Chapter 4: #3

One topic I found very interesting throughout this chapter is the fallacies and unreliability of evidence. In particular, hearsay and anecdotal evidence. I always believed that testimonies are one of the strongest forms of evidence in a case, but apparently it is not. Hearsay evidence is evidence that is heard and then passed on amongst multiple other people. Anecdotal evidence is one's testimony through experience in the form of a story. Anecdotal evidence is not to be trusted because people tend to have poor or inaccurate memories as well as can exaggerate, distort, or completely lie and change the story. I can understand why these may be seen as unreliable, but sometimes they are the only evidence we have.
Testimonies and anecdotes can never really be determined to be true, yet it is based on belief and has no hard evidence. As I read this chapter, I did find that it is better to research and find more physical or proven proof to determine if something is real or not, but sometimes we may be forced to believe in stories from people due to a lack of real evidence.

Chapter 4: #2

Condon, Hynek, and Paynter each have their own views and evidence on Unidentified flying Objects, or UFOs. Condon believes that through all of the research, there is still no conclusive evidence therefore it is unproductive. Condon believes that they are not real and are a waste of time to research. On the other hand, Hynek believes that we should research and not ignore the topic. Hynek understands that it is a global topic, and therefore it is important that we get to the bottom of it. Many people have witnessed UFOs, and Hynek believes that those accounts are key factors in research.
Finally, Paynter has the most plausible ideas about UFOs. Paynter does not have any firm standpoint or belief in UFOs, but he does believe that there is no physical evidence, therefore at this point, they are not real. I believe Paynter does the best job of stating what is known, and that is that there is no physical evidence, but there is no problem with believing in them.

Chapter 4: Question #1

I believe that wisdom and knowledge are both important aspects of life, and they are both made available to us in college. Knowledge is information or data that tells us what or why something is what it is. In contrast, I believe that wisdom is lessons we learn from experiences that affect the way we live. Wisdom is being able to use the knowledge to work, in which we use the information to make decisions and judgements. Although they are different, they are dependent on each other in shaping who we are. Through the experience of college, I believe we acquire both wisdom and knowledge. We learn new things every day, and this information teaches us how to live our lives. The information age that we are in now makes it easier for us to gain knowledge, which I believe leads to us growing wiser and gaining wisdom. The information age allows us easy access to knowledge, and in turn that allows us to discover more about the world. With this knowledge, we can judge and begin to see a better view of the world as a whole.

Chapter 3: #3

A topic or discussion I found interesting in the reading was lying. People lie all the time, and this can cause people to lost trust in others. Because lies happen so commonly, it can be very difficult to tell when someone is lying. Through this chapter I was able to discover many "give aways" when people are lying. For example, in some cases a liar will tell a story in chronological order as a way to give them time to make up the story as they tell it. Also, another way to tell if someone is lying is if they look left, move a lot less, and blink less. Honestly, I believe that lying is a horrible habit but I am in no position to criticize those who do. I don't think anyone has the right to criticize liars. Everyone lies at some point in their lives, possibly even everyday. Because everyone does lie, I believe that the problem isn't in the lie but rather in how often and how big of a lie it really is. Lying doesn't always save you from trouble nor does it always get you in trouble. A word of advice: Try your best not to lie and cover things up Often especially if it is a big lie.

Chapter 3: #2

Throughout this weeks reading, I was able to gain a better understanding of what rhetorical devices are. After learning about them, I realize that I use rhetorical devices daily, especially in the form of Sarcasm or Hyperbole. I believe that I use sarcasm the most as a way to jokingly taunt others by saying things that are the opposite of what I mean. For example, my friend asked to borrow my phone to call his phone because he misplaced it, and I instantly go "No!" Although I said no, I was handing him my phone at the same time. Another form of rhetoric that I use often is hyperbole. I realize I don't only use this in speech, but also through text messages on chatting online. Simple common terms today such as LMAO and LOL can be huge exaggerations seen through text, cause I know sometimes I say it, I am not really "laughing my ass off" or "laughing out loud," instead I am chuckling in my head. Through this chapter, I was able to realize how often I speak using rhetorical devices.

Chapter 3: #1

I believe that Ride qualifies as a great critical thinker. She observes many of the qualities needed in a critical thinker. Ride is able to fully analyze problems and form a conclusion. Following this, she researches to get a deeper understanding of the problem. Through this research, she is also very open to other ideas leading her to become a great speaker and develop strong communication skills. Ride fully understands what it means to think critically and through her years of living, she has been able to hone these skills. Her strong communication skills help her in her work at NASA whether it be communicating with people in a shuttle, or giving a speech to the United Nations. I believe that communication skills are the most important skills to have in today's world. Without strong communication skills, we can not communicate our ideas as well as be open minded to others. We communicate on a daily basis and it helps us understand others and the world better. I consider Ride to be an inspiration to many because she was able to do everything she ever wanted to do, and all it took was good critical thinking and great communication skills.