Friday, March 25, 2011

Research Questions

Should Stem cell research be stopped because of the moral issues it poses?

I chose this topic because I think there is a lot of potential for steroids. They could heal many people with conditions that are now incurable. I am somewhat familiar with this topic as well so I know where I stand. In my paper I will advocate stem cell research and try to discredit the arguments against it, specifically the ones which name stem cell research immoral.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Something Borrowed



                In this piece Gladwell asks whether plagiarism justifies ruining someone’s life. The protagonist determines that plagiarism is more than just copying others word for word. It is part of an evolution process where people take things and change them slightly. In short-term memory these cases of “stealing” seem very similar to each other, and may seem like a crime. In the long run however, we forget where the material truly comes from. Instead we see new material that barely resembles the many pieces which have been plagiarized to create it.
                Although it was hard to follow the events happening in the story at times, I agreed with the main idea. The central idea of plagiarism being a part of evolution is unique and interesting.  I haven’t thought about it like that, but I think I agree with it. I understand that someone might feel like a part of them was stolen, but everyone plagiarizes at some point in time, or at least slightly paraphrases the work of another. It is good for artists to look at better artists for inspiration; their inspiration allows the copier to tweak their piece and make it their own.