Category: Uncategorized (Page 3 of 5)

Haley Andonian

Jennifer Wilcox, an associate professor in the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines, has dedicated her life to researching methods of carbon capture.  Professor Wilcox came to speak to the STS seniors this fall about her researcher, and although her talk was not geared towards the origins theme, the nature of her research and the presence of her young daughter brought to mind themes of origins and the agency we have as humans in impacting the lives of future generations.

Professor Wilcox’s research, new ways to optimize carbon capture, is cutting edge research that has the potential to have a large scale impact on the lives of future generations.  Finding ways to counter the negative impact that human beings have had on increasing climate temperatures could provide generations to come with a safer environment.  This potential impact on the way of life for future generations is where Wilcox’s work connects to the theme of origins.  The way people enter this world (the place their born into, the political environment at the time, the current global issues at hand) effects the way they grow up and the people they become.  Thus, entering a world in crisis due to climate change versus entering an environmentally stable world has the potential to shape a person’s personality, lifestyle, and sense of identity at large.

The presence of Professor Jennifer Wilcox’s young daughter at the luncheon that followed her talk served to highlight the relevance of her work to origins, lifestyles, and identities of the children of the future.  Professor Wilcox made a point to acknowledge her awareness of the relationship between her work and her daughter’s future, and stated how she wanted to be able to make the world a better and more habitable place for her daughter so that her daughter would not have to worry about solving problems our generation and generations before us have laid out.  I found this awareness of our impact on the future of others and Professor Wilcox’s desire to work to change the world in order to better it for generation to come remarkable.  As a  working scientist, she wants to find a solution to the problem and, as a mother, she wants to exercise agency over the way her daughter and other future descendants enter the world.

Agency and origins are not two words that usually go hand in hand.  Typically, we consider origins as all of those parts of your history that comprise your identity without a freedom of choice.  For instance, you can’t choose where you’re parents were born or what religion your family practices.  However, Professor Wilcox indirectly suggests that perhaps we can exercise agency over the origins we provide for our children and their children.  We don’t have to sit back and let the world spiral out of control and ignore climate, but rather we can make an effort to solve the problems of today to provide a better start for the generations of the future.

November 14, 2017

The Origin of the Origin

Janet Browne Harvard University

The lecture this week discussed the Origin of the Origin of Species written in 1859 by Darwin. Darwin looked at the distribution of inhabitants in South America during his Beagle expedition as a young man. Darwin had merged theory and natural history. Darwin’s book presented a valid hypothesis based on the evidence presented. Contrary to many beliefs, Darwin tried to use science to explain the divine, the origin of the earth and all species.

Darwin claims that the Beagle voyage was the most important experience in his life. Although Darwin was on an English ship, he saw and experienced so many things. Darwin had with him Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology during the Beagle expedition. Lyell suggested that everything was very gradual. Darwin adopted a lot of information from Lyell. We can think of Darwin as a geologist during the Beagle voyage. Darwin saw a volcano eruption in January 1835. He also experienced a very large earthquake in 1835. It was quite fascinating to look at Darwin’s original geological drawings. One of Darwin’s biggest geological accomplishments was coming up with an answer for the shape of coral reefs.

Darwin paid a lot of attention to fossils while on the Beagle voyage. Darwin found fossils and connected them to current residence of South America. Darwin found fossils such as carapace plates of the Glyptodon and was able to compare to with the armadillo that still lived in South America.

Darwin was fascinated with the ingenious people. He was particularly amazed by the differences between the indigenous and Europeans. The possible roots of humanity shocked Darwin; he was excited to see the possible linkage. Although he was a racist of sorts, there was something in him that made him see the brotherhood of man.

Darwin had geology, fossils and indigenous people on his mind when he went to the Galapagos Archipelago where he studied many species and the geology of the island.

Once Darwin got back to Britain he began discovering links between his findings. Darwin began attempting to visualize evolutionary change. Darwin was trying to connect everything together. Darwin began writing Zoology and the Voyage of the Beagle. Darwin started to theorize that species has been taken and modified for different ends.

Darwin spent 8 year on barnacles. The barnacle work helped his theory move towards the final theory in the Origin of Species. Some of Darwin’s barnacle drawings were saved because they had his children’s’ drawings on the back. Darwin also spent a lot of time looking at Pigeons.

Some little corks about Darwin that made him successful included: Darwin used letters as a research tool. He thought a lot in silence. He walked the sand walk. Darwin didn’t end up writing the book he was going to write. Darwin created an origin story of his own. Darwin wanted to use scientific method. He knew that although the conclusions may be hard to believe, he believed his work was of the work of scientists

Southeast Asia specialist, professor Arnout van der Meer spoke on the origins of National identity in Indonesia. His approach to the subject was outstanding as he did not assume any pre-existing knowledge of Southeast Asia among the crowd. He summarized the historical background of the region and credited scholars who are currently focused on telling Southeast Asia’s story as a main highlight as opposed to as a side show while covering India and China. He affirmed that the region is culturally and geographically connected.  van der Meer defended the stereotype that Southeast Asia only came alive with the arrival of the Europeans to its shores arguing that trade, culture, civilization and religion already existed long before European arrival.  Southeast Asia experienced cultural heritage (up until 1400 BCE) that involved state  formations and the Austronesian migrations and Indianization of the region. It also experienced the Age of Commerce that brought different religions to its lands such as Islam, Buddhism and Christianity. All these led to the colonial interlude that lasted from 1700-1945.  The region later witnessed colonialism, imperialism and plantation economies.

Opening of trade routes between Europe and Asia sparked up the interest in Southeast Asia. Eurasian civilizations pre-existed but there was limited interactions due to geographical barriers as suggested by Arnout . Southeast Asia is a region that,  as a whole has no common religion, language, or classical culture. Paradoxically however, the diversity of Southeast Asia and its openness to outside influences were among its defining characteristics. Every state in the region was built on cultural trade-offs both internal and external.” Today, modern Southeast Asia considered one of the most diverse regions of the world.

Different parts of Southeast Asia tend to have a variety of both economic and cultural niches. The complex societies call for the region to be treated as a separate ‘entity’ and not as extension to ‘mainstream’ Asia. Scholars are eager to uncover more facts about the region. This far in to Southeast Asian studies it is justified to say that the common commercial and cultural inheritance are major factors that unify the region. The cultures are inseparable, the norms share commonality, the dominant societal institutions are similar. Bordered by open seas and fragile to invasion, their lifestyles sprung from common roots.

Colonial Java was under the Dutch’s rule,  in search of the origins of national identity in Indonesia, revolution leader Soemarsono inspired the citizens to seek independence. He gave a remarkable speech that is still told in Indonesia today, Soemarsono insisted that only native Indonesians could liberate the country. He sparked socio-political emancipation of the Javanese. This sociological revolution can be considered the origins of a national awakening.

Professor Vittorio Loreto came to make a very strong argument concerning his research on the rates of innovation in the world.  He instantly grabbed everybody’s attention by displaying and a word quiz prediction game that he openly invited everybody to participate.  His choice of introduction i have to say was undoubtedly captivating as the rules behind the game matched the argument that he later presented. The word puzzle game seemed to be quite easy in the earlier stages but gradually became more challenging in terms of the actual final sentence completion tasks. Vittorio proved a point before he even laid out evidience on the table.  He later proceeded to reflect on an activity that majority of the audience had participated in at least once in their lifetime in some sort of way – gambling. Loreto claimed that gambling in itself involved serious levels of complexity. He took it to another level by illustrating the mathematical probabilities that go behind the actual decision of a bet arguing that the complexity of such a phenomena can never fully be revealed.

Professor Loreto’s research mainly highlighted the rates of innovation in the world.  He agrees that our ever changing world requires uttermost innovation.  He examines the stages it takes for an innovation to actually be finalized and concludes that it is through the process of mutation, fixation and trial and error that finally an idea can successfully be transformed into an innovation.  He termed innovation as the “new.” He articulated that the journey to attain a successful innovation is only archived through looking at the future with eyes of the past.  He introduced the concept of modelling schemes and gave an example weather pattern predictions. The only way meteorologists today are able to give a weather forecast is through historical data analysis to be able to approximate upcoming conditions. He persisted that  by disregarding historical content in any sphere of research, an innovation is most likely to fail.

In his research however, he discourages this trend of modelling schemes to come up with new innovations and blames the method for what he saw as a decrease in innovation.  Loreto focused his research of Tech case studies such as Last.fm, Twitter, and Wikipedia to prove his argument. Loreto ranted out the patents in today’s world are slowing down progress. He believes that without patents we would be witnessing a tremendous amount of fantastic innovations but due to what he termed as greed he alluded that that would not be possible. Loreto presented solid arguments that i begged to disagree with some. He believes that the world is witnessing slower rates of innovation and i tend to think the opposite. Take for example his own case study of Twitter, Twitter as a social media platform cannot be traced to the past decade but look at how transformative it has been to today’s society.  I think’s Loreto’s research is much needed and would be more revealing if he used recent innovation companies, apps, drugs and even machines.