Research Methods

https://soundcloud.com/bridging-the-gaps/free-will-philosophy-and-neuroscience-alfred-mele 

The first discussion I listened to was "Free Will" Through the Lenses of Philosophy and Neuroscience with Dr Alfred Mele.’’ Dr Alfred Mele is a Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is interested in human behaviour, philosophy and science. His view on free will is that denying the existence of it will promote bad behaviour so we must be open minded to to idea of it. He says that science has not disproved free will so it may exist. In my opinion I believe free will exists to an extent. For example I make choices everyday to continue receiving an education but if I didn’t then I may be left behind by society. Most of our choices are heavily influenced by external forces such as the societies we live in and who we surround ourselves with. I also believe that the past is fixed as much as the future so although we make choices everyday, those were the choices we were always going to make. 

https://soundcloud.com/bridging-the-gaps/how-cooking-made-us-human-with-richard-wrangham

The second discussion I listened to was “How Cooking Made Us Human with Professor Richard Wrangham.” Richard Wrangham is a primatologist who researched a ground-breaking theory of our origins. His theory argues that the shift from raw to cooked food was a major factor in human development. He claims that humanity began when our ancestors started using fire and that cooking helped make our brains uniquely large. In my opinion cooking definitely transformed the human race dramatically and we will never be the same. No other animal on earth has been able to create fire and use it to create faster meals. We can cook nutritious meals in minimal time and all the bacteria has been killed so we will not get sick. We are so much more healthy and have more free time to focus on other things like technology advancements and science.

https://soundcloud.com/bridging-the-gaps/the-technology-trap-with-dr-carl-frey

https://soundcloud.com/bridging-the-gaps/nano-comes-to-life-dna-nanotech-medicine-and-the-future-of-biology-with-sonia-contera

For our next Research Methods assignment we were asked to pick a discussion from bridgingthegaps.ie and listen to it then give our opinion. I picked "Nano Comes to Life": DNA NanoTech, Medicine and the Future of Biology with Professor Sonia Contera. The reason why I picked this discussion is because I am very interested in listening to Professor Sonia’s perspective on Nanotechnology. Sonia is a Professor of biological physics in the department of physics at the university of Oxford. Her work is focuses on physics, biology and nanotechnology with a particular interest on mechanics in biology. She is the author of the book “nano comes to life.” She discussed how Nanoscience was made popular in the West by the book “Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology (Anchor Library of Science)” by K. Eric Drexler. She defines Nanotechnology as the understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale, at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers. She discussed how it wasn't until the 1980’s that people were able to interact with atoms. In 1981, two IBM researchers, Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer, broke new ground in the science with their invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Their invention enabled scientists to visualise the world down to its molecules and atoms and the STM won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986. It was widely regarded as the instrument that opened the door to nanotechnology. 

I find it fascinating how microscopes transformed how we view the world and life itself. I can only image how amazing it must be to view atoms under a microscope. I am reminded how everything in the universe is made up of atoms and we share the same DNA as stars. We are the universe looking back at itself. That is why humans have a deep desire to understand the universe, because we are trying to understand ourselves. Contera discusses how one of the hopes of medicine is that we will know the structure of all the proteins in our bodies so we can create drugs and tackle diseases. She talks about how the University of Washington showed that you could predict the structure of a complex protein with a computer using genetic information. The fact that computer science is being used in the field of medicine makes me really proud to be doing a computer science degree. We already have two nano vaccines, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. It’s surreal to be living in a time where nanotechnology is being used to create vaccines to protect the world from COVID-19. AI, neuroscience, nanotechnology and biotech are all areas converging into the nanoscale to create new computer paradigms, new medicine and new materials. I am fascinated to see how much of an impact Nanoscience will have on the world but I am certain it will be extremely helpful.

I would ask these questions on front of a live televised audience so everyone would learn the answers together and everyone would believe me that I met an alien.

1. How did the universe begin?

If I had the opportunity to ask someone who knew everything the most important question in science then that is where I would start. I want to understand the answer to this question because I am human and it is my humane nature to be curious of how exactly I got here. Most scientists on earth agree that the Big Bang theory is how the universe began but what if it is not true? There is reason to speculate that this theory is not true so imagine once and for all being able to fully understand the origin of the universe. It would change a lot of people’s perspectives on life itself, especially those who do not believe in science at all.

2. How did life begin on Earth?

‘How did life begin on Earth?’ is one of the most mysterious questions that is left unanswered by the science community. It is an extremely important question to ask because it answers how life is possible on Earth and it is the story of how we got to where we are now. The answer to this question would certainly change a lot of people’s perspectives. It is important to understand the truth of where we came from. 

3. Where do we go after we die?

There are so many major new developments happening in the field of Interactive Digital Media today but I will be focusing on the four I find most interesting; Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality (VR) and Video Marketing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is a new global phenomenon where computer science can create intelligent machines that can perform tasks that normally need human intelligence. There are four different types of AI which include self awareness, limited memory, theory of mind and reactive machines. Some examples of AI include Netflix recommendations, self driving cars, social media monitoring, manufacturing robots and smart assistants.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things is the definition for devices that are connected and share information to other devices and systems by using the internet. These devices are ingrained with sensors, software, technology and internet connectivity. Today IoT can be found everywhere in the world from our homes, to schools, to our industries. It is transforming our world fast into a smarter, digital world. Some examples of IoT include connected appliances, smart factory equipment, smart home security systems, elderly care monitoring and smart fire extinguishers.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual reality can place users in a very different or similar place to their normal reality when they put on a virtual reality headset and/or gloves with sensors. They become immersed in a VR experience that can be computer generated or captured by video. VR is a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with. It is used for many different reasons including virtual meetings, medical training, to help mental health, retail, tourism, real estate, art and design, or video games.

Video Marketing

Hello, my name is Aisling and welcome to my blog. I am currently doing a MSc in Interactive Digital Media at Griffith College and as part of my Research Methods class I will be blogging my thoughts on class material. This class will allow me to express myself using good quality writing and develop original thoughts and views through research. I just finished my BA (Hons) in Graphic Design at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in May. I chose to do this masters course to help me develop and grow my skills to work in the interactive digital media industry. I hope that this module will help grow my curiosity in interactive digital media.

The first question I am going to explore is ‘What is the biggest challenge in Digital Media today?’ There are so many different challenges that come with Digital Media today. A few of these challenges are data privacy, fake news, security, copywriting, algorithms, addiction, mental health issues, psychological and physical issues, the dark web, coded bias, accountability and hate speech. All of these challenges, along with more that I have not mentioned, are extremely valid but the challenge I am going to focus on is the growth in mental health issues due to social media. 

Social media is a computer-based technology made up of online communities and networks which allows people to express their beliefs, information and perspectives. It is a form of interactive digital media that almost everyone uses today. It has become a huge part of our everyday lives and most young people will spend hours every day using it. It helps connect us with our friends and family who live all over the world and allows us to buy things without leaving the house. The challenge is that mental health issues are growing due to excessive use of social media and there does not seem to be a solution.