Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Driverless Cars Are the Present, Not the Future. Essay Example for Free

Driverless Cars Are the Present, Not the Future. Essay With the advancement of technology in today\s world, the driverless car was introduced, and it has been a dominating headline topic within these few years. Many car manufacturers, such as BMW, Volvo, and Audi, have been investing in the development project for the autonomous vehicle. This might prove that driverless car might be the leading car industries in the future. This will lead to a question whether if the driverless car is better than the human-driven car. To have a clearer view of the comparison between them, we can consider these 3 aspects: safety, time and road optimization. Firstly, everyone knows the importance of safety when driving on the road but what makes the driverless car safer than a human-driven car. The driverless car is safer than the human-driven car because of its technology, the driverless car makes use of sensors such as cameras, radar, lasers, ultrasonic sensors, GPS, and mapping technology to determine its position and navigate on the road safely. In contrast, in a car driven by human the drivers make use of their senses, such as eyes, ears and touch to navigate their way on the road. With the increase of travel time, their fatigue level will also increase, this might cause the driver to lose concentration or even fall asleep while driving. Some driver might even consume alcohol before they travel, making it unsafe for other road users as well as themselves. Recent studies of the traffic accident in Singapore 2016 show that causes of human-driven car accident such as failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to have proper control, fai ling to give way to traffic with right of way and changing lane without due care resulted in more than 2500 accident cases. (Singapore Police Force 2016). Whereas for the driverless car in 2016 there is only one case of an accident that happens where the driverless car collided with a lorry at one north which was suspected due to software anomalies in the driverless car (Strait times 2016). Secondly, the time taken to drive from point to point can be quite a hassle, for example, a country like the United State of America where the land is so much bigger than Singapore, traveling from one states to the other would take more than 3 hours or even more. in a car driven by a human, the driver will need to stay focus and concentrate on driving the car to their destination. Whereas for a driverless car the experience will be totally different, the hours of time traveled can be utilized to do more stuff such as reading a newspaper or you can even take a nap while traveling without the need to control your car since the driverless car will take you to your destination. The driverless car will be able to save a lot of our time, it is like adding the extra hours to our hectic life. Lastly, in term of road optimization, there are many traffic lights on the road the human-driven car must stop when they encounter traffic light this will cause traffic congestion, whereas for a country with all driverless car on the road, traffic light is not needed anymore the driverless cars will be able to seamlessly merge to the other lanes easily. Allowing traffic to flow smoothly across intersections. There will be neither time delay nor collision. In conclusion, the driverless car has more advantages in term of safety, time and road optimization as compared to a human-driven car, with the minimal amount of road accident occurs, a large amount of time-saving and the non-delaying road optimization. This futuristic vision is becoming reality with the advancement of technology which will prove that the driverless car will be the leading car industries.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Interconnected :: Biodiversity Science Biology Essays

Interconnected â€Å"Loving nature is not the same as understanding it.† Like the majority of the human race, Harriet in Gary Larson’s [JH1] book, There’s a Hair in my Dirt, â€Å"‘not only [misunderstand] the things she saw – vilifying some creatures while romanticizing others, - but also her connection to them’† (Larson 1998). The human race is one big Harriet; we see what is on the surface and never truly understand what lies beneath because we fail to even look. In order to understand ourselves, we must first understand what makes us and shapes us. Perhaps this is why we should understand biodiversity and the effects it has on us and science. All living things need each other to survive. We need the trees to breathe, they need us to produce CO2 for photosynthesis, and they also need the worms to cultivate the land for rich soil. Hence, we could imply that we need the worms to breathe. It’s more than that, though. The whole concept of biology, or even science, revolves around the intricate connections between all of its aspects. We need to understand biodiversity to understand our connections to all living things. In order to understand biodiversity we need to use systematics. In order to understand systematics we need to understand taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution and all the other parts. Every part of who we are is saturated in everything around us and yet we do not even try to take the time to absorb a drop of it. Despite the fact that we consider ourselves to be the most intelligent of the species living on this planet today, our egos and independence, our ignorance and manipulation, allow the understanding of our very existence on this earth to pass us by. In order to truly understand who we are, we need to come nose to nose with the earthworms. In understanding biodiversity, we will be able to harvest the benefits that come from it. Not only will we be able to understand our connections with all living things, but our connection with the environment as well. Interconnected :: Biodiversity Science Biology Essays Interconnected â€Å"Loving nature is not the same as understanding it.† Like the majority of the human race, Harriet in Gary Larson’s [JH1] book, There’s a Hair in my Dirt, â€Å"‘not only [misunderstand] the things she saw – vilifying some creatures while romanticizing others, - but also her connection to them’† (Larson 1998). The human race is one big Harriet; we see what is on the surface and never truly understand what lies beneath because we fail to even look. In order to understand ourselves, we must first understand what makes us and shapes us. Perhaps this is why we should understand biodiversity and the effects it has on us and science. All living things need each other to survive. We need the trees to breathe, they need us to produce CO2 for photosynthesis, and they also need the worms to cultivate the land for rich soil. Hence, we could imply that we need the worms to breathe. It’s more than that, though. The whole concept of biology, or even science, revolves around the intricate connections between all of its aspects. We need to understand biodiversity to understand our connections to all living things. In order to understand biodiversity we need to use systematics. In order to understand systematics we need to understand taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution and all the other parts. Every part of who we are is saturated in everything around us and yet we do not even try to take the time to absorb a drop of it. Despite the fact that we consider ourselves to be the most intelligent of the species living on this planet today, our egos and independence, our ignorance and manipulation, allow the understanding of our very existence on this earth to pass us by. In order to truly understand who we are, we need to come nose to nose with the earthworms. In understanding biodiversity, we will be able to harvest the benefits that come from it. Not only will we be able to understand our connections with all living things, but our connection with the environment as well.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Genetically modified food Essay

War, famine, disease, hate, overpopulation; these are all constant struggles that humanity must face every day. How to address these problems so that the world will be able to continue in a stable, productive way is constantly on the minds of scientist, politicians, peacekeepers and the everyday person. The issue I’m choosing to discuss is starvation. With our population ever increasing, how are we going to provide billions of people the proper nutrition? Do we continue using the farming traditions of the past, or do we look to technological advancements and genetic modification for the answers? With technology ever changing, our knowledge of genetics is growing and all the while farmland shrinking. When farmers are producing less harvest per year and having to use more and more pesticides to keep their crops alive, exploring the possibilities of genetic modification (GM) within food is a wise choice. In fact, I’d say it was the way of the future. GM foods have several benefits and in many ways are better and more efficient than sustainable agriculture crops. Scientists have been studying agricultural biotechnology for decades, looking for the best ways to advance our lives. It involves many complex procedures such as moving key genes from one organism to another, crosspollination and selective breeding of plants. These and other processes create beneficial traits within the plant species that allow it to grow and survive better than standard, farm grown produce. Some plants have become resistant to disease and can actually repel potentially devastating insects; this removes the necessity for pesticides. Sustainable agriculture is the other proposed solution to solving the world’s food crisis. Sustainable agriculturists believe that with proper irrigation methods, natural fertilizers and insecticides crops of equal yield can be produced, matching that of bioengineered foods. GM food products are already a part of our every day life. â€Å"Recent estimates show that 60-70% of foods in the U. S. markets contain GE ingredients, meaning they contain at least a small quantity of some crop that has been genetically engineered. (Genetically Modified Food & Human Health). † As our knowledge grows and technology advances they will only become more integrated into our society. Biotechnology has the possibility to remove harmful allergens by altering the plant’s protein structure. â€Å"†¦ Genetic modification can be used to remove or change proteins that are known allergens in plant foods such as the soybean. Recent research has demonstrated that a particular protein causing soybean allergies can be eliminated by modern biotechnology. (Genetically Modified Food & Human Health). † â€Å"†¦ Vast areas of irrigated land have become waterlogged. Chemical fertilizers have run off into rivers and lakes causing ugly, slimy blooms of algae. Crop diseases such as late blight in potatoes, the virulent fungus responsible for the Irish famine, appear to be spreading again†¦ (Will the World Starve? : Feast and Famine)† These are only some of the effects from poor attempts at sustainable agriculture. As afore mentioned, with GM, crops can be made resistant to disease, able to grow faster and stronger, and without the need of harmful chemical fertilizers or pesticides (Will the World Starve? : Feast and Famine). As our population grows exponentially and our farmable land is continuously being reduced we need to find a solution that takes up less space while at the same time providing quality food in the amounts required. Less farmland is available due to commercialization and soil nutrient atrophy. This doesn’t mean that other plots couldn’t be converted into farmland. â€Å"Farm acreage could increase by 10% over the next 40 years†¦ †¦ In many cases it would mean destroying forests or other sensitive habitats†¦ (Will the World Starve? : Feast and Famine). † Protagonists of sustainable agriculture argue that GM foods are unhealthy, unsafe to eat and may have adverse effects in the future. They say that the problem isn’t a lack of food, it’s the poor countries inability to afford the necessary provisions. They also say that, â€Å"If done properly†¦ † sustainable agriculture will be sufficient enough. In response, â€Å"Currently, genetically modified foods on the market are considered safe to eat and no adverse effects have been reported since their introduction in 1995 (Genetically Modified Food & Human Health). † In the short term, GM research will be expensive and costs will need to be recouped from the consumer, but in the long run food will last longer, be more nutritious and cost less to grow greater yields. Once we are able to make this technology available to third world countries at an affordable rate they will be able to prosper more rapidly than if they were to keep using the old sustainable agriculture methods. The process of sustainable agriculture requires a large amount of land and skilled farmers and laborers. If done improperly the land will quickly loose its ability to sustain life. This would require farmers to have much more education in the areas of irrigation, natural pesticides and herbicides, as well as increased research on global climate conditions and the future of these necessities. Why require all this ever-changing knowledge and research when we can create a nutritional plant that is doesn’t require these processes and is immune to natural hazards? In the long run, this would seem the better decision. Though we are still in the early stages of genetic modification, I believe that this is a science with unlimited possibilities which will inevitably benefit mankind in many ways. Discovering and learning about new processes takes time, funding, caution and diligence. The art of farming has been around for centuries and the process has worked in the past, but now today’s society has different necessities and newer knowledge. The past is just that, the past. It’s now time to meet the future.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Kant s Moral Theory Essay - 965 Words

Engineers are trusted individuals which the public has set high standards for. The public relies on engineers to efficiently, and accurately determine the safety of all products they create. Engineers are required to follow safety procedures in order to ensure the quality of the products they create. However, are these procedures enough to ensure the safety of the public? Or can additional actions be taken in order to improve the safety of a product? If so, to what extent should engineers be required to take matters into their own hands and ensure the safety of products, in return reducing the number of injuries and fatal accidents? Kant’s moral theory can be a useful tool in determining the answers to these questions. Kant’s moral theory revolves around the idea that an act is morally right if it fulfills our duty, and morally wrong if it does not. His theory includes the concept of categorical imperative, he believes that this is the supreme principle of morality. Categorical imperatives are rules that apply always, no matter the circumstances. Kant’s theory also mentions maxims which are the subject principles to determine an action. For every maxim you act on, everyone should do to do the same in a similar situation. In addition, Kant believes that one is only morally worthy if the action taken was taken because it was our good will, it was our duty. This means that the action would have been done even if we did not enjoy it. The sole reason behind taking the actionShow MoreRelatedKant s Theory Of Moral Theory1466 Words   |  6 Pagessince Kant s publication of his renowned ethical tre atises, deontologists and utilitarians alike have argued over which moral theory is most coherent. Yet, in Mill s critique of Kant, Mill sidesteps this issue, not by directly critiquing Kant s moral theory, but rather by asserting that Kant s moral theory is actually just a form of utilitarianism. Essentially, Kant s universal law test is nothing more than a veiled appeal to consequences, as Mill correctly claims in his critique of Kant. AfterRead MoreThe Ethics Of Non Voluntary Active Euthanasia1050 Words   |  5 Pagesduty and obligation. A medical professional in such situations have an obligation to fulfill the patient s wishes. The nature of their obligation does not sway based on what they personally think. Patients with dementia have some moments of clarity, but because their brains are still deteriorating, non- voluntary active euthanasia should still be permissible under these conditions. In the theory of deontology, it is defined as â€Å"the focus on the duties and obligations one has in carrying out actionsRead MoreImmanuel Kant And Kant On Morality1097 Words   |  5 Pagesare two which are usually compared to one another, Immanuel Kant and David Hume. Immanuel Kant had many theories throughout his philosophical time. Here are some of his ethical works, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785), the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), and the Metaphysics of Morals (1797), which contains both â€Å"the Doctrine of Right† and â€Å"the Doctrine of Virtue.† He also had some other works of importance to his moral philosophy including the Critique of the Power of Judgment (1790)Read MoreDeontology Is An Ethical Theory900 Words   |  4 Pagesgender. The theory of deontology has defined and developed the meaning of equal within society. However, it has been a slow process. Miscommunication and misunderstanding to the meaning of gender equality is responsible for personal and social tyranny. 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Introduction According to Immanuel Kant the driving force behind our actions should be dictated by what is inherently good as sole consideration and not be based upon the effects of what such actions may produce such as the case in the consequentialist theory of cause. In this essay Kant’s ethical non-consequentialist theory will be briefly investigated and a comparison drawn between the two different theories in order to establish merit in employment thereof in practice. 2. Kantian Morality CentralRead MoreDeontology Theory : Ethics And Moral Reasoning1137 Words   |  5 PagesDeontology theory-Immoral/moral behavior Jeann Henry PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning (ACQ1519B) Instructor: Julie Pedersen May 21, 2015 â€Æ' Is it right for our society to be held for immoral behavior when it is already being displayed in our society and within the cultural areas in our lives? Right or wrong ways are always among our society, and when we are dealing with an ethical theory deontology system seems more established. This ethics theory, conducts a matter of right and wrong. This indicatesRead MoreEssay Kant vs. Mill: Human Rights and Utilitarianism1729 Words   |  7 Pageshave been shaped by several factors, including philosophical theories in the past. This paper looks at the theories of two philosophers, Emmanuel Kant and John Stuart Mills, and how their teachings can be used to explain the sources of human rights. Kant’s moral philosophy is very direct in its justification of human rights, especially the ideals of moral autonomy and equality as applied to rational human beings. John Stuart Mills’ theory of utilitarianism also forms a solid basis for human rightsRead MoreKant And The Prince Niccolo Di Bernardo Dei Machiavelli978 Words   |  4 Pagesis a very strong revolving criticism based upon certain theories that are needed to stabilize and control society or even so, expand our minds beyond what we already know. Two very iconic philosophers Immanuel Kant and The Prince Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469-1527?) Manifest their theories on the portrayal of society and how discipline and authority regulate us. Kant expresses his theory in his â€Å"What is Enlightenment?† (1784) Essay where he describes the immaturity of men is what makesRead MoreThe Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin1424 Words   |  6 Pagesgreatest number of people. On the contrary, Kant would argue that using the child as a mere means is wrong and argue that the living conditions of the child are not universalizable. The citizens of Omelas must face this moral dilemma for all of their lives or instead choose to silently escape the city altogether. My central thesis is that Kant would give the child’s life inherent value and advocate that Omelas’ citizens abandon their practices. In this essay I aim to examine the story of Omelas through