UFOs

When reading over the Perspectives on Evaluating Evidence for the Existence of UFOs, Condon, Hynek, and Paynter all bring different point of views on the topic of UFOs.  Condon argues that scientist need to put more of their time into studies that will help them to advance science unless there are good ideas regarding UFOs and they should continue to keep pursuing.  He is saying that if people have good ideas for specific studies in the UFO field then it should be supported.  But, UFO reports should not be available for the public.  On the other hand, Hynek believes that the UFO phenomena is disregarded by authorities and have not been studied in a systematic or sufficient manner.  He believes that there needs to be more gathering of data.  Data with the comparison among large groups who have sighted UFO objects like contacting other countries to figure out who has seen it other than America.  He feels that there could be alien space crafts but there has to be more research.  Paynter is most skeptical about the UFOs and aliens because there needs to be physical evidence.  That is why I believe that he provides the best argument.  He shows  that there needs to me more data gathered from other countries.  

Probability Errors

When reading chapter 4, the part of the chapter that talked about probability errors really stood out to me.  It stood out to me because I feel like probability is one of the many things that will influence our lives.  Especially when it comes to making a decision like an important one. In the Boss text, it said that probability error is the misunderstanding of the probability or chances of an event by a huge margin.  It is even said that humans are notoriously poor at determining probability.  We tend to believe that coincidences must have paranormal causes when actually they are consistent with probability. One of the most insidious forms of probability error is gambler’s error.  Gambler’s error is the belief that a previous event affects the probability in a random event. There is even research that suggests that gambling addiction is based on a cognitive error regarding probability. 

Knowledge and Wisdom

I think that knowledge and wisdom are two things that intertwine and there is a thin line that differentiates them.  When thinking about wisdom and knowledge, it is like you cannot have one with out the other.  It is as if the two are a duo, package, or two for one special. I feel that with knowledge comes wisdom because while your learning new things you are also gaining wisdom over time.  It is said that as you get older you will gain more wisdom but I think that you will also gain knowledge.  I think that through time, you will gain knowledge and wisdom.  So when you are in college, I feel like you are acquiring both knowledge and wisdom.  You attend college to gain knowledge from books and learn from our history but throughout your years in college you are becoming wiser.  You are gaining wisdom through the experiences you face.  

            So when thinking about the information age, I would have to say that it has helped us to become more knowledgeable.  The information age helps us to be able to transfer information freely and to have instant access to information that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously.  When really thinking about wisdom and becoming wiser, you would be able to see that one does not become wiser without gaining knowledge and being knowledgeable.

Communication Style, Sex, and Race

When reading chapter 3 in the Boss text, the section that was talking about communication style, sex, and race really stood out to me.  It talked about how women tend to use communication to create and sustain relationships whereas men use it primarily to get things done and solve problems.  It even said that most men think that as long as a relationship is working well and there are no problems then there is no need to talk about it. Most scientists believe that genetics plays a role in these differences in communication style.  Recent studies have even said that they have found that men and women use different parts of their brain for language. Some believe that sex differences are primarily or a result of the way in which we are socialized. Boys are taught to assert themselves, whereas girls are taught to listen and be responsive. I never really had looked at how differently both men and women communicate.

Rhetorical Devices

I would have to say that in the past couple of weeks I have used rhetorical devices such as euphemisms and hyperboles.  A Euphemisms is the replacement of a negative term with a neutral or positive one to cover up or sugarcoat the truth.  For example, I know that I used the word pass away instead of die because it was a sensitive subject and one of my friends distant cousin had died recently. I sometimes like to sugarcoat things when it comes to people asking me their opinion on their outfit. I try to use words like I don’t think that shirt go try this other shirt instead of that shirt is ugly and does not go.  The other rhetorical device I used was the hyperbole. Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration or overstatement to distort the facts. I will admit that I am a little dramatic sometimes. For example, I would say something like “today in class I was so bored that I felt like time was going so slow” I am always trying to use my words wisely because people can always misunderstand/mistake the words you use for something in a negative way.

Sally Ride

Sally Ride who was the youngest and first female American astronaut used her critical thinking and analytical skills. She knew that by having effective communication skills it would help benefit her in the long run.  Even throughout college, she knew that she needed to have developed communication skills that included: listening, speaking, and writing.  She accomplished this by double majoring in English and physics.  Sally fully understood the benefits that come from having effective communication.  Communication is a key factor when working with others not just in the business field but also in your every day life. She then used her research skills to see what career would best suit her. So when she stumbled across NASA’s announcement in her college’s newspaper, she knew that her communication skills would work perfectly there.  Because of her skills, she was even picked to serve as the capcom for the first and second shuttle flights for NASA.  She was able to show that by using your skills, you can be successful.

Analogies

In Chapter 7 of the Boss text, it talks about analogies.  An analogy is based on a comparison between two or more things or events.  It is said that analogies often contain words or phrases such as like, as, similarly, or compared to. Since analogies are a comparison between things/ events, being able to notice similarities between them is one of the primary ways we learn from experience.  Analogies can even exist on their own as descriptive devices, metaphor, which is mostly found in literature.  Also, analogies can be used as premises in arguments. An argument based on an analogy claims that if two things are similar in one or more ways, they are probably alike in other respects as well. These types of arguments are commonly found in many fields including law, religion, politics, and the military. Analogies can even be used to refute arguments containing weak or false analogies.

Evolution and Belief in God

When looking at both of the articles, you can see that Aquinas believes that the existence of God is easily supported by reasoning. But, on the other hand Dawkins opposes his proof/argues that God’s existence is bogus. He believes that people instead are forced to believe about the nature of God and not actually in himself. You can see that both articles butt heads which is like what most people do when they talk about how evolution and a belief in God are incompatible. But, when looking at both of these articles and reasoning them out, I believe that evolution and belief can both make a point.  But after reading the five ways that Aquinas proved the existence of God, he showed numerous facts as to why someone should believe it. In Dawkins article, he did not seem to have enough proof to explain how everything came to be which made me disagree with his point of how evolution and belief in God is incompatible. So if Aquinas was still alive, I think that he would disagreed with everything Dawkins is saying. I think that he would have even explained more reason as to how to explain about God designing the world.