This satirical article from the Onion describes a conference to discuss the 'ethics of cloning human beings and compelling them to fight to the death in a rocky pit for our amusement.' Humorously, the conference takes place at Geneva, an allusion to the Geneva conventions.
The article pokes fun at how little some people care for others, by using lines such as '“Or imagine 10 clones of one person in a bout against 10 clones of a different person,” Phillips continued. “I wholeheartedly believe that it is the responsibility of science to advance human society by creating something so f***ing cool.”,' and, '“My colleagues in the field seem to have forgotten that human life is precious.”' The article also discusses the ethics of 'replacing the clones’ limbs with axes and swords." However, the article does discuss actual, potential uses of cloning, such as research into organ transplants.
Overall, the article fulfills its purpose of humor, while mocking the either ignorance, or apathy of humankind when it's about something that is not well known.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
ToW #12: The Boys on the Boat Part 1
The Boys on the Boat is an excellent book; looking into the lives of young rowers on an American rowing team and their path to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The books seeks to teach a lesson of hard work brings success, as many of members of the team are from poorer families, and are seeking self-fulfillment from rowing that they might not've been able to get anywhere else.
This is nicely juxtaposed by the German rowing team, however, as they are a professional group who always had everything, and are seemingly unstoppable. However, they're also not the focus of the book, and we simply get glimpses into their lives, which nicely keeps the books focused on our American rowing heroes back home.
This is nicely juxtaposed by the German rowing team, however, as they are a professional group who always had everything, and are seemingly unstoppable. However, they're also not the focus of the book, and we simply get glimpses into their lives, which nicely keeps the books focused on our American rowing heroes back home.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
ToW #11: End the Gun Epidemic in America
This article by the New York Time's editorial team argues for stricter gun laws, but doesn't take the radical view of completely eliminating guns that seems all too common on social media politicians. This is accomplished by using the most recent shootings as reasons why gun laws should be more strict than they are now, while still recognizing the near-impossibility of keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals, while still allowing normal citizens to own them.
They also use a method of clarifying what kinds of guns are used in these killings, to show that they are targeting a specific type of weapon, rather than guns as a whole, clearly stating, "Certain kinds of weapons, like the slightly modified combat rifles used in California, and certain kinds of ammunition, must be outlawed for civilian ownership." This helps them to both state and accomplish their overall purpose of showing a more moderate liberal view on gun control laws, that may appeal to both sides of the argument, especially with the hot debate after recent events.
They also use a method of clarifying what kinds of guns are used in these killings, to show that they are targeting a specific type of weapon, rather than guns as a whole, clearly stating, "Certain kinds of weapons, like the slightly modified combat rifles used in California, and certain kinds of ammunition, must be outlawed for civilian ownership." This helps them to both state and accomplish their overall purpose of showing a more moderate liberal view on gun control laws, that may appeal to both sides of the argument, especially with the hot debate after recent events.
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