Rhetoric of Cancer

In the “Rhetoric of Cancer”, Andrew Graystone, who had his own experience of cancer, finds a problem with the language used to talk about cancer. He observed that the language of cancer is usually militaristic and masculine. He complains that even though people often tell him “You’re brave.” and “You’ll be able to fight this.”, he wasn’t exactly strong or the type who fights. He wants to hear about how other people see cancer and what language they use. He talks with different people who had knowledge or experience with cancer. 

According to a doctor, the battling metaphor is due to recognition by the people around the cancer patient that cancer is a struggle. They use this language out of respect of what the patient is going through. She also adds that the media makes it seem like cancer is a boogeyman or a monster. Because of this image, people become so fearful of cancer. According to a scientist, he and his colleagues stay objective on their view of cancer since they try to figure out ways to analyse cancer. They focus on the molecules, proteins and genes involved in cancer. For a priest, cancer can be seen as a dark angel and messenger telling a person that he’s dying. For a Christian theologian, cancer, being an illness, can be “evil”.

Because of this podcast, I learned that the usual militaristic and masculine language of cancer does not fit everybody’s case. To some people, it may come off as too strong and violent, since it implies cancer as a war within the body. Others, like Andrew Graystone, do not want to think of cancer as a battle since it means fighting something that is already a part of their body.

I realized that there can never be a universal language for cancer. People all have unique experiences of cancer. No two persons will ever have the exact experience of cancer.  People have different views on cancer which also influence their different ways of approaching it.  Every single person, who has had an encounter or an experience of cancer, will use his/her own language of cancer, which fits his/her personality and environment. 

This makes me think that cancer is not simply an illness that has caused the death of so many people. It is actually something more complex so it definitely needs more understanding. We need to be more careful in talking about this sickness. Also, since I was so used to the negativity and fear that comes with the word “cancer”, this podcast became a very effective eye-opener. I learned that cancer can’t always be negative. Just like how some of the speakers in the podcast thought of cancer as a “gift” and something wonderful, it can possibly be thought of as good or positive. 

Bacayo, Jay Anne R.

2013- 44153

         

NatGeo’s Naked Science: Time Machine

      Before watching NatGeo’s Naked Science: Time Machine, I’ve encountered time travel ideas mainly from films and literature. After all, time travel has been so fascinating that it has driven several box-office and best-seller plot lines, ranging from action (i.e. The Terminator franchise) to psychological thriller (i.e. The Butterfly Effect) even to romantic comedies (i.e. The Time Traveller’s Wife). As amazing as it is, I’ve always deemed time travel as just that- a fictional concept. However, upon listening to numerous professors in this show, I’ve started to welcome its potential feasibility. Plus, I really appreciated getting deeper knowledge on time.

        After taking into account the episode’s featured time concepts and time travel attempts, I’ve realized that time travel through a time machine isn’t possible today or in the near future, but it may be possible after several centuries of advancements. This is because the episode featured small forms of time travel occurring naturally and discoveries currently being made about time travel’s mechanism.

I appreciated the detailed examples of natural forms of “time travel;” Due to the time it takes for light to travel distances, stars like the Sun that we see on Earth are their images from the past. Also, when one twin goes to outer space, he ages slowly because of high-speed travelling. When he goes back to earth, it would seem that he is traveling to the future because his twin would be much older! Also, a person on the top of a building and is farther from earth experiences a very slightly faster time compared to the person on the ground floor. Clearly, speed and gravity have an effect on time. With more studies on how to apply this knowledge, I think man can harness the effect in the future.

In fact, scientists have already been on that track. Scientists have been studying Muons (high energy and high speed particles that may hopefully be pushed to the speed of light one day), cosmic strings (hypothetical thin threads of energy with great gravity that can bend space-time), and wormholes (connections from two ends of bended space-time). Thus, I think we’re on the way to creating effective time machines. Sure, there are still a lot of problems with these theories, like we currently don’t have enough energy on earth to make a particle move as fast as light. However, we’ve still gained insights and learning points on how time works; with little steps, we can make great discoveries. And the human race keeps developing and finding ways to produce things we never thought we could make, so even if it’s not possible in this century, it may be possible one day.

As Professor Ron Mallett said in the introductory spiel of the episode, probably the human race’s fascination with time travel comes from the sense of power over destiny, that’s granted by the idea of controlling space and time. Assuming time travel will be possible in the far off future, another main concern would be how man will use this “power” responsibly. We must be reminded that changing events in the past or future may alter and negatively affect the lives of those who live in the present. Changes that we predict to be beneficial may backfire and ultimately bring more harm. Thus, as we continue research on time travel we must constantly ask ourselves not only “Is it possible?” but also “Are we really ready for this?”

Darla Bautista

2013-14467

On BBC’s “Rhetoric of Cancer”

          In the BBC The Documentary’s episode, “The Rhetoric of Cancer,” Andrew Graystone, a man diagnosed with cancer, explores the connotations of militaristic metaphors used to describe cancer and its treatments. Graystone didn’t feel comfortable with the use of military words like “battle,” “fight against,” and “victim” in describing cancer treatments because he isn’t the “type to fight cancer.” He sees cancer cells as a part of his body that just so happen to be dangerous, and as such he must “treat them with hospitality” and “try to love them.” He thus talks to various people in the pursuit of more accurate metaphors that can be used for cancer patients who don’t feel the need to “fight” a part of them, but who want to “live alongside” the disease.

          On one hand, I appreciated the insight about the negative connotation of militaristic metaphors. It came to my attention that not all cancer patients feel the need to be aggressive towards their disease; rather, there are those who are more at peace with their condition and would rather “live alongside” the disease. It seems that militaristic terms upset some patients because they feel pressured to battle something that they don’t feel like they can or should.

Also, I guess Graystone is trying to change our perspective towards cancer as our “enemy;” After watching this documentary, I, for one, have opened my mind to the image of cancer as a condition that is something we should accept while treating. I understand that instead of being a villain, cancer may be an improperly played note in the “symphony of cells,” so we don’t have to be angry at its existence. Simply put, if one has cancer, one doesn’t have to hate his body and feel wrath against his fate; rather, one should try to accept what has happened.

Nevertheless, I somehow support the use of military language for cancer treatments. First, “fighting against cancer” doesn’t always have to mean aggressive physical treatments- it can also be about emotionally fighting the disease, as in doing one’s best to overcome sadness due to one’s condition. Second, militaristic language can sincerely respect cancer patients for their courage in dealing with the disease; “survivor” or “victor” is an apt title for a person who has gone through a challenge, which doesn’t necessarily have to be “evil.” It can boost the morale of those facing cancer by calling them noble. Third, I agree that personifying cancer with words has been helpful in gaining funds for cancer research. Although it isn’t evil, many have died because of this illness; using military language emphasizes the gravity of the situation and the urgency for a cure. Fourth, as Michael Overduin (an interviewee in the episode) affirmed, militaristic words are easily understood terms for what drug molecules/ proteins really do- hitting target cancer cells.

Militaristic language has both positive and negative connotations, depending on the experiences and outlook of the person you’re talking to. “Rhetoric of Cancer” is a reminder that cancer patients face various emotional struggles and thus have different reactions to our references to their conditions; it is definitely a wakeup call for us to be sensitive when talking to them.

Darla Bautista 2013-14467

Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

Maaño, Dhalal M.                                                                               16 January 2014

Le Voyage dans la lune is a magnificent iconic short film that is considered as an exceptionally important film and a milestone in the cinematic history. It is awarded not only as one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century but it is also the first work designated as a UNESCO World Heritage film in 2002 (Source: http://www.festival-cannes.fr). 

In the age wherein the world had a diminutive or should we say no exposure to films at all, Le Voyage dans la lune  is something that would have literally blow everyone’s mind. Furthermore, what makes Le Voyage dans la lune   as a cinematic masterpiece is that during the era that it was first shown to the public, it was introduced with special effects and cuts with disappearing and revealing objects wherein during that time considered as impossible. For its time, this must've been absolutely incredible.

If I were one of the audiences who got the chance to watch Le Voyage dans la lune, given that it is considered as the screen’s first science fiction story, I would really be thunderstruck and drowned in astonishment of how the film was created given the available technology that the makers of the film had on that day and age.

The film was a result of an incredibly playful and ultra-smart imagination that is very much appreciated and transcends  not only on the audience of the past but across generations making it a must-watch as the Godfather of all films especially for those film enthusiasts.

A Modern Take on "Time Enough At Last"

In “Time Enough At Last”, Henry Bemis is a character whose prominent characteristic is his love for reading. However, this is taken to the extreme by him that it gets in the way of his work and relationships such as his boss and his wife. It is also this love of reading that let him survive twice. The first is when he locked himself in the bank’s safe when the hydrogen bomb hit and killed everyone just to be able to read, while the second is when he spotted the remnants of the public library just when he was about to shoot himself out of boredom and pointlessness.

If this episode could be adapted into modern times, one may change Henry Bemis to someone who has an internet addiction, which would be similar as his usage of the internet would get in the way of his work and other related activities towards the people around him. I would also change the hydrogen bomb to a nuclear one, and that he would be hiding inside a nuclear shelter just to be able to use the internet. Lastly, instead of his glasses it could be that the monitor of his computer breaks instead. The radiation would force him to stay inside, which makes his fate all the more believable as opposed to his monitor breaking and him just finding another computer to use.

Royce Tee 2013-71153

A reaction paper: "Twilight Zoned" Time Enought at Last
2012-98083                                            Hayashi, Daiki

If I am to write an adaptation of the story, I would write about a computer game addict. Nowadays, there are people who immerse themselves in the virtual world as an escape to the real one. The main character would be a high-school student, who is deemed and worshipped as a god because of his strength. However, in reality, he is always scolded by his mother for skipping school. The virtual world was his paradise because he had a lot of friends there while he has none in school.

Like any ordinary school-skipping day, he sat down in front of his computer and started to take off from reality and rule in his virtual world. An earthquake shook the ground - affecting many people and destroyed most of the infrastructure in town. And because of this, classes were suspended. Instead of feeling bad, he was happy to be able to play his game more without being reprimanded by his mother. While most people are busy in 

rehabilitating their town, there he was playing god in his own world.

Eventually, he noticed that he got tired of playing the computer game. It was not as satisfying as before. He was puzzled why he suddenly got sick of the game when all he ever wanted was to play the game. He then decided to disconnect from his virtual world and started living in the real one by helping the people.

I would end the story with a happy ending because most people prefer happy endings rather than tragedy. I thought of using a computer game because it distracts users to their work, studies, or social life as much as books are considered as distraction during the time "Time Enough at last" was made.

A Reaction Paper: Futurama, Space Pilot 3000　

                                                                                       2012-98083       Hayashi,Daki

Fry decided to travel a millennium ahead of his time because too much disappointments in the present. However, the future was different from what he expected. A computer assigned him to be a delivery boy. The people had no freedom to do what they want to as the society dictates what should they do. The pilot episode depicts the slavery of mankind as science and technology continues to progress. Science and technology do make life more convenient but less conducive for humans. In fact, people opt to commit suicide using a machine.

 Cryonics were used for time traveling in this TV series. It is a preservation method, where the bodies are subjected to a very low temperature. It is typically applied to people, who are terminally ill and cannot be cured in the current medical era hence, this procedure is done win hopes that the future medical technology will be able to save them. However, as mentioned earlier, despite the advancement of technology, people were not satisfied with their lives in the year 3000. People resort to cryonics to live as long as they can but it did not have any assurance that the life they will live a thousand years later was a happy and fulfilling one.

Nothing to Do in So Much Time

A Reaction on “Time Enough At Last”

If given a chance, I would do everything I want to do without being conscious about time.  This is what Henry Bemis also hoped for. Henry Bemis is a bank teller who was reprimanded by the bank president due to his lack of responsibility during work. He is an avid bookworm who reads books even working with a client. His wife also complains about his addiction to reading. And because of that, she never let Bemis read at home. She even played a prank on him by scribbling on the pages of one of the books of Bemis.

Because of lack of time on reading, Bemis makes time for reading during his lunch break in a bank vault so no one would disturb him. One time, when he did this particular routine, an explosion happened and he was knocked unconscious. After he regained consciousness, he went out the vault and saw the total destruction. At first he seemed alright even if he is the only one survived. But loneliness entered his system and decided to commit suicide. Before pulling the trigger of a revolver he found, he saw the sign of a public library. Because of this, his world became alive again. He started sorting the books according to when he would read each of them. But his life shattered again when his reading glasses fell and broke.

This scenario is not only applicable during 1950s, which is the time when this series was shown. This situation could also be seen nowadays with some alteration on details. Henry Bemis is the counterpart of the modern teenagers who are addicted to gadgets and technology. And a few hours blackout may seem like a total destruction caused by a bomb for teenagers who would not be able to charge their gadgets. One similarity of Henry Bemis and modern day teenagers is their coping with aloneness. They just have different approach: Bemis would dive into his books while teenagers would surf the net and connect with friends. These modern day counterparts could be used for an adaptation of the series.

The Irony in Twilight Zone's Time Enough at Last

Just when Henry has all the time to read everything he wants, his eye glasses broke. One realization that this episode gave me is life is really ironic. For a lot of times, when we decided to go on for something, we now just can not. 

For 1950s show, Twilight Zone's Time Enough at Last is still good to watch considering the standards of the present times. It was interesting and humorous enough to meet the modern day requirements of television shows. 

If I have to create an update or an adaptation of the show, Henry would be replaced by a typical Metro Manila teen boy who was left alone playing computer games at his laptop. Waking up after the bombing, the boy will come out of his room and realize that he was the only one left. He will be shocked and saddened by the destruction and loss of loved ones. He tries to calm down and looks on the positive note. After some time, he realizes that he has now all the time he needs to enjoy computer games. Just when he is about to start enjoying playing, his laptop goes empty. Here, the irony is still highlighted with emphasis also on the issue of game addiction leading to taking the more important things in life for granted.

- 2009-50781

Contexts:

A Reaction on Mellies' A Trip to the Moon

Contexts change how we view things. Without enough context, understanding is almost unattainable.

Locating my thinking in the 1900 in France, I would consider the film 'A Trip to the Moon' to be a pioneer in its field. A decade after the invention of motion camera, the film recorded milestones in visual effects and cinematography. People as this time would be amazed to see an our of this world setting. It also showed the concept of aliens or extra-terrestrial beings.

However, I think that its main purpose is to entertain.  It is mainly focused on humorous acts, seen through how the actors played their roles and interact with each other. The overall projection of the film is light and bubbly; it did not aim to inform and persuade. Although I am not sure if the people that time are already properly educated of the moon, I think scenes at the moon were not realistic. The physical characteristics of the moon were considered; however, gravitation could have been considered also so that it could be more realistic. Still, this might be caused by technical constraints.

Overall, it was a good film at that time. But now, as society tremendously developed with higher standards and film makers make reality and the impossible meet, 'A trip to the Moon' would be considered primitive. The only thing that makes this movie still significant is that it was a pioneer in the field of science-fiction.

- 2009-50781

Space Pilot 3000

Futurama’s first episode, Space Pilot 3000, featured a boy named Fry. His girlfriend ended their relationship and he was sick of being a delivery boy so he became depressed, repeatedly saying “I hate my life.” He accidentally entered a machine in a cryonic lab and was taken to a time many years later, on December 31, 2999. When Fry was ecstatic that he won’t see his parents, co-workers and girlfriend again, this showed that he thought of his time-travelling as an escape from the old life that he didn’t like. In the year 3000, so many things have changed. Only the ruins of New York are left. 

Futurama showed that developments in science and technology will always have two sides. They will either be used to make society better or worse. In the future, more types of air transportation were developed. People travelled through long tubes, where a person only needs to state his desired destination. This particular development helped society since it made transportation easier. 

Futurama also showed other technologies, which didn’t exactly promote the betterment of society, like the Fate Assignment Program and the Suicide Booth. The use of these two illustrated the people’s dependence on technology to accomplish things. With the Fate Assignment Program, people let technology dictate their destiny. Once their chips are implanted, they are already stuck with the career forever, whether they like it or not. This violates the people’s freedom of choice. It’s as if they do not have the capacity to choose the career that they want to pursue.  They are not allowed to have jobs that do not match their career chips. 

People use the Suicide Booth to end their lives, with two possible modes of death: quick or slow. It presented a scenario where there are machines that are specifically created to help people commit suicide. This is terrifying since this technology can actually encourage suicide and this shows the obvious misuse of scientific and technological advances. When people choose to die, they know that there is a machine, always available and convenient for them to use, which could help them. The convenience of this machine is negative since it helps people to achieve something bad. 

Jay Anne Bacayo

2013-44153

Trip to the Moon

If I were present during the first screening of the film, I would definitely be amazed and happy. The movie presented a scenario where a fantasy of mine came true. Before watching the movie, I believed having a trip to the moon was only a fantasy but the “Trip to the Moon” helped me shift my mindset. With its very optimistic storyline, it gave me hope that the ideas which I originally saw as impossible and unrealistic can actually happen. 

I was really entertained by the movie. It had a very light and funny mood. From the trip’s plan and development stage, preparation and take off, it had many comical antics. One of the funniest parts for me was when the moon was hit by the rocket-like machine right in the face so the moon showed an expression of discomfort and pain.

The movie had a very humorous approach on travelling to the moon. It didn’t really focus on the scientific part of the lunar trip. With the light-hearted and casual behaviour of the travelling men, it seemed like they were merely going on a vacation in a resort.

The movie also illustrated the creativity and imagination of its makers, during that time, by presenting a scenario with strange life-forms and creatures living in the moon. It left me wondering about the big possibility of the existence of other beings in, not only the moon, but also in the planets and other astronomical figures.

Jay Anne Bacayo

2013-44153

Time and Technology

I really liked the entire storyline of the episode, “Time Enough At Last”. With its very tragic ending, it really became memorable. After surviving the nuclear bomb, Henry finally had no obstacles to continue his favourite pastime, which is reading. He finally had no boss who would scold him for reading and no wife, who would destroy the pages of his book. Just when he thought time was enough at last and he found so many books, his glasses fell and became destroyed. He had the time and freedom to read, but the most important tool he uses for reading is now broken. 

If I were to update the episode, I would change it in order to fit the modern period which has a more advanced technology. Instead of having a book, I will replace it with gadgets such as a phone or tablet and I will change Henry into a teenager. I chose the gadgets because many are reading ebooks instead of the traditional books. These gadgets always keep the people, especially teenagers, busy as they surf the net, play games and communicate with others. Some people even use these so frequently that it seems like an obsession. For parents, this obsession is alarming as their children can’t seem to survive a day without having their phone or tablet. Just like what Henry’s wife did, parents try to control their kids’ obsession. A tragic ending for my version of the Twilight Zone episode could be: Once the teenager finally has no one to stop him from using his phone or tablet, his gadget suddenly runs out of battery.

Jay Anne Bacayo

2013-44153