Biodiversity and The Healthy Society
Biodiversity and The Healthy Society
Biodiversity and The Healthy Society
TYPES OF COMPUTER
1. PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC)
2. DESKTOP COMPUTER
3. LAPTOPS
4. PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT (PDAs)
5. SERVER
6. MAINFRAME
7. WEARABLE COMPUTER
THE WORLD WIDE WEB (Internet)
CLAUDE E. SHANNON
- An American Mathematician who was considered as the “Father of
Information Theory”.
- He worked at Bell Laboratories at the age of 32.
- He published a paper proposing that information can be quantitatively
encoded as a sequence of ones and zeroes.
The INTERNET is the worldwide system of interconnected networks that facilitate data
transmission among innumerable computers. It developed during the 1970’s by the
Department of Defense.
SERGEY BRIN and LARRY PAGE
Directors of Stanford research project.
GOOGLE is now the world most popular search engine, accepting more than 200
million queries daily.
NEW FORMS OF COMMUNICATION WERE ALSO INTRODUCED
Electronic, mail or email, as a suitable way to send a message to fellow workers,
business partners or friends.
Application of Computers in Science and Research
One of the significant applications of computers for science and research is evident in
the field of bio information.
BIOINFORMATION
- is the application of information technology to store, organize, and analyze vast
amount of biological data which is available in the form of sequences and
structures of proteins - the building blocks of organisms and nucleic acids - the
information carrier ( Madan, n.d.).
The human brain cannot store all the genetic sequences of organisms and this huge
amount of data can only be stored, analyze, and be used efficiently with the use of
computers.
SWISS-PROT
- known as protein sequences were maintained at individual laboratories, the
development of a consolidated formal database, initiated in 1986. It now has
about 70,000 protein sequences from more than 5,000 model organisms, a small
fraction of all organisms
Computers and software tools are widely used for generating this database and to
identify the function of proteins, model the structure of proteins, determine the coding
(useful) regions of nucleic acid sequences, find suitable drug compounds form a large
pool, and optimize the drug development process by predicting possible targets.
SOME OF THE SOFTWARE TOOLS WHICH ARE HANDY IN THE ANALYSIS
INCLUDE;
- Blast - used for comparing sequences.
- Annotator - an interactive genome analysis tool, and
- Gene Finder - tool used to identify coding regions and spice sites (Madan,n.d.).
For a population of about five (5) million human beings with two individuals
differing in three million bases, the genomic sequence difference database would have
about 15,000,000 billion entries.
Moreover, from a pharmaceutical industry’s point of view, bio information is the key
rational drug discovery. It reduces the numbers of trials in the screening of drug
compounds and in identifying potential drug targets for a particular disease using high-
power computing workstations and software like Insight.
In plant biotechnology, bio-informatics is found to be useful in the areas of identifying
disease resistance genes and designing plants with high nutrition value (Madan,n.d.).
HOW to CHECK the REABILITY of WEB SOURCES;
The internet contains a vast collection of highly valuable information but it may also
contain unreliable, biased information that mislead people. (Lee College Library,n.d.).
1. Who published the site?
How to find out?
Look at the domain name of the website that will tell you who is hosting the site.
Search the domain name at the http://www.whois.sc/.
Do not ignore the suffix on the domain name (the three-letter part that comes after the
“,”).
Here are some examples;
.edu = education .mil=military .org=nonprofit
.com = commercial .gov=government
. What is the main purpose of the site? Why did the author write it and why did the
publisher post it?
2. Who is the intended audience?
3. What is the quality of information provided the web?
EXAMPLE OF USEFUL AND RELIABLE WEB SOURCES
1. AFA
2. American Memory - the library of Congress historical digital collection
3. Bartleby.com Great Books Online
4. Chronicling America
5. Cyber Bullying
6. Drug information websites
7. Global Gateway
8. Google Books
9. Googlescholar.com
10. History sites with primary documents
11. Illinois Digital Archives
12. Internet Archive
WHY DOES THE FUTURE DOESN’T NEED US?
- This article is written by Bill Joy in the April 2000 issue of wired magazine
- William Nelson Joy was born on November 8, 1954. He is an American computer
engineer and a venture capitalist.
- He argues that “the most powerful technology is the 21st technologies (genetic
engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics) are threatening to make human lives
endangered species because of competition from intelligent robots, which are
made possible by technological advancements in artificial intelligence.
GENETIC ENGINEERING
- (also called genetic modification) is a process that uses laboratory-based
technology to alter the DNA makeup of an organism.
- It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including
the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved
or novel organisms.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
- (also known as nanotech) is the use or matter on an atomic, molecular, and
supramolecular scale for industrial purpose.
- Bill Joy argues that the developing technologies provide much danger to
humanity that it presented before.
- Bill Joy stated that the future does not need us because of the advancement of
robotics, engineering and nanotech.
CRITIQUE OF BILL JOY
- We shifted on paradigmatic system where technologies emerge with all aspects
and dimensions.
- Although technology can have negative effects on humanity, it is impossible to
eliminate the rapid development of technology as it is a part of human nature.
MAIN POINT OF BILL JOY ON HIS ARTICLE
- In the first part of Joy’s article, he introduces the fears he and others have for the
potential danger of the new twenty-first century technologies known as GNR
(genetic engineering, nanotech, robotics).
- In the second part of his article Joy encourage the society to take responsibility
for their technology and encourage preventative measures be taken to decrease
chances for a potential disaster.
- In conclusion of his article, he expresses his faith that human will confront these
issues. He says that, “Each of us has our precious things, and we care for them,
we locate the essence of our humanity, it is because of our great capacity for
caring that I remain optimistic we will confront the dangerous issues”
THE GOOD LIFE
Aristotle ancient Greek philosopher known for his natural philosophy. logic and political
theory
More on Aristotle: one of the greatest thinkers in the history of western science and
philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology,
botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre.
First to classify areas of human knowledge into distinct disciplines such as
mathematics, biology, and ethics. founder of the Lyceum, the first scientific institute,
based in Athens, Greece. one of the strongest advocates of a liberal arts education,
which stresses the education of the whole person, including one's moral character,
rather than merely learning a set of skills.
Nicomachean Ethics 2:2 All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human
inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit , is thought to aim at some good; and for
this reason the good has been rightly declared as that at which all things aim.
What is meant by good life?
living in comfort and luxury with few problems or worries. characterized by happiness
from living and doing well content
What is eudemonia? came from the Greek word eu meaning “good” and daimon
meaning “spirit”. refers to the good life marked by happiness and excellence. flourishing
life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human person to be the best
version of himself/herself.
Aristotle’s view of good life the activity of the soul in accordance with virtue. o believed
that good for humans is the maximum realization of what was unique to humans. o the
good for humans was to reason well. o The task of reason was to teach humans how to
act virtuously, and the exercise faculties in accordance with virtue.
Virtue/s behavior showing high moral standards. "paragons of virtue" synonyms:
goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, ethicalness, uprightness,
upstandingness, integrity, dignity, rectitude, honesty, honorableness, honorability,
honor, incorruptibility, probity, propriety, decency, respectability, nobility, nobility of
soul/spirit, nobleness, worthiness, worth, good, trustworthiness, meritoriousness,
irreproachableness, blamelessness, purity, pureness, lack of corruption, merit;
principles, high principles, ethics "the simple virtue and integrity of peasant life"
Nicomachean Ethics 2:1 Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral,
intellectual virtue in the main owes its birth and growth in teaching ( for its reason it
requires experience and time). While moral virtue comes about as a result of habit
The Virtues: Intellectual virtue theoretical wisdom (thinking anf truth) practical wisdom
understanding. Experience and time are necessary requirements for the development of
intellectual virtue Moral virtue controlled by practical wisdom (ability to make right
judgment) owed its development to how one nurtured it as habit. can be learned.
Happiness to Aristotle "Happiness depends on ourselves.“ central purpose of human life
and a goal in itself. depends on the cultivation of virtue. a genuinely happy life required
the fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, including physical as well as mental well-
being.
Happiness as the Ultimate Purpose of Human Existence happiness is a final end
or goal that encompasses the totality of one's life. It is not something that can be gained
or lost in a few hours, like pleasurable sensations. It is more like the ultimate value of
your life as lived up to this moment, measuring how well you have lived up to your full
potential as a human being.
Science and Technology and Good Life S&T is also the movement towards good
life. S&T are one of the highest expressions of human faculties. S&T allow us to thrive
and flourish if we desire it. S&T may corrupt a person S&T with virtue can helpan
individual to be out of danger.
Why is it that everyone is in the pursuit of the good life?
“Life is good! It is only our thoughts, choices and actions towards the situations
we meet in life each moment of time that makes life look bad! The same bad situation in
life that makes one person think badly inspires another to do a noble thing! The same
good situation in life that makes one person feel so good to get into a bad situation
inspires another person to create another good situation because of the good situation.
It is all about thoughts, choices and actions! Life is good! Live it well!” ― Ernest
Agyemang Yeboah
One must find the truth about what the good is before one can even try to locate that
which is good.