Saturday, March 30, 2019
Although still early to write a monthly post, did I want to take advantage of this particular time to pay homage to Shakespeare. The English language day happens to be on April 23rd. Be that as it may, I might encounter some unforeseen events at school. Owing to a new semester starting on Monday. Thus, the reason why I decided to write an early post about this behemoth of a writer.
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1564, William Shakespeare was a highly regarded writer, playwright and actor. His family was relatively prosperous. As a young child Shakespeare was sent to a prestigious grammar school where he was educated. What is more, there is no evidence to support he attended university. When he turned 18 he got married to Anne Hathaway. On account of her being pregnant. They had two children. Judith and Hammeth. The latter whom passed away at the age of 11. He established himself in London in 1585. It is believed he spent most of the time after his marriage there. He started writing and acting in his plays. Moreover, thanks to some well-timed investments early in his career, he was able to secure his financial background and that of his family. Hence, he found more freedom to do the aforesaid activities he loved the most.
Regarding Shakespeare's work, by the early XVII Century he had begun writing plays on the tragedy genre. Case in point, Hamlet, Othello and King Lear. Which became highly popular worldwide later on. Throughout his entire life, he wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. Not to mention, that he immortalized phrases such as: "Love is blind"(The Merchant of Venice), "Seen better days" (As you like it), "Green Eyed Monster" (Othello), among others. Furthermore, his contributions to the English language were outstanding. He coined about 1700 words out of the 25000 word-long English vocabulary. In fact, some of the words and phrases we use today were first used by Shakespeare himself. Mostly on his published work. Latin was one of the languages that influenced the words he coined into English.
In summary, Shakespeare was a literary genius who inspired generations with his well-written plots and his highly developed characters. He enriched the English language and made it more unique than many others. Playwrights and writers even today take inspiration from him so as to produce better quality publications. For instance, 1994's Lion King was highly influenced by the masterpiece Hamlet (1599). The reasons of his death are not exactly known. It is assumed he met his end due to a "typhus" ( the new fever) outbreak in 1616 during a social gathering. (Aged 52).
Sources:
- Visual Knowledge YouTube Channel
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
The XXI Centery has brought countless breakthroughs in technology. Some of which come from the field of bionics. Which has made possible for people with physical disabilities to perform tasks they believed to be impossible up until not long ago. In the following post, am I going to expand on my views on the aforesaid field and break down the basics.
Bionics is, in simple terms, biologically inspired engineering. In other words, the development of highly advanced pieces of technology to be integrated with different parts of the human body. This also includes the replacement of organs. Moreover, bionic implants differ from standard prostheses by mimicking the original function closely. Thus, the reason why they surpass the traditional ones in almost every single aspect. Not to metion that in order to mimick organic limbs, bionic limbs are capable of receiving commands from the nervous system itself. Case in point, the creation of a bionic arm in 2016 by Dr. Meyer. From Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. It was named "The iLimb". The built-in pressure sensors it possesses allows it to detect the shape of held objects. Needless to say, its grip technology allows it to perform everyday tasks such as tying your shoelaces.
Be that as it may, the aforementioned bionic limb was improved upon even by Dr. Ortiz-Catalan from Sweden's Chalmers University. He made "osseointegrated" bionic arms. Which are directly connected into the bones, nerves and muscle tissue. Ultimetaly providing more control and flexibility to users.
Notwithstanding, bionic limbs are not the only technology that has been able to be developed by scientists. In 2012 Dr. Ashworth became the first person in Australia to receive a bionic eye implant. Even though the implants had to be removed later on due to it still being at a testing stage, Dr. Ashworth received a tremendous joy from the experience. They were developed by "Bionic Vision Australia", and installed at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne. During the operation a silicon chip was attached to the back of the patient's eye. The chip was connected by wires to the side of the patient's head. Another impressive case without a doubt is the creation of a mind-control exoskeleton by the Walk Again Project. It was first used by a 29 year old paraplegic Brazilian man. Julio Pinto. He was invited to the 2014 Soccer World Cup in Brazil to kick off the first game. A breakthrough which undoubtedly transcended disability by far.
In summary, there are several other cases which have inspired many people. Apart from providing scientists with the tools to keep innovating. Hence, making the lives of more patients with disability progressively better. 3D printing technology has been one of the means through which medicine and engineering experts have been able to replicate some organs for instance. The possibilities of improvement are endless. To illustrate my point, let me briefly explain what MIT Professor Hugh Herr was able to do. He designed and created bionic legs which had a high level of functionality and were capable of attenuating the shock of a limb hitting the ground, among others. Such as allowing him to even run, jump and climb. We are only scratching the surface.
Sources:
- Cambridge English Dictionary.
- TedEd YouTube Channel.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Due to giving my undivided attention to more pressing matters, had I not been able to find the right time to write post. Nonetheless, there is a topic I have been pondering over for the past few days. Even though I may have touched on it a while back, I felt the need to revisit it and elucidate on it slightly more. Today, I will address psychoanalisis and how it aided Sigmund Freud in understanding human behavior in a more effective manner.
To begin with, it would be of utmost importance to mention the main contributions to better comprehending the human psyche. So as to understand human unhappiness, Freud proposed that we were all driven by the "pleasure principle". Which usually leads us to easy physical and emotional rewards. Thus, if not tackled properly, it could make a person be unstable and lean towards faulty decision-making. Despite the fact that our frontal cortex prevents our primal instincts from taking over, an individual's upbringing and way of life ultimately make the difference. Consequently, the need for us to adjust to the "reality principle". In other words, the opposite of what was explained above. In fact, there are three parts of our mind which are constantly in conflict: The ID, driven by the pleasure principle. The superego, which is a desire to follow the rules. Lastly, the ego, which has to accommodate between the other two. For instance, a couple goes to a fast food restaurant and orders two meals. The cashier only charges them for one and fails to notice it. The couple knowing about this mistake could have left on the spot. Be that as it may, they decide to point out the mistake to the cashier and offer to pay for the other meal as well. The superego preventing the ego from getting away without doing what is right, and the ego making sure everything is in order.
What is more, we have got different phases throughout a person's physical development which affect their psyche. The first one being the oral phase. During this period in early childhood, we deal with different feelings of eating and digestion. If not trained properly during this time, a child may take pleasure in refusing some types of food. They could also seek food to calm themselves down. Besides, there is the anal phase, closely aligned to which is now called "potty training". During this period, our parents mostly tell us what to do or where to go. We also test the limits of authority during this time. If discipline is not encouraged to the right amount and taught properly, a child could become rebellious and misbehaving later on in life. Moreover, we have got the phallic phase which continues until the age of 6. During this period, children start developing sexual feelings. Hence, they direct their sexual impulses towards their parents. The most immediately available people. At this stage is where Freud proposed The Oedipus Complex on the one hand, where a male child is unconsciously predisposed towards being in love with his mother and hating his father. On the other hand, he put forth The Electra Complex, which is applied to a girl being in love with her father and hating her mother. Through a proper upbringing nonetheless, children can learn that there are limits to a parent's love and that there are certain things they are not allowed to do. These two propositions may tie into a child's concept of love later in life.
Finally, the ones listed above are but a few of the main concepts proposed by Dr. Freud. He also goes into "parapraxis" or slips of tongue, among others. His main contribution to psychology being psychoanalisis. A clinical method for treating mental disorders through the dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalist. In them the therapist mainly goes through the patient's dreams or "wish filfulments", the already mentioned "slips of tongue", and even the kind of jokes they make. As a result, being able to provide a more effective treatment for the patient.
Sources:
- The School of Life YouTube Channel.
- A General Introduction to Psychoanalisis (Sigmund Freud)
Sunday, January 6, 2019
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