Topic Research Presentation Response

The topic research presentation by group 2 was over Big Data. They covered what Big Data is, who uses it, how they use it, the pros and cons, and how far it has come. The group seemed to have completed extensive research over their topic, due to the massive amount of information they compiled into their fifteen minute presentation. The entire presentation was organized and very detailed, making it easy to pay attention throughout the entire presentation. Though I was confused about one tactic the group decided to add to their presentation. I don’t exactly understand why the group decided to make it seem like a news team report at the beginning of the presentation, it didn’t fully sit with their actions and demeanor. While it was a little humorous, it personally distracted me from the entirety of the presentation. Other than the way the information was presented, the group did very well with covering the basics of big data. I learned a fair amount from the groups presentation, and learned how large businesses use big data to gain information on the market. I would have liked to see more possible uses of how big data can be implemented within corporations and within the field of science. To gain a better understanding of how useful this assortment of sourced data can be used, and what solutions can be taken from their findings. Also from their presentation I learned exactly that big data is, the massive amounts of data collected over time that are difficult to analyze and handle using common database management. I liked learning of the comparison between structured and unstructured data. It put into the perspective of how much data is trying to be processed and organized, and how much processing power is needed to sort all of the new data. My favorite portion of the presentation was seeing the debate between if it is violating privacy or if it is just a clever way to utilize uncollected data. It opens up a huge debate that can be argued in either direction. And how it can expand a company’s predictions over what groups of people would prefer a specific topic compared to another select group of people in a different area of the world. The presentation was overall a very informative and outstanding display of information over the topic of Big Data. I believe the group did very well.

Will AI Surpass Human Intelligence?

Will artificial intelligence someday surpass human intelligence? I do believe that artificial intelligence will someday will be just as intelligent as their human creators. I believe this to be true because of our already growing dependence on technology. From our constant hold on our smartphones and how at all times we are streaming data straight to our favorite electronics. We are hardly ever without these new forms of technology, and it’s because they make our lives easier. So what would stop us from developing a higher form of artificial intelligence if it could potentially make our lives even easier? These newly developed forms of artificial intelligence could help us in all aspects of our lives. Aspects like driving our cars without the guidance of a human, constructing buildings, manufacturing large quantities of products, taking the place of humans on the battlefield, home security, and various odd jobs. They could even help with entertaining us, for instance in the movie Real Steel, robot fighting. That would be a game changer. But with all of these new robots taking control of the more tedious and strenuous tasks this might make the human species less active and more dependent on technology, it will help us with refocusing our time to more important matter that would better help the world. A rise of these innovations are already becoming a reality in our society, for instant Google has been working on developing a car that utilizes Google Maps to drive and navigate a car. So these forms of artificial intelligence are already, in a way, are already present in our daily lives. Maybe in a near future, we will have fully autonomous robots that will be capable of giving us protection. An example of personal security provided by robots could be close to what we are able to see in the movie IRobot. As we have multiple different robotic companies producing new ground breaking developments, I don’t see why our society would not have the majority of these new forms of artificial intelligence in the next twenty years. I look forward to seeing robots being present in our daily lives, not only will they provide our society with additional help, but they can further provide our citizens with security. Regardless of artificial intelligence becoming smarter than human intelligence, as long as the robots do not come to a conclusion that we are no longer needed, I think the human race will be just fine.

Can video games teach?

While many parents may believe that their children are wasting their time sitting in front of a computer screen or television playing some of the newest video games on the market, it seems to be the exact opposite. According to Elisabeth Hayes from Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, “Game players often develop sophisticated technical and language skills that can lead to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. It’s a hidden opportunity for literacy that we could take advantage of as educators and parents.” Hays believes that video games are an undervalued tool that educators should take advantage of, and the benefits are more valuable than many people are lead to believe. It seems that not only do video games help develop certain skills in children, but it can also help bring families together and help develop a child’s social skills as well. “Video gaming can actually lead to rich, valuable communication between parents and children, and between peers," she says. Parents alike should also learn to take advantage of this new form of education. Instead of making young Jimmy go outside and play, why not help him problem solve through the levels in a puzzle solving game. Such as Portal, Portal 2, Trials, Limbo, or even Tetris. These are games that could possibly get the entire family involved and develop stronger ties within the family. Video games also help teach the users many life lessons that are else wise acquired from only learning from their mistakes in real life. In video games however, it allows the user to make those mistakes in game instead of in the real world, where it would cost them far more to recover than it would to recover in a game. These life lessons transfer to the real world and can help the player with real choices. For instance every gamer, wither they know it or not, know that perseverance is key to achieving anything. "It can have an effect on a child’s choices of classes, the interests they pursue and their choice of careers.” concludes Hays. She also goes on to state how “Games are not played in isolation. They’re often a hub for social interactions, and young people go to fan sites and create artwork and tutorials for each other. They talk and write about the games, modify the games and learn to problem-solve.” So to conclude I would say that video games do in fact teach.