Language Notes: The Complete Edition

1. The Three Components of Language
Rule-governed {grammar, vocabulary(both are arbitrary)}
Intended (All language is communication, but not all communication is language)
Creative and Open-ended (can be added to and changed) (words can be added; like Algebra [from Arabic] , quiz [made up by teacher] , kindergarten [from Germany] and obscene [from Shakespeare]

Theories of Meaning
2. Definition Theory
The broad understanding of a word (the word's definition from a dictionary)
3. Denotation Theory
What the word literally means (Germany- country in central Europe)
4. Image Theory
What comes to mind when you hear a word (France- Eiffel Tower)

Problems with Language
5. Vagueness
Word isn't specific (slow, fast, near)
6. Ambiguity
One word can have two or more meanings (fantastic, Hitler)
7. Secondary Meaning
Denotation-
Primacy (actual definition)
Connotation-
Web of associations that are triggered by word (what you think of)
Euphemisms-
Other words used to soften the blow (he lost his lunch)
8. Metaphor
A comparison that doesn't use like or as (his head's in the cloud's)
9. Irony (we call it sarcasm)
Saying one thing while meaning another (yeah, your really working hard)

Problems with Translation
10. Untranslatable Words
Some languages have words that have no equivalent in other languages (cool, awesome)
11. Idioms
All languages have sayings (don't beat around the bush; early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise) that cannot be translated literally into another language due to mistranslations and confusion because they won't mean the same thing in both languages.

12. Labels
Groups we place people in- where they "fit"
13. Stereotypes
Things that people say about groups- a certain group is seen as all being the same, a characteristic they all have.
14. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (have not covered)

Emotionally Laden Language
15. Emotive Meaning
words that have underlying meaning- has emotional meaning
16. Weasel Words
words that leave you room to "get out"; wiggle room; room to escape
17. Grammar
the rules that govern written language have no effect on spoken language
18. Revealing and Concealing
words that reveal something

Language Notes

LANGUAGE
Components:
Rule governed:
Grammar: syntax, word order (English: Subject, Verb, Object)
Vocabulary: terms people use to convey meaning
words like quiz and other new words are just words that gain traction in society
Intended:
All language is communication but not all communication is language
unconscious movements can communicate things, and can't be qualified as language
Creative and Open-Ended:
Language is continually being updated and new words are being added continuously.

MEANING
Definition Theory:
-That the society speaking the language agrees on a said meaning of the word
-A defining label from the dictionary for the said word

Denotation Theory:
-Distinguish between meaningful words and non-meaningful words.
-Some words like Sophocles and Hitler gain additional meanings in addition to their original meaning.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly the end

1. Read The Ladies of Hong Kong. Think of a place you know by smell. Can you adequately describe it? Which situation is more horrific? Bauby's or Jean-Paul K. Please explain your answer.

There is no way to adquately describe a place by its smell, because langauge is to restricting. I believe that Jean- Paul K.'s situation was more terrifying simply because of the fact that Bauby has people to turn to and to talk with- Jean- Paul was totally alone.

2. After reading Wax Museum, why do you think Bauby is "fond of all these torturers"?

Because they devote thier lives to caring for him and people like him.

3. Read The Mythmaker and explain why you think Bauby has admiration for Olivier. What is the connection between memory and emotion?

I think he admires him because he has been a life long friend and one of his best. Memory shapes the way we emotionally react to anything that happens to us during our lives.

4. Why do you think Bauby likes the song A Day in the Life? Why do humans always wait for life's crescendo? Why do you think he places this chapter towards the end of the book?

I think he likes the song A Day in The Life because it reflects what he himself thinks of life on a daily basis. Human's wait for lifes crescendo because that is the high point, the point where we reach our pinnacle and our limit. I think this chapter is toward the end because it was so hard to deal with. It was the day he lost everything.

5. Read Season of Renewal. Why is he savoring the last week of August? Is there something we can learn from him beause of his reaction to the end of vacation?

Because it is the last week where his kids can visit and the summer lingers in the air. We could all learn to be more positive from his attitude confronting the end.

A Diving Bell 2 (3rd blog on DBAB)

1. After reading Vegetable, respond to Bauby's statement: "I belonged on a vegetable stall and not the human race." Why do you think it is necessary for humans to put people into categories? Is our language so limiting in describing the world that we need a way to organize our thoughts?

I think we need to organize ourselves in different groups to make ourselves feel a part of something larger than ourselves yet at the same time being apart from others. We want to be both part of a group and totally alone, so we divide ourselves into groups that are both unique and common. And I think that our language is limiting in the way we describe the world.

2. Bauby claims that, "Capturing the moment, these small slices of life...I hoard all these letters like treasure." What do you hoard and why?

We hoard because there are things that we deem valuable personally; therefore we keep it and restrict access to it.

3. Read Outing and respond to Bauby's statement: "I know who he is, but who is he really?" Is he getting any closer to understanding what makes people tick? Also, why will Bauby never tire of the smell of French Fries?

No, I don't think that you can ever truely understand what makes people tick, and he'll never tire of the smell of french fries because he can never eat them.

4. Read Twenty to One. Bauby claims that, "the memory of that event has only come back to me now, now doubly painful: regret for a vanished past and, above all, remorse for lost opportunities." Do you ever look back on something in your life as a "small near miss"? Is it ever beneficial to have regrets?

Not yet, but as we get older, there will always be times when we second guess our selves- it's only human nature. I don't think it's beneficial to have regrets, but everyone has them, even if they don't admitt it.

5. Read Duck Hunt and explain what Bauby means by the statement: "I must have butterfly hearing."

He can hear everything and it all seems positive- ie. his butterfly is what he hears and he is determined to be positive about it.

6. Read Sunday. Why do you think Bauby dreads this day?

Because he is completely alone and he has absolutely nothing to do except stare at the wall and think about things, which can become overly oppressive.

A Burden

I don't think any of it made me think twice, or else I wasn't aware of it, but the whole point of a movie is to depart from the norm, so when you watch any movie, there are always parts that should seem unrealistic. Movies are supposed to make you think, and this one is the same thing: to make you think, and think hard.

The Bell and Fly

What is significant about the last line in Guardian Angel?
That Bauby is stilling having diffuculty grasping his situation. Sometimes he can't decide if he is acctually still alive, or what being alive means. It also shows that he is unsure of what his future is to be. He has no control, and he doesn't know what that means.

What is ironic about the photograph he recieves from his father in The Photo?
That both he and his father are locked-in. He is locked in his body, while his father is locked in his apartment. Neither of them has any freedom left.


Do Bauby's dreams give us any insight into his condition? Be specific.
Yes, because they demonstrate the uncertainty he feels about his condition. It conveys his horror and disbelief. He can't believe it even thought he lives it. It also expresses the oppresiveness of his condition. There is literally no way for him to escape it. He is trapped.

Where is Bauby's butterfly in My Lucky Day?
His butterfly is in the fact that he was finnaly rescued by a nurse who ended the incessant ringing of his feeder and the other instruments that were messed up. Also the fact that the was an incredibly ironic moment that day.

After reading, Our Very Own Madonna and Through a Glass, Darkly, Bauby seems to have regrets about not appreciating small moments from his earlier life. Can you think of a moment from your own life that you did not truly appreciate until it was over? How can we learn to live so that we appreciate significant moments. Is this even possible?
Yes, when I went to Maine on vacation. At the time it was just something we did during the summer, so I didn't really appreciate it as much as I should have. But now that we haven't gone in a while, I realize how much it actually meant. I think that we just need to truely appreciate every moment of our lives. I don't think it's actually possible, but maby, just mabye, it is.

A Diving Bell

1. I think that it shows that he is determined to at least lead a sembance of his old life by keeping some things the same. ie he wants to wear cashmere, because he always has.
2. Yes, because as always, some things are lost in the translation process, there are some words in french that can't be expressed in English and vise versa.
3. Because he is totaly unable to move any of his muscles and is totally handicapped. I wouldn't find it funny, but I guess he has a sick sense of humor.
4. There is no one particular place, but if I had to choose, it would be my backyard during the summer. It's just so relaxing. I would like to go there.
5. Becasue were happy with they way we see the world, and though we may want to be open-minded, our inner instinct makes us ignore them versus a person from our neighboorhood/home.
6. I would miss pasta the most. It just is so filling while at the same time it tastes so good. It is just one of the great foods of the world.

The Noise of Pink

I was aware of the fact that you could use music to drown out annoying noises, but the fact that you could use natural noises to lessen it's impact was surprising, mostly because annoying noises are alot louder than natural noises and tend to be quite a bit softer.
Perception vs. Concentration
I believe that this would be a situtation where our perception effect our ability to concentrate. The loud noises are percieved easier and so is more apparent and distracting, while the addition of "pink noise" or music, allows it to be complicated and more enjoyable, allowing you to concentrate easier on whatever you're doing.

The Diving Butterfly

a) What is 'Locked-in syndrome'? Why would one consider Bauby's condition a prison? What is the significance of The Butterfly?
Locked-in syndrome is a condtiton where you cannot talk, move or express yourself at all. One would consider this a prison because you can't even talk to any body, can't get any thing you want and are absolutely helpless. The butterfly is significant because it symbolyses freedom, something he cannot attain.
b) What was Bauby's "frightening truth'?
His frightening truth is the fact that he'll never be able to do any thing at all without help for the rest of his life. He will be partially paralyzed forever.
c) In your opinion, how do you think Bauby should measure progress? Why do you think Bauby ends the chapter "Prayer" with the phrase, "I set out for the kingdom of slumber with this wonderful talisman, which shields me from all harm."
He should most likely measyre progress in very small steps, otherwise any progress could be missed and he would become disheartened. I think he ends this way because he is trying to remain opptomistic, and not give into the terror of an abyss.

Are you Able?

What is Perception?

Perception is the interpretation of various senses by the brain, organizing them into a coherent image, allowing you to process images.

What does Abel mean by "Seeing As..."?

Abel means that what you see is not what is really there, but what the brain organizes into an image that you see. You don't see the world as it is but as how your brain perceives it to be.
To see what is the case, what is required?

Context (the circumstances or events that form the environment within which something exists or takes place), inference (the process of reasoning from a premise to a conclusion), concepts ( broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle), experience (knowledge or skill gained through being involved in or exposed to something over a period of time) and interpretation (a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something).

What did Nietzsche mean by “the fallacy of the immaculate perception?” How does Psychologist Joseph Jastrow prove this point? When have we done this in class?

He meant that you are unable to see something if you can't perceive it. Jastrow proved this by using a well known drawing; it could be seen as either a duck or a rabbit and shifts from one to the other while you look at it.

What does Abel mean when he writes: “there is therefore no sharp line dividing perception from illusion?”

He meant that perception, in some cases, is the illusion, like, for example, when you look at the picture of a line circling smaller every time so it seems as if its going into a point at the center, you see the circle as moving, even though it isn't moving at all.

Why is perception selective by nature?

Perception is selective by nature because of the fact that we can receive and process only so many stimuli, that we could be missing large amounts of other types of stimuli, but we entirely miss them.

What does Abel mean when he says: “to perceive is to solve a problem?”

He means that our ability to respond to some stimuli is beneficial to our survival as a species. We are able to think and invent which is all do to perception, which allows us to gain an advantage over the other species.

What is the role of social conditioning in determining how things “naturally look?”

We determine what looks natural by what our society tells us is normal. What the society believes is normal, you think is normal. Every society has different ideas of normal.

What is significant of the Durer rhinoceros story? How was the influence of convention demonstrated when some tribes were given a photograph?

The significance of the Durer rhinoceros story is that Durer made a model of a rhinoceros without having ever seen one, using second-hand accounts and his imagination. Natural history books ended up using his model for centuries. When James Bruce ended up going to Africa in the 1700's he noticed how wrong Durer's model was and drew a rhinoceros himself. But his drawing was so influenced by what he thought one should look like, no zoologist could identify it. (Nothing on tribes)

How does convention influence perspective drawing?

It influences you to draw what seems normal by societal norms, and you may not even realize it but it has a very large influence; sometime some so that it becomes unrecognizable due to the struggle between your vision and societal norms.

What does Abel mean when he writes: believing is seeing? How might this point be seen in the study of the natural and the social sciences?

He means that if you don't believe something your brain can percieve something as something else. It might be seen in the light of people's intolerance of other's view's.

What does Abel mean by “hearing as…”?

That if you expect to hear something, you will hear wht you expect to hear, not what was actually said. If somebody says one thing, but you expected another, you'll hear what you expected.

Blink Again Again (Blink Again con.)

Running out of White Space:
The human mind needs time to distinguish things. In snap judgement we are usually wrong. We need to slow things down a tiny bit to rationally asses the situation. "But even the giant computer in our unconscious mind needs a moment to do its work."
Something in my mind told me I didn't have to shoot yet:
If you are well trained and have enough experience, you are able to effectivily able to slow the situation down and allow yourself to make the right descion, due to the fact that you don't give in to the split second descion.
Tragedy on Wheeler Street:
The men on Wheeler Street failed to do that. They gave in and as a result, an innocent man died. If they had taken thier time they wouldn't of killed him and he would be alive today.

Blink Again- Summary

Three Fatal Mistakes:
The officers that night made three fatal mistakes. They failed to realize he was simply getting some air, they failed to realize that he wasn't brazen, but curious, and they failed to realize he was terrified, not dangerous. "The officers made a series of critical misjudgements, beginning with the assumption that a man getting a breath of fresh air outside his own home was a potential criminal."
The Theory of Mind Reading:
The whole theory behind mind reading is that it all lies in the face. You can accurately know what any one is feeling if you know what to look for. "Tomkins believed that faces- even the faces of horses- held valuable clues to inner emotions and motivations."
The Naked Face:
The face is an enormously important piece in determining someone's emotions. It holds the secrets to anyone's emotions. A properly trained person can accurately determine the emotion of any one with little difficulty. Some even claim it is fundamental to mind reading;"In a certain sense, It is what's going on in our mind."
A Man, A Woman and a Light Switch:
The fundamental loss of the ability to mind- read is the condition of Autism. They can be brilliant in other areas yet lack intuition. "In anything less than a perfectly literal environment, the autistic person is lost."
Arguing with A Dog:
When Humans are confronted with near-death experiences the heart begins to race. Between a heart rate of 115-145 our vision constricts, time slows down, and we stop hearing. if our heart rate exceeds 145, our control deteriorates and we can lose control. "Have you ever tried to have a discussion with a scared or frightend human? You can't do it."

Perception

What were your impressions of the lecture and Test from Dr. Gillian? In your opinion, what should the average person know about how our brain perceives the world? What are the larger implications of this?
My impression of the lecture and the test were that humans really do shut out things easily and quickly get used to things, like your walking back and forth in front of the screen, and ignore it. I also think that we pay attention to things, but if they look simmilar to something we already know. I think the average person should be able to know what they see and why they see it. If you can't understand why you see it then, you can't know what you're seeing. That we could completely miss any important event occuring simply because we're programmed not to.

Blink- Warren G. Harding

Describe how Warren G. Harding rose to the Presidency in 1920.
Warren G. Harding rose thought the Republican Party to become President in 1920 entirely due to his good looks and the fact that he looked presidential. His rapid rise had nothing to do with his intelligence, or even for the want of it. He was driven entirely by his wife and by his chief adviser. He was not the leading candidate at the conventions. Instead it was deadlocked between two others, and behind closed doors, the leaders of the republican party could not agree on either on, so they picked a nobody who looked very presidential and radiated confidence, yet he lacked the intelligence and nuance required for the job. He bluffed his way in, or rather his adviser bluffed him in.
Why does the author believe that people were in error in promoting Harding to higher office?
He believes that they were in error because he obviously did not have the necessary skills to adequately deal with such a demanding and important job. Also due to the fact that he was woefully under qualified; He was a nobody who people at the time thought looked good. He had no redeeming qualities suitable for the job.
What was the point of the “Implicit Association Test (IAT)?”
The point of the IAT was to determine the unconscious reflexes we posses when it comes to things like sex, ethnicity, color, or nationality. It was meant to detect our unconscious reactions to the above mentioned differences between us.
What are the advantages to completing the IAT on computer? Why does Gladwell believe the IAT has become “so popular in recent years?”
By completing the IAT on a computer, it allows the time it takes you to respond to be more accurately measure so it is easier to determine your reaction time. Gladwell believes it has become so popular in recent years is the fact that in recent years there has been renewed arguments over Affirmative Action and the wealth spread.
Why, according to Gladwell, did he become mortified upon completion of the first part of the IAT test on race? What occurred on the second part of the IAT test?
He became mortified on the first part because he was finding it easier to match things to the "white and good vs black and evil" chart than the "white and evil vs black and good" chart. This mortified him because he is not racist and the thought of being unconsciously racist was mortifying. On the second part of the IAT test he found it even harder to do the second chart.
Did it make any difference how many times Gladwell took the test? What does the author believe is the reason for our answers on the IAT (i.e. what does the IAT measure)?
It did not matter how many times he took the test the results always came out the same. He did it several time but was unable to change the results in any way. Gladwell believes that the reason for our answers is that in the media, in the movies and in our culture, white is generally seen as good and black is generally associated with evil.
If Gladwell is correct, that your unconscious acts as a computer that “crunches all the data” from our lives and “it forms an opinion”; would you consider this to your true self? Please explain your answer.
No, this is not our true self. It is hardwired into us by our culture. Our true self is what we choose to do having experienced everything we have experiences and learned.
Does Gladwell feel that it matters if one has a “strongly pro-white pattern of associations?”
Yes, because then our answers would be slanted toward whites being good and blacks being bad.
How does the Warren Harding error impact the business world?
In the business world the Warren Harding error makes a large impact. Almost 80% of the CEOs in the United States of America are tall, white men which is exactly what our culture's image of a rich, successful CEO is. The Warren Harding error makes a huge impact in the business world; There aren't many short CEOs, There aren't many black CEOs and there aren't many women CEO's.
How does Bob Golomb’s strategy defeat the Warren Harding error?
His strategy assess everyone exactly the same, ignoring their difference and offering the same price to everyone, acting the same way with everyone and having the same attitude with everyone. His strategy basically negates the effect of the Warren Harding by ignoring that initial response and treating everyone equally.
What were the results of the Ayres study? What does Gladwell believe to be the explanation for these results?
The result of the Ayers study were that the white men recieved the lowest offers, the white women recieved the next lowest and then the black women and the black men got the worst offfers, almost $2000 higher than the white man, and even after extensive and aggresive barganing, they could only lower the price to $800 more than the initial offer the white men recieved. Gladwell believed that the reason for this was not that they were incrediably racist or bigots but that they heard somewhere that blacks and women were 'suckers' and they could easily make a ton of money off them.
How does Gladwell believe you can change your score on the race IAT? How, according to Gladwell, can we apply this rule to our everyday lives? Do you agree?
Gladwell believes that if you read, watch and hear more about blacks that had incredible self-sacrifice and were so much more honorable and did more good than millions (people like Martin Luther King Jr.) , you will eventually change your perception and improve your IAT score. Gladwell says that if apply this to our everyday lives by associating more with blacks, we will eventually improve our unconcious perception. I agree with Gladwell, that if we hear, see and experience more positive things about blacks we will improve our unconcious perception.

What's the Point?

The point of the short story "The Mouse ate the Cheese" is to demonstrate the differences between what is required to knopw things and what doesn't qualify as knowledge. It also probably meant to help people understand the distinguishment between knowledge and belief. You can believe something, but if it lacks justification it does not qualify as knowledge. Yet if you have justification, yet lack belief, you cannot know something. You must believe it, and you must have justification to know something. You cannot lack either quality. You must be completely sure of it.

The Measure of Man

How does Bertrand Russell differentiate between “knowledge by acquaintance” and “knowledge by description”?
He says that “knowledge by acquaintance” is you knowing how one of your friends feel just by looking at them because you know them and have spent time with them so you can tell how they are feeling while “knowledge by description” is you knowing something because someone described it to you.
How does Abel distinguish between “knowing how” and “knowing that”?
Abel says knowing how is empirical knowledge, knowledge that you have gained through personal experience while knowing that is impersonal knowledge, knowledge that you have gained by being taught things and being told things.
What does he mean when he asks: “can knowing how theoretically always be reduced to knowing that? What is Abel’s answer? What do you think?
Theoretically, Abel says that knowing how can theoretically always be reduced to knowing that, but not in reality. I disagree; I don't think anything can actually replace the experience of doing something yourself.
How does language become a problem of knowledge?
Language is not so much a problem of knowledge as a problem in communicating knowledge. It separates people and therefore prevents people from communicating with each other, yet at the same time it is a problem of knowledge, a problem that you need to know how to communicate, you can't just telepathically communicate thoughts.
What do you think William James means when he says: “Life defies our phrases?”
He means that absolutely no words can sufficiently convey human experiences to another person, because no word is powerful enough and nobody experiences things in the same way; everyone has different points of view and opinions and everyone thinks differently.
What, according to Abel, is the difference between “experience” and “propositional knowledge”?
Experience is the actual doing of something, when you actually take part in it. On the flip side, propositional knowledge is when you know something because you were told it, or otherwise found it out without experiencing it (ie. reading, television, etc.)
What are Abel’s Four Conditions for propositional knowledge? Where have we seen this before? Why does he add a Fourth Condition?
Abel's four conditions are; belief, truth, justification, and a newer fourth condition; ability to be communicated. He adds a fourth condition to refine the conditions needed to qualify something to be called knowledge.
What are Abel’s Nine Good Reasons or Evidence which serve as the Basis of Knowledge?
Experience, the fact its public (widely accepted), justification, you believe in it, it has things to back it up, you being able to describe it, communicated effective, a reasonable person will accept it and the fact that you accept it. If it fits all these, Abel says that it is knowledge.

Platonic PART 2

KNOWLEDGE BY CONVICTION:
Belief- "I know how to make the Red Sox win"
something you believe in; a belief system (NOT RELIGION)
Faith- "I know how it feels to be loved by God"
a belief in a religion, higher power, greater being, etc.

KNOWLEDGE BY INTERSECTION:
Knowledge of own emotions- "I know how it feels to be in love"
Empathy- "I know how you feel"
Conscience (Human faculty, Moral decision/code)- "I know the difference between right and wrong"

KNOWLEDGE BY PRACTICE:
you know how to do something by practicing- "I know how to skate"

KNOWLEDGE BY ACQUAINTANCE:
know how your friends feel by observing them

KNOWLEDGE BY INSTINCT:
know by evolution and nature- "I know how to breath"

Platonic Knowledge 2 and More Part 1

Plato wants certainty:

Must be described and effectively communicated to a reasonable person

Knowledge by description

Platonic Knowledge

Propositional Knowledge- Statement of Tactical knowledge

Knowing That

KNOWLEDGE

Belief- must believe to know

Truth- Independent, Public, Eternal

and

JUSTIFIED:

Rationalism- A priori knowledge (deduction)

general theory to specific

Empiricism- personal knowledge (induction)

specific to general theory

Authority- authority figures tell you its true

Memory- what you remember

ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON:

THE PROBLEMS OF KNOWLEDGE

Exps)

Selective Memory

Lied to

mistaken

etc.

MORE KNOWLEDGE

Impersonal Knowledge- Platonic Knowledge- Knowledge by Description

"Wissen" Knowledge

Savior, Saber

Personal Knowledge

"Kennen" Knowledge

conunitro, conosur

German, Spanish and French differs between personal and impersonal knowledge

German:

Wissen- Impersonal

Kennen- Personal

Spanish:

Saber- Impersonal

Conosur- Personal

French:

Savoir- Impersonal

conunitro- Personal

Platonic Knowledge

Platonic Knowledge:

knowledge that provided 'certainty'

described

communicated effectively to others

knowledge by description

propositional knowledge

knowing that

Justified True Belief

Justified True Belief:

Belief:

A necessary but NOT sufficient component to knowledge

Must believe in something to know it

True:

Public- must be true for all

Independent

Eternal- it is true for that moment forever

Justified:

Empiricism:

knowledge by experience

(see it, touch it, smell it, taste it, hear it)

induction; specific to general theory

Rationalism:

knowledge from previous knowledge- A priori knowledge (school)

deduction; general theory to specific

How Much Corn?

Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, soybean oil, canola oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, contains 2% or less of each of the following: sesame seed, salt, wheat gluten, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, monocalcium phosphate, ammonium chloride, calcium carbonate, baking soda, soy flour, dough conditioners (may contain one or more of the following: distilled monoglycerides, DATEM, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, enzymes, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, guar gum, mono-and diglycerides, calcium peroxide), calcium propionate & sodium propionate (preservatives), soy lecithin. CONTAINS: WHEAT AND SOY.

It's a Big Mac

Who's Responsible?

How would Gladwell respond to the responsibility question from September 15th?

Gladwell would say that the responsibility would lie on both the food market to tell you most of their items are corn-based and that you're not really getting a variety, but also on the consumer for failing to find out whats in it and to care about what you're eating. It's 50/50. half is the food industry's fault, but the other half is your own fault. The fact that we don't care, that we eat things without looking to see what's in it, proves that half the blame lies with us. We don't bother finding out what we put into ourselves; we definitely must accept some responsibility. But the fact that the food industry doesn't bother to let us know that, boiled down to it, everything we eat has corn in it or not, regardless to what it's supposed to be made out of. In Gladwell's view, both the industry and consumers are at fault.

What do you know?

How do we Know what we Know? What evidence do you have to support your claim?

We "know" what we know through 5 different ways.

1. We "know" what our parents tell us.
2. We know what we see.
3. We "know" what our teachers tell us.
4. We "know" (sometimes) what our friends tell us.
5. We "know" what we believe.

We take most of these things to be truths, even though we only have evidence for what we see. Our knowledge of history is nothing other than our believing what we are told. For all we truly know, all of history could be a lie. It's unlikely, but you never know.

What does a name mean?

What were your impressions of the first class? Are we our Name, our Family, our Sex, our Nationality or our Location? If not, then what is responsible for our identity? Do we have an identity apart from our community?

I believe we are a combination of a multitude of factors. We obviously inherite alot of our parents genes, which shape how we act. I also believe we are heavily influenced by our enviornment. But I believe there is something else, something unique to everyone which is unaffected by anything else, just you. It's your built-in response, what makes you react to things they way you do. Part of it may be from your parents, but there is something uniquely us inside of everyone.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

This info did surprise me a little, but I had some prior knowledge that lessened the shock. I knew that Carbohydrates make you gain weight, but I didn't know that fat doesn't. So, yes, I was a bit surprised.
I think the government was embarrassed they made a mistake and so, delayed the announcement of the discovery.
The producer of the knowledge does have a responsiblity, but just because he has the responsibiltity doesn't mean he'll fufill it. He should let people know, but sometimes they don't.
I, as a knower, should also spread the knowledge around.

Do parents matter?

How would Gladwell respond to the identity question from August 27th? How would Levitt and Dubner respond?



Levitt and Dubner would argue that a major part of you is what your parents are. The smarter and more successful they are the more smarter and successful you will be. You are also an individual yet your chances for everything depend mostly on your parents. You are basically an improvement of them.