IB: Paper 2 Planning

As an IB preparation, this week we had to write a text based on Science and Technology topic (IB Paper 2). It was an article about a new robot that would change our lives, and it would be posted in a youth magazine. This is what I planned, hope you like it!

Comic!

I've decided to make a comic strip about one reality that apparently no one can change...Hope you like it!

Mind Map and Song!

All I Can Do Is Write About It

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Well this life that I've lead has took me everywhere 

There ain't no place I ain't never gone 

But it's kind of like the saying that you heard so many times 

Well there just ain't no place like home 

Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young 

Or a fish in a river swimming free 

Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina 

Or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee 

And Lord I can't make any changes 

All I can do is write 'em in a song 

I can see the concrete slowly creepin' 

Lord take me and mine before that comes 

Do you like to see a mountain stream a-flowin' 

Do you like to see a youngun with his dog 

Did you ever stop to think about, well, the air your breathin' 

Well you better listen to my song 

And Lord I can't make any changes 

All I can do is write 'em in a song 

I can see the concrete slowly creepin' 

Lord take me and mine before that comes 

I'm not tryin' to put down no big cities 

But the things they write about us is just a bore 

Well you can take a boy out of ol' Dixieland 

But you'll never take ol' Dixie from a boy 

And Lord I can't make any changes 

All I can do is write 'em in a song 

I can see the concrete slowly creepin' 

Lord take me and mine before that comes 

'Cause I can see the concrete slowly creepin' 

Lord take me and mine before that comes

Globalization

• Globalization uses up finite resources more quickly.
• Globalization increases world carbon dioxide emissions.
• Globalization encourages dependence on other countries for essential goods and services.

For me, this song represents the cities' growth, and how this is affecting the country, the children and their dreams... This makes me feel really upset, as people have more power than what they even believe they have, so sometimes they abuse of it and start destroying everything, without caring about the future generations. I think that this song represents magnificently what globalization is producing, and this is easily relationed with Third Culture Kids (TCK)'s issue. 
In Grosso Modo, this song makes me think about the future, about the past, but most importantly, about the present. How can we be living in a place that's destroying where our offspring will have to live in some years. We claim that we love them and all that stuff, but we are not really taking care of something that's so important that, without it, life wouldn't be possible. 
The biggest problem now is that, despite the fact that this problem indignates me, I'm not doing anything to support the Earth's nature, and with that, protect us from globalization. And probably there are thousands or millions of people that think as I do, but don't do anything, because they believe it's impossible to fight against an enemy like globalization. 
We have to start this change now, or otherwise it will soon be too late. Lets stand up and battle against what harms the Earth, and most importantly, harms our offspring (and us!).

Connecting a text with a film!!

Today's task was to connect the text we have read ("Punk for a Month") with a movie that has a similar characteristic. I chose "I am Sam", as its protagonist, Sam Dawson, tries to become a "normal" father, while he is discriminated for having mental problems. But, during the plot, he puts all his effort to demonstrate that he can be as good father as anyone else, and probably even better. He loves his daughter, and that is what should really matter. In the other hand, "Punk for a Month" illustrates a teenager's boring life, whose main problem is popularity and rejection. And transforming to a punk makes her change physically and psychologically. Both characters are first rejected for being different and their objective is acceptation.

Here I let you the trailer of the movie.
Enjoy!

Punk for a Month: Connecting with Cultural Values and Students' Lives

This week, we had to answer some questions about Cultural Diversity while reading a text called "Punk for a Month". These are my answers:

1. Is Julie fair to her old friends in the change she makes? How might she have handled the change differently so as not to alienate her friends?

Yes, I think she acted correctly, as she gave her friends the opportunity to accept her as a punk. But also she had some sort of fear of rejection, but didn't want it to be noticed by everyone. In the end, her friends were the ones who "betrayed" her.


2. Julie makes new friends once she changes her appearance. What problems can you predict with these new friends?

We usually have the prejudice of punks as being aggressive and violent, but I don't think that Julie's new friends will lead her to troubles. The only problem she might have would be with her "old" friends, perhaps accusing her of "betraying" them.


3. Does Julie change internally as a result of changing externally? Can simply dressing differently influence a person's character? Why, or why not?

Of course she changed internally. as being a punk includes both physical and psychological aspects. By dressing different, she understood life from other perspective, as she began to love more herself as a unique person, and that she shouldn't be affected by the others' prejudices. Changing the way you dress won't change anything, unless you do want to change internally.


4. What does appearance indicate about a person? In why ways may appearances be misleading? When is it appropriate to judge people based on appearances? When is it inappropriate?

Appearance doesn't indicate anything for me.  A person can easily dress as other one, but the psychological and interior way he is, doesn't change easily. I think in most of the cases prejudices about appearance can be misleading, as clothes don't mean anything. 

Personal Response

“The Akanksha clinic is at the forefront of India’s booming trade in so-called reproductive tourism — foreigners coming to the country for infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. The clinic’s main draw, however, is its success using local women to have foreigners’ babies. Surrogacy costs about $12,000 in India, including all medical expenses and the surrogate’s fee. In the U.S., the same procedure can cost up to $70,000.”


The text above implies a lot of issues. Many of them may be seen like real developments for society, but there's one that I'm afraid of: apparently, mankind has a very peculiar way of "solving" its problems: slavery. Because that's just what this "reproductive tourism" is. Since the early days of the "new humans", it has always relied on slaves whenever it has found any obstacle or problem. Of course, if we talk about ethics, then it is completely reprehensible; however, it's just the "law of the jungle": the stronger ones will rule.

Nowadays, infertility and sterility rates are higher than ever. And that's why, after the common desire of everyone of having a child, mothers have to look for "wombs for rent". And even if they pay them very well, I think it's an abuse. They are using somebody's uterus for a certain amount of money. And this is, as to my perspective, a clear case of slavery in the XXI Century. 

The question that everyone should be asking themselves should be why do this "surrogate mothers" accept this treatment. But, the problem is now even bigger, and probably will take an eternity to change it: the system in which we live. Yes, because capitalism is the main problem we have now. It is the reason that makes women in India to accept this abuses. It is what lets governments and rich people to create real dictatorships, in which their "values" and interests are the only ones that matter.

Ethics in Technology: Womb for Rent

After reading and interesting article (http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/international/surrogate-mothers-india), I'll answer some questions about it, to make some sort of summary, due to the importance of topics like this one.


1. What does “reproductive tourism” mean? 

It refers to people that travel to other places in search of a "womb to rent".


2. What issues might cause an American woman to seek an Indian surrogate?

American women apparently look for Indian "wombs to rent" because of their lower cost, and the fame that Dr. Patel has.


3. What risks and benefits exist for the surrogate mothers in India? 

The main risk I see in this issue, is that the surrogate mother may become attached to her baby, making her to deny to give it. Another problem that this may bring, is related to the acceptance of this "work" in the community, as some people might not like it at all. 
The first and main benefit, is the money they receive.



4. What risks and benefits exist for the women who hire a surrogate?

Of course, the benefit is to receive her child. But the risks she takes, include the uncertainty of the hiring-mother about how does the hired-mother takes care of her pregnancy.


5. Do you agree with the people who believe that the Indian women are being 
exploited? Why or why not? 


I think that this is just like if they were selling their body for money: I don't find it something correct, but in the end it's her choice to do it or not. In that case, she wouldn't be exploited, unless she's bound to do it.

Image analysis: Science and Technology

This week we are going to present about the topic Science and Technology by analysing an image. Here are the points that helped my presentation, apart from the recorder presentation file.

While medical robots are designed to be sterile and efficient, others can exhibit a more human touch

• Description of the image. Colour, facial expressions.
• Robot with a more "human touch". Friendly? Warm?
• Could the robot eventually become "more human" than a person itself?
• Could this kind of robot substitute humans in a near future? How would this affect the family relations?
• Does the occidental perspective of life admits this type of innovations? (US, UK, etc.).
• And does the ancient oriental lifestyle would accept this in their lives? (Tibetan monks, for example).

And here is the file of my presentation:

Presentation Audio File