Singularity

Honestly I think the concepts talked about in this article are kind of creepy. The technological era is expanding every day and progress is being made constantly, but the idea of a computers becoming even smarter than humans is frightening. According to the article technology is advancing so quickly that “All that horsepower could be put in the service of emulating whatever it is our brains are doing when they create consciousness,” and I think this is exactly what people are afraid of. There has always been a line drawn between artificial intelligence and organic intelligence. I don’t necessarily think that with the advancement of technology that cyborgs are going to take over the planet or anything that science fictions films may have built a storyline upon, but I think that the idea of not being in control of said technology worries people, as the article states that the “rate of development would also continue to increase, because they would take over their own development from their slower-thinking human creators.” I think some people fear that with so much advance ment the technology will somehow be able to brainwash us, sort of like in Brave New World when Lenina says phrases such as "A gramme in time saves nine” and "Remember one cubic centimetre cures ten gloomy sentiments.” She was taught to say these things, it wasn’t her belief but more what she had always been told to do. I feel like this is what people fear; that technology will progress so much that humans will no longer thing for themselves.

Personally I am not a very big fan of the idea of “Singularity” because I don’t know what would happen if or when technology can out-smart those who created it. According to Kurzweil “the end of human civilization as we know it is about 35 years away.” The results of this Singularity hypothesis are endless. Some people believe this could be greatly beneficial and that human may in-fact merge with artificial intelligence to form some type of cyborg others theorize that this advancement could lead to the annihilation of the human race and theories are formed everywhere in between.

I feel like technology is a very good thing, but I am very weary on how far technology should be developed. I think there is a very significant difference between have technology for beneficial reasons (like in the medical field) and to somewhat preposterous ideas (like Kurzweil believe he can bring back his father). To be honest, I think the idea of Singularity is very possible, I just don’t know how I feel about that much technological progression.

Rhetorical Analysis

It is evident that the "American Dream" is something that everyone desires and strives to achieve, but what is ironic is that when asked, most people cannot define the term.  The term "American Dream" is somewhat vague and indefinite, solely because of the fact that everyone's "dream" is different.  For example, when asked to define success, some would say having a steady job and money in order to support them and their family, whereas my success story would differ.  It would most likely entail a job that I enjoy, rather than a steady job, and a family that I'm happy with and love to come home to, rather than just a family.  It is pivotal for us to take these thoughts into consideration when asked about the "American Dream."  In Murphy's piece, she analyzes what the dream might mean to other immigrants as opposed to Americans.  Using Chinese-Americans as her prime example, Murphy explores the misconstrued perception of the "American Dream."

Murphy establishes her credibility by utilizing a novel accounting for one's family's migration to America.  Murphy assesses Fae Myenne Ng’s, novel, Bone, and the characters found within it. Ng expresses the hardships that a Chinese-American faces after choosing to re-locate to San Francisco's Chinatown.  In short, the father figure in the novel, Leon Leong is unsuccessful and fails at obtaining what he perceived to be the "American Dream."  Murphy allows her audience to question the fact as to why Leong failed?  If he was in America, living in a culture-based town, surrounded by his family, then why was he so unsuccessful?  Murphy then questions the fact as to why, we as Americans, force many immigrants to give up their cultures and traditions upon making the move to the United States.  Sure, if everyone knew and spoke perfect English it would make communicating a lot easier, but who would want a country devoid of different cultures and languages?  By forcing immigrants to give up their native language and cultural traditions upon moving here, we are losing what makes us, as a country, different.  Murphy's capacity to show that individuality is important through her diction and overall structure of her essay, is probably what comes across the strongest.

In analyzing Murphy's composition dealing with the conceptions of the "American Dream," it is evident that essays do not need to follow a coherent or procedural structure.  What is important is the fact that the writer takes a stand and conveys their point of view to the reader, but at the same time assesses the opposite viewpoint without giving the essay a 'wishy-washy' effect

Vampires: The Ever-Changing Face of Fear

      The writer's purpose of this article is to show that throughout the past years in literature, authors of stories have changed the perspective of what vampires look like, or what they perceive them to look like. First it is stated in the article that vampires were view as "red-faced, fat on blood, furry of foot, and may or may not have possessed more than one nostril." The author is trying to accomplish that over years literature can be changed by what a writer wants readers to take in. Today in writing, if it weren't for vampires having "their impossibly pale, perfectly sculpted faces and delicate fangs" most teenage girls wouldn't be interested in reading or seeing any of the best selling books or movies based on vampires.
      The intended audience is older teenagers and adults aware of the way literature is always changing. I feel that the author is aware of  her audience because of the words and phrases that are used. The text is constructed very maturely so that the audience reading is easy to comprehend with the text. The writer makes the points that she is trying to make very clear in that the readers can relate to the article. Being apart of the audience, I liked the way this article was written because I enjoyed reading this article.
      Changes in literature between description and themes is the subject that the author is focused on. If the author is approaching the subject right, which she is, then the targeted audience appreciates the intended subject. I personally do feel that writers have changed the perception of the way readers will see literature. I appreciate this subject because it makes me realize that without technically noticing it, over time so much can be changed because of how writers can bounce off of each other and can come up with new ideas for new readers.
      The overall main point is to prove that the visions of vampires are taking a toll on what people think of them and if they do really exist. Since it has been said that vampires are now viewed as these beautiful creatures and that in the sunlight you can see the diamond affect that reflects from the sun is something that attracts the human eye. With that, people become less afraid of the fact that if they are real, then they think that the vampires are some sensual and emotional creature that are more sensitive then they really are. Just because an author makes up a character doesn't mean that they are all going to be the same. Even if vampires were to be a real figure, people should be more aware then they are.
      The intro is structured by first stating the main point in that the idea of what a vampire is frequently changes. Then the author goes on to talk about how specific writers are top writers of certain subjects, mainly focusing on vampires. I feel that in the middle of the article the author tends to ramble about the different writers that were more successful than others. For the majority of the article, I think that it was written effectively for the readers. It is understandable and it is an interesting article for people to read reguarding these certain topics.