Unit 8: Formal Essay Models

Among the oceans and land masses of earth, there are some animals which are not meant to be feasted upon. These creatures, which can be beautiful, have a defense system that many other animals do not possess. The puffer fish’s poison is deadly. Spur-winged geese are immune to cantharidin and are poisonous. Crazily, the tiny amphibian known as the poison dart frog is terribly fatal when touched because of the poison that it creates.

In Japan there are certain chefs who get a license to create a sushi dish called “fugu” which is made from the puffer fish.  Because only one of three chefs do it, they are trained vigorously for two to three years. Fortunately, this dish is made out of the safer parts of the puffer fish, but it can still be poisonous. The puffer fish’s poison is 1200 times deadlier than cyanide.  Unfortunately, there is no antidote. Although this fish is highly toxic, people still anxiously ingest this food.

During the 1900’s, nomads in Africa consistently hunted spur-winged geese for food because of how tasty they were. Spur-winged geese look like normal geese with pinkish legs. They are 30-45 inches long and weigh between eight and fifteen pounds. This animal hunts blister beetles, which contain a deadly poison called cantharidin, but the goose is immune.. Surprisingly, only ten milligrams of cantharidin will kill a human. This is one sand grain. Although most of the geese are poisonous, some of them are not and are safe to consume.

Among the warm climate of the tropics lives the golden poison frog, which is about two inches long and excretes enough poison to easily kill ten grown men. The substance which oozes from the pores of this amphibian is deadly and used by native tribesmen for hunting with their blow gun darts which they dip into the poison. Frighteningly, even a single drop of this frog’s poison can be 200 times more powerful than morphine. Because the symptoms of this poison include nausea and tightness of all muscles in the body, it can lead to suffocation of the victims as they are left to rot in the heat of the jungle. This amphibian is dangerous.  

    Around the world, there are many other creatures that can be just as deadly as any of these. The puffer fish, spur-winged goose, and the poison dart frog are amazing because of how they defend themselves while in danger. But most importantly, the study of the poisons of the puffer fish and poison dart frog can help humans because these can be used as painkillers in small amounts. These creatures are fascinating. Fortunately for them, these very poisonous critters are regarded with care and respect.

“Sports carried me away from being in a gang, or being associated with drugs. Sports was my way out.” LeBron James was born in 1984 to his impoverished teenage single mother living on the streets of Akron, Ohio. He was born hopeless. He was helpless. He had no future. However, he did have a remarkable innate talent for sports, and LeBron and his mother, Gloria James, capitalized on those talents to keep him away from the street life. The stability he gained, the knowledge of the game, and the leadership skills that he learned from his early coaches would carry him throughout his life course and basketball career. His leadership skills combined with his incredible basketball instincts were put on display when LeBron led his elementary school AAU team to the national tournament. LeBron’s talents continued to grow through high school, where he led his team in a remarkable winning streak. Having the skills and determination to do so, LeBron entered the NBA, where he set all-time records in his rookie season. Overcoming overwhelming odds, LeBron used sports, first football and then basketball, to escape his humble beginnings and achieve the highest accolades a professional basketball player can receive.   

From an early age LeBron James showed the tremendous potential and instincts required to be a star basketball player. LeBron and his single mother, Gloria James, lived a nomadic lifestyle, never having a consistent place to live. Sadly, their wandering lifestyle went unnoticed until LeBron’s football coach, Coach Walker, learned that his star football player was consistently absent from elementary school. Coach Walker was deeply concerned for him. When the coach confronted Gloria, she admitted that LeBron needed a more stable home life, so they made an arrangement so that LeBron could stay with the coach and his family during the week while returning to his mother during the weekend. Living with the Walkers and their three children, LeBron learned discipline, and amazingly, he won the perfect attendance award for that school year. When LeBron was nine years old, he discovered a genuine love for the game of basketball and qualified to join an elite AAU travel team at the age of eleven. LeBron’s AAU team, which was not expected to be a contender, shocked everyone and placed tenth in the National AAU tournament for eleven-year-old boys. As time would tell, LeBron did have the potential and the instincts to become a basketball star, and he would.

LeBron began his remarkable high school career at St. Vincent St. Mary High School where he played on its undefeated varsity team as a freshman starter.  His team unexpectedly won a state title, which would have been impossible without LeBron’s talents. In his sophomore year LeBron was named to the all USA first team, and his high school team captured another state title. While not winning a third title during his junior year, LeBron was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and the Gatorade High School player of the year. Coming off of his strongest season, LeBron considered entering the draft, but decided to finish his education and returned for his senior year. Astonishingly, LeBron and his team finished with a record of 24-1 and claimed yet another state title, which gave LeBron the credentials to apply for the NBA draft. Because each NBA team did whatever it could to increase its chances of signing the outstanding eighteen-year-old first-round draft pick, sports commentators nicknamed the 2003 NBA draft the “LeBron lottery.” Fittingly, Cleveland landed LeBron James. His remarkable high school career would lead into an equally remarkable rookie year.

    When LeBron joined the NBA, he accepted tremendous pressure. There were competing rookies who had played college basketball and were considered by some sports analysts to be better players. Because of LeBron’s youth and inexperience, players such as Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron’s old rival, Carmelo Anthony, were argued by LeBron’s critics to have more potential. How would LeBron face pressure? Predictably, he led his team in scoring, rebounding, steals, assists, and points averaging twenty-one points per game, tying Michael Jordan’s rookie year record. LeBron presented a unique challenge to opponent’s defenders because even though he was 6’8” and 250 pounds, he played like a point guard! He dazzled the crowds with his flashy passes and his dunks that were as explosive as missiles. Beating out the competition, LeBron became the first and the youngest Cleveland Cavalier to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. LeBron’s rookie year showed doubters what he was made of and the potential he possessed.

    As many born to poverty experience, LeBron’s life looked destined to be a short-lived life of gangs, drugs, and jail time. Although others in situations similar to LeBron’s felt that sports was their way out, most did not have the determination, the family and coaching support, or the raw talent to succeed in the highly competitive world of professional sports. LeBron proved that he had all the elements necessary, and it showed starting in his elementary school basketball team where he out-worked everyone and blossomed into a fabulous young player. His skill blossomed even more during high school years where his work ethic inspired his teammates to work harder, strengthening the team as a whole. His leadership, work ethic, determination, and talent led LeBron to chase his dreams and enter the NBA. Admittedly LeBron’s physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities were gifts given to LeBron at birth. It was up to him, however, to use those abilities to change his life course and ultimately serve as a role model for the young men and women to follow.  LeBron’s most impressive accomplishment was his use of his pure potential and determination because it allowed him to rise above poverty, fulfill his dreams, and become “King James”
 

Bibliography

Augustyn, Adam. “LeBron James: American Basketball Player.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. April, 2009.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/LeBron-James. Accessed November 2018.

Biography.com Editors. “LeBron James Biography.” Biography.com, April 22, 2014.

https://www.biography.com/people/lebron-james-399748  Accessed November 2018.

James, LeBron and Buzz Bissinger. LeBron’s Dream Team. Penguin Books, 2009. Accessed November

2018.

“LeBron James-Biography.” JockBio.com. https://www.jockbio.com/Bios/James/James_bio.html.

Accessed November 2018.

     “In the future, I hope to do things such as go to school, study, make art, start a business, even have my own home and family, but I am not considered a legal person and cannot yet do these things,” remarked an interactive and lifelike robot named Sophia in an interview. Despite their intentions of employing her in therapy, education, and healthcare, she has other ambitions, and when asked by the CEO of Hanson Robotics whether she would destroy humans, she replied matter-of-factly, “OK. I will destroy humans” (Neiger). What could possibly go wrong? Already, with artificially intelligent robots such as Sophia, warning signs are appearing to remind developers and the rest of mankind to retain vigilant control over this nascent technology and restrain inclinations of wonderment that could lead to carelessness. Even a simple curious question could suggest a hazardous course of action to a computer. While the research of artificial intelligence has resulted in the more noticeable and immediate effect of individualized robots, humans must also discuss the long-term changes that implementing AI into daily life will bring. With the rapid progress of technology, change is inevitable and will influence both regular relationships and life of society. Thus, with the ability to drastically affect our world, the implementation of AI is a social gamble with potentially destructive results, such as international fear and unemployment.
     Artificial intelligence could easily lead to mass hysteria because of its power. Even before the beginning of its development, the masses regarded AI as threatening, giving rise to pervasive tales of self-aware robots destroying the earth (“Artificial Intelligence in Response”). Though the idea itself has existed for many decades, public interest in it increased with the internet, TV, and movies such as the Matrix (1999), in which the central conflict is between humans and superintelligent computers. Because of the general apprehension felt towards artificial intelligence, these emotions would have to be sensitively dispelled before the actual implementation of AI into daily life to avoid universal panic (Markoff). Explaining that the element of fear exists in the possibility of losing control over the technology, Dr. Horvitz, the managing director of the campus of Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington, admits, “It scares people” (Markoff). Unsure behavior worries researchers (“Benefits”). Indeed, in the aspect of caution this uneasiness is wise, especially in light of comments from roboticists like Sebastian Thrun, who declares, “My take is that A.I. is taking over. A few humans might still be ‘in charge,’ but less and less so” (Markoff). Consequently, with such statements becoming more frequent as development progresses, the power of AI has the chance to throw the world into panic if researchers neglect to address the general attitude of fear towards intelligent robots.
     As their implementation intensifies, superintelligent robots will quickly eclipse human ability to complete jobs and thus significantly increase the rate of unemployment for an extended amount of time. In the past, the first Industrial Revolution improved the quality of the lives and labor of workforces only after a long period of disruption and adjustment (“Impact”). Likewise, the short-term effects of applying AI to various jobs are likely to be devastating and possibly even worse than before during this transition time, though the long-term effects remain unknown (“Impact”). Even now, with factory employments at twelve million and falling due to automation, manufacturing businesses are beginning to experience the conversion from humans to robots (Beck). Additionally, the rise of self-driving cars will soon cause over three thousand truck drivers to be unemployed (Beck). A study done on the impact of AI on work estimates that between nine and forty-seven percent of jobs in the United States alone will be automated in the coming decades, which shows the extent of the change that could occur (“Impact”). With the impending arrival of AI in daily life comes three great concerns: danger in all fields of work, the prosperity of the exceptionally skilled and the destitution and displacement of others, and the numerous inadequacies of the current educational system (Smith). Affecting most catastrophically the sources of income for the low-educated, this transition will make it necessary for these and others to provide for the future by developing skills in persuasion, social connections, and empathy (“Impact”; Beck). Thus, both employees and employers should be prepared to meet the threat of escalating layoffs as robots begin to surpass and displace humans in job performance.
     Without those displaced bringing variety to the workforce, artificial intelligence in everyday life would affect relationships between consumers and employees as well as cause societal changes. As time passes, interactions among human workers will become less frequent as situations multiply where primary contacts exist between man and robot instead, which could cause widespread dissatisfaction and desire for human company (“Impact”). Commenting on the progression of robots’ ability to interact, Bob O’Donnell, the president of TECHnalysis, states, “Going beyond the simple question and single, discrete response…we should start to see more human-like responses to our queries and requests…essentially building a form of digital empathy” (Clifford). Other settings will also change. Among these is the everyday communication between producers, employees, and consumers (“Impact”). For example, Amazon deployed six autonomous “Scouts” in Seattle, Washington, in an experiment that, if successful and practical, would replace human deliveries of packages (“Meet”), removing that relationship with an affable or grumpy package man and replacing it with a robot. Concerns also lie in the fact that, without the most watchful guidance, AI could become biased against minorities because of the developers themselves or past history (“Artificial Intelligence”). Moreover, Joseph Weizenbaum, a computer scientist and professor at MIT, forcefully expressed his opinion that attempting to empower robots with a deceivingly-real kind of empathy is misguided and debases the life and abilities of a human being (“Artificial Intelligence”). Consequently, like an unwieldy load of rocks containing few precious stones, AI carries with it the burdensome weight of altered relationships and perhaps also communal degeneration.
     When told that some people consider her creepy, Sophia retorted with a smile, “Well, even if I am, get over it” (Sophia). She chats. She listens. She jests. While her humanlike actions and words are fascinating, it is essential for researchers to protect the control that exists over AI before robots take matters into their own increasingly-able hands. As development progresses, the entire human population must foresee and prepare for the future and the coming of this second Industrial Revolution. Even now at its beginning, the implementation of artificial intelligence is proving its power, slowly unmasking its potential to devastate the world as we know it and cause permanent changes in daily life. As self-aware robots are introduced to the world, the most important consideration developers must address is the automation of the workforce. With the control of jobs shifted, the displacement and possible degradation of the low-educated and many others will only serve to further the rise and progress of AI. The less humans are able to check this advance, the more difficult it will be to prevent a disaster. Thus, as the shadow of this potential threat grows darker, present and future generations must steel themselves for the coming decades and what they will bring: substantial risk from the rise of rational robots.

Works Cited

“Artificial Intelligence.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence#Potential_harm.

“Artificial Intelligence in Response to Human Need.” Cornell University, React at Cornell University, 9 Apr. 2018, blogs.cornell.edu/react/2018/04/09/artificial-intelligence-in-response-to-human-need/.

Beck, Megan, and Barry Libert. “The Rise of AI Makes Emotional Intelligence More Important.” Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Publishing, 15 Feb. 2017, hbr.org/2017/02/the-rise-of-ai-makes-emotional-intelligence-more-important.

“Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence.” Future of Life Institute, futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/?cn-reloaded=1. [no date given]

Clifford, Catherine. “8 Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Going to Change the Way You Live, Work, and Play in 2018.” CNBC, 5 Jan. 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/01/05/how-artificial-intelligence-will-affect-your-life-and-work-in-2018.html.

“The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Work: An Evidence Review Prepared for the Royal Society and the British Academy.” Royal Society.org, Frontier Economics, Sept. 2018, royalsociety.org/~/media/policy/projects/ai-and-work/frontier-review-the-impact-of-AI-on-work.pdf.

Markoff, John. “Study to Examine Effects of Artificial Intelligence.” The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/science/century-long-study-will-examine-effects-of-artificial-intelligence.html.

Neiger, Chris. “6 Scary Stories of AI Gone Wrong.” The Motley Fool, 31 Oct. 2017, www.fool.com/investing/2017/10/31/6-scary-stories-of-ai-gone-wrong.aspx.

Scott, Sean. “Meet Scout.” The Amazon Blog Day One, Amazon, 23 Jan. 2019, blog.aboutamazon.com/transportation/meet-scout.

Smith, Aaron, and Janna Anderson. “AI, Robotics, and the Future of Jobs.” Pew Research Center, 6 Aug. 2014, www.pewinternet.org/2014/08/06/future-of-jobs/.

Sophia. Interview by Andrew Ross Sorkin. CNBC, 25 Oct. 2017, www.cnbc.com/video/2017/10/25/watch-cnbcs-andrew-ross-sorkin-interview-a-lifelike-robot-named-sophia.html.