Thursday, May 5, 2011

Outline

Eric Bryant
 
Why Robots are bad Outline
 
1. Introduction – It's been happening for decades; Robots performing jobs that were once done only by humans. It began with manufacturing; Mass production. Why pay for 10 humans to do something when one single machine can do it faster, better and cheaper?  Machines aren't superior to humans, but they don't take breaks, days off or sick leave and they perform a task exactly the same way over and over. There's never any variation.
 
As with many technologies of today, the concept of robots began as science fiction. The term "robot" has actually been around since the 1920's and was first used by Czech playwright Karel Capek. By the 1940's robots in science fiction looked much like metal people and in the 1942 short story "Runaround," well before real robots existed, Isaac Asimov created the famed three laws of robotics, which were used in many of his novels after that and have since become a ubiquitous part of science fiction.
 
These laws are:
  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
 
2. Briefly Touch on Main Points
a. Robots are bad because they are ruining our economy by taking away jobs from the working class
b. Robots are bad because they are taking over the world by infiltrating every aspect of our human lives
 
3. Main Point 1- Economy
a. Robots are taking away jobs from humans
i. Examples:
1. Manufacturing plants in Japan
2. The American Auto Industry
b. Some Statistics
i. Nearly two decades later, real robots finally saw actual use in factories. They floundered through the sixties and seventies, but finally came into their own in the eighties. According to a 2002 article on the Ball State University website by Mike Williams, by 1995 700,000 robots were being used in industry world-wide, 500,000 of which were in Japan.
ii. Today there are over 199 Million robots being used worldwide in the industry that are taking jobs away from humans. Robots are here to stay and will surely become more and more a part of everyday life. Yet people still sometimes ask why robots take human jobs. The answers are really pretty straightforward. Robots initially cost a lot of money, but other than maintenance and the occasional repair, their ongoing costs are very low.
iii. CNN reported that in the past decade, over 11 million human jobs have been lost due to the fact that robots are taking those jobs away
iv. My opponent will try and say that robots are creating more jobs than they are taking away due to jobs in the computer engineering business, but since the dot com boom, 12 million jobs have been made due to the computer industry and companies switching from human labor to robotic labor. That would be a great statistic, except that over 19 million jobs have been lost since 1991. That’s a negative net gain of roughly 7 million jobs.
 
4. Main Point 2- They are taking over the world by infiltrating every aspect of our lives
a. In every aspect of our lives we have robots.
i. Communication – Cell Phones, Cooking – Appliances, Sexual Pleasure - Sexbots
b. A Paradox
i. Researchers in the Artificial intelligence community have reached a paradox: “To be truly useful, robots must be able to make their own decisions, but as soon as you give them autonomy, you give them the ability to disobey.”
ii. The Three Laws of Robotics are no longer valid anymore, and to get more use out of robots, we must push them to do things that they never have had to do before
c. We are susceptible to a Cybernetic Revolt
i. Cybernetic Revolt is a scenario in which an artificial intelligence decide that humans are a threat, are inferior, or are oppressors and try to destroy or to enslave them potentially leading to machine rule.
ii. As we talked about in class, Moore’s law has shown that computer power has limitless growth potential. Top AI theologian Raymond Kurzweil says that, “There are physical limits to computation, but they aren’t very limiting.”
iii. Computers are intelligent, just like us. *See Watson, or Deep Blue
1. Competitiveness and aggression are necessary in any intelligent being’s goal system.
2. If we are not careful, we will create a Skynet of our own. Just like in the Terminator movie, our creation will be created as self aware, and revolt against us.
5. Conclusion / Wrap Up
a. Ultimately, we are sinful people (Rom 3:23) Therefore using logic, if we are sinful, all we can create are, at best, sinful. If we create robots and technology that are so advanced, they are ultimately sinful and like us, fall short of the glory of God.
b. As Christians, why would we even want to mess with cybernetic revolt? If we continue down this path, Skynet will rule us all one day soon.
 
 
 
Sources
http://www.good.is/post/automation-insurance-robots-are-replacing-middle-class-jobs/
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-10/robots-are-stealing-american-jobs-economists-say
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-04/st_robotwarehouse
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6931585.ece
http://www.robodex.org/does-robotics-eliminate-jobs.htm
http://www.catalogs.com/info/technology/why-robots-take-human-jobs.html
http://www.marshallbrain.com/robotic-nation.htm
http://www.everything-robotic.com/2010/10/do-robots-take-away-jobs-or-just-change.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=we+are+all+sinful+and+fall+short+of+the+glory+of+god&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.Wikipedia.com/artificialintelligence
 
 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

iNfluence Test

I got all of the answers right. I suppose I am a master at persuasion... which can be a good thing and a bad thing! 8-10 right: You're an influence genius! There's nothing I can teach you, so don't spend another second here. Go write that book on persuasion, and send me a copy of it when you're finished.

People are more likely to be persuaded by many weak arguments, rather than a few good arguments, when they are:
a) in a rush
b) not particularly interested in the topic
c) moderately concerned about the topic
d) both a & b

If you're attempting to sell a customer an item from your company's lineup of three models (the "economy," the "midrange," and the "luxury" model), research has demonstrated you will obtain higher sales figures by:
a) starting at the bottom and moving up the line;
b) starting at the top and moving down the line;
c) starting at the middle and then allowing customers to "own the decision" by moving up or down the line themselves.

Years of tracking political elections have revealed that the single most reliable predictor of who will win an election is the candidate who:
a) is the most physically attractive;
b) produces the greatest number of negative or "attack" ads against his opponent;
c) has the most active and committed volunteer base;
d) spends the most time focusing on the issues.

Research has shown the general relationship between self-esteem and persuadability to be:
a) people with low self-esteem are the most persuadable;
b) people with average self-esteem are the most persuadable;
c) people with high self-esteem are the most persuadable.

Imagine you are the (unlucky) campaign manager of a political candidate who has recently lost the public's trust. Now imagine that the candidate wants to rebuild his reputation through profiling himself as a tough crime-fighter. Of the following choices, which represents the best way for your candidate to start his next ad?
a) "My opponent has not gone far enough in fighting crime . . ."
b) "Many have supported my ability and willingness to fight crime . . ." c) "Although my opponent has a good record of fighting crime, . . ."

Imagine you are a financial advisor, and you believe that a young client of yours is invested too conservatively. In order to persuade her to invest in riskier, high-return investments, you should concentrate on describing:
a) how others like her have made similar mistakes (appeal to consensus);
b) what she stands to gain if she invests in riskier options (appeal to greed);
c) what she stands to lose if she does not invest in riskier options (appeal to loss).

Research has demonstrated that jurors are most persuaded by:
a) an expert witness who uses easy-to-understand terms;
b) an expert witness who speaks in incomprehensible language;
c) a witness who speaks with conviction.
 
If you have a new piece of information, when should you mention that it
is new?
a) before you present the information
b) in the middle of the presentation of the information
c) after the presentation of the information
d) you should not mention that it is new information.

Imagine you are presenting your case, and that you are coming to the part
of your presentation that contains good, strong arguments for your
position. How quickly should you speak?

a) you should speak very rapidly
b) you should speak somewhat rapidly
c) you should speak at a moderate rate

d) you should slow down
Which of the following excuses has been found to be the most effective way to get out of a traffic ticket in court?

a) Admission of guilt, followed by an apology, such as "I did change lanes without turning on my signal, and I apologize for that." (97% of the drivers using this approach were asked to pay the whole fine.)
b) Apology with a denial of intent: "I'm sorry I changed lanes without turning on my signal--I didn't intend to break the law, it's just that I was changing lanes quickly to avoid another motorist." (While only 30% of drivers using this type of argument are asked to pay the whole fine, very few people rely on this approach.)
c) Pointing out that the infraction was the result of the driving environment or another motorist: "Another driver abruptly cut me off and I had to move out of his way quickly. I didn't have time to put on my signal." (Over 80% of drivers who used this excuse were asked to pay the whole fine.)
d) Citing lack of knowledge combined with giving consensus information: "I didn't realize that signals had to be used even when no other cars are following closely. Virtually nobody uses signals when changing lanes in light traffic." (Over 90% of the drivers using this approach were asked to pay the full fine.)

Friday, April 1, 2011

Interview Questions

1. What are your favorite hobbies?
My favorite hobbies are being social and anything with sports. I played baseball, basketball and football in high school and still play in an adult baseball league. I love sports - Sportscenter is the most watched channel in my house.

2. Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?
I have times where I enjoy both. I can be more efficient when doing things on my own, but I love working with people and developing teams and camaraderie as well. More things get done when there is a team than just one person.

3. Tell me about yourself.
I am 22, about to graduate from Northwest University with my bachelors in Pastoral Ministries. I am currently a youth and worship pastor at newlife church Kitsap. I have an awesome family - 2 brothers and a sister. Family is the most important thing in this world to me. Everything I do strives to do one thing - be on the mission with Jesus.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

My Resume

Eric Bryant
24502 119th Ave SE  l  KENT, WA  98030
(206) 228-0246  l  E-MAIL:  Eric.Bryant@newlifekitsap.com




EDUCATION                        Bachelor of Arts, May 2011

                                    Northwest University, Kirkland, Wa
                                    w  Major – Pastoral Ministries
                                    w  Minor – Music


ADDITIONAL           w  Credentialed through the Assemblies of God
TRAINING                w  Traveled & Led worship at A/G camps and conferences
                                   


MINISTERIAL          August 2010 – Present              Newlife Kitsap – Silverdale, WA

EXPERIENCE           Youth
-        Planned youth gatherings for 400+
-        Led & planned youth leadership for 40+ students
-        One of 3 communicators for our gatherings
-        Planned & led weekly Bible studies for youth – grades 7-12
-        Oversaw training for youth leadership of 100+
-        One of 3 teaching pastors for our youth

Worship
-        Oversaw spiritual & musical development for youth ministry worship of 40+ students
-        Led worship for adult gatherings
-        Led worship for youth / young adult gatherings
-        Developed worship teams for each of our main venues – Kids, Youth & Adults

                                    August 2007 – July 2010            Cedar Park Church – Bothell, WA
                                    Worship
-        Oversaw & provided vision for youth & college age worship
-        Led musical & spiritual development for 30+ students on worship team
-        Developed quarterly training days for our students
-        Led worship for adult services weekly
-        Led worship for youth / college age worship weekly

Recording
-        Produced a worship album for our youth ministry
-        Co-Produced one of Cedar Park’s Worship Albums

College Ministry
-        Helped provide vision and leadership for our college age ministry
-        One of 3 communicators for our college ministry
-        Developed a team of leaders to run different aspects of our ministry




                                    August 2007 – Present              Northwest University – Kirkland, WA
Worship
-        Provided leadership and development to worship teams
-        Led a worship team for weekly chapels
-        Developed worship leaders who now lead at Northwest
-        Planned and led weekly small group for worship leaders


January 2005- August 2007        New Life Church – Renton, WA
Worship
-        Led worship for adult services
-        Led worship for youth services
-        Led worship for kids services
-        Oversaw worship for youth services

OTHER WORK         2007-2009                                 Apple (Retail)
EXPERIENCE           Sales & Genius
                                    Sold product and repaired broken computers, phones and iPods.

                                    2006-2007                                 Brookstone
                                    Assistant Manager
                                    Scheduling, overseeing and managing 50+ employees.

                                    2005-2006                                 Circuit City
                                    Product Specialist
                                    Answered questions, and sold product  


OBJECTIVE               My heart is to create a greater culture of worship to the local church. I want to equip the next generation of worshippers and worship leaders. My vision on how to achieve this is through worship services, recordings, song writings, raising up teams, and practical trainings.


SPIRITUAL               Having been reared by Christian parents active in their church and

PILGRIMMAGE        demonstrative in their faith, I came to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior

at an early age.  It was at the age of nine, while attending a summer associational

camp, that I professed my faith in Christ. Through active involvement in my

church’s youth group as well as opportunities for volunteer service, I began to

sense God’s leadership into ministry.   It was during my freshman year in college           that His calling became clear to me.  Through various ministry opportunities, my

college experience, and my seminary education I have been able to clarify the

focus of that calling.  I am convinced that God has given me the desire and gifts

to serve Him through discipleship ministries. 

Monday, February 28, 2011

Lasers, Lightsabers, & the Church

I heard Phil Dooley from Hillsong discuss this topic, here's some of what he said. Recently, I was considering how supremely cool Luke Skywalker is. You may remember him from Star Wars...he was the coolest guy ever to wear a bathrobe, simply because he had a LIGHTSABER!!
At the start of the year we talk about vision; this stirs our hearts and builds excitement about the year ahead.

But...how do we see this vision become a powerful reality?

Well let's consider a LASER...(yes, time for a science lesson).

A laser is simply super-focused light which creates extreme power (especially in the hands of Mr. Skywalker).

So, what does that have to do with church vision?
I discovered 4 KEY ingredients to create a LASER, (you want to know this, because secretly you want your own laser...)

1. A Light Source
2. Monochromatic light
3. Organized
4. Directional

1. Church vision, personal vision, all must have a 'light source'.
A light source stirs up atoms, as the atoms get excited they emit photons...creating more light.
God is light (1 John 1:5), He is the source...when you connect with His light it stirs vision inside you, and it stirs vision within a church. Your spiritual atoms get excited and start producing more visionary light!

Problem is, we stop there - but you can't stop there! If you do, then you will have a mass of visions but no focus, therefore little power and little effectiveness.

2. Laser light is 'monochromatic' this means it's ONE color. There's no power if we see each other differently. For the church vision to be focused and powerful we've got to realize were ALL one colour...sinners saved by grace. When we focus on our differences - different racial groups, languages, doctrines, education and backgrounds, we lose. When we focus on Christ's blood that colours us all the same, we win!

3. Normal light is random, where as laser light is organized. This increases its focus and it's power.
Sadly, in church life there can be many random visions but no strategy, no plan and lack of working together to make it happen. Organization requires developing a strategy to outwork the vision, a humble spirit to submit to others and a commitment to work together.

Someone wise once said, 'Vision without strategy is just a hallucination!'

4. Directional...again normal light is random. It heads in all kinds of directions, where as laser light heads in only ONE direction.

Imagine how powerful our church vision would be if we all headed in the same direction! This is called UNITY...unity sounds great until you have to die to your own agenda for it - then it becomes painful and powerful all at once.

There's no power in vision without the cost of unity. Heading in the same direction creates incredible momentum over time.

Everyone wins and everyone gets to celebrate, as vision becomes reality! (Now, go out and buy yourself a nice bathrobe.)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Good Experience #6


Adopting a Little Sister
            I love family – it means everything to me. I’ve gone through a few family divorces, but 11 years ago, my mom and step dad decided to adopt a girl from Korea, which is awesome because I am adopted as well. So they adopted a baby girl when I was about 10. I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was to have a sister because I already had two brothers who annoyed the snot out of me! I remember the day that we picked up my sister from the airport. My family, along with extended family all waited at the terminal anxious to get their first glimpse at my sister, Lexi. When she arrived, everyone was speechless, but still full with emotion and lots of tears.
            As I grew older, so did she, and it’s been an amazing experience to have a little sister that I care so much for. She always wanted to be around me and hangout with me, and she still does. In a way, it is a glimpse into what it’s like to have a daughter someday. Loving someone so much that you’d do anything for them. 
a          I love what 1 Corinthians says about love – its patient, and kind, not envying, proud or boastful. I love that because that is exactly the kind of love that I have for my sister Lexi. She always says that I’m her favorite brother (I tell her that she can’t have favorites and that she has to love us all the same), and sometimes I don’t know if that’s because we are both Korean and both look the same, or if its because I show that I care about her more than my brothers do, but, I love her with everything I’ve got. Even today, I go home once a week just so that I can hangout with her and spend time with her. I text her daily so that she knows that I love and care about her. Sometimes she’s annoying and just wants to make me mad, and sometimes I’ll blow up at her, but I still love her. I probably spoil her just a little to much, but I love doing things for her. We make sure that we have our monthly dates where I take her out and we do something fun just the two of us. Being a big brother has been such a great experience.

Good Experience #5


Being a Youth Pastor
            As I said in my good experience post #4, this past year has been vastly different for me. I am completely in it to win it for the local church. Not only do I lead worship for a church of 4,000  plus, but I am one of the youth pastors for a youth ministry of 600+! Leading worship is easy compared to youth ministry, let me tell you! This past year I’ve been so fortunate to be able to step into a different role besides worship. Being a worship pastor is second nature to me, but being a youth pastor is completely different. What I do in the youth ministry is that I am the gatherings pastor which means that I am responsible for every aspect of our gatherings. I lead our student leadership in which we have 40 student leaders and I am responsible for them and our training times. I oversee worship as well partially because I know what needs to happen in that department and I make sure everything goes well in that department.
            But this year has been an amazing experience because I get to help shape and develop the future leaders, pastors, businessmen and Christians of tomorrow. I preach every other week and  I get to speak life into these students, who before hearing about Jesus, didn’t have a life or a future. It’s a huge responsibility and I do know it. It’s a great feeling knowing that I am doing what God has called me to do, but, I know that these students take everything I say seriously which means that I am under a lot of scrutiny! I have to watch what I say and do. That feeling brings a lot of pressure and sometimes its overwhelming.
            I’ll end with this, youth ministry is hard! If only for the sheer fact that these 600+ students are real people and they look to me for advice and leadership. Every week I hear a story from a student about what they’ve gone through, or what they’re going through and it breaks me. I’ll drive home every week and be broken because of what my students are going through. A few weeks ago, one of our leaders came to me after the Friday night gathering at winter camp and told me that a student of hers told her a story. She goes on to tell me that this girl who is in Jr. High has made some bad decisions and that she her boyfriend did something to her that she didn’t want and this Jr. High girl is hurt and confused. She accepted Christ that night and although the scars and pain don’t just fade, she’s found true love in Jesus. These stories affect me as they do with every youth pastor, and these stories make me want to be the best pastor I can be and do everything I can to point them to Jesus, because what they need more than a friend or an open ear, is Jesus.