, a blind person may begin to use his or her hearing to help in constructing mental imageries of physical objects in the environment. Thus, the hearing sensory in the brain is not fixed to the extent that it can adapt to execute other additional functionalities upon its learning.

Arguing that the functioning of the brain is not fixed, but metamodel, it suggests that no person can be considered inherently blind. One sensory area helps in compensating for the deficits of the other. One sensory area is multifunctional, implying that sensory “modalities can never be considered in isolation” (Sacks 310). Hence, all senses collaborate in functionalities while creating mental images.

Through Hull’s case, Sacks suggests that people cannot lose visual abilities. Other experiences with the blind support Sacks’ thesis that the blind can see, as the eye is only one of the senses that play the seeing functionality. For instance, although Denis developed tactile abilities in replacement of his visual abilities, he argues that he can still see his hands moving around his eyes. Hence, Sacks’ thesis on the neuroscience of sensory areas of the brain of both the sighted and the blind is that the sighted and blind people’s brain is indifferent. This thesis relates with the title of the essay, The Mind’s Eye, as the mind has an internal eye, which helps in constructing vivid images of the objects in the natural environment of an individual.

Rhetorical strategies

Sacks’ essay attempts to convince its readers that the brain of the blind can see via narration. Early in the essay, he introduces the case of Hull, which opposes his thesis, but later with scholarly evidence and experience of various blind people, he reinforces the argument that people without their sight remain visual even into the late years of their life. He introduces the essay with a comparative anecdote stating the difference between the functionality of the animal organs and the human organs. This technique enables him to draw the attention of the readers and preempt possible conception about the brain’s functionality between animals and people. It also helps in narrowing the focus of the essay.

After introducing the Hull’s case, he then progresses to offer opposing experiences from valid people through comparison. This comparison enables him to develop a convincing case in support of his thesis that the brain of the blind can see. In a bid to align the readers with his thinking as informed by scholarly evidence on how the brain of the blind adapts by developing an internal eye, Sacks uses a series of interrogatives.

Experience with a blind person provides a response to each interrogative and leads to different contrasting lines of argument consistent with his thesis about the neuroscience of the brain of the blind. For instance, he cites Hull by saying that he lost visual imagery of how numeral three is shaped by replacing the imagery with motor imagery. However, he then notes that it is extraordinary for such change to occur on losing sight. In a bid to explain this impossibility, he draws evidence from neurological studies and biological studies.

Process analysis constitutes an important rhetoric strategy deployed by Sacks to develop his arguments. He argues that sighted people are unaware of their other potentials. Hull’s case proves that by focusing one’s attention on other potentials, different sensory modalities can become as active as rains bring out contours of everything. He says, “It throws a colored blanket over previously invisible things; instead of an intermittent and thus fragmented world, the steadily falling rain creates continuity of acoustic experience” (Sacks 312). This assertion implies that blindness compares to the rain to the extent that it helps people to unveil other potentials of their brain sensory areas so that not even one sensory area is fixated. With appropriate stimuli, specific sensory areas adapt to serve several other functionalities.

Sacks exemplify how the mind of a blind person sees by comparing it with the visualization of operation of a differential gearbox. In developing this comparison, he quotes Torey by explaining how his mind continues to visualize issues so that he can work in the same manner as sighted people. For instance, he could “watch the cogs bite, lock and revolve, distributing the spin as required” (Sacks 317). This assertion implies that even though people may not have the ability to see the inside of a gearbox, cognition of how it functions can help to construct vivid visual images of how the powertrain components interact with one another. This analogy equally applies and explains how blind people see with their mind.

Works Cited

Sacks, Oliver. The Mind’s Eye, New York: Vintage Books, 2010. Print.

The question of whether animals are capable of thinking has always bothered people in general and scientists from different areas of scientific thought. In trying to answer this question, investigators have viewed it from different perspectives. Some philosophers have believed that animals possess neither soul nor mind; however, many scientists from other areas of knowledge such as natural science have provided a number of arguments in support of the opposite opinion.

At present, such concepts as mind and thinking have been thoroughly defined. The mind is referred to as an ability to control one’s actions, including logical thinking, linking thoughts to each other, and the ability to abstract from the current moment and develop plans for the future (Griffin, 2013). Having a mind is a prerequisite for thinking, while thinking is the action of a living being with reasoning ability. The justification in this paper will be built around this understanding. The purpose of this writing is to provide arguments to support the statement that living beings are capable of thinking, using examples of different animals.

Mimic Octopus

The mimic octopus or Thaumoctopus mimicus is an amazing living being. It can take a new form, imitating snakes, fish, crustaceans, and other animals in an instant by changing its size and shape (FullKanal, 2010). The evidence suggesting that this animal can think lies in the ability of the octopus to solve a problem not instinctively but purposefully. Although the structure of the brain of the mimic octopus differs from that of human beings, its mind is comparable to that of a human. In particular, many researchers emphasize that the functioning of the brain, the transmission of signals, and the processing of information occurs in a similar manner in both species.

It is crucial that this kind of animal needs to think in order to have an adequate and accurate representation of itself, the structure of the body, and the possibilities associated with these features. In order to mimic other animals, the octopus needs to match another animal’s parameters with its own abilities to shrink or expand to a similar size (FullKanal, 2010). This problem can be solved very quickly by the mimic octopus, indicating that it is fully aware of its capabilities.

The kaleidoscopic skin of the octopus gives it an ability to mimic any substrate, changing the shape and texture of the body; however, this happens under the influence of the emotional or physiological state of the animal.

Analyzing the video, the collected information, and my personal experience, it can be assumed that the mimic octopus can think due to the fact that it is capable of empirical learning. It incorporates not only the ability to process visual information logically but also uses this knowledge in a way that depends on the situation (Griffin, 2013). Therefore, animals do have minds and experience occurrences that reinforce their thinking.

Crow

The crow belongs to the Corvidae family. It is worth noting that the crow is considered one of the smartest birds by many researchers and theorists. In the example in the video, a crow sleds down the roof using a plastic lid, supporting a number of arguments that indicate that this kind of bird can think (Adrian, 2013). For instance, this unusual skill implies that the crow can display an advanced capacity for using tools.

Other animals also know how to use tools, for example, for obtaining food while exercising these tools with their own labor. In the case of the crow from the video, this instrument was not created by the bird, which means that the creature was able to understand the functional and physical properties of the finished instrument (Adrian, 2013). Consequently, crows have an understanding of an object’s physics, which implies a number of logical links, and this is direct evidence of the thinking process since the bird did not use reflexes or physical strength but its cognitive skills.

It should be noted that thinking is necessary for crows to be resilient and adapted to living in different conditions. For example, in a situation of limited choice, the crow will be able to understand how to get out of a predicament by using its abilities and skills (Griffin, 2013). Consequently, thinking is essential for animals to live a better life while transforming objects around them.

Moreover, based on the video, it can be assumed that crows can draw analogies. Sledding is not a primary necessity or skill in the healthy life of a crow. Consequently, the bird can draw parallels between different objects and actions, and just as a person can go sledding, a crow can use a plastic lid for entertainment.

Leaf-Cutter Ants

This ant type belongs to two different genera, Atta and Acromyrmex. Despite the fact that many scientists rely on various arguments to support the opinion that ants are capable of thinking, many counterarguments are also possible. On the one hand, the process involved in the livelihood of leaf-cutter ants is surprising and extremely systematic. The ants gnaw the leaves loose from the plant, carry them to the anthill and store the leaves in chambers.

A special fungus that grows on these leaves serves as food for the entire ant village (National Geographic, 2009). These ants cultivate the fungus by providing new seedlings. In addition, when growing the fungus, the ants feed it with their secretions and keep the plants clean by protecting the spores with an antibiotic from harmful bacteria. Thus, the way of life of ants is similar to the way people live on farms, and the key aspect of their activities is that ants cultivate food rather than extracting it from the outside.

On the other hand, a single ant has limited intellectual abilities, since their mind has a collective nature. According to the video and my personal observation, a clear hierarchy is the guarantor of their successful life, and if separated from their community, ants are not able to survive. Each caste performs a specialized function; therefore, ants do not need to develop their thinking because their life is reduced to a narrow set of skills and occupations (Griffin, 2013). Ant settlements are able to analyze disparate data when changing the place of settlement or to maintain the life of their community. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that they are only capable of collective conscious behavior. They are conscious, but not self-conscious.

Lyrebird

The lyrebird or Menuridae can imitate forest sounds and voices of other birds. It can also imitate the barking of a dog and a bee’s buzzing or mimic any sound that it hears. Based on the video, it can be assumed that lyrebirds display at least some form of thinking. They coordinate their movements to the music they produce and employ various tail, wing, and leg movements to accompany their vocals with a dance (BBCWorldwide, 2007).

This feature is also characteristic of living beings capable of cognitive thinking, such as humans. People dance and coordinate their movements in time with the music they hear. The same is applicable to this bird type that tries to dance to the music it produces. It is reasonable to assume that the synchronization of dance movements with the acoustics could be challenging in terms of cognitive capabilities. Moreover, the lyrebird can distinguish different sounds and try to produce exactly the same noises, which implies some form of analytical thinking.

It can be assumed that this bird needs to think to be able to breed. The male individuals learn different sounds to impress females, and it is not unreasonable to state that the male bird that produces the most impressive sound or music will earn the attention of the female (Griffin, 2013). Therefore, it can also be suggested that this is another form of thinking since males can determine causal relationship between the influence of different sounds and the favors of females.

Dolphin

Dolphins (Delphinidae) are commonly referred to as the smartest mammal among animal species. Much research has been carried out to prove that this mammal has a mind and is capable of thinking. The video provides evidence to justify that this statement is true. It displays dolphins in a tank who are swimming and playing peacefully (Torenheksje, 2008). This suggests that they are emotional beings who can be sad, rejoice, and have fun. In addition, this video shows that dolphins have well-developed imitative behavior. The mammals are playing with air bubbles, which suggests that they can repeat one after another.

In turn, this indicates that they easily remember things and reproduce the actions of other individuals. Playing with air bubbles is not a primary instinct or reflex, and it is not a means of satisfying primary needs. Consequently, dolphins know how to accumulate knowledge and use it for their entertainment (Griffin, 2013). The dolphin in the video swims after the air bubble and smashes it with its nose into small ones so that the bubbles do not disappear. This is a form of game technique, which implies the presence of cause-effect relationships, incorporating mathematical and physical analysis, a complex cognitive process.

Dolphins need to think to be able to build a variety of processes that work to improve the quality of their life. As follows from the video, these mammals live in captivity and, having shown a research approach, they have come to the conclusion that they are not in danger and should not remain cautious (Torenheksje, 2008). Having evaluated the situation and adjusted their behavior to it, dolphins can play safely. This orientation in the setting allows dolphins to better adapt to the environment so that they can live in harmony.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that animals are able to think since they have a mind and perform certain actions according to the situation. Despite the difference of the animal mind from that of the human, some species display complex cognitive processes. Living beings interact with each other as well as with the environment, which can provoke the advance of mental activity in them. The absence of speech is an obstacle to claims about the mindfulness of living beings, but animals’ actions allow the conclusion to be drawn that mental, analytical, and logical activity is present in them.

References

Adrian. (2013). Crow uses plastic lid to sled down roof [Video file]. Web.

BBCWorldwide. (2007). Amazing! Bird sounds from the lyre bird [Video file]. Web.

FullKanal. (2010). Most intelligent mimic octopus in the world [Video file]. Web.

Griffin, D. (2013). Animal minds. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

National Geographic. (2009). Leafcutter ants [Video file]. Web.

Torenheksje. (2008). Dolphins blow bubble air rings [Video file]. Web.

Global challenges are important as they affect multiple people and the whole planet. When asked about global problems, people often conceive climate change, health, education, clean water, poverty, and tolerance. Identifying the challenges shows people are aware of the many issues the world faces. The consequences of not solving global obstacles on a large scale are universal; thus, it is critical to examine why the world’s best minds do not solve the biggest global problems.

The biggest problems in the world are not solved by the best global minds for several reasons. First, most people in the world think experience is needed to invent solutions that tackle global difficulties. However, experience is not always needed to innovate and eliminate global troubles. Bill Gates founded the world’s largest non-profit organization which has failed to eradicate global issues on a large scale. Influential people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs could have solved the world’s biggest setbacks if they wanted; yet, they did not. Both have experience in innovation and problem-solving. Prasoon Kumar thus argues that passion and enthusiasm are required to handle the world’s challenges without resources.

Second, many individuals believe that resources are needed to eliminate global problems. While the statement may be partially correct, it is not wholly correct. People who attend the best schools in the world become smarter in their fields and are employed by large technology and e-commerce companies. In such companies, they solve hitches that only generate corporate profits but do not tackle the most fundamental issues facing society. Many companies such as fast-food chains can feed about one percent of the world’s population each day. However, they do not solve any of the world’s darkest snags. Instead, they are only concerned about their corporate objectives of making or increasing profits. Kumar argues that it is not resources that people or companies need rather they require the ability to take risks in innovating in fields that are considered less profitable.

Third, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not working in major companies. Kumar argues that companies cannot be altruistic when doing business. The singular focus of businesses is making profits that align with shareholders’ interests. Although major firms adhere to certain CSR standards, they do not solve many of the biggest global challenges. Kumar further argues that some corporations violate various regulations set by governments but do not lose customers because of their strong brand value. The top management of such companies often knows something is wrong but takes decisions that endanger the world’s population. For instance, a German automaker made cars that emitted emissions of poisonous gases that exceeded the legal maximum requirement. Focusing on CSR is essential since it improves society and businesses.

Fourth, poor solutions are developed for problems facing people of the lower class. Kumar gives an example of a workshop started by 25 leaders. They decided to design new ventures for the poor based on picking rags in certain cities and converting them into bags as well as other sellable products. The finished products would be sold in Paris and New York boutiques. Nevertheless, the net income earned from such simple ventures is only about $1 or $2, which is too little for people to move above the poverty line. As a result, the income inequality gap widens between the poor and the rich. Wage disparity can be reduced by increasing a person’s salary. For instance, education can increase an individual’s pay, reducing the income differences between the poor and the rich.

Fifth, the few foundations helping solve global problems are a monopoly and lack competition. Kumar offers an example of his non-profit organization, BillionBricks, which helps build houses for the homeless. BillionBricks built only 15 homes for the homeless but went viral on YouTube and social media. Most people commended Kumar’s efforts and labeled his initiative “innovation at the finest”. Still, Kumar argues that there are no benchmarks when attempting to solve global challenges since few specific organizations are working to reduce the world’s social difficulties. He calls for competition as it fuels innovation and encourages fast growth, which would solve the world’s biggest troubles. Sixth, the pressure for perfection limits the ability of the few foundations working on the end of global problems to achieve their goals. For instance, such organizations are pressured to solve every social issue while other major corporations do nothing. Instead of perfection pressure, other corporations should join the fight to end global setbacks to achieve large-scale effects.

I can form an initiative that educates people on the importance of education and provides support for poor students who need to apply for college. The resources would provide strategies on how to get scholarships and a list of tuition-free and inexpensive global schools. Education can reduce poverty and inequality in society by increasing the wages of many people. However, I think such an initiative would partially make a difference because even if students get full scholarships, they may not afford living and technology expenses.

In conclusion, global snags have universal effects; thus, it is critical to examine why the world’s best minds do not solve them. Most people often think experience is required to tackle global challenges; however, passion and enthusiasm can achieve a lot. The belief that resources are the component needed to eliminate global difficulties limits the chances of some people solving worldwide difficulties. Furthermore, the singular focus on profitability by corporations does not allow them to handle global challenges. Ultimately, innovative solutions are needed to reduce the world’s biggest problems and improve all people’s lives.