Postmodernism & the Digital Age

Postmodernism is

• A rejection of the ideals of modernism
• Canonized great literary works and fine art
• A rejection of the categories of  “high art” and “mass media”
• Andy Warhol & pop art
• Encouraged people to find art in everyday life
• Jean-François Lyotard The Post-Modern Condition (1979) which introduced postmodernism into academic study.
• A rejection of metanarratives, or anything that is considered universally true.
• Pluralism
• Value of objects not on their importance to individuals, but to the community as a whole.
• The distinction between popular culture (the culture of the masses) and high culture (the culture of the elite) is relatively lost—therefore we are less capable of distinguishing between “good” and “bad” culture.
• Globalization
• Misconception that globalization is congruent to Americanization, which is the phenomenon in which the attitudes and culture of America matriculates into other international cultures.
• The hybridity of cultures, not the dominance of the American culture over everything else
• The spread of technology is one of the main reasons globalization has been enabled. 

We emphasized these points through three presentations:

The first was a demonstration of plurality and postmodern principles through an activity involving metanarratives formed through the composition of songs and images.


The second was a presentation of the history of postmodernism.

Postmodernism

The third was a presentation on pluralism and globalization.

Fundawear

"Touch me over the Internet!"

This is the kiss transmission device on steroids. Check it out:

http://ifunny.mobi/i/TKKYCMNy

What does this promote? Would you use it?

I see nothing negative it promotes. And yes, I would use it. I'm willing to admit it. I see it restoring a feeling of intimacy over a long distance much better than KTD. 

Thoughts?

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is an online answer engine.  Let it be noted that this differs from Google because Google is a search engine; where Google searches the web and provides links that may answer your search, Wolfram Alpha computes an answer itself.  That is, it provides specific answers to questions, as opposed to providing links to other websites for answers.

Y'all can read more specifics about Wolfram Alpha on the website:
About Section

I believe Rosen would support this technology, because he writes, in iDisorder, "Avoiding an iDisorder does not mean getting rid of your technology.  Most assuredly the solution is about balance and moderation." (15)  This follows what we said in class.  The majority seems to have concluded that it is important to learn mathematical computational skills, but once the computation is understood, the technology may be a beneficial time saver.

23andme

23andme.com is a wonderful resource that allows individuals to explore more than any family tree could tell them. Not only does it help build a family tree based on genetics, but it gives the user power over their own health. Since knowledge is power, it allows you to partake in preventative medicine. 

However, this service proves to have some flaws that could be potentially hurting their business. One main flaw is a lack of good customer support. Many customers complained on other websites such as Amazon, saying to "NEVER use this site" because of the lack of communication between the buyer and the seller. Also this website seems to have less genealogy information than another website like ancestry.com. Another huge flaw is that it has given customers inaccurate data about the readings of their DNA in several instances. This can be terrible for someone who believes their family heritage may be from a whole different continent than where he/she is really from. Many customers reviews spoke for themselves saying that this technology may not be worth it. 

Rosen would not like this technology because you are treating for a disease that you may never have, since 23andme only provides percentages.

Here DARPA goes again...

I just came across this article on Gizmag and I thought I would share it with y'all given the presentation Griffin and I gave on Argus-is earlier in the semester. As you can read in the article, DARPA is currently working on a navigation chip that defeats the limitations of a traditional GPS. We had an interesting debate about the pros and cons of Argus and I'm just curious to know your opinion on this technology. What are the implications? In my opinion, the article presents this chip in a positive light, but do you think it could be used negatively?

http://www.gizmag.com/darpa-timu-gps/27039/

Yoga Balls

So I investigated the Pros and Cons of using Yoga Balls in a classroom setting. From my perspective, the pros outweigh the cons. The use of yoga balls exercises the core muscles, which with repeated use can improve posture. With the core engaged, the body's blood flow increases and allows more oxygen to get to the brain, increasing alertness and concentration. Research also suggests that the younger generation work better when multitasking, so the yoga ball may help in this way as well. Another detail is the cost effectiveness of yoga balls. A yoga ball costs a quarter of what a typical school chair would. 

Some fear that introducing yoga balls will be a distraction to the students, because of mischievous children bouncy and rolling the balls while they should be learning. It has the possibility of a lot of sounds and distractions, as well as possible injuries that may be caused by misuse. Another problem that is encountered in schools is the wastefulness. Why should chairs be replaced by yoga balls if the chairs are still usable?

Rosen would encourage the use of yoga balls as a technology because it is a physical technology instead of a virtual technology like computers or the internet. Also since it is so simple but useful, it would lessen any technology anxiety or OCD someone might have. 

http://prezi.com/oaomcwwffplo/untitled-prezi/?kw=view-oaomcwwffplo&rc=ref-29436495

Follow Up: "Why Brain Games are Bogus"

Since we discussed Lumosity at length in class I thought you might be interested in this article from the New Yorker magazine, "Brain Games are Bogus." I've included a teaser below, but be sure to follow the link for an in-depth discussion of the science.

It seemed like a breakthrough, offering new approaches to education and help for people with A.D.H.D., traumatic brain injuries, and other ailments. In the years since, other, similar experiments yielded positive results, and Klingberg helped found a company, Cogmed, to commercialize the software globally. (Pearson, the British publishing juggernaut, purchased it in 2010.) Brain training has become a multi-million-dollar business, with companies like Lumosity, Jungle Memory, and CogniFit offering their own versions of neuroscience-you-can-use, and providing ambitious parents with new assignments for overworked but otherwise healthy children. The brain-training concept has made Klingberg a star, and he now enjoys a seat on an assembly that helps select the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The field has become a staple of popular writing. Last year, the New York Times Magazine published a glowing profile of the young guns of brain training called “CAN YOU MAKE YOURSELF SMARTER?”

The answer, however, now appears to be a pretty firm no—at least, not through brain training. A pair of scientists in Europe recently gathered all of the best research—twenty-three investigations of memory training by teams around the world—and employed a standard statistical technique (called meta-analysis) to settle this controversial issue. The conclusion: the games may yield improvements in the narrow task being trained, but this does not transfer to broader skills like the ability to read or do arithmetic, or to other measures of intelligence. Playing the games makes you better at the games, in other words, but not at anything anyone might care about in real life.