Thought Paper
Chapter 9: Thinking, Language and Intelligence was very interesting to me. It goes over the basics that make humans, human. How we communicate with others, solving our problems in life, creating controversy over our opinions, teaching others our mistakes and finding that people can be more than you find them to be.
Thinking is such a strange concept to me, I think about writing a paper and I have endless possibilities of what I could write. I find it amazing that we are compared to computers, when our brains are way more powerful than the fastest computer. Our brains adapt constantly and are always relating experiences with past ones; we learn concepts, rules and create relationships. We form concepts in order to generalize, relate things, and help our memory and aid in our reactions to certain environments and situations. Unlike computers we can tell when we need to rest or when we are getting a virus. Brains store information constantly and if it doesn’t make the cut or it isn’t important enough we get rid of it, instead of storing useless information that clogs up our processing. Although our brains are more complex and definitely hold more data, computers and our brains share characteristics. We both have an input of information, the processing stage and then the final output of information. Computers only use algorithms while our brains can use algorithms and heuristics. Even though our brains use more than one form of decision making our brain gives itself obstacles. We often like to delay our decision making but in the end we try to make a decision that best serves us, if not we learn from our mistakes (hopefully) to become a better person and change the next time we are faced with a similar situation.
...
... middle of paper ...
...e but it means completely different things, in Spanish if you have an accent mark on one letter it fully changes the meaning. Instead of saying I went to the store with my dad you say I went to the store with my potato. I know there is some foreign languages that make clicking noises, grunts, and guttural noises. I had a Brazilian and a German exchange student last year and listening to the German exchange student Anna, talk to her parents she sounded so angry but she would just be talking about my cat or her day. I find languages to be such a lovely thing people can use to better their knowledge of the world and talk to people in the way they naturally do.
Works Cited
MacNamara, A. (2013, fall quarter).Thinking, Intelligence, and Language Psychology 100.
Class Lecture. Centralia College, Centralia, WA.
Language is our power and expression is our freedom. Through a puff of air, we are able to communicate and influence the environments that surround us. Over the course of time humans have evolved, but by the means of language, humans have matured into humanity. The possibility of thought and emotions such as empathy show the ability to think with complexity. A crucial element that helps Suzanne K. Langer’s illustrate the essence of humanity throughout her essay “Language and Thought.” Langer thoroughly depicts what sets humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom by explicitly stating “The line between man and beast […] is the language line” (120). Consequently, this implies that if a person is declined the freedom of language they are hardly considered human. Many people around the globe have had their voices silenced due to corrupt governments and the oppression of their culture. These individuals are subjected to the devastating effects of the loss of language, which in turn, translates to the loss of power. Language is our foundation for hopes and opportunity, for with out it a person is shell of possibility that is subjected to a passive existence.
After reading a few of the chapters in "Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith", I feel as if I have learned more in one sitting than many in years of my life. The chapters were not life altering, but simply stated things that I have overlooked. The topics that affected me most were on living with the mysteries of faith, benefits of true rest, and the emotion of happiness. Yes, they are really in no way related, but each of these topics impacted me in a different way, and made me think about what was being presented.
The growing presence of technology is going to become more and more prevalent in the future as technology continues to evolve. If Carr is right, then we are going to see the continuous deterioration of critical thinking skills in future generations. However, we may also see a rise in more technological advances that will help society function better. Overall, this book was mainly concerned with the effects that new information and communication technologies will have on the brain.
By contrast, our thinking (neocortex) human coping brain has the ability to learn and use language. These functions require the linking of learning brain cells we call neurons. These microscopic, multi-functional neurons are building blocks not only for thinking and learning, but for deciding the way we behave. Thinking brain makes possible our organizing and planning abilities. It also enables us to figure out the meaning of our emotional experiences, such as why we are upset or hurt. The meanings of emotional experiences are what we call our
Atlantic journalist Nicholas Carr confesses that he feels something has been “tinkering with his brain.” The internet, he fears, may be messing with our minds. We have lost the ability to focus on a simple task, and memory retention is steadily declining. He is worried about the effect the internet has on the human brain, and where it may take us in the future. In response to this article, Jamais Cascio, also a journalist for the Atlantic, provides his stance on the issue. He argues that this different way of thinking is an adaptation derived from our environment. Ultimately, he thinks that this staccato way of thinking is simply a natural evolution, one that will help to advance the human race.
However, Carr and Turkle both agree that technology has done good, but it has come at the cost of our ability to think critically. In the two articles, both authors heavily emphasize the negative effects of computer technology on how it is diminishing human cognition and the ability to process information.
Law Enforcement intelligence is a development of military and national security intelligence. Over the years, this type of intelligence will go through many names but as of today it is known as Intelligence –led policing. Intelligence- led policing’s main focus is on key criminal activities. This paper will discuss community policing, problem-oriented policing, and CompStat, as they relate to intelligence-led policing.
Cognitive processes are the unseen systems used by our minds to complete tasks such as solving problems, recognising an object, or learning a language. These unseen mental processes take place in the brain, which is a complex piece of equipment often compared to a computer. When the internal workings of a computer are exposed, all that we see are microchips, circuit boards, hard drives and other assorted pieces, which, all work and ...
Terry Bisson questions human’s ability to think by studying human’s most vital organ. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body, and it is able to complete numerous tasks at the same time. However, it is surprising how we tend to use our brain with great ease and it takes minimal amounts of effort. Bisson writes, “These creatures are the only sentient race in that sector and they're made out of meat” (Bisson, #), and from the thousands of species that posses a brain in this world, none, are able to use it in the way that we are able to. Throughout his work, Bisson keeps stressing that “they're [humans] made out of meat”, which, is true because the brain is made out of meat, yet we are able to use it to build anything and solve any
Cognitive Development and Language Skills Development “Cognitive development underpins all the other aspects of development as children start to explore and make sense of the world around them. It is closely linked to the development of language and communication skills as children interact with the people around them.” There are many theories written on the subjects of cognitive development and language and communication. These theories vary in several ways, but they all seem to make the link between the too subjects. Childcare settings put these theories into practise in a lot of ways, sometimes without even realising it, just through conversation.
The traditional notion that seeks to compare human minds, with all its intricacies and biochemical functions, to that of artificially programmed digital computers, is self-defeating and it should be discredited in dialogs regarding the theory of artificial intelligence. This traditional notion is akin to comparing, in crude terms, cars and aeroplanes or ice cream and cream cheese. Human mental states are caused by various behaviours of elements in the brain, and these behaviours in are adjudged by the biochemical composition of our brains, which are responsible for our thoughts and functions. When we discuss mental states of systems it is important to distinguish between human brains and that of any natural or artificial organisms which is said to have central processing systems (i.e. brains of chimpanzees, microchips etc.). Although various similarities may exist between those systems in terms of functions and behaviourism, the intrinsic intentionality within those systems differ extensively. Although it may not be possible to prove that whether or not mental states exist at all in systems other than our own, in this paper I will strive to present arguments that a machine that computes and responds to inputs does indeed have a state of mind, but one that does not necessarily result in a form of mentality. This paper will discuss how the states and intentionality of digital computers are different from the states of human brains and yet they are indeed states of a mind resulting from various functions in their central processing systems.
Can intelligence be measured? Does an IQ test actually measure a person’s intelligence? Does a high score indicate a genius? Does a low score indicate stupidity or merely ignorance? These questions have been asked over and over again by psychiatrists and scientists alike, but to date there are no clear answers. These questions cannot be answered without first defining what is meant by the term intelligence. Once intelligence has been defined then it should be easy to answer these questions; however, multiple definitions of the word tend to lead to further confusion.
Intelligence by definition is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). However, many psychologists argue that there is no standard definition of ‘intelligence’, and there have been many different theories over time as psychologists try to find better ways to define this concept (Boundless 2013). While some believe in a single, general intelligence, others believe that intelligence involves multiple abilities and skills. Another largely debated concept is whether intelligence is genetically determined and fixed, or whether is it open to change, through learning and environmental influence. This is commonly known as the nature vs. nurture debate.
In the last few decades, the notion of language and brain has been highlighted in different scientific fields such as: neurology, cognitive science, linguistics biology, technology and finally education.
The ongoing debate on whether nature or nurture is responsible for intelligence seems to be a never-ending argument. There will probably be no definite answer to this argument any time soon, but answers such as Dr. Bigot's prove how intolerant of other opinions people can be. To say intelligence is entirely based on genetics, or one's environment, for that matter, is utterly extremist. An interaction of both nature and nurture is responsible for intelligence.