[Futurism News 04.03.14]

• Go to space in a balloon—for only $75,000 (The Awesomer)
• Coming soon: Night vision contact lenses (Discover)
• "Lab-grown" Chicken McNuggets coming to McDonald's (Inhabitat)
• The Navy has developed a fire-fighting robot (ITProPortal)
• The Crabster is ready for ocean exploration (Discover)
• For those times you don't need your swimming pool (DesignLaunches)

[Week 11: Tu 01/Th 03]

Week 11: Tu 01/Th 03
Readings: PHYSICS—3: Future of Medicine – 9: A Day in the Life in 2100; eR—“The Basics of How to Read a Film” (Rutgers University WIRE), “How to Do a Close Reading” (Harvard College Writing Center)
Class: EXPOSITORY; Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Constructing a Research Paper: A How-To”
Due: RESEARCH PAPER THESIS

Upcoming:

Week 12: Tu 08/Th 10
Class: CLOSE READ; Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations, Lecture—"Close Reading a Film”
Due: REFLECTION 05

 

[Futurism News 03.29.14]

• New program turns you into a composer simply using just your keyboard (Wired)
• Computer programs begins deciphering dolphin whistles (New Scientist)
• New app gives you a floor plan in minutes (Architizer)
• David Beckham unveils his stunning proposal for a new Miami MLS soccer stadium (Huffington Post)
• Smell your food before ordering using this new app (Inhabitat)
• "Android Wear" has arrived (Ecouterre)

[Reflection 05: Count Me In—On the Rise of the Citizen Scientist]

In their "Top Ten Forecasts for 2014 and Beyond," the World Futurist Society said citizen science "is on its way to becoming the favored twenty-first-century model for conducting large-scale scientific research." Indeed, citizen science, in which the public participates and collaborates with scientists in research, has had a democratizing effect on the scientific world. The trend has allowed people from all walks of life the opportunity to participate in a variety of research, ranging from the tracking of migration patterns to the measuring ocean acidification. For this reflection, explore the potential impact of the citizens scientist in the 21st century.

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Citizen Science Rocks!" (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• "Eight Apps that Turn Citizens into Scientists" (Scientific American)
• "First-ever Bluebird Twins Highlight Citizen Science’s Value in Studying Rare Events"  (PLOS)
• "Kids Count: Young Citizen Scientists Learn Environmental Activism (Edutopia)
• "'Citizen Science' Gains Momentum in Northwest and Nationally" (NPR) 
• "Use Your Computer to Help with Climate Research" (Lifehacker Australia)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Works cited 
• One full page in length

Due: Th 04.03

[Week 10: Tu 25/Th 27]

Week 10: Tu 25/Th 2
No Class—Spring Break

Upcoming:

Week 11: Tu 01/Th 03
Readings: PHYSICS—3: Future of Medicine – 9: A Day in the Life in 2100; eR—“The Basics of How to Read a Film” (Rutgers University WIRE), “How to Do a Close Reading” (Harvard College Writing Center)
Class: EXPOSITORY; Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations; Lecture—“Constructing a Research Paper: A How-To”
Due: RESEARCH PAPER THESIS

[Futurism News 03.22.14]

• There is no Planet X, sorry (Yahoo! News)
• Tell the truth: New computer can tell if you're faking pain (Wired)  
• MIT develops aquatic robots (Popular Science)
• Computers will soon know what you want before you do (NPR)
• Science deniers up in arms against Cosmos (Mother Jones)
• XPrize contest: Create an AI capable of delivering "a compelling TED talk with no human involvement" (Popular Science)

[Week 09: Tu 18/Th 20]

Week 09: Tu 18/Th 20
Readings: PHYSICS—Introduction – 2: Future of AI
Class: PERSUASIVE ESSAY; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4

Upcoming:

Week 10: Tu 25/Th 27
No Class—Spring Break