weinerman2594

Please grade and let me know what you think! Prompt: As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. The power of humans to think autonomously is not so easy to deter. Even with the exponential advancement of technology seen over the past few centuries, a pattern has become apparent time and time again: when technology comes to our aid in times of need, people do not simply stop thinking altogether since their problem has been solved. Instead, they move on to think about other problems that might not have been answerable or even foreseeable before the preceding one was addressed. Advances in biomedical and laboratory technology have allowed researchers and doctors to explore new worlds, both figuratively and literally, while fostering a desire to know more about them. As a biology major and aspiring researcher, I can attest that the advent of genome databases has made the fields of molecular biology, cellular biology, and genetics infinitely more accessible to both people of my education level and those who have decades more experience than I do. Genome databases allow researchers to look at the genome at the level of individual chromosome, genes, or nucleotides, which greatly aids in answering questions about which mutations cause certain physical traits or what surrounding genetic factors affect gene expression. By answering these questions with relative ease thanks to genome databases, scientists can focus on new problems, such as how to correct such mutations or manipulate certain genetic factors to restore proper gene function. Gene databases thus promote scientific inquiry by allowing scientists to focus their time and energy on solving more complex issues, such as curing a disease caused by genetic mutation, rather than needing to use these precious commodities to rediscover what those who identified the disease before them already determined. The use of technology in the fields of crime and justice also demonstrates how technologic advances have helped the people in these fields do their jobs more efficiently. DNA testing, fingerprint databases, and facial recognition technology have made the criminal justice system more streamlined and accurate. With these technologies, police are able to apprehend the correct criminal in a shorter amount of time without obviating the important task of the police officers themselves to use proper moral and legal judgment when it comes time to arrest a criminal. No technological advance could replace the crucial role of humans judgment in the justice system, be it independent thought of police, detectives, or judges. Instead, those who work in the crime and justice fields rely on technology so that they can do their jobs quickly, accurately, and humanely. It is often said that true creativity is a spontaneous occurrence and not something that can be deliberately sought. While this is true to an extent, people involved in creative processes such as artists, painters, sculptors, or writers can indeed spark the creative process by looking to the works of others. Even those without direct access to paintings, sculptures, or books can enjoy the same creative catalyst as those who might have regular access to these works. Thanks to technologies such as computers, smartphones, and copiers, aspiring artists can derive inspiration from contemporary and preceding artists whenever and wherever they desire. The capability of humans to think independently – be it for scientific, moral, or creative thought - is one that millions of years of evolution has instilled in us. It is etched into our nature to bring independent thought into solving problems, not to let technologies that make solving these problems easier silence our ability to think at all. While some technologies can certainly distract us from independent thought, such as mind-numbing cartoons on TV or video games portraying senseless violence, technology more often than not makes our lives easier so that we can put our enormous intellectual capability to use in a positive way.