Week 14 Story Lab

This week for my story lab assignment I watched the TED Talks: Copyright is Brain Damage by Nina Paley and A New Theory of Human Intelligence by Scott Barry Kaufman

I thought what Scott Kaufman had to say was right on the nose. I think our society puts far too much emphasis on predictors and predictive measurements as a way to gauge intelligence. Kids are told they are either gifted or not when they are young and that shapes their whole learning experience.

I thought he had an awesome story to tell. It was hilarious how he was clever enough to get in to Carnegie Melon in a department that didn't care about SAT score. That just goes to show you how true the point he's trying to make is. He beat the system. He didn't cheat it. I hope we can keep working to implement some of the new ways of measuring intelligence that he discussed.

Copyright is brain damage. What a title. I really enjoyed what Nina had to speak about. I am not a creator so I can't even imagine what its like dealing with copyright on that end, but just as a consumer copyright is already frustrating enough.

I liked how she explained how copyright often isn't even doing anything to help the person whose work is being protected. I hate how much business and profits have ruined our world. People should absolutely make money off of their work, but copyright law has become increasingly predatory.

I hadn't heard about copylefting before this video, but now that it has been brought to my attention I think that it is pretty cool. I hope the movement has had good luck with trying to subvert copyright. I hope they have not been sued to death or worse.

Reading Notes Dante's Inferno Part B

At the top of the broken gully, the infamy of Crete, the Minotaur, conceived on Pasiphaë, in the wooden cow, lay stretched out. When he saw Dante and the guide he gnashed at himself. The guide said, "Perhaps you think we are someone else. We are just passing through to see the punishments."

The Minotaur became enraged. Virgil told Dante, "Run to the passage while he is in a fury. It is time for your descent."

They made their way downwards. In the first ring they saw centaurs racing one behind another. WHen the centaurs saw them they stood still. Three elected leaders came up and asked why they were there. The guide responded that they will talk to Chiron. Chiron noticed that Dante is alive. The guide explained the situation. Chiron turned to Nessuss and said, "Turn and guide them. If another crew meets you then keep them off."

They followed their new guide along the crimson boiling. He said "These are tyrants who indulged in blood, and rapine. Here they lament their offenses, done without mercy."

As they kept walking the blood grew shallower and shallower. In the second ring the harpies made their nest. They had broad wings, and human necks and faces, clawed feet, and large feathered bellies. They made mournful cries in that strange wood.

They left the third ring and the guide told Dante, "'Follow me. Be careful not to place your feet on the burning sand. Always keep back close to the wood."

They reached a stopping point and the guide said, "There is a deserted island in the middle of the sea, named Crete, under whose king Saturn, the world was pure. Their course falls from rock to rock into this valley. They form Acheron, Styx and Phlegethon. They go down to where there is no further fall and form Cocytus. You will see what kind of lake that is, so I will not describe it to you here."

 

A Racing Centaur

Bibliography
Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002). 

Reading Notes Dante's Inferno Part A

Dante found himself in the middle of a dark wood. It was very harsh and frightening. He couldn't quite say how he got there. He was almost in a sleep-like state. He was fearful. When he was returning from the depths someone appeared. Dante cried out "Have pity on me!"

The figure replied, "I am not a man, but I once was. I was a poet. Why do you not climb the delightful mountain that is the cause of all joy?"

Dante answered, "Are you Virgil? Save me from here."

Virgil responded, "You must go another road if you wish to escape this savage place. No man can cross her path."

Finally Virgil said, "I think its best if you follow me. I will guide and lead you through here."

There were words on the gate to hell that Dante couldn't understand. Virgil told him it, "Here, all uncertainty must be left behind; all cowardice must be dead. We have come to the place where I told you that you would see the sad people who have lost the good of the intellect."

Sighs, complaints, and groans filled the air. Dante asked Virgil who was doing all the crying and what race they were. Virgil responded, "This is the miserable mode in which those exist who lived without praise, without blame. Heaven drove them out to maintain its beauty, and deep Hell does not accept them lest the evil have glory over them."

Then Dante asked what makes them groan so deeply. Virgil answered, "They have no hope of death, and their darkened life is so mean that they are envious of every other fate."

Dante looked back and saw a quickly moving banner. There was a line of people behind it. Then he looked onwards to the bank of the river, and he saw people. He asked Virgil who they were. Virgil told him he will know when they get to Acheron.

Spooky forest from Unsplash

Bibliography
Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).