Elusiveness of humanity

Video: Defining Humanity-Steve Fuller

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/podcasts/media/more/tedx?podcastItem=steve_fuller.mp4

Of course humanity is elusive, because it is not a “finally completed product”. The humanity is still in the development stage. Unless human being were extinguished, the development would not stop. Until we can foresee the end of human being, we cannot even predict what humanity could be.

Anyway, it is still worth to look back and find out, some where in the midpoint of the development, the “semi-product”. However, whatever we have found, the humanity is outdated. It can be taken for reference only. It is not any golden rule.

It is a joke to define humanity as meat, as per the short film “They’re made out of meat” (http://youtu.be/IfPdhsP8XjI). However, learning is the basic attribute of humanity. If we cannot learn, we are no different with other animals.

From the very beginning, there was not any teacher. Human being learned from observing the nature. That is why we find education is a dying art.

Although we can learn, at different areas, at different times, for different people, our learning are always different. Theoretically, if we have time, experience the same environment, we could have the same learning. Unfortunately environment keeps changing. The learning subject would change, or even disappear. The diversification of humanity is unavoidable.

Feb 17, 2013

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Spooky meat or spooky machine?

Video: They’re made out of meat: http://youtu.be/IfPdhsP8XjI

The video explores the true nature of human being. It has mentioned many points without further in- depth argument. Points includes of sex, spy, fun or game, thinking, peer or group living, feeling failure, feeling of lost, feeling of success, ambitious, curiosity, and dream.

Regarding to technology, it talks about communication through machine. It is true, we had communicated by pen and paper, sound recording, motion pictures, telephone, telex, fax, and computers. Step by step, the human nature changed. For example, pen and paper is now part of human nature instead of technology. Sooner or later, computers will become part of the human nature too.

If you believe the existence of soul, you would aware that it does not have any body or meat. As it has no mouth, no ear, no eye, no touch feeling, it is not necessary to have voice, image, or any language, it would communicate in a different way beyond our knowledge. If we believe soul has feelings of happiness, sadness, or any feelings at all, why not the machine?

No matter what feeling we think the soul has, the feeling won’t last long. Coincidentally, machine could affect our emotion, but the effect won’t last long too. So, do you still crazy for having an iPhone?

It is true, we communicate though machine. But are the signals coming from the telephone, telex, fax, radio, projectors, or CD players? Why don’t they come from the machine located at the far end of the universe?  Our brains may be just the re-broadcasting devices only.

Feb. 16, 2013

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Quantum Labyrinth

Video: World Builder http://youtu.be/VzFpg271sm8

The video is about a man creating something for his lover who is in serious illness. Technology could affect the human being emotion. Whatever he made, it affects only his emotion. There is no effect for his lover who is in coma. His feeling is just an illusion. However, it does not matter. Anyway, he needs it. Even without advanced technology, human being would invent something else to soothe their sadness.

Some religious people believe whatever we think could affect the outcome in reality. There is no point to argue about it.

Feb, 16, 2013

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Does it matter for education being technology mediated?

Video: Toyota GT86 http://youtu.be/K6Pb_tmPKGk

It is an advertisement from Toyota. The critic whines about its inhumanity.

However, it is common for advertisements exaggerate things. The situation shown in the video may not be true.

On the other hand, the definition of humanity is continuously changing. It does not matter whether the education is technology meditated or not. It is important for how the education is being mediated.

Feb 16, 2013

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Yearning in a spiritual way

I would like to recommend a video:

Campbell, Gardner (2012). Ecologies of Yearning. Keynote at Open Ed '12, October 16, 2012, Vancouver BC. (63:19)

http://youtu.be/kIzA4ItynYw

It is an excellent speech. Besides of the richness of content, Dr. Campbell has presented a very stylistic talk. I hope he would launch a training course about public speaking. Of course, such a course is not good enough to take online. Anyway, whoever takes the course would like to develop his own style.

February 11, 2013

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# EDCMOOC Education as part of personality development

http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2012/11/napster-udacity-and-the-academy/

Napster, Udacity, and the Academy – by Clay Shirky

After reading the above article, I would like to recommend it even though I do not totally agree with its saying.

Education should be part of our personality development. I would like to see more examples of ethical training in online courses.

Feb 8, 2013

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#EDCMOOC Ghostly Bull

In the COURSERA Course: E-Learning and Digital Cultures, some students complain about too many message each day, and it is hard to read them all. I agree with them. But it is just an imitation of the reality.

The difference is that in the real world, we have many participants using fake user identity, and some using stolen identity. And in the course, all students are fleshy human being.

In the course, all opinion are express in good faith. But in the real world, we have to beware.

In this course, all mistakes, if any, would be corrected by the staff.  In the real world, the opinion of the majority may not be correct.

Edwin Leung

Feb. 1, 2013 (Fri)

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#EDCMOOC Sweet Heart in my Inbox

Inbox

 

(in response to the short film: Inbox from COURSERA course)

 

Inbox! Inbox! What is good for a talk?

Can I hold his hand and take a walk?

Seeing his face, I saw my fate.

Forty-four now, still looking for a date

January 30, 2013

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#EDCMOOC Vendor bias and detecting bull

Starting from the days of BBS (Bulletin Board System) I have tremendous faith in the new technology. The more we use it, the more we would benefit from it, until about ten years ago. I found lot of puzzling information from the internet. Computers are stars and internet is god. When I found too many people share the same faith as mine, I doubt it. “Am I wrong?” It is hard for me to say anything bad about computer and internet. Until recently, I have read the article from Daniel J.S. Technology is the Answer: What was the Question? (http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5909&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

).

The article talks about “vendor bias”. It reminds me my experience in searching information from the web. Actually most of these information are coming from vendors of information technology. Without except, they all praise the new technology and the new product. As the article alerts us that we should beware the intention of the vendors' opinion.

The article also talks about “detect bull”. It is a common belief that things agreed by most people are always true. We believe it is the way of inductive reasoning and there is nothing wrong. Actually not only it may be wrong, but also the people talking in the web may not be real. If you don't believe it, ask you friends how many blog accounts they have, and how many blog accounts using their real names, and how many blog accounts using nick names only.

January 30, 2013 +EDC MOOC
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