Areas of Interest

1. Genetics
The topic of genetics has always interested me in the past. I very much enjoyed learning about it in high school, but I know there is still much more I can learn about the topic. I ranked this topic number one because I look forward to being able to deepen my knowledge of this interesting topic.

http://www.techinsider.io/how-deep-genomics-is-using-ai-to-solve-genetic-mysteries-2015-9

This article from "Tech Insider" explains a promising new technique that a company, Deep Genomics, is using to try to read and understand the human genome. Deep Genomics is attempting to use artificial intelligence to analyze and interrupt the human genome. I found this article interesting because it incorporates different fields of study in attempt to some one of genetics most important problems.

2. The End of the World
I found the topic of the end of the world to be a very intriguing topic. This topic is full of mystery and I would find it very interesting to research different theories about the end of the world.

https://www.inverse.com/article/6104-universe-sandbox-uses-physics-to-simulate-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it

In this article from "Inverse", a physics simulator is used to show the impact that different theories of the world's end would have on planet earth. This article is interesting because it not only informs the reader about many different theories but also shows the reader a visual representation of the theories destruction.

3. Food
I choose food for my final topic of interest not only because I love food, but because vast research opportunities that the topic of food allows for. I can do research on the cultural aspects of food, the social impacts of food, or even the affects of food on the human body.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/17/440951329/about-a-third-of-u-s-kids-and-teens-ate-fast-food-today

This article from "NPR" examines the huge role that fast food plays in American society. The article explains how around a third of children and teens eat fast food each day. This percentage is largely due to constant advertisements, financial convenience, and the similar example that adults set for them. I found this article interesting cause it addressed a problem that America as an entire culture faces together.

Wittgenstein’s Attempt at Explanation

The reading of Wittgenstein’s excerpts from “Philosophical Investigations” was, for the most part, a challenging one. Many of the ideas that Wittgenstein brought in were difficult to grasp, but I do applaud Wittgenstein’s attempt at explaining his complex ideas in as easy of a way as possible.

The first technique that I found that made Wittgenstein’s concepts easier to read and process was his choice of format. Wittgenstein could have written his ideas down using an essay format full of never ending paragraphs making his already tough to understand ideas even more challenging However, by breaking up his ideas into numbered sections, Wittgenstein was able to separate his ideas so that the reader does not feel overwhelmed by the information.

Secondly, Wittgenstein wrote in almost a dialogue form; constantly asking himself questions that the reader may have had about his concepts. This constant back and forth not only allowed Wittgenstein to state his ideas but also allowed him to elaborate on the more complex topics in greater detail. Without this aspect of Wittgenstein’s writing many questions that the reader may have had would most likely go unanswered and only add to the reader’s confusion.

The final device that I found helpful in Wittgenstein’s writing was his use of comparison. For example, when he compared language to games. Wittgenstein explains how games cannot be defined by one feature because not all games share one feature in common. Instead, however, all games are linked through different similarities which Wittgenstein calls a “family resemblance”. Just like a game, language also cannot be defined by one feature but is linked by family resemblances. By using this comparison Wittgenstein takes his complex concept of defining language and explains it in more familiar terms that the readers can better understand.

Even with these three helpful aspects, the topic of Wittgenstein’s writing was still not easy to fully understand. Nevertheless, if it were not previously for these explanation techniques the reading would have been unbearable. 

In Clifford Geertz's article, "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight", Geertz explores how a chance incident allows him and his wife the opportunity to study and document the complex nature of Balinese cockfighting. In the beginning of the article, Geertz and his wife were complete outsiders in the Bali village. In the article Geertz's states, "people seemed to look right through us." This expresses how Geertz and his wife were neglected by almost all the people in the village which made it practically impossible for them to learn about the culture of the Balinese people. This outsider status was removed, however, after Geertz and his wife responded in the same way as the villagers did during a police raid at an illegal cockfight. I found it astonishing that just because of his impulse decision to run, Geertz's entire relationship with the Balinese people changed drastically. After this event, Geertz and his wife were no longer treated with the cold shoulder but were instead welcomed with open arms by who were now their fellow villagers. This one event not only allowed Geertz to become part of the community, but also more importantly allowed him to discover previous unknown aspects of Balinese culture.
With his new acceptance into the community Geertz began to discover the elaborate importance of cockfighting in Bali. Geertz explains in great detail in the article how cockfighting in Balinese culture is not centered around the money that is made or lost or the cock that dies or lives, but is instead centered around the hidden social impact of each match's outcome. This impact that the cockfights have on men's social status would not have been apparent to Geertz if he was still an outsider looking in. Geertz's understanding and documentation of the social impact of cockfighting in Bali was only possible because of the unexpected event that opened the doors to a deeper knowledge of Balinese culture.