TED Video : Are you born to die?

    Historically, there have been many efforts made in searching for the origin of animal instincts. We are quite familiar that many scientists made diverse hypotheses and theories to seek the fundamental key that reveals the enigma of innate properties of animals, including those of humans. However, when we try to scrutinize where these extreme properties come from, our observations focus on how animals or, according to Richard Dawkins, genes struggle themselves to maintain their existence. But in this lecture, the speaker confirmed the existence of the gene that was set to age and eventually, kill animals. I believe the existance of such gene has a great value in the field of medical science and philosophy.
    In the field of medical science, gaining control over the 'aging gene' could be a innovative and laudable method to extend human's life span. As the speaker said, the research team has already made exemplary remarks on testing the chemicals that prevents the 'aging gene' from coming in effect. More and more the idea of longer life span becomes pragmatic, the expectation on the new medical technology The slow progress of aging not only increases the human life span, but also mitigates the severity of age-related diseases such as heart attacks, dementia etc. Of course, increased life span engenders more population. So this leaves the econmists to adequately set the changed labor market's supply-demand equilibrium. Depending on how stabilized the new equilibrium is going to work with the augmented population, it could make a dramtic increase to our social prosperity or it could lead to the all-time losing game of abject poverty.
    The field of philosophy also is anticipated to have a interesting debate toward this heresy. In the book 'Selfish Gene', Dawkins proposed the idea of the 'replicator', the initial molecule which first managed to reproduce itself and thus gained an advantage over other molecules within the primordial soup. Today, Dawkins postulates, the replicators are the genes within organisms, with each organism's body serving the purpose of a 'survival machine' for its genes. But the basic question that an acute person can ask is 'Why does the aging gene exist if human body is designed for the survival of the genes?'. There, I believe, we can come up with two theories. First, the aging gene might actually exist for animal's 'survival'. Second, the aging gene is an exception of the theory 'selfish gene'. This also leads to the debate dealing with the meaning of generations and death. So the existence of aging gene triggers diverse debates in the field of philosophy. (I would post another writing dealing with linked topics)
    To sum up, aging gene gives our society a huge influence not only for the existence itself, but when we try to understand and manipulate the gene for advanced application of medical science. Also, when humans actually achieve the ability of controling the aging gene, there would be negative effects just as many as the positive effect. Whether or not we could overcome the anticipated negative effects in the gene manipulation would eventually make the real-life application possible or not.

QUEEN. The Absolute Greatest. Music of my soul.

Sooo Cute ;;;;;;o(>ㅅ<)o;;;;;;

Review on the "The Death of a Salesman" and Other Writings. -

    Everybody has his or her innermost desires. Right at this moment, people might be wishing for a better job, a better exam score, or they could be just hoping for small things such as that tomorrow will be Sunday again. But it always strikes me that some desires are not meant to remain only as desires, for they can be poisonous, dreadful burdens for a person to carry with, especially when they are never achieved throughout one's life time.

    When you fail to grasp the opportunity that was right in front of you and realize that the train has departed long before, you start to live in your past so the future seems to have no meaning. Desires that used to make your heart beat with conviction, passion, and confidence suddenly leads you to self-accusation, tormenting and eventually, unacknowledged death. Therefore, the only way not to get dismissed from the society is to never lose your focus on your goal and be acute to opportunities.

    This might sound depressing and pessimistic for a ambitious high school student to say, but learning how to look at things squarely in this competitive world makes you to think clearly and work hard. This is the truth that any individual in this world has to face to become a mature part of this society. By realizing that opportunities that the world give you becomes more and more scarce, you start to struggle desperately to avoid yourself from accidentally falling on your knees.

    This book conveys a dark message. But its ability to resonate with its readers is outstanding.

JUDGEMENT ::: POINTS

How vividly described the story was ::: 10 / 10
Its influence toward the world ::: 9 / 10
How effectively the theme was conveyed ::: 9 / 10
How much sympathy did it draw from its readers ::: 9 / 10
How the story was flawlessly organized ::: 9 / 10
TOTAL                                              :                46 / 50

Shawshank Redemption Reading Journal

The Second Bullet. - Metafiction -

1.

"You sure this is the only way?"
'No plan Bs here, man. You know that."
I laughed. After a few seconds, I sighed.

"Ha...you really did change." He smiled. "Yes. But you didn't change a bit. Hard a find a man like you in this battlefield."

Five minutes of deep silence passed after that. Blizzering wind started to freeze my hands. No matter how long I have crammed my hands inside the pocket, they froze instantly when the they were out of it. It was Carl who first broke the breath-taking silence.

"After thirty seconds I'll be in his view. Get ready. You must make no sound."
"Carl."
"......Yeah?"
"You sure this is going to work?"
"Ah, damn. Not again with your..."
I looked into his brown eyes.
"You reckon we still can go home?"
"......" He kept silent.
"Carl, I..."
"Wherever it  is, man, it is going to be whole lot better than this place."
He tried to make himself to talk calmly as possible.
"Just stop being a girl for a while, at least this minute."
"You can't abandon the Eagles like this." I said
He didn't answer. He only said briefly,
"Get ready."
'Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven...'
"This war is going to end." I said.
He smiled softly. Maybe he was sneering.
'...two, one.'
"And I'm taking you home." I said.

2.

    Ten years have passed from that day. That day still stays as a nightmare for me and it is very hard to detach my mind from it...... Still, the basic concept of life. The fact that I am a living being makes me prone to the sickly dread of guilt. Carl was dead, but not quite. I know this is a disgusting thing to say but this I'm starting to think that it would have been better off if he just died instantlyHe was supposed to be buried in the national cemetary ten years ago. Thing  Standing in front of his hospital bed always makes me feel as if Carl will suddenly open his eyes. With a painful look on his face,(maybe I'm just imagining this) he is lying in his bed, silently. He can't say anything, really, but  I could hear him accusing me of what I have done to him. Everytime when I have the same nightmare, I found myself putting on my clothes getting ready to visit Carl. I had stay with him during that night, convincing him even in my dreams that my action was for his own good.
    But now, I didn't visit Carl to chit-chat again. When I start this business, lingering around one of those streets then I'll be lying beside him the next moment.

3.

    It has only been a few days that I have got the information about the guy who was supposed to be dead years ago. Right, the guy Carl and I tried to kill. He was one of the greatest snipers in the field at the time, just like I was. Luckily, he managed to live a little longer than I expected. Moreover, I found out that he is doing a drug business here in Boston, that prick.