rhetoric of cancer (reaction)

Rhetoric of Cancer

The podcast is about a man who is in battle with cancer.  The interesting and funny thing I found in this documentary is the way he thinks in the midst of his illness. Of course, it is natural for people to feel bad when they found out that they have cancer.  But this man acted differently. He has an inquisitive mind and this inquisitive mind could actually help a lot in doing a scientific and a social science research.

In the documentary, he discussed that most people say that people dealing with cancer often use war metaphors and perceive their bodies as war zone. He wasn’t happy with that, so he sought the help of experts to find the appropriate language for him. While his dilemma could help in the advancement of medical science and psychological therapies and treatments, it also opens another question to ponder on society, specifically in linguistic research.

As a Linguistics student, I found his ideas really interesting and I found his personality interesting, too.  If all people would act like him, the world would be a better place- a place where innovations, progress and advancement come.

2008-44779

Time Travel

Time Travel

A lot of people are still thinking if time travel is really possible. Up to now, there have been numerous studies, experiments and suppositions on how time travel works.  With valid scientific theories and explanations, people still believed that this question can be answered. For scientists, this mystery can be solved in terms of time and space. Yes, time and space- the two things that cannot exist without the other.

As we see, the concept of time travel already appeared in several movies. The figment of imagination of people in time travelling has been reflected in the screens. Some movies showed the use of time machine, others just use the character’s ability to do it. Though the process, (or to be exact, the science) behind time travelling is often not shown, movies make it sure to present the aftermath. The question is, if time travel is for real, would you go back to the past? Would you like to see the future? As for me, I would stay in the now.

2008-44779

Time Travel

The whole idea of time travel is both seductive and terrifying. The documentary convinced me that time travel will happen (or already happened) in the future.
There many films, literature and TV shows that use time travel as part of their plot but I think Looper depicts an accurate scenario for time travel. In the future I would imagine that time travel would be illegal. Changing or attempting to change the past is way too risky.
That being said, it would be great if I could time travel. I would totally time travel responsibly (and hopefully, it'll be with the Doctor!)

Reaction Paper on Time Travel

Rivera, Monica Tricia
2013-1439

I learned many things from watching the documentary on Time Travel, the most important being the fact that time is not constant. It is not the same all throughout the universe, or even on Earth. The lapses of time are not constant either. Moreover, time is the fourth dimension, the first three dimensions being spacial. Given these facts, time can be manipulated.

It was very hard to understand the facts presented, because they are not easily observed by the ordinary human being. Concepts such as how in the equation, Speed = Distance/Time, speed and distance are constant but time is not were very confusing. However, it's still very interesting to learn these things and I realized that Time Travel truly is a possibility.

Reaction Paper on The Rhetoric of Cancer

Rivera, Monica Tricia
2013-14349

The podcast, The Rhetoric of Cancer, was very interesting. Before listening to this podcast, I never thought that there was anything wrong with using military metaphors, such as "battling Cancer," or with asking Cancer patients to be "strong" or "brave."  However, after listening to it, I realized that in a way, the way people speak about Cancer can be quite insensitive and inappropriate. This is because Cancer patients do not feel as if Cancer is an external force that they have to battle against. Instead, they feel that Cancer has become a part of them. It is more appropriate to say that these patients have to "live alongside Cancer" or "kiss Cancer goodbye." That way, the language in which we address Cancer would have more compassion.

Reaction Paper : Rhetoric of Cancer

How complex can cancer get? It is a question with many answers, of how complicated this deadly disease is or how technical the medical terms associated with it are or how emotional the feelings arising from having it, and the like. What the podcast presented is the language of cancer characterized as a “military language” because of all the comparisons of the disease to a war, a real battle. Because of media, we might not be able to find it weird from the very start since it was always like that since then. Terms or lines like “fighting cancer” have been the forefront of campaigns. With this, it seems like the victim is fighting an enemy inside his or her body and defeating this enemy will mean triumph for the person. Even if it appears that associating military language for cancer is recognition of the patient’s struggle with the disease, it is strange that we are adding burden to the feeling since it is a fight or a battle wherein you need to conquer everything to succeed. With this mindset, I guess some might find motivation to really go through with the disease but it is also good to look at it with another perspective. If a person actually deals with the disease as something which he or she does not need to fight, something which he needs to cope with as if adapting to be able to live, I think this might also give more hope. Hope comes in the picture because of having more positive attitudes towards it rather than treating it an enemy which attracts a negative attitude. As a daughter of someone who passed away because of cancer, I have been a witness to how hope can change a life of not only the patient but also the people around him or her especially the family. Once the patient gets hope and support from his or her loved ones, there is a stronger commitment to deal with the disease. At the end, everything will matter based on the perspectives of a person in dealing with cancer and this complex thing might even get simpler and easier as one has never imagined.

Sy, Danica

2013-50915

Reaction Paper : Time Travel

The world being 4D, which means that there exists another dimension not really often tackled, has caught the interest of many physicists and the like. And the other complex dimension is time. “Time is gold” has been a common expression which pertains to how precious time is for people. Because of its importance, many people want to control time, either to go back in time or to go through time to arrive in the future. However, this might pose many implications, both positive and negative.

Tinkering with time is like exploring the unknown. One is not guaranteed what the past or future beholds for a person who is time travelling. Could time travelling really help people? If one goes back in time, what will happen to the person’s present or even future self? Same thing if one advances to the time of the future. And the twist of it, will there actually be a way for its success to be reported if one becomes actually gone after “time travelling” and might not be able to come back? Although it will be a great feat for science and technology to be able to conduct time travelling, there are just many things at stake. Especially since it affects the present, some might turn out better while others might turn out worse. The risk in “playing” with time doesn’t just involve a person, but even a whole society.

Personally, I think that time travelling is not a completely good idea. First and foremost, it deals with a human life and life should be the most important priority. Moreover, like what has been portrayed in films or dramas about time travelling, there is always a price to pay. If time will always be accessible to everyone, then time wouldn’t be that valuable anymore and will be neglected. It might be even misused or taken advantage of.

We live in the present; all in the past is just a memory and the future remains uncertain, always a prediction. The complexity of time travelling and its implications is a puzzle which will always linger in the curious minds of the people unless it is proven or disproven with enough proofs to convince everyone.  

Sy, Danica

2013-50915