Arts Blog

This artwork, Shark, belongs to David Cerny and is a recreation of  Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The intention of the artist was to recreate in our minds the image of Saddam Hussein who in this artwork is submerged in a tank formaldehyde. The intention is to make us believe on the impossibility of death in the minds of something living. Meaning that something does not die when it lived in the mind of the people. I believe that it is a good work of art but that is contradicting by the image that it represents. Even though, creating an image of Saddam Hussein must be really hard. The reaction of the audience is questioning why does he want the image of Saddam Hussein alive?. Either way, Shark, is a depicting image of the dictator we grew up to know and the obscurity in his image. 

Imitation: The artist is trying to imitate the image of Saddam Hussein and the obscurity in his death. 

Communication: The artist is trying to communicate to the public, that the way that Saddam Hussein fed his enemies to the shark, he now becomes a shark. 

Education: This educates the audience because it gives us a new image of this dictator that we did not know before. 

http://artculture.com/artists/spotlights/controversial-art-showcase

Human Sciences Post

Loftus and Palmer:  Reconstruction of automobile destruction 

In this study Loftus and Palmer are trying to prove that memory is not a factual recording of an event and that memories can be distorted by other information that occurs after the event. 

The study consists of two laboratory experiments. The independent variable of both of the experiments is the verb used. The dependent variable in the first experiment is the participant's speed estimate and the dependent variable in the second experiment is whether the participant believed they saw glass. 

Loftus and Palmer argue that two kinds of information go into a person's memory of an event. The first is the information obtained from perceiving an event, and the second is the other information supplied to us after the event. Over time, the information from these two sources may be integrated in such a way that we are unable to tell from which source some specific detail is recalled. All we have is "one" memory. 

http://www.holah.co.uk/study/loftus/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hwEUaOeuFQ

Ethics Blog

Euthanasia vs Life Support

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1vGEQTkp9d_qoX8fB7Htv59Fhu2X_-ekEMji4_CLR7ACUNBaqSmKr21k_etfIin67DyqQdkHwEQuoVBotBJrOBFJsTxNFXJxSCfxCWvU2qXsz_tfOiouJ330ZlEaPzcgUNf2U7-5dT8/s320/euthanasia_poster_GI.jpg

Several governments around the world have legalized voluntary euthanasia. 

In Russia, euthanasia is banned. 

In 2002, The Netherlands legalized euthanasia including physician assisted suicide. 

In Mexico, active euthanasia is illegal but since 7 January 2008, the law allows the terminally ill - or closest relatives, if unconscious - to refuse medication or further medical treatment to extend life, in Mexico City, Aguascalientes and Michoacan. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_euthanasia#Japan

I believe that euthanasia is unethical until a certain point. If the person is not conscious or does not want to be "disconnected" then it is unethical. But if the person does not want the family to be wasting the money on them, then it should be the person's call. Nevertheless, nobody can take away someone else's life that is not God. 

Historical Analysis Post

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/kni/lowres/knin492l.jpg

Origin: The origin of this cartoon was on June 2009, when the whole Honduran Crisis was going on, and it was said that Hugo Chavez was behind whatever Mel did. 

Purpose: To give a visual representation of how Hugo Chavez wanted to control Honduras. Informing the Honduran people on what was going on. 

Value: The value is important because it opens the eyes of the Honduran people, to not let Hugo Chavez control their country. 

Limitation: There is no description on this image so it is hard to understand if you are not informed of the situation.