Saturday, June 6, 2009

the future of blogs as a tool for international peace?

We all saw President Obama, as he visted Egypt and attempted to make peace with a country that over 80% have an unfavorable image on America. I didn't watch the speach, I just know that he quoted the Qu'aran (smart move) in its efforts to find a common ground with those in Egypt, considering it is the most religious country in the world. My question is, will there be a time that Presidential candidates don't visit other countries, but simply write a blog about them? Instead of visiting Egypt, will future Presidents write a page or two, and that will be shown all over the news in other countries? I know there is some sort of technological divide, but is there potential for this, at least with developed countries in the future? Instead of meeting with international leaders, will the all just get on AIM and have a chat like we did in class? Will President Obama plead with Omar al-Bashir over skype rather than in person? I think the potential for these ideas is there. If countries can get past technological divide, then its do able. Heck, Osama Bin-Laden already as the art of videotaping down.

Friday, June 5, 2009

The online cultural explsion

When you here about all of the ways the internet has changed are lifestyle, its pretty mind boggling. We have heard online cultures from shopping to dating, protests to petitions, hulu, youtube, facebook, twitter, and I remember some pictures of fall out boy in one of the in class speeches. The rate at which the internet is growing, and its ability to reach out to everyone in society is mind boggingly. I have been thinking about this a lot lately though. Is the sci-fi prediction made in WALLY a potential reality? Could one day we become limited to nothing but screen staring, finger typing, robots in human skin? From what I understand about evolution, it is possible for human beings to form a trait where we are born connected to our computers. In Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species he described evolution as a series of dramatic changes in the world that have lead to how we are now. Traits are past down through generation, so that only the strongest traits survive.
Are we at the point only those born with computer chips in their brains will survive? In the next hundred years, will new born babies have keyboards instead of hands? Will only Homeo sapimacs survive in the new computer age? Will all our knowlegdge of our pasts be stored in a memory chip rather than our frontal lobe? Will we slowly develop earpiecs instead of earlobes? Will we need to recharge rather than sleep? Most importantly, what website can I use to help me find a jobe?