Math as beauty?

“Mathematics possesses not only truth, but also supreme beauty” (Bertrand Russell) 

Math as an  área of knowledge provides one with a stream for understanding analysis through statistical means in correlation with worldly conflicts. The quotation provides a theory many people have rejected, math as beauty as this quote aims to prove that it is.  Math has been known to provide straightforward responses with coming to a single correct answer. The different formulas are used to predict different situations by factoring in different factors. Hence math is not normally up for speculation. Referring to the quote where Russel states math as the truth refers to the simple and single answers thus referring to the characteristics as a way on knowing. Although mathematical formulas have been applied to the real world which has been seen as beauty. In math there is a formula known as the golden ratio. This ratio has been applied to real life where mathematical formulas come together to determine what is “symmetric”, where symmetry is seen as a form of perfection.  Math as a way of knowing is a large spectrum which only works when every element aligns thus referring to the beauty of it.  How we know something is reflective of how the area of knowledge functions. With math being so abstract it is hard to quantify the actual length of its power but having math being a either an invention or discovery its beauty in correlation to other factors can be seen to have a supreme beauty of its own. 

The science of beauty

Beauty is a very difficult thing to measure, since everyone has a different perception of beauty. "Beauty is in the eye  of the beholder". Recently I read an article which explains the science of beauty and surprisingly the mathematics. The golden ratio is a formula which is used to understand beauty, it measures a person's  physical characteristics in relation with the ratio to measure beauty. The article claims that Science, math and art are complementary principles. They can be measured by both means. I found this article interesting because beauty ties in with many things, such as emotion, faith and perception all very hard to measure. This article also changed my perspective on science and math where before I did not think of them as an art form, but after reading the article I was intrigued to see that they also were an art form. The article also talks about the pythagoras theorem and other geometric formulas to understand the symmetry of nature in correlation to their scientific bases. I feel understanding how beauty is measured can in a sense provide one with a collective idea of beauty

Real Life Situation
http://bigthink.com/videos/frank-wilczek-on-the-world-as-art?hash=f78b854e-18dc-46d7-a9d0-0069963fed58

American Sniper Cowardice or Bravery?

I like any student loves watching movies. Over the summer I watched the film American sniper which is a movie based on a real life event. I choose to look at a cnn article which was debating whether snipers are heroes or in actuality cowards who hide behind the protection of camouflage and a gun. American Sniper is a film which has recently been released telling the story of Chris Kyle, a real life Navy Seal who has had the most kills in U.S history.

This article deals with following ways of knowing: emotion, reason, and intuition. The explain that being as assigned as an army man from a certain country requires a soldier’s dedication to that sole country. In this film it is the United States. Although there are times where an individual can reflect on who their loyalties lie with; a country or themselves. Which is where emotion plays in, in the article some feel that being a sniper is cowardly. Michael Moore a famous film director stated Snipers aren’t heroes but backstabbers. In relation to a US soldier reason is mapped out. It is taken into consideration when looking at all and any factors when dealing with another party. For a sniper reason isn’t always a choice because they receive an order rather than a choice. Whether it is ethical or not they are forced to follow through. Personally I see that intuition ties in with this because it is a job, and it is never a choice.

In this article the most apparent area of knowledge is ethics. The line between the moralities of a situation in contrast to the requirement of certain task can often be hazy. As stated before a sniper is not given a choice but rather an order so the ethical choice is not their choice. In the article Seth Rogen stated that the film reminded him of “Nazi Propaganda”. The use of this quote makes the area of knowledge apparent since due to history the Nazi party choose to ignore the ethical choice. This comparison helps understand the strong view Rogen has on the film and the whole concept of the “ethical” choice.

Knowledge framework would have to be Historical development and methodology. Historical development because the impact of an actual event helps ground the different theories personal and ways of knowledge provide. The context of the film and the actual conflicts which occurred with Chris Kyle help one understand the development of identity. Methodology because the role of ethics plays in understanding the controversial lines of emotion and order. 

Maternal Instinct Saves a life

Intuition saving lives.

"Intuition a phenomenon of mind". Intuition is a difficult area to explain because although there are some psychological connections it is hard to explain all of its "bits and pieces". Intuition, or intuitive action is different for everyone because it  combines with different areas of knowledge such as emotion for example in order to shape that individual's perception. The real life situation I have choosen for this task is one I saw recently on mail online. The story claims that a 35 week pregnant mother Beth Cleminson noticed her baby was not kicking and went to the doctor to get examined. Although the doctors claimed that nothing was wrong with her or her child she insisted on an ultrasound. Surprisingly there was a serious problem which resulted in the woman going into an emergency c-section. Had it not been for this mother's intuition her baby would have died and she could have been physically injured. Much like faith intuition is a controversial subject. In this scenario it was proved helpful but in others again it can be risky. Maternal instinct is a term that has been coined for many of these types of phenomenon.  The idea has become so commonly used that leading psychologist believe there may be a mental connection which is created between the child and mother at a young age providing the mother with certain indications when it comes to her child. Again although intuition can not always be explained in a intellectual matter it is important in the study of Tok as it helps describe and understand the actual way we know certain things.

Intuition can potentially provide one with the "ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning: we shall allow our intuition to guide us, a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning: your insights and intuitions as a native speaker are positively sought". -  B Yeats 

Real Life situation: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3105956/Saved-seconds-spare-thanks-mothers-intuition-baby-nearly-died-doctors-said-wrong.html

Emotion - Finding the Road to happiness

Emotions entail the different stages or "feelings" a human experiences in different situations. The key to happiness is a highly debated question. The following is an article I found on the Washington post which claims happiness is found most through pleasant surprises. The article uses many references, like celebrities winning awards, or children finding out they do not have homework, even going as far as finding a lucky penny on the ground. Happiness is difficult to weigh or even measure because it is different for every person thus relating with human sciences. Human sciences looks at the relationships between people in a social environment. Understanding the science behind happiness could also connect with natural sciences by understanding the raise or drop in dopa mine levels. Either way using both can help one shape their understanding on what can make one the most happy. By comparing and contrasting the two we can actually see how happy small or even big surprises make us.

"The source of emotion is mysterious, there seem to be a limitless number of them, and their effect is so varied in terms of nature and duration. It’s therefore important to try to get a handle on them as soon as possible."

Real Life Situation: 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/08/08/on-the-road-to-happiness-a-pleasant-surprise-beats-a-sure-thing/

Religion causing anxiety or alleviating it?

Relgion like any form of culture is a senstive topic. Since each religion is so different it is hard to draw connections between each indivual and their faith. An article I recently read stated prayer can either cause anxiety or alleviate it depending on the individuals strength in belief and connection with god. Personally I have seen that often times when studying for a large final students tend to put more faith in the power of god to help "pass" which for some give them comfort in the fact that a higher power is to determine their future. For students who do not have a strong belief are seen in more of a stressed state as they believe the entire weight of their future weighs on their backs. In the article similar notions are presented but not only in the strength in belief but also what the belief consists of. The article states that people with belief in vengeful gods tend to have more anxiety as a more friendly figure would provide a output and a sense of relief. Religion is closed linked with faith and what people percieve to be true. Similarly in this situation emotion is also included where faith and emotion are linked together to help us understand how and why humans link higher powers to a sense of comfort. By understanding this area one is provided with different solutions one being a medical one as anxiety causes one to have stress. Understanding the relationship can help with forming a solution to the problems of stress and anxiety in a non pharemacutical method unlike what is avaliale today.
Real Life Situation
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/when-prayer-makes-anxiety-worse/376002/

8 Glasses of water?

Recently I was questioning a lot of things I have been told. Things like you should drink 8 glasses of water a day or you should eat an apple a  day. It made me question where does this idea come from and why. I recently found an article on the New York times that addressed this. Apparently the article states that there is no science behind this myth. Although it also says that dehydration in the summer is a huge problem. This article ties in the with area of knowledge human sciences but then again it helps us understand where this myth comes from. After analyzing the real life situation again I was able to draw the conclusion of the bandwagon effect. The article claims that this myth comes from the United states in the early 1950's when dehydration was a major problem. In order to get citizens to start drinking more water US officials, companies like USDA and The national health organization started scaring people that drinking water would result in horrible outcomes and came up with the slogan, drink 8 glasses of water a day. This slogan resonated and is still today known.  Personally I am glad that this article set the myth straight

Real Life Situation
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html?action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&contentPlacement=33&pgtype=sectionfront&hash=8cace9a5-eace-4943-936c-47e81461225d

TOK Areas of Knowledge

The TOK areas of knowledge are how we divide up and label the knowledge we possess. The TOK course identifies 8 different areas of knowledge, but although the nature of the knowledge within them undoubtedly varies, you should be aware that there is a great deal of overlapping both amongst themselves, and with the ways of knowing:
- Math
- Natural Sciences
- Human Sciences
- History
-The arts
- Ethics
- Religious Knowledge systems
- Indigenous Knowledge Systems