Course Description

Science Research Program – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12


Full Year – Level H: Incoming freshman and sophomore students must apply for admission to this program in January of the prior academic year. Acceptance into the program will be based on a science teacher recommendation, a written essay, and excellent academic grades.


This is an ongoing program that is taken in conjunction with the student’s regular science course. There are several tiers to the program. During Year 1 students learn the components of scientific research including the scientific method and apply these concepts in various settings including designing and conducting an authentic science research project and communicating results by participation in at least one local science fair. Students also explore various applications of science topics through field trips, guest speakers and class projects. Advanced students (Years 2-4) select their science research topic, locate an out-of-school mentor (either in industry or at a local university) and compete in a variety of science fairs including the CT State Science Fair, Southern CT Invitational Science and Engineering Fair (SCSEF) and the CT Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (CT JSHS). Advanced students pursue their selected research in depth, perform statistical analysis and compete at a number of local and/or national science fairs and competitions. In Years 2, 3, and 4 students are grouped together in a non-traditional classroom setting and are required to meet individually outside of class with their Science Research Instructor biweekly to review individual goals and assess progress. All students participate in the culminating annual activity, Amity’s Science Symposium.


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

STEM Video Reflection

Over the last week or so, we watched a number of STEM related videos in class. Using the Bloom's Taxonomy generated questions below,  reflect on each of the movies individually. Include specific detail and evidence for argument (where applicable). If you were not in class due to SBac testing, please state that clearly in your response. If you only saw half of a movie (missed one day) answer the questions based on what you did see.

1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.

2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.

3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.

4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference

Movie List

Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil

84 comments:

  1. Ben Ewing

    Modern Marvels:
    1) The most memorable moments from this movie were when they discussed the actual atomic bomb testing, the facilities that they had to build to get enough weapons grade uranium and plutonium, and the effects on Japan from the atomic bomb. The initial bomb testing was interesting because of the huge explosion. The massive facilities that needed to be created and the huge amounts of money were also crazy. Also, the anecdote from the Hiroshima survivor was really memorable.

    2). The STEM related content from this video pertained to the atomic bomb. They discussed the splitting of a nucleus. They also discussed the physics behind achieving critical mass. In addition, they talked about the mathematics behind coming up with the bomb.

    3. The three movies were different because Modern Marvels was more of a history video, Dr. Strangelove was fictional, and Transcendent Man focused on the future. Dr. Strangelove seemed ridiculous from our modern day vantage point. Modern Marvels was interesting because we were looking back on it, having spent all of our lives with the atomic bomb already invented and impacting our lives. Transcendent Man was particularly interesting from our vantage point because it focused on the future and seemed implausible and silly, however, still scientifically based.

    4. Modern Marvels was very solid on content, I learned a lot. It was all based on recorded scientific and historical facts, so it had a lot of merit. I personally do not like history and what not so I did not personally prefer this type of video.

    Dr. Strangelove:
    1). I was sick and missed more than half of the movie, but from what I saw and remember, it was very interesting. The most memorable parts all came from the war meeting scene. The scenes were when he got the phone call from his girlfriend, when they attacked the Russian ambassador for having a camera, and the general arguing with the president.

    2) The building of the bomb, the building of the Doomsday device, and the math probability of the prefix and suffix generator on the plane which gives them the code and prevents them from communicating once it is switched on

    3) See above.

    4) I did not like this movie. It had decent content at best, it had merit based on cold war relations, and I personally did not think it was very funny or well done compared to modern day films.

    Transcendent Man

    1) The most memorable scenes were where he popped over 200 pills a day, the part where he could not get over the lost of his father, and also the parts about putting robots in the brain and bloodstream. This was memorable because he suggested you could cure disease and just download cures and information directly into your body.

    2) The STEM had to do with the 3 components of the future, GNR. Genetics, Nano technology, and Robotics. All 3 components have to do with STEM. They have to do with science and engineering robots and nano technology and doing research. Math also comes into play with all of the engineering and work.

    3) See above.

    4) This movie was really intriguing in content. The facts were very interesting, along with his life story is very enriching. The merit of Ray's ideas is also very strong. He based it all off of things we have now, and things he can see being invented in the near future, eventually leading to the singularity. All of his predictions are based off of a lot of research and time that he put into it. I personally really liked this movie. It was very interesting and though provoking.

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  2. Arvene Golbazi

    1. In Modern Marvels, the first most memorable moment was how they described the sheer amount of resources used to build of the necessary plants needed to build the atomic bomb. What was also memorable was the massive buildup of people in the small towns of scientists, and the amount of money which was poured into sustaining these small cities to build the atomic bombs. A final memorable moment was the scientist who was very erratic and would work in his bathtub. The three most memorable moments from Dr. Strangelove was first when it was revealed that the rogue leader of the American base thought the Soviets were pervading the bodily fluids of the Americans, when the plane was shot down by Soviets but still remained flying, and when the bomb eventually detonated and triggered the doomsday device. In the transcendent man, the 3 most memorable moments were the blood cell nanobots, our ability to download protection against diseases, and the complete remapping of our brains to make us superhuman.

    2. In Modern Marvels, chemistry was used to find which element would work best as an explosive device in the atomic bomb. Technology was also used to find out what method of separating isotopes were best. Finally, engineering was extensively seen through the building of numerous power plants and the bombs themselves to hold and release such an explosive force. Three STEM related aspects of Dr. Strangelove were the use of technology to build the doomsday device, engineering used in order to build the atomic bombs, and also math in order to plan the trajectories of the planes. Three STEM related aspects of the transcendent were the use of new technologies to implement nanobots into the body, technology used to make a reader for blind people, and finally robots engineered to allow your brain to perform better.

    3. The three were different in that the Modern Marvels movie and Transcendent Man were based in reality. However, those two differed in that Modern Marvels was something that already happened, while Transcendent Man was about predictions for the future. Dr. Strangelove acted as a satire comedy to show the dangers of nuclear war and how we should be wary of our leaders. From a modern perspective, we can now see the moral and ethical implications of reconstructing our bodies or dropping atom bombs on people.

    4. Modern Marvels's content was expertly presented from historical data and facts and documents which pertained to the atom bomb. The merit of Modern Marvels was extremely good because it presented factual evidence to tell the story of making the atom bombs. I personally didn't enjoy this movie as much because it was very dry and clear cut. Dr. Strangelove had great, humorous, satirical content which criticized the state of the cold war. It didn't have much merit, because of the fact that there was little evidence to support our leaders being so incompetent. However, the storyline was somewhat plausible. I personally enjoyed it because of its humor and its reminder that we should critically think about the way our government acts. Finally, Transcendent Man had great content in supplying fantastic predictions for the future in an organized and simple way. The merit of the movie was not very good, because although Ray Kurzweil had predicted some significant events in the past, he bases his prediction on the fact that technology will exponentially grow, which may not hold true. However, he could be right if we stay on our current technological course. I personally enjoyed the film because it filled me with wonder and hope for the future, even though I realize it is a bit too optimistic.

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  3. 1. The three most memorable moments of The Manhattan Project were the vast amounts of money the government poured into research of the atomic bomb, the massive scale of the project, and the fact that it was kept entirely secret. I did not fully realize how important this project was to the U.S. and how important the U.S. thought it was to the world – billions were spent on research, creating ways to efficiently produce uranium and plutonium, building production sites, and even transforming Oak Ridge, Tennessee to a n up-and-running city that consumed 10% of the country’s power. So many scientists were working on every aspect of the atomic bomb and trying to solve all the problems encountered in the process. Considering the huge scale of this project, I can imagine how serious the U.S. and the scientists working on it treated it, because it was kept secret.

    The three most memorable moments of Dr. Strangelove were the paranoia of the U.S. and Russia, the meeting in the war room with the President and the Russian ambassador, and the final dropping of the atomic bomb. It was interesting to see how fear could spiral into actual devastation. The conversation between the Russian ambassador and President and the President and the Russian president were funny because they were so serious they were comical. It was also funny to see the men on the plane, who thought they were going to receive honors for carrying out their orders.

    The most memorable moments of Transcendent Man were the Singularity, super intelligence, and the biological body being inferior to technology. The concept of man merging with machine seemed impossible without context. However, it was very interesting to see what led Kurzweil to believe in the Singularity, and even if it never plays out like he says it will, I now believe man will merge with machine to some extent.

    2. Modern Marvels explained a lot about the making of uranium and plutonium and the various challenges in their production. The movie also explained what a chain reaction was and how it worked to detonate the bomb, in addition to critical mass.

    In Dr. Strangelove there was a lot of failure of technology. There was a retrieval code for the plane, but only one person knew it. There was no other technology to communicate with the plane, since radio communications had been switched off. The “Doomsday Machine” seemed to have been created without much thought into its consequences. Plan R also had many flaws, since had no backup plans and didn’t account for error.

    Transcendent Man talked about nanorobots that could act as red blood cells, ways to “upload” your brain and “back it up,” and be completely integrated, mind and body, into the Internet and simultaneously know everything.

    3. Modern Marvels was mainly historical and listed out facts. Dr. Strangelove was fictional, comedic, and purely hypothetical. Transcendent Man was futuristic and discussed the implications of the Singularity. From our modern day perspective, Transcendent Man would be the most interesting because it hasn’t happened yet. However, most could be learned from Modern Marvels.

    4. Modern Marvels had a lot of facts, dates, and details – in fact so much so that I could only focus in on a few things. It was, however, a very credible and specific resource. Dr. Strangelove moved rather quickly, so it was hard to follow along with the plot. There was not a lot of specifically STEM-related content. Transcendent Man discussed a lot about different concepts, the basis for the theory of Singularity, and several different views on the subject. Out of the three movies, I enjoyed Transcendent Man the most.

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  4. I was out during the first movie (Modern Marvels)

    1. The most memorable moments in Dr. Strangelove were when the guy rode the bomb like a cowboy screaming on the way down, when the guy was on the phone talking to Dmitri about the stupidest funny things, and when they were talking about the “doomsday device” in the war room. The most memorable moments in Transcendent Man were when he was obsession over his lost father, took a bunch of pills so that he wouldn’t die, and talked about implanting mini robots into the human body to make us more intelligent.
    2. In Strangelove, uses of STEM included the whole concept of making and using the bomb. They needed to calculate mass and trajectory and splitting the atom at the nucleus. In Transcendent Man, a lot of the STEM related material involved robots and technology. This included the nanobots put into the bloodstream; also genetics had a lot to do with this movie, and using technology to allow blind people to read.
    3. The movies are different in their genre, content, and setting. In Dr. Strangelove, it was a fictional piece; whereas Transcendent Man was a documentary meaning it was real. Also Strangelove had to do with destroying live whereas Transcendent Man had to do with increasing life. Also Strangelove had to do with stuff back during WWII and the Cold War and Transcendent Man focused on the future.
    4. I liked Dr. Strangelove because it had a lot of comedy in it. I used some of those examples in the most memorable moments. Like when he ride the bomb to his death, and all the chatter in the war room and how they were all listening to the same phone call that was really funny. I didn’t really like the quality of the film. I understand that it was made in the 1960’s but I’ve seen films from back then that were a lot better with effects and stuff. I didn’t like Transcendent Man at all. It’s not that it was a bad film; it’s jusst that I dislike documentaries a lot, no matter the content. I found it interesting because it was real and all of the stuff he said could happen, but I just didn’t like it.


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  5. 1. The most memorable moments from Modern Marvels were the use of Little Man on Hiroshima that was not yet tested, the testing of the Plutonium bomb, and searching for a testing area itself so no civilians would be harmed. The fact that Little Man was being tested on actual people made it memorable. If it had done nothing, would the Japanese have decided to surrender? In Dr. Strangelove, the most memorable moments were when the nuclear weapons were first deployed to the Soviet Union, the released threat of a Doomsday machine, and the strange discussion with the Dr. Strangelove at the end. This moment, in particular, caught my attention from his random spasms. In Transcendent Man, the most memorable moments were when he was intent on bringing his father from the dead, his obsession with living until singularity was achieved, and his consumption of 200 pills daily. These were easy details to remember just because of how absurd they seemed.
    2. The STEM related content in Modern Marvels was the discussion of the science and mathematics of how each bomb worked. In the first design with Little Man, they used uranium to constantly reflect force inside until it released a massive explosion. They also discussed the method with Fat Boy and how each bomb would be delivered to both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Dr. Strangelove, the STEM related content were about building the Doomsday Device, building the bombs, and calculating the paths for the planes. In Transcendent Man, the STEM related content included eliminating aging, how technology would be interwoven with the body, the alteration of human intelligence.
    3. In Modern Marvels, the content was historically based off of facts in the creation of the bombs to drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war, while Dr. Strangelove was a fictional movie showing what might happen with the introduction of nuclear weapons if one were to be accidently sent somewhere. Transcendent Man was different from both, not discussing nuclear weapons, but the future of humans and how we are destined to become one with machines. Modern Marvels made sense to me, but Dr. Strangelove didn’t. In this age, nuclear weapons are so limited that if any are handled, they would not be handled so carelessly. Transcendent Man seemed crazy in terms of how he lived and acted, but to me, singularity to boost human ability and intelligence seemed logical to me.
    4. Modern Marvels was a good movie. It had a lot of historical content and facts, and I personally enjoyed learning about the development of the bombs. Dr. Strangelove was more of a humorous movie, but having our leaders being represented by incapable people made it lack in merit. I did not enjoy this movie as it had rather awkward moments where there was neither humor nor interesting content. Transcendent Man had very interesting content related to the development of our future. Many of Ray’s ideas held lots of merit, being based off the exponential development of the human race’s technology in the past 30 years. Personally, it heavily provoked my interest to hear his opinions but it was too optimistic on developments that could occur.

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  6. 1. In the Modern Marvels video about the Manhattan Project, the three most memorable parts were when the testing of the atomic bomb was taking place. Another unforgettable moment was when they explained the instant detonation of the atomic bomb. Lastly, the explanation behind the reasons the atomic bomb was also used was memorable. In Dr. Strangelove, one of the three most memorable parts was when the President of the United States tries to prevent the bombs from being dropped on the Soviet Union. Another memorable part was Dr. Strangelove himself, due to his comical acting. A 3rd memorable moment would be when Kong is riding the nuclear bomb as it falls down onto the Earth. Continuing on, the Transcendent Man has multiple memorable moments as well. One of the memorable moments in the movie is that Ray cannot accept the inevitability of death. Another memorable part of the movie is the amount of knowledge and intelligence Ray contains in him. It was interesting to see how his brained functioned with all these ideas. Lastly, the optimism that Ray held in himself was memorable, as not many humans refuse death completely.

    2. In Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, an example of STEM related content is the architecture that went into the design of the bomb and how it would work. Another STEM related part included was the chemistry and how the process of splitting the atom would occur. Lastly, high-level math’s were used to calculate the exact percentage of Uranium needed to create the bomb. In Dr. Strangelove, examples of STEM related content were also expressed. For example the use technology to communicate with the engineers from the Conference room. Math was also used to help conduct the release of the atomic bomb. Lastly, the use of prediction came into place, as Dr. Strangelove suggested that underground bunkers be created due to the radiation that would have imploded the Earth’s surface. In Transcendent Man, many uses of STEM related aspects were used. Such as the technology used to create the robots themselves. Also the use of mathematics helped Ray figure out his equations and predictions. Lastly, the use of engineering came into action, as Ray required a high set of skills to preform his ideas.

    3. Each of the movies carried different aspects of science, but also included similar traits. For example in Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, similar characteristics of the design and history of the Cold War came present in the other movies as well. Although the history was similar in each of the movies, the way the history was expressed was different. In Modern Marvels, the history was expressed in facts and correct creditable knowledge, while in Dr. Strangelove, most of the information presented was comical and non factual. On the other hand, Transcendent man involved the predictions of an intelligent man who could not accept death.

    4. To begin with, I found the Modern Marvels video very interesting as it contained factual and creditable information. I enjoyed watching it, as I learned more about the Cold War and the build of the atomic bomb. Continuing, I did not enjoy Dr. Strangelove at all. This may have been due to its old satirical comedy, which may have been presented as “funny” back in the 60s. The merit in this film was not very top caliber as it contained little factual evidence to support its claims. Lastly, I found Transcendent Man very interesting as well. It contained a very debatable and engaging topic, which many people can agree or disagree to. Also the merit in this video was not very good as most of it was prediction and speculation instead of facts. In the end, I still enjoyed this movie due to its perception on life and ideas for the future.

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  7. 1. .
    In the Manhattan project the large explosions from the Nuclear Bomb drops, the mechanics of the atomic bomb, specifically the 'drop' mechanism, and the amount of German-Jewish scientists there were are the most memorable moments. In Dr. Strangelove, the pilot riding the atomic bomb down to the explosion, Dr. Strangelove's joke at the end, and the general at the air base shooting himself are the most memorable moments. In Transcendent Man, Kurzweil's pill problem, the description of the war that could occur, and the clip of Kurzweil on TV were the most memorable moments.

    2.
    In the Manhattan project, the bomb deployment mechanism, the Uranium-238 production and the neutron producing pellets in the graphite box are all examples of applied STEM within Modern Marvels. In Dr. Strangelove, the Dommsday device, the atomic bombs, and the encoded radio system are examples of STEM. In Transcendent Man, Kurzweil's music producing computer, theoretical biological nano-computers, and the remotely controlled hand are all examples of STEM.

    3.
    Each movie was a different type of movie. Modern Marvels was a historical documentary observing a single, large-scale scientific endeavor. Dr. Strangelove was a fictional story depicting potentially realistic events. Transcendent Man was a documentary on Ray Kurzweil, a current genius and visionary. Looking at it now as a research student, each examined different parts of scientific repercussions, one that happened, one that could potentially happen, and one the is predictions all that could be applied to our own research and the repercussions that could happen.

    4.
    I enjoyed Modern Marvels. The history was very interesting and most definitely credible as they are coming from the History Channel in the form of a documentary. I specifically found the extent of the Manhattan project extremely interesting. I found Dr. Strangelove specifically funny and interesting. The story was neat and definitely something we all should ponder. The idea of a doomsday device is somewhat unnerving and probably not realistic. The Transcendent Man was very interesting in its content about Ray's predictions and the technology that is currently emerging. It is somewhat accurate as it currently depicts what people are saying, but the predictions themselves are, well, just predictions. The movie itself was extremely interesting, especially as some of Ray's predictions come to fruition.

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  8. 1)
    Manhattan project
    1. All the top scientists and physicists in the world gathered to build a dangerous weapon.
    2. The amount of energy that was stored in the bomb.
    3. The bombing of cities in Japan, causing numerous atrocities.
    Stanley Kubric Film
    1. The revealing of the doomsday machine.
    2. How the officer accused the French man that killed the major and the only lead to stop the bomb was taken away.
    3. When the doctor came in and took a picture of the map, maybe showing evidence that the doomsday machine wasn’t real.
    Transcendent man
    1. The thought that he could create human beings to age for a longer period of time.
    2. The way technology is headed, humans and machines will merge together.
    3. Nanotechnology will keep humans healthy from the inside using robotic red blood cells and provide a human-computer interface within the brain

    2)

    Dr. Strangelove
    1. There were codes in used in the plane’s security systems.
    2. The audience gains information about the scientific knowledge of the community.
    3. The planes and gadgets at the time showed some technological capabilities.

    3)
    The movies show the differences between the capabilities of technology in the past and the future. The ones that talk about the past tell us about how nuclear weapons were formed, and how technology was utilized back in the 1930s-1940s. It showed us what those weapons could do back then, and lets us compare to modern day weapons. Transcendent man informs us about the predictions of the future. It’s informing us that with the way technology is moving, there is a possibility of humans and machines merging. If this was to occur, humans would be able to live longer with advanced technology and bodily functions.

    4)
    The Manhattan project: In this movie, I liked the significant amount of information contained within it. I liked learning about the history and making of the atomic bomb. It was interesting to learn about how long it took for the people to make it, and what it could to be used for. I didn’t like the movie because it didn’t imply what this technology could do for us in the future.

    DrStrangelove: I didn’t like this movie that much. It didn’t utilize the information about what technology was able to do during the time and the significance of it. It did not inform us about the importance of the weapons and technology.

    Transcendent man: I liked this movie a lot. It fascinated me after I heard about the idea of humans living much longer than the current life expectancy rates. How humans and machines will merge when the right time comes, and how that technology can help control blood pressure, and even keep the blood healthy.

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  9. Vinnie Silverman (part 1)
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    The Manhattan Project: The timeline of events leading up to the testing and usage of the atomic bomb had several memorable moments. The testing of the bomb, the devising of the mathematical formulas used to construct the bomb, and the actual usage of the two atomic bombs were the most memorable moments in this movie.
    Dr. Strangelove: Because the movie’s intention was to be comedic, the most memorable moments were the funniest ones. The end bit with Dr. Strangelove talking about the nuclear aftermath, the paranoia of the officer, and the scene where someone was trying to call the President on a pay phone stood out the most for this reason.
    Transcendent Man: This movie’s most memorable moments involved the technological advancements that Ray Kurzweil predicts humans will have within a relatively short period of time. These included the use of blood cell-sized robots to monitor human immunity, combining human biology with machines to make a network of human consciousness similar to the internet, and the concept of a technology singularity were most interesting to me.
    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    The Manhattan Project: In order to figure out the shape and size of the bomb, extremely complex mathematical formulas were used and applied. To build the bomb, Americans has to construct and engineer an entire city large enough to house all of the necessary equipment. At the time of the bomb’s construction, this equipment was the height of our technological capabilities as a country. All of these elements had to come together perfectly in order to make the bomb’s construction a success.
    Dr. Strangelove: The security systems embedded in the codes used in the planes were exemplary of the technology. In the war room, while all of the characters were discussing the potential “doomsday device”, the viewer gained insight into the scientific knowledge of the community at that time. The planes and various devices on the planes also showed the technological capabilities of the time.
    Transcendent Man: As the movie was about technology of the future, many of the STEM-based themes in it were based on technology. The bioengineering advancements, the new nanotechnologies described, and the artificial intelligence developed through robotics are all based on technology and as a result, science, math, and engineering as well.

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  10. Vinnie Silverman (part 2)
    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    The three movies each show the past and future of human technological capabilities. Dr. Strangelove and The Manhattan Project both show the past, where people were learning the capabilities of nuclear weapons. Looking back, we can see the work that was required at the time in order to create such technology (The Manhattan Project) and what could have happened if such technology went into the wrong hands (Dr. Strangelove). In Transcendent Man, Ray Kurzweil discusses the future of technology as opposed to the past- where humans will advance to the point of being immortal, godlike machine-hybrids. For the viewer, the information about our future is as important as that about the past.
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    The Manhattan Project: This movie had a large amount of significant information, including the entire process with which the atomic bomb was conceptualized and constructed. It portrayed this information accurately and effectively, which I enjoyed. However, I didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I could have because it lacked the implications of this technology in the future.
    Dr. Strangelove: The movie achieved its goal of portraying the comedic nature of a world where all the countries of the world are constantly in fear of a nuclear war. However, a lot of the humor went over my head and I didn’t personally enjoy the movie as a whole.
    Transcendent Man: I really enjoyed this movie compared to the two others. It was extremely informative, but it also described the future of technology in a fairy-tale style of things that generations past could only dream of seeing in their lifetimes. With the experimental evidence to back up his predictions, Ray Kurzweil described the world of our future as a result of technologies we already have and know.

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  11. Helen Ruckes Part 1/2

    1.In The Manhattan Project 3 of the most memorable moments were the idea of the Atomic Bomb and the difficulty and precision that was needed to create this war instrument because it was such an interesting idea that the scientists came up and proceeded with. Another memorable moment was the actual creation of the atomic bomb and how dangerous it was if something went wrong. Finally the effect of the bomb on Japan stood out to me because of the pure danger of it. In Dr. Stangelove 3 things that stood out to me was when we found out that the leader was “mentally unstable” because it was such a hidden detail. Another moment that stood out to me was when the plane was being fired at, yet the pilots kept it flying. Finally, I thought that when the bomb door wouldn’t open and one of the men on the plane went to fix it was interesting because he risked his life to complete a mission. In Transcendent Man, many things stood out to be including how he predicted that humans would eventually merge with machinery and technology. Another thing that stood out was when he was talking about death and how no one could really accept it. I found this very interesting because a lot of people claim to accept the end of their life. Finally, I found it interesting that he believed that we would become “God like” because it is such a strong statement to claim.
    2.The Manhattan Project- Technology was used in the creation of the atomic bomb (using different tools etc.). Math was used for the precise measurements to measure how the bomb should be constructed and carried out. Finally science was used to discover the radioactive elements that were used in the bomb to make it an Atomic bomb.
    Dr. Stangelove- I believe that there was technology used thought the construction of the doomsday devise because of all of the new ideas and materials used. In this movie, there were also specific measurements that were used in the construction and while the plane was damaged. Finally there was engineering in this movie because of the engineering of the actual doomsday devise and the planes.
    Transcendent Man- Science was obviously used in this documentary because of all of the scientific discoveries to improve the human body and the life expectance. In this movie, there was also a lot of technology use due to the machinery and computers that would be inserted into human bodies and human DNA. I also believe that engineering was an important part of this movie because to make the different computer programs that would help humans, it took a lot of engineering work.

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  12. Helen Ruckes Part 2/2
    3. Both the Manhattan Project and Dr. Strangelove took place in an earlier time compared to when the Transcendent Man took place (2007?). Also the Transcendent Man focused more on creation and how to make humans better while the other moves focused on destroying communities or inventing a devise to hurt others. Dr. Strangelove was definitely an action movie compared to the other two which were more informative. The Transcendent Man was appealing because it can relate to near future event s and even present day discoveries while the others focused more on the past events.
    4. The Manhattan Project was an interesting movie because it gave the viewer an insight on the atomic bomb and it gave good facts and details. I thought that the history was interesting, but it was very “slow”. I thought that because it was a factual film it was slightly boring and hard to wrap your head around.
    Dr. Stangelove was an interesting Scifi movie and was very action packed. It also gave the viewer good facts without being too boring. I thought it was an interesting topic with a good plot line, however, it was not my favorite movie because I found some of the information hard to process and piece together.
    The Transcendent Man was very interesting because of all of the factual evidence that was stated in the movie. I liked how it was more modern and how one could relate it back to his/ her life. I thought that it made it more personal. This, by far, was my favorite movie because it was modern and it also had a bit of everything in it, science, technology, math, engineering, and even comedy. It also gave me a lot to think about with the future due to all of the new ideas and inventions

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  13. 1)
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel: The most memorable moment would be how the project had the backing of great scientists, and needed Albert Einstein to write a letter to Roosevelt to make the project more known. Also, another memorable moment is how a New Mexico City, New Alamo, was used for testing the bomb, not a typical research lab in the New England city area. The names of the atomic bombs, Fat Man and Little Boy, were memorable for its strange names.
    Dr. Strangelove: The most memorable moment of this movie would be when Captain Mandrake shot himself. His character was memorable as he was the one to believe the coming of the war, with his claim of the fluoridation of water. Another memorable moment would be when General Ripper tried to phone the president which was a humorous scene. Also, when Dr. Strangelove laid out his plan, it was memorable.
    Transcendent Man: The most memorable moment is Ray Kurzweil’s incapability to accept death. He proposed singularity and the immortality of living on the internet. Another memorable moment is how he tried to change his biological makeup by taking 200 pills a day. Another moment is the ideas of how in the future, humanity may be part machine.

    2)
    The movie had STEM related content being that the atomic bomb was the splitting of uranium-238. Also, many profound scientists were involved in the making and during the Manhattan Project. The movie explained the process of nuclear fission and fusion.
    Dr. Strangelove had STEM related content, with the doomsday device, Mandrake’s prediction of the pollution of the United States’s water, and the technology used to communicate to the war room.
    Transcendent Man had STEM related information, especially in the futuristic technology. It discussed the capability of machines, and in order to progress forward, humans would need to combine with these machines. Also, it talked about the biology of a human and the DNA. It also showed STEM-related content with ray’s inventions, such as his reader for the blind.

    3)
    Modern Marvels was an informational movie which detailed the planning of the atomic bomb, Dr. Strangelove was a movie based on satire about the Cold War and the Transcendent Man was a documentary on advanced and futuristic technology. From our modern day vantage point, I realize how much times have changed, how with the technology today, we take for granted how difficult the process of planning the atomic bomb required. However, it makes it harder for me to understand the humor of Dr. Strangelove, as I did not experience that time period. The modern day vantage point makes me amazed how fast and superior our technology is and wonder what new technology will occur in the far future.

    4)
    The movie was very informative yet also concise. It was a very good educational learning video that fully explained the process of the Manhattan Project. The video also was very respectable, coming from the History Channel. I did enjoy learning more in depth on how the atomic bomb was planned.
    Dr. Strangelove touched on a very difficult topic, yet made it interesting and humorous. Being a satirical film, it was not the most believable. Unfortunately, I did not quite enjoy Dr. Strangelove. I was unable to grasp the comedy in some of the jokes, and living in the modern day, I thought the movie was overexagerrated.
    Ray Kurzweil’s documentary was extremely interesting. Being that the information did not yet occur, it was intriguing to learn what his predictions were. Also, Kurzweil, being a genius and having other successful predictions allows his credibility to be high. However, the topics which were discussed were shocking and similar to his other several failed predictions, may not come true. I enjoyed Transcendent Man the most, as it presented cutting-edge technology and was very important to today’s modern age.

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  14. part 1:

    1) One of the most memorable moments in the movie, Modern Marvels, was when they tested the atomic bomb in New Mexico. I remember the location where they tested it; they were positioned in a desert, and the strength of the blast surprised them even though they were miles away. Another memorable moment was when they showed the bomb being dropped and the mushroom cloud appeared. The footage showed how enormous the explosion was. Lastly, another memorable moment was when the workers were assembling the bomb. It was stressful especially because they only had enough for one bomb and one wire could make all their efforts worthless.
    2)Some examples of STEM related content was when all the scientists were putting together the bomb. This engineering endeavor took a significant amount of group cooperation. Secondly, it they showed a little about the amount of mathematics put into organizing the bomb. For example, when they were dropping it, the pilot had specific instructions as to when and at what height and speed he should drop it at. Also, the film recognized the ingenuity of the new weapon. They made it clear to the audience how they were unaware of how effective the new technology would be.
    3)After viewing all these movies, they are all drastically different. While Modern Marvels discusses an event in history seriously and scientifically, Dr. Strangelove views the use of such weapons in a lighter, more comical way. Transcendent man also takes a meaningful look at technology today. It is also clear that the film Transcendent Man is more modern than Dr. Strangelove due to the technology. For example, in the latter, they couldn’t contact a plane because the radio was damaged, while in Transcendent Man, they were speaking of the time when man would become one with technology and become more robotic, or reviving the dead.
    4)I thought that Modern Marvels was an entertaining movie in terms of educating its audience. One can infer that this movie is quality and reliable because the source it comes from, history.com, is a reputable site. Personally, I enjoyed it because it was very informational and gave an interesting perspective of the events that occurred such as actually dropping the bomb.
    1)One of the most memorable moments from Dr. Strangelove was when they found out that there was still a plane in the air about to drop the bomb. All of the characters were very enthusiastic which made me recall this crucial scene. Another part was when they actually dropped the bomb at the end of the movie and set off the doomsday machine. That was obviously a significant part in the movie and very memorable because I wasn’t expecting it! Finally, the third memorable moment was when the man in the wheelchair was describing the doomsday machine. I was wondering why he was speaking so strangely and lost control of his arm very frequently.

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  15. part 2:

    2) Some examples of STEM related content includes when the men on the plane were figuring out how to drop the bomb. It was funny how they were so desperate to do so, while the president was trying to tell them not to. It was also interesting to see them use a pay phone to contact the president. An error in their technology was how the leaders were unable to turn off the doomsday machine, even though it had the ability to kill everyone on the planet.
    4)I enjoyed this movie the best, although it seemed the least plausible. It was rather unrealistic how the world leaders were unable to stop a bomb from being dropped that would kill everyone in the world. They failed to contact one plane in this age of advanced technology. There were also some comical scenes like when the man in the wheelchair was describing how the ratio of men to women will be 1/10. The characters were extremely enthusiastic and entertaining as well.
    1)The most memorable moment for me was when it showed the cup of pills that Ray was going to take, and he continued to explain that he had been taking up to 200 pills a day! Another memorable moment was when one person talked about how after the day when robots would reach the level of humans, the robots would inevitably take control of the world and eliminate the human species. As one can imagine, that was rather unsettling. Lastly, it was also interesting when they showed the little robots inside humans’ blood.
    2)Some examples of STEM related content include robotics. This is mostly what the film was about. Also, the movie talked about living forever or bringing people back from the dead like how Ray wanted to bring back his father. They also talked about the joining of humans and technology. For example, when the chips were inserted into someone’s arm so he could control the robotic arm.
    4)Although this movie wasn’t the most entertaining, I feel that everyone should watch it. It takes an optimistic perspective that is somewhat frightening, yet realistic. Ray has proven to be very reliable which is why the content presented in this film seems reasonable and is taken into serious consideration.

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  16. Modern marvels

    1.
    - The first nuclear generator, that was created underground in New York.
    - The first successful nuclear bomb
    - The dropping of the bomb on Japan and its effects in the years to come

    2.
    - Getting uranium-238 from other ions
    - Splitting the atom
    - Creating the bomb to trigger a chain reaction

    3.
    Modern Marvels took a look into the past, and what could be considered our biggest scientific breakthrough during the the 20th century, the atomic bomb and nuclear science. Dr. Strangelove focused on the social effects of the atomic bomb in the form of a satirical piece on the Cold War. Transcendent Man took a look into the future of science, and specifically what might be our next big breakthrough. Kurzweil discusses singularity as the future of our species, in which a human cannot be differentiated from man-made robotic devices.

    4. This documentary was very informative. It thoroughly discussed its topic, and presented it in such a way that made it enjoyable to watch. Personally, I was happy to learn more about the Manhattan Project, and its scientific and military stories.

    Dr. Strangelove

    1.
    - The excessive apologies between the US and Soviet Leaders, symbolizing the large amount of pointless talking and negotiating during the Cold War
    - The pilot riding on the bomb as a symbol of overblown nationalism

    2.
    - The plane that carries the bomb, with missile-evasion technology and extremely fast speed capabilities.
    - The special radioactive material in the doomsday device that has a longer half-life
    - The special unknown code that can be used to communicate with the plane

    4. The movie covered the topics that surrounded the cold war specifically negotiation, nuclear danger, and nationalism. Kubric created a memorable film that makes fun of the very-serious cold war. For this reason, I found the movie very entertaining.

    Transcendent Man

    1.
    - The computer that Kurzweil made that can create music. It set the stage for Kurzweil as a natural genius
    - The fact that he is using over 200 pills a day to keep himself alive and try to cheat death. This established Kurzweil’s ambitious and almost fanatical approach to prolonging life.
    - The near future of robots that can be implanted and function alongside cells in the body.

    2.
    - Kurzweil has a team of statisticians who help him develop models of technological growth for the future.
    - The camera that can scan text and read it out loud for blind people
    - The concept of altering human intelligence by simply downloading information to the brain via nanobots

    4. I did not enjoy this film. It seemed to be an infomercial for Kurzweil and his personal view of the future. It fails to fully address opposing points of view, other than briefly mentioning a few skeptics. Though the idea presented by the film is extremely interesting, I feel that it advertises rather than thoroughly discusses the idea of singularity.

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  17. Ben Staniewicz
    1. Some of the most memorable moments of Modern Marvels were when they made entire cities to build the bombs, little boy was the first uranium based bomb and had never been tested, and how the first nuclear reactor was built underneath a football field.
    The most memorable scenes of Dr. Strangelove were when Dr. Strangelove was calling the president the Fuhrer and saying Nazi ideas, the guy at the end riding the bomb down, and the conversation between the president and the Russian leader.
    The most memorable moments from Transcendent Man was when he mentioned how lifespan could be increased, humans could merge with computers, and how he had taken 200 pills a day.
    2. Modern Marvels explained the process of fission, the difficulty in engineering such processes to separate different isotopes, and also the difficulty they had in designing the bombs themselves.
    Dr. Strangelove didn’t show STEM so much as a misuse of it. Advanced weapons such as the doomsday machine and nuclear weapons were used to destroy everyone rather than help the human race advance. One person in the military was able to go past all of the safety put in place to prevent a disaster such as this from happening. There was also the fake science that supported that chlorinated water was harmful.
    Transcendent Man mentions several possible future technologies such as nanobots, the camera for blind people, and increasing the human lifespan.
    3. Modern marvels focuses on the history, Dr. Strangelove is still in the past, but fictional, and Transcendent man focuses on the future. Transcendent Man is interesting from our point of view because it is a possible future. Modern Marvels shows us the past which is very interesting. Dr. Strangelove obviously never happened and because of this is entertaining but has less of an educational value.
    4. Modern Marvels had very valuable content that is factual and helpful in understanding past technological advancements. It is interesting to see not only what was developed but the process that those scientists went through to make the atomic bombs a reality. It is also presented in a more formal manner than Dr. Strangelove and more factual than Transcendent Man. Ultimately, this was my favorite movie because it was based solely on history and facts.
    Dr. Strangelove was funny but offered very little information. I get that it was supposed to be satirical but it went so far that I lost interest because it was a little implausible. Nevertheless, it was fun to see and made me think about how much power we trust the government to use responsibly.
    Transcendent Man mentioned several technologies that seem very plausible. However, he thinks that the singularity will come faster than I think it will. He is a little too hopeful and wants it to come in his lifetime. He still provides useful information though but because it is purely theoretical at this point, it is not the most interesting to me because it didn’t tell me anything I hadn’t heard from other sources before.

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  18. Matthew McKenna
    (I did not see the modern marvels movie)


    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    Dr.Strangelove: The most memorable part of this movie was when the Americans were in war room and the Russian ambassador came in. The fight between him and the American general was am using.

    Transcendent man:
    The most memorable part of transcendent man was when Ray predicted that humans will soon be able to live forever. I had not though that something like this would be possible any time soon.


    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.

    Dr Strangelove:
    1) This movie dealt with STEM by describing the radio workings of the aircraft.
    2)It taught us about the possibility of a nuclear bomb explosion.
    3) Finally, this movie also taught us about how nuclear bombs work

    Transcendent Man:
    1) This movie taught us how you could possibly keep yourself alive by taking 200 pills a day
    2) The future of technology was predicted in this movie
    3) The estimated period as to when technology would evolve so rapidly we could not keep up with it was revealed.


    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.

    Dr. Strangelove and Transcendent man were two entirely different movies. The first was a vaguely educational comedy, while the other was simply a documentary. From a modern day viewpoint, we tend to laugh at the events that occur in Dr. Strangelove. All of their actions are so old and outdated it was almost funny, and we know that the possibility of such a situation unfolding is impossible. Back when this movie was made, however, the viewers may have taken it more seriously because such an event may have been possible back then. Transcendent Man also prompted disbelief. While I think that there will come a time when we have the singularity, and no matter how much I wish that day came as soon as possible, I doubt that it will occur as quickly as Ray predicts. The documentary even mentioned that there are many critiques of Ray's predictions, and from a modern viewpoint, we will just have to wait and see if he was correct in his predictions.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference

    Dr. Strangelove:
    a)Dr. Strangelove did not have as much informational content as Transcendent Man. This movie was focused more on comedy, and less on science.
    b) It was critically acclaimed, so it had merit
    c) As personal preference, I enjoyed this movie. While it may be extremely outdated, it was amusing while at the same time though provoking.

    Transcendent Man:
    a) Transcendent man had very informative content, even if the information presented were just guesses at what the future will hold.
    b) This movie did not have much merit as many people cannot believe Ray's predictions and write him off as a crackpot man who is afraid of death.
    c) As a personal preference, this was my favorite movie. Even though I doubt the predictions presented are turue, it was still nice to think about what could happen with technology in the future.

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  19. Dana Perry
    I was absent for two of the movies. I only saw Transcendent Man.
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    When the man was getting robotic implants
    The predictions about future technologies in the beginning
    When the pictures of Ray’s childhood inventions were displayed
    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    There were new technologies invented, such as the device that reads text aloud for blind people, the implants in the scientist, and the process of the computer becoming more and more advanced.
    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    I don’t know, I didn’t see the other two…
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    A) The content was intriguing yet quite scary to think about. Luckily, most of it was hypothetical.
    B) The film is a little far-fetched for me, but the details of Ray’s life were nice to learn.
    C) I like this one best because it is the only one I saw.

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  20. For the Manhattan Project, I do not believe I was in class. From what I know from previous knowledge, it was a pretty big deal. It was the introduction of the atomic bomb ushering a whole new era of warfare that is far more dangerous than anything the world had experienced before.

    Dr. Strangelove: This lovely movie had many memorable moments. 1. When the president was talking to the Russian president on the phone and they talked back and forth about being friends. 2. When the American General explained how the soviets were going to takeover through body fluids. 3. When the American tried to plant a camera on the Russian Ambassador, but got caught mid plan. How did stem Factor into Dr. Strangelove? A lot of stem went into the production of the atomic bomb that the U.S had on the plane. The science that went into finding out how to split an atom is astonishing. Also, the technology to with the wide variety of codes and different forms of technology show how stem affected the movie and what went on during it. Finally, the radar system used throughout the movie showed stem as well. The calculations that went into discovering that technology is amazing.
    The three movies all had a different twist on getting the message across. In Modern Marvels, even though I didn’t see it, I know that it was very serious and factual. Dr. Strangelove was not nearly as factual. It put a comedy spin on the whole atomic bomb idea. Transcendent Man, however, was a little factual, but provided the aspect of following a man on a journey which the other movies did not achieve. Transcendent Man is the most modern of the films watched followed by Modern Marvels and then Dr. Strangelove. Dr. Strangelove was a very enjoyable movie. It provided a large amount of humor that everyone understood. It made a serious topic like a weapon that is capable of destroying a whole city and made it funny. I like Stanley Kubric, who did a fantastic job in this film. It was quite the movie and I would recommend it.

    Transcendent Man: This movie was different than the rest for many reasons even though I only saw half of it. Some moments that stood out to me were: 1. When Ray Kurzweil talked about dead people. It was very creepy and very memorable moment that definently made me remember the name Ray Kurzweil. 2. When they played the phone call from a professor saying that Ray’s Theory about the future was horribly wrong and that nothing like that will ever happen. The choice words he had for Ray is why I remember it and the way that Ray calmly reacted to it making it seem like it happens a lot. 3. When Ray went on the game show back when he was 18. I thought I was cool, not only the fact that he was on the show, but the show itself was memorable. Nothing like that game show exists today. A lot of stem went into this movie. Ray used stem to develop all of his inventions including the auto music writer and the reader for blind people. The science and calculations that went into it are amazing. The fact that he has ideas for what is to come also shows his knowledge of stem in the real world. From our modern day vantage point, which is only a few years in the future, I cant say that any of Ray’s predictions are wrong. Not much has changed with what he talked about. Technology, however, continues to advance just as he had said though. This movie was very good content wise, but fell short a little as it had its boring moments. If I had a choice to what either Transcendent Man or Dr. Strangelove, I would definently pick Dr. Strangelove, but I would settle for the other film as well.
    -Levi Santos

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  21. 1. The first movie, The Manhattan Project's most memorable moment was when they first tested the nuclear bomb in New Mexico thinking that the explosion would not be so devastating. The scientists did not expect the explosion and the aftereffects to be so devastating and the movie captured that scene really well.
    Dr. Strange Love's most memorable moment was the detonation of the nuclear bomb. The movie ended right there and left the fate of the world ambiguous. That moment expresses the danger a full out nuclear war would pose to this world.
    The most memorable moment of Transcendent Man was right at the end when he said: "Does God exist? Not yet?" because that phrase illustrates the potential power of technology that keeps exponentially growing.

    2. In The Manhattan Project and Dr. Strange Love, the Engineering aspect of STEM is shown. The two movies show the engineering of the nuclear bomb.
    Transcendent Man illustrates the Technology aspect of STEM because the entire movie is about the growing power of technology in the present and the future.

    3. The Manhattan Project differs from Dr. Strange Love because the first movie shows the creation of the nuclear bomb whereas the second one shows its use later in the 20th century. Transcendent Man differs from the other two because it focused mostly on improved technology currently and in the future. The first two movies show us, the modern audience, the huge danger nuclear bombs and nuclear armraces pose to the world. Transcendent Man shows how technology will help to improve our lives, destroy us completed make us immortal and give us dangerous power. The movie shows how beneficial and dangerous technology will be to us in the future.

    4. The Manhattan Project did a very good job showing the creation and detonation of the nuclear bomb. It shows us the utter destruction the bomb can unleash upon the world. This movie deserves praise because it shows the birth of the most deadly weapon in the world. I enjoyed the movie because it intelligently expressed the history of the bomb and informed me of the science behind its detonation.

    Dr. Strange Love did an extremely good job showing us the implication of using a nuclear bomb against another nuclear-armed country. I feel as if the movie deserves a lot of praise because it shows how the world is powerless against a potential nuclear apocalypse. No matter how hard one tries or makes plans, eventually mutually assured destruction would literally kill everyone. I really liked this movie because its message still applies to us today, in the 21st century.

    Transcendent Man shows us the increasing power of computers and how it will keep exponentially growing in the future. This movie deserves a lot of praise because of how it expresses the current and future interactions between man and machine. I enjoyed this movie immensely because its implications will occur in my own lifetime.

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  22. -Barak Davidi

    Modern Marvels: The most memorable moments in this movie was when the narrator discussed how one of the scientist was standing 20 miles away from the nuclear bomb test site and was applying sunscreen to his face. I found this memorable because it demonstrated both the incredible intensity of the bomb, and it reflected upon the unpredictability of the bomb during the test in New Mexico.
    Dr. Strangelove: By far, the most memorable moment in this movie was when the audience discovers the general’s paranoia of the Communists. He believes that the Russians have formed an elaborate plan to penetrate the bodies of Americans through the use of contaminated water and alcohol. He believed that the Russians would contaminate his “precious bodily fluids.”
    Transcendent Man- The most memorable part of this movie was when Ray stated that he wanted to recreate his deceased father with the use of all of the father’s records and Ray’s memories of his father. This statement made the audience believe that Ray was mentally unstable.
    Modern Marvels: This movie was all about the difficulties and technology that went into the development of the first nuclear weapon. It discussed fission as well as took a step into the material sciences when it discussed the different possible materials for its outer shell as well as the elements that would be responsible for the fission.
    Dr. Strangelove: This movie was not created for the purpose of educating one about the functions of the nuclear bomb. It did portray, however, airplane protocol and communications of the time period. Different radio systems, blockers of enemy radios, jammers, and radar where displayed being used in this movie.
    Transcendent Man: This movie discussed the prolongment and improvement of human life with the use of the sciences. For example, Ray was able to overcome Diabetes by consuming around 200 pills per day and restoring his body, biologically, to a lower stage. This movie discussed biology, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
    Modern Marvels: This movie was in a form of a documentary about the creation of the atomic bomb. It was all historically accurate and took a look into the past rather than to the present or future.
    Dr. Strangelove: This movie was created for the sake of entertainment rather than fact. All of the things that happened in the movie where not fiction and it presented a possibility of occurrences in the pass rather true fact. Also it ended in the destruction of the world so there was no look into the future.
    Transcendent man: This movie was mostly about taking modern technologies and predicting the technology of the future. It took looks into the future with wild predictions such as that humans would be immortal and merge with inorganic material to form god-like beings. This movie was based off of fact but made predictions and inferences that are merely opinion.
    Modern Marvels: a. This movie was in the form of a documentary so the content was all historical fact as well as scientific explanations. It was very extensive and dense with information. b. It was very reliable because of Modern Marvel’s reputation. c. I didn’t like this movie very much because it was slow and stale, although it delivered all facts expertly.
    Dr. Strangelove: a. This movie was created for the purpose of entertainment, so it held very little historical content. It also did not explain the fictional events with much detail. b. This movie holds no merit for it is completely fiction. In this movie, some of the locations and materials were real, but the premise of the movie was entirely made up. c. I liked this movie because it was funny at times and seemed to move at quite a rapid rate. The idea of the movie is comical and the acting was great.
    ...

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  23. ...(Barak Continued)
    Transcendent man: a. This movie is based on current technology and predictions of future technologies to paint a picture of the humans of the future. The facts relating to modern day technologies where credible however all predictions of the future must be considered false. b. This movie included the opinions of many very qualified scientists as well as theorists who have contradicting ideologies. c. I did not like this movie. It seemed to be very far fetched and it seemed as though Ray’s only purpose was to impose his ideology on the audience rather than create some sort of entertainment. I found some of his predictions to be plausible but very unlikely.

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  24. I was only present for Transcendent Man. I was in SBAC and absent during the other movie.

    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.

    My favorite part of Transcendent Man was when he discussed the idea of implanting a computer into the human brain and body. I thought this was very interesting because I completely oppose the idea. I think humans should retain their natural lives and capabilities without technology’s interference.


    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.

    The major example of STEM related content in the movie was technology, which has changed our lives. Kurzewil has invented many new types of technology, including the reader for blind people and speech recognition programs. These inventions have had a very beneficial impact on people’s lives. Another scientist surgically placed technology into his arm to observe its compatibility with the human experience. After his tests, he found that humans and technology could coexist very well (in his opinion).

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.

    Transcendent Man is a modern day movie; therefore the viewpoint it discusses is present. It is very opinionated though, because the coexistence between technology and humans is a widely debated subject. Personally, I feel like technology has gotten to the point where it has tried to fight nature. People want to develop technology to bring back the dead and make the human “life” eternal. I don’t agree with this because part of being human is being natural, and when we are “wired” in, we are not living natural lives.


    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference

    I thought Transcendent Man was very interesting, because we were able to experience a lot of peoples’ viewpoints. I really like how the movie focused in on different pieces of Kurzweil’s life, including the blind reader invention and the significance of his father. In terms of merit, all opinions and evidence came from highly educated people, including Kurzweil himself, and had very serious accounts and predictions of the future. Therefore, I think the movie was very credible and either argument can be defended. Since this was the only movie I saw, it was also the most preferred.

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  25. Leah Miller
    I only saw the first half of Dr. Strangelove and the Transcendent Man
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    Dr. Strangelove – the one guy flipping out on the Russian ambassador in the War Room, the pilot opening the safe only to get his Stetson hat, Peter Sellers as the president arguing with the premier over who was more sorry
    Transcendent Man – Ray’s explanation of the keyboard he made that could spell words, Ray taking all those pills in order to deal with his Diabetes, the man who got implants in his arm so his office talked to him
    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Dr. Strangelove – the use of the encoders and locks to ensure only the one signal could reach the planes, talking about all the different options for the correct signal to reach the plane, the random mentions of bodily fluids
    Transcendent Man – the implants in the one guys are so he could communicate with technology, Ray’s prediction of the advancement in technology in the future, being able to adjust your own health systems using drugs t deal with things like diabetes
    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Dr. Strangelove was a fictional movie based on a possible outcome from the Cold War, contrasting greatly with Transcendent Man which was a documentary-like film about Ray Kurweil and his predictions of technology in the future. From a modern vantage point, Transcendent Man is something that could happen in the future while Dr. Strangelove is something that could have happened in the past.
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    Dr. Strangelove – a) this was definitely an interesting, comedic, and amusing movie with a great plot and good acting b) while not likely to have been able to have happened, the theoretical aspect allowed for it to have some merit in possibility c) I enjoyed watching this movie and wished I saw the end of it
    Transcendent Man – a) the predictions of the major advancements in technology were both fascinating and creepy b) filmed as a biographical documentary, this film was rather factual as well as also being objective, allowing for good merit c)I did not enjoy this movie as much as Dr. Strangelove

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  26. Katie Meehan

    I was not here for the Modern Marvels movie because of CAPT testing and only saw the second half of Dr. Strangelove.

    1. The most memorable moment of Dr. Strangelove was at the end when the atomic bomb was dropped. I found this part very interesting because most of the plot of the movie was about trying to stop the bomb from being dropped. I found this very annoying because the ending made all the work that everyone did during the movie pointless. The most memorable moments of Transcendent Man were the obsession Ray Kurzweil had with immortality, the psychological damage that Ray’s father’s death caused to him, the idea of robots becoming more superior than humans or humans receiving implants to enhance their intelligence and abilities, and the possibility of a war between those who want to continue enhancing artificial intelligence and those who do not. These parts were extremely interesting to me because I am interested in the medical field and it is impressive to realize that new technological innovations can improve human quality of life and life expectancy by a lot in just a few years.
    2. Three examples of STEM related content discussed within Dr. Strangelove were the effects of the atomic bomb on humans, the large computer room where the majority of the movie took place, and the planes shown throughout the movie. The atomic bomb was STEM related because it was a scientific invention. The large computer room and the planes are STEM related because they both are technological and engineering inventions. Three examples of STEM related content discussed within Transcendent Man were the amount of pills that Ray took to become “immortal”, implanting devices to make humans cyborgs, and the heart issues that the Kurzweil family have. All three of these relate to STEM because they involve the medical field, which is science and the implants involve the medical and technological fields.
    3. Dr. Strangelove and The Transcendent Man were very different from each other. First off, Dr. Strangelove was a fictional movie, while The Transcendent Man was more of a documentary. Also, I found The Transcendent Man to be more interesting and relevant to people today because it was dealing with topics that are in the near future, while Dr. Strangelove was about atomic bombs, which are still a threat today, but not as much as they were back when this movie was made. In addition The Transcendent Man was a more serious movie because of the types of information contained in it while Dr. Strangelove was a comical and satirical movie.
    4. I did not enjoy the movie Dr. Strangelove that much. The content was interesting although the way it was present, in my opinion, was a little silly. I didn’t enjoy the type of comedy used in this movie, and I will probably never watch it again. On the other hand, I found The Transcendent Man extremely interesting because of my interest in the medical field. The content was interesting and I learned a lot from it. I would like to watch this movie again and see if I can learn anymore from it.

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  27. When the class watched the Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, I was taking SBAC and did not get to see the movie. The other two I have seen. The three most memorable moments when watching Dr. Strangelove were when the main American Air Force were preparing to drop the nuclear bombs in Russia, when the head pilot made his speech to his crew and then put his cowboy hat on, and the entire first War Room scene. The three most memorable moments of Transcendent Man were when Ray’s mother was interviewed about his childhood, when he took 200 pills a day to cure his diabetes and when he created the reader for blind people and went to a conference to showcase it. In Dr. Strangelove, there were the effects of the atomic bomb; characters used the computer, which took the size of a room, and the use of planes that were flying in the Soviet Union. Both the computer and planes are technological advances in society and the atomic bomb is a man-made scientific invention. In Transcendent Man, there were uses of medication, robotics in humans, and mentions of heart diseases. All of these elements are related to the medical field. In Dr. Strangelove, there were the technical advances of the American 1960 society. Computers were the size of rooms and air planes were still a new advance. In Transcendent Man, computers were shown to be able to be put into pockets and robots are used in humans. The ideas of new technological advances in Dr. Strangelove are deemed as outdated in Transcendent Man. In Dr. Strangelove, I did not believe that it was realistic, although I did enjoy the humor of the movie. Being a junior and learning about the Cold War made me appreciate the humor in Dr. Strangelove more. In Transcendent Man, I felt inspired and disturbed of the fast evolution of technology. I found Ray to be an inspiring man with useful insight. I feel that this movie is important for young people my age to watch so the evolution of technology is known to society and what we should expect in the future.

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  28. I was not there to see the movie “Modern Marvels”
    In the movie Dr. Strangelove, the three most memorable moments were when Major T.J. King Kong rode the missile to the ground, when General Turgidson spoke during the meeting (while constantly chewing or eating gum), and when President Muffley spoke with Dimitri on the phone. I thought it was comical that Major T.J. just rode sat on the missile and enjoyed his ride down, instead of freaking out. The part where General Turgidson spoke to the president about the situation was memorable because he was very calm about it, and he constantly kept eating gum. I also thought that the president’s conversation with Dimitri on the phone was memorable because they had very different priorities.
    A few STEM related content discussed within the movie were the missiles that were designed to hit Russia, the plane’s engineering to not pick up any messages without the specific code, and the “bodily fluids” contamination. The missiles reflected strong technological innovations designed for destruction. The plane’s engineering to pick up messages that had the specific code reflects technological innovations that were designed to ensure safety and secrecy in such a situation. Not only that, but the “bodily fluids” contamination theory reflects the fear of biological warfare.
    I think this movie was very funny and good. It reflected the corruption among the politicians at that time periods in a satirical way. The content of the movie was satirical but informative. Overall this movie was enjoyable and was worth watching.


    Three most memorable moments in the movie “Transcendent Man” were when Ray Kurzweil was insulted on live television, when he said and showed that he ate 200 (or more) pills a day, and when he stood above his father’s grave and said that he will one day bring him back alive. These scenes were memorable because they were a bit bizarre and somewhat odd to think about. I mean, one would think that a normal person will not be doing or experiencing such things in his/her everyday life.
    A few STEM related content in this movie were the machine that created music, having a device to read for those who are blind, and the theory of one day hybridizing with artificial technology. The machine that created music was an innovative and very different idea during that time period. The invention of the device that could read for a blind person reflected that idea that technology is constantly changing for the better. I mean a machine that was initially really big can now fit in a person’s pocket. Furthermore, the theory of humans one day hybridizing with artificial intelligence reflects the idea that as time goes on technology will be increasingly smaller yet more advanced.
    This movie was enjoyable and had interesting content. The theory of singularity was something new that I did not know about before. This movie was based off of theories and opinions more than solid research; it lacked support. Though this movie mainly focused on theories, I did find it and all the different opinions interesting. This movie was worth watching.

    Though I did not watch the “Modern Marvels” I can compare and contrast the other two movies. The movie “Dr. Strangelove” was rather satirical and more comedy than factual. Similarly the movie “Transcendent Man” was more based on theories than factual evidence and research. However the latter of the two was more reliable, in that it was more realistic and had more evidence than the former movie. From the modern day viewpoint, it is clear that the movie “Dr. Strangelove” is more fictional, even though it is based on a historical event. It is also clear that the movie “Transcendent Man” brings forth realistic theories though they may seem highly fictional.

    Vimratha Teepireddy

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  29. Dr. Strangelove
    1. The first most memorable moment from Dr. Strangelove is when the rogue general first talks about why he has launched the bombers. This is memorable because it is the first time when the watcher realizes that the general is crazy and has no good reason to initiate plan R. He just did it because of something he believed was happening. The second memorable thing that happened was when the president is talking to the drunk Soviet Premier. This is memorable because the president cannot get the premier to be serious and therefore precious time is wasted. The third most memorable moment is when the president is advised by one of his generals to launch all of the US’s nuclear capabilities to prevent Russia from retaliating. This was memorable because it showed how willing man was to destroy itself.
    2.The first STEM related content in the movie is the atomic bomb itself. Atomic fusion is definitely one of the most impressive feats of human engineering and technology. Mans’ ability to power such devastating weapons was at the very least memorable. The second STEM related content was the airplanes that flew the bomb. It was excellently designed to survive any attacks from the Soviets. The third piece of STEM related content is the radio that the bomber carried.It was set so only one code could transmit to it.
    3. This movie was quite funny surprisingly. It is a dark subject and you would think it would be a dark movie. But it seemed to make fun of the dangerous situation they were all in. This movie does not have much historical or worldly advice to share. It is just a satirical movie about Mutually Assured Destruction so its advice is limited. However, it can be used to warn people of watching out for rogue military officials who would do this on their own. I enjoyed this movie a lot and loved how it mixed satire with drama to create a suspenseful yet comedic feel.


    The Manhattan Project
    1. The first memorable moment from this film is when President Roosevelt first commissions the atomic bomb. This marks the start of a new chapter in human history in which it could build weapons of its own destruction. The second memorable moment is when the first atomic bomb is dropped. This showed the world the destructive power atoms could unleash and sparked a cold war that would last 46 years. The third most memorable moment is when they said that Harry Truman had to be briefed on the project. This showed just how secret the project was, since the Vice president had no idea about it.
    2. The atomic bomb itself was the greatest example of stem related content in this film. Again the ability to destroy humanity is not an idea to be scoffed at. The second stem related content is the machine they used to split the atom. This was revolutionary, as it not only allowed the bomb to be built but the construction of nuclear power plants. The third stem related moment was the elements they used to make the bomb. One was made in nature but the other was made by humans.
    3. The content of this movie was very informative. It gave me new information on not only the atomic bomb but nuclear science in general. It showed how it was started with the germans splitting the atom and the US developing the bomb. This film is very credible because of all the primary sources used for this presentation. I also enjoyed this movie because my two favorite subjects, science and history, are present in those documentary.

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  30. 1) MODERN MARVELS: THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
    a) This documentary about the nuclear bomb had many memorable moments in it. First, the successful test of the atomic bomb in New Mexico was a very important part of the film. Despite the fact that it was just a test, it was the earliest point of time where the United States was officially considered a nuclear threat. Also, it was definitely memorable when the bombs were dropped on Japan. Its devastating impact was surely heard around the world. Lastly, I thought it was very ironic how the Axis was officially abolished by people from their own countries; in other words, some Jewish people fled from Germany, only to help make this bomb.
    b) This documentary was very closely related to STEM. For instance, the narrator spent lots of time discussing the chemical properties of uranium necessary to successfully make the bomb. Also, this bomb was engineered using the most modern techniques at the time. Lastly, from a broader standpoint, this was the newest, most powerful, and most destructive piece of technology at the time of its creation, and (in my opinion) started a technological revolution that is still occurring today.
    c) This movie was very informative. It had loads of information to help us understand the process behind the making of the deadliest weapon used in combat in the 20th century. It definitely had ample content about the creation of the atomic bomb, perhaps even too much. However, I enjoyed it, as it provided a comprehensive guide through the system the members of the Manhattan Project used. In terms of merit, this movie had it all, as it was a nonfiction documentary. The purpose, in this case, was to inform more than to entertain. As a result, the information in this was very credible. Lastly, I personally liked this. If I had to rate it out of 5, I would give it a 3 or 4. It cohesively informed me about the atomic bomb and its making, which I particularly enjoyed because I enjoy chemistry.
    2) DR. STRANGELOVE
    a) This movie was very entertaining for me. A memorable moment from it was when the pilot of the plane, T.J. “King” Kong, jumped out of the plane with the atomic bomb. I thought this was very funny. Also, I remember when the senile General Jack Ripper acted particularly psychotic when the Russians attempted to raid the base. Lastly, it was strange, yet funny, how nobody had access to the code to reverse the bombing except one person.
    b) First, like in the Manhattan Project documentary, the atomic bomb was the epicenter of the film, which is extremely science-related. Also, the exposure to the cockpit and all of the technological features within it links to aerospace engineering. Third, the coding system messaged between the bomber plane and General Ripper is an example of the constantly modernizing technology of our world.
    c) This movie was not meant to persuade or inform an audience nearly as much as it was to entertain. This movie was full of dark humor and strange people, and was very fictional. I enjoyed this movie, overall. It definitely was not true because such problems with the nuclear codes would never occur with all of the backups we have today. However, I enjoyed this because it made me think about what would happen if we couldn’t stop the world’s deadliest weapon after a crazy man launched it. This act could possibly cause a daunting war, particularly if we dropped it on Russia.

    I was working on Sikorsky while the third movie played, so I couldn't watch it.

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  31. Lillian Zhang Period 4

    Part one

    Modern Marvels
    1. The most memorable moment I thought was when there were several pictures showing the effects of the atomic bombing on Japan. I had little knowledge about atomic bombs, and the movie explained in detail about how the atomic bomb was made/discovered, and the importance of it in defeating the Axis powers in WWII. I was surprised by how horrifying the atomic bombs can affect Japan and its people. From the two bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the death toll was in the hundreds of thousands, and there were other health conditions like radiation that were imposed on innocents. The second memorable moment was the fact that most experiments of creating atomic bombs were underground. The last is the statement of the cost of making the bomb. It creates suspense whether the $30 billion dollars used will be worth it or not.
    2. I learned that there were two types of nuclear bombs, fission bomb and fusions bombs. Fission means breaking apart and fusion is to merge together. The second thing I learned is how the bomb works. They are named that because in a fission bomb, the large atom splits into two or more smaller ones, and later causes a chain reaction. The energy released is lower than energy released by nuclear fusion. In a fusion bomb, it fuses two or more lighter atoms into one large one. The last thing I learned was an example of the fusion bomb. The hydrogen bomb uses a fission reaction to start a fusion reaction.
    3. In Modern Marvels, the movie was more of a historical informational movie. Looking at it, we understand the impact of making atomic bombs on our economy, and we also understand the consequences of using the bomb. For example, looking at the bombs United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we understand how deadly the atomic bombs can be when used in warfare. In Dr. Strangelove, the movie was very different from Modern Marvels and I didn’t understand the “black humor”. It seemed humorous to Mrs. Day, but I didn’t find much humor in it. From our modern day vantage point, the events in the film seem ridiculous. In the movie, Transcendent Man, it was a scientific documentary. The idea of singularity seems far-fetched to us right now, and Ray Kurzweil seems very optimistic about the idea of singularity.
    4. Modern Marvels was short as a movie, but it was easy to follow and to the point. The time was around 50 minutes. There was a lot of content fit in the short time frame. I learned about how atomic bombs were made and how they actually work. (Ex see number 2.) I learned a lot about the history of the atomic bomb, and the devastating effects of it on Japan. I was kept in suspense whether the bombs will work because $30 billion dollars were spent on the research and the making of it and the whole idea might seem like a gamble. I think the movie deserves high merit because the fact that it is from a history channel, I believe the movie is pretty credible. I think the movie was also credible because the movie had many facts included and there was a short segment about how the fission and fusion bombs work. I personally thought the film was informative but not interesting to me.

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  32. Part 2 continued


    Dr. Strangelove
    1. The most memorable moment was when the captain of one of the aircrafts was fixing something so the aircraft doors will open so the bomb can be dropped. He fixed the technical part in time, but he was not able to rescue himself and was sent down on he dropped bomb. The second memorable moment was when there was the scene where the person in charge of one of the military bases went crazy and was shooting at the people outside of the building with his worker. The last was when we notice the Russian representative taking pictures of the map in the Pentagon.
    2. There wasn’t informational STEM related scenes in the movie, but there were some implied. For example, the retrieval code for the plane, which only the people on the plane had access to. There were technological difficulties and communication difficulties. The construction of the Doomsday Device had technology implied when the Russian was explaining its effects. Also, math was used to find the impact of the atomic bomb of the plane that was lost under radar.
    3. Above
    4. I thought the movie had a lot of content of the scenario if the proposed idea of happening, but it wasn’t interesting. For example, the miscommunication between the planes and president etc. It was more humorous, which caused the merit to be low, (leaders aren’t able to control what was happening). I personally thought this movie was hard to understand at first, but as time progresses, I realized the use of humor. Otherwise, I thought the movie would have never worked for me. It wasn’t very informational, and some humorous scenes that were humorous to Mrs. Day wasn’t to me…
    Transcendent Man
    1. The most memorable moment was when the scene shows Ray taking 200 pills, and that he takes them daily to lower his risk of dying from a disease. The second was the scene where a researcher was inserting a chip into his body so his movement will correspond with the mechanic hand. The last was his explanation of his deceased father, making us realize why Ray would want to have singularity exist.
    2. There were many STEM related content. One was the technology of inserting chips into your skin so the hand can correspond its movements with the mechanic one. The second was Ray explaining how singularity works with evidence of exponential intelligence. The last was Ray’s explanations of singularity at many conferences.
    3. Above
    4. I thought there was a lot of content with STEM related scenes, with data supporting his claims. For example, the exponential growth of human intelligence Ray presented. Most of the people were explaining their reasons why singularity would or would not work. Ray was very optimistic, and almost all of the extra commenters supported singularity. Merit was kind of high with all the data and scientific explanations, but commenters in the film spoke of their opinion, so most of it was biased. I personally thought the documentary was interesting and intriguing. I noticed how much Ray is obsessed with singularity and the idea of high artificial human intelligence and immortality. I did enjoy the movie but I don’t think singularity is achievable in 40 years. It is a good theory to focus on though.

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  33. PART ONE

    Modern Marvels – The Manhattan Project
    1. One of the most memorable moments from this movie was definitely when the pilot of the Enola Gay talked about what it felt like leading up to and after the dropping of the Atomic Bomb. This really put me inside of his head and gave perspective of what it felt to carry out this massive deed that had a massive effect on the world, including the victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Another memorable moment was when a victim of the bombing was interviewed about that horrible day. This also put into perspective about how horrifying the bombs affected the Japanese people. A third moment that was memorable was the how the builders of the atomic bombs were not allowed to tell others what they were doing at work. Their excuses of what they did at work were quite silly, making the whole situation much more memorable to me.
    2. Three examples of STEM that I learned all relate to making the atomic bomb. They had to separate certain isotopes of Uranium from others. There were three different ways that they did this: electro-magnetic separation, gaseous diffusion, and plutonium creation. Another example was that in order to carry out the gaseous diffusion, the largest building ever built was constructed. It was .5 miles long, and 1,000 feet wide. I also learned that the whole construction of the bombs cost $30 Billion in current money.
    3. This movie was very informative, and was completely filled with content. It showed all of the steps that scientists took leading up to detonation, as well as after. In terms of merit, this movie was very informative and really worth the watch. However, in regards to my own personal preference, I don’t think I would personally watch it outside of school. Even though it was a very interesting film, it just really isn’t my style.

    Dr. Strangelove
    1. There were many memorable moments in Dr. Strangelove. For example, at the ending of the film, when the Russian Ambassador took a picture of the big board in the Pentagon. That could have possibly changed everything for the Americans. Also, when the mentally unstable commander shot himself in the bathroom, that caused major panic among both the British officer, as well as the viewers. One more memorable moment was when the president and the Russian president shared phone calls. They were really quite comical, and added more suspense to the situation at hand. These were three very unforgettable things that occurred in Dr. Strangelove.
    2. Despite the lack of STEM in Dr. Strangelove, there was a large deal of technology. For example, the Russian ambassador’s camera was very advanced seeing as how well it was disguised. Also, the big board was a prime example of the technology in that time period. Of course, the bomb that was dropped was also a huge example of the STEM used in this film
    3. To be honest, there was not much content in this movie. If anything, there was humor. There wasn’t that much information, other than hypotheticals. This left the film with rather low merit. It was a bit confusing at first, but I got into it as time went on. However, I do not think I would watch this on my own.

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  34. PART TWO

    Transcendent Man
    1. Three memorable parts of this film was when Ray took over 200 pills, when he mentioned that he wanted to resurrect his father from the dead, and when Ray was shown on a TV show in the 60s with a computer that created music from a program.
    2. Regarding STEM, many things were addressed here. For example, Ray brought up AI and other robotics. Also, Ray’s diabetes disappeared when he took all those pills. Lastly, the implantation of robotics in humans was a major component of STEM in Transcendent Man.
    3. There was a vast amount of information in this film. The content was actually very interesting, and got a bit scary at times. The film overall was very informative and was very well worth the watch.

    Comparison
    These three movies were all over the spectrum. Transcendent Man was very modern and informative, Modern Marvels was a bit historical, and Dr. Strangelove was a bit comical. All of them were very fun to watch, but Dr. Strangelove was a bit too silly. However, all were informative and all showed off STEM in their respective time periods. The making of the atomic bomb and the limitations of the technology then was showcased impeccably in Modern Marvels. In Dr. Strangelove, the issues of malfunctioning technology and the condition of sanity were brought up and discussed. In Transcendent Man, Ray Kurzweil really showed his viewers where the world is at the moment in terms of STEM and where we are going. This is how these three movies differed.

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  35. Over the last week or so, we watched a number of STEM related videos in class. Using the Bloom's Taxonomy generated questions below, reflect on each of the movies individually. Include specific detail and evidence for argument (where applicable). If you were not in class due to SBac testing, please state that clearly in your response. If you only saw half of a movie (missed one day) answer the questions based on what you did see.

    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    The most memorable moments included the construction of the bomb, the secrecy of this project, and the amount of effort poured in by the scientists. I think this project was a turning point for our country in terms of power and advancement. There were many challenges that came along such as thinking of ways to produce uranium and plutonium efficiently.

    Dr. Strangelove-Stanley Kubric Film
    I enjoyed the humor of this movie, the seriousness of the topic, and the ending when the bomb could not be stopped. The initiation of Plan to drop a bomb on Russia was already a big risk to take. This issue requires contemplation of all sides to justify the attack. However, this movie tries to satirize the discharge of the bomb and the lack of government control. A single person can determine the end of thousands of lives.
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    It was interesting to see a man, who had such developed futuristic plans, an ability to solve problems, and a capacity to deal with health complications all at the same time. His ideas might seem a little far-fetched, but the history of human evolution within this documentary brings value to his ideas for the future. The way he deals with problems is imaginative and somewhat unrealistic. For instance, he takes over 200 pills to treat his diabetes. This was his own calculated plan and it manages to do what it needs for him.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    The building of the bomb, the resources, and the wide range of scientists from different fields are all STEM aspects of this movie. Engineers, materials scientists, and chemists were all required to develop a plan to build the first atomic bomb. There were so many roles in the construction of the bomb. Finding the resources was yet another difficulty encountered. How could these scientists produce enough uranium and plutonium?

    Dr. Strangelove-Stanley Kubric Film
    This movie was very technologically involved. There was so many technology instruments that one would not encounter on a regular basis. For instance, the big board that was in the conference room is very rarely seen. The audience wonders if this screen is actually used in the real world or if it was only created for the movie. Math and science were determinants of the timing of the bomb and its impact on the Russians. The attackers were aware that these calculations were determinants of the effect of the bomb.

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  36. Transcendent Man – Ray Kurzweil
    There were many STEM topics discussed in this documentary. The use of technology and its transformation over the years were two of them. It talked about the first computers and its costs in relation to the current form of the computer. One would be surprised at how prevalent computers are now in comparison to 20-30 years ago. The idea of technology hybridized with humans was one of interest. While we may become highly efficient, there are issues involving human nature. As humans, should we become artificially transformed?

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Both the Manhattan Project and Dr. Strangelove were black and white movies. This creates the assumption that these movies are not current and almost outdated in today’s world and age. While Dr. Strangelove had a story line, plot, and characters, the Manhattan Project and the Transcendent Man relied heavily on facts and information. Dr. Strangelove was fiction in comparison to the over two movies.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    a. The content was factual and relevant to understanding what the Manhattan Project was about.
    b. I believe that it has historical merit. It was a turning point for America in terms of technological advancement.
    c. I did not prefer this movie because it was too much information at once.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    a. The content was fiction, but definitely interesting. It was funny and easy to follow along.
    b. The events of the movie did not actually happen In real life so it was completely made up.
    c. I thought this movie was enjoyable because it was full of humorous scenes
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    a. The content documented technology and its advancement. I thought it was relevant because it was about Kurzweil and his influence in technology whether it be the present or the future.
    b. I agree that technology plays a big role in our lives and we need to educate ourselves on its potential in the future. I think leaders like Kurzweil are a good way to this information. Therefore, I think this film has merit and significance.
    c. I have rarely seen or heard the ideas presented in this documentary. I think it was an exposure to the possibilities that can occur within a lifetime. This movie made me think about the role of technology in our lives.

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  37. Eli Silvert (Part 1)

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    1.
    a. I found the methods used to isolate the uranium-235 were very interesting and memorable. Specifically, the method of diffusion to separate the isotopes of uranium was interesting.
    b. The creation of nuclear weapons took a workforce of 75,000 people, who lived in an isolated town called Oakridge. No one could say what they were working on, so the whole, huge project was kept secret—which I found very interesting.
    c. Scientists said that the current nuclear weapons are thousands of times more powerful than the ones used in Japan. I find this extremely scary after seeing some pictures and videos from Japan of the destruction that these “weaker” nuclear weapons caused.
    2.
    a. The uranium was diffused through very long aluminum pipes. The lighter atoms of uranium would go through it faster than they heavier uranium. After running the uranium atoms through the mile-long pipes thousands of times, eventually a significant amount of uranium-235 was produced.
    b. I found the way the bomb was constructed was also very interesting. For one of the bombs, it was circular, so that some smaller explosives were placed around the uranium, which would cause the large explosion. The scientists were careful so that all of the explosives would go off at the same time so that the uranium inside of the bomb would be compacted together and explode.
    c. Also, the construction of the sites where uranium for the bomb was made was also very interesting. The buildings that were used to make tiny amounts of uranium were interesting to hear about, as well as the massive growth of the cities where the production was being held.
    3. This Modern Marvels movie was an account of what actually occurred. It gave facts and images about what actually happened. Meanwhile, the Stanley Kubric film was a satire on what happened. It showed some of the historical events through a comical lens. It portrayed what happened indirectly by making a specific story out of it. The viewer had to distinguish between what actually happened and what the fictional story was in this film. Meanwhile, Transcendent Man was about a differently subject matter, in a different setting. It spoke about how some scientists see the future as being. It seemed to be based off of the fact that technology will continue to grow exponentially. It did not seem to be based in many other facts, just assumptions and predictions. Also, much of the information was derived from one man.

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  38. Eli Silvert (Part 2)

    4.
    a. This movie’s content I assume was all factual and accurate based off the source and all of the different people that spoke about what happened. I found the content interesting. The media showing or explaining what happened was also varied, which I thought made it more interesting.
    b. This movie seemed to have merit because many people were interviewed and all of the information said seemed to fit together and make sense to me,
    c. I thought this was the best movie because of the subject matter, and because it was displayed in an interesting way.

    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film

    1.
    a. Scene where a man in the plane rides on top of the bomb like it was a horse
    b. When a guy shoots the ATM machine so get a quarter so that the man he’s holding hostage could have enough money to make a call.
    c. Mein Fuhrer- “I can walk”
    2.
    a. The bomber flew close to the ground so that it wouldn’t be detected by water
    b. The way the plane was run with all of its controls its method of releasing the bomb.
    c. The idea that these weapons would bring the world to its end—“Doomsday”. The extent of the weapons was questioned throughout the video. Some believed that it could bring an end to the world because of a chain reaction, while others doubted that they would even work.
    3. See above.
    4.
    a. I thought the content of this movie was interesting, although not necessarily historically accurate. It was more of a story and satire, so the content served its purpose—it was entertaining, funny, and showed the events of the time through a different lens.
    b. I think this movie had merit when considering that the purpose of the movie was not to give a historically accurate rundown of the events going into dropping the bomb. It did have merit for what it was—a fictional story that occurred around some historic events.
    c. I also enjoyed this movie because it was funny and fairly entertaining.
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    1.
    a. I thought the most memorable moment was when a guy said how we’re going to have nanobots in our brains so that we can download information to ourselves.
    b. It was also extremely memorable when at the end of the movie they explained how the whole universe would gain intelligence because these nanobots would go into everything—the grass, rocks, and then out of our world and to other planets.
    c. It was also interesting when they said you could just download a cure to a disease.
    2.
    a. I like how they based all of this growth in technologically from what has already occurred. They predicted the approximate dates of advancements based off an exponential graph of technological throughout passed years.
    b. Stem also had to do with the nanotechnology that they spoke about. They predict that “nanobots” could enter everything—even things that aren’t living.
    c. More STEM related content was found in how people will be able to download information right into their brain.
    3. See above.
    4.
    a. I thought the content of this video was extremely interesting at first. The ideas seemed incredible. However, after a while it got a little boring because they were saying these amazing advancements that they believe will occur, however, the little solid scientific information was used to back up their claims.
    b. I think this movie had little merit because most of the claims seemed to come from one man who made claims about other things—not all scientific. This man doesn’t seem to be a hard scientist, so I don’t completely trust him. Also, I didn’t see much scientific evidence to back up what was being discussed.
    c. I did not like this movie that much because most of it was a bunch of ideas that I don’t think could ever happen in reality. These ideas didn’t seem to be grounded in scientific evidence, so I don’t think the stuff could happen. I think there are cool ideas in the movie, but I didn’t like it because I could be more entertained by ideas in a science fiction movie.

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  39. Modern Marvels:
    1. a. The pilot who dropped the bombs on Japan and how frankly he spoke about his actions
    b. The size of the towns that were constructed for the Manhattan Project
    c. The number of scientists that had to work on the project.
    2. a. The trouble in procuring the right isotope of Uranium.
    b. The types of equations that were necessary to even design the buildings that would hold the equipment.
    c. Using Plutonium as a possible alternative for Uranium.
    3. Modern Marvels and Transcendent Man were documentaries, while Dr. Strangelove was not. Modern Marvels revealed the scope and enormity of the Manhattan Project, while also forcing viewers to wonder whether the US’s actions were justified in attacking Japan. Dr. Strangelove was one of the first movies in the US which entertained people’s suspicions about a doomsday weapon. Such a weapon now exists, in the form of nuclear technology. Transcendent Man (from the parts that I saw) included many predictions on the growth of technology and the possibility of humanoid life. It forced many viewers to ask “What is life?” and “Does it matter?”. This movie also featured those who contended that such questions are irrelevant, as robots will take over so quickly that we will be unable to even identify such problems.
    4. a. The content was great: informative but not boring.
    b. As this movie was produced by PBS, I would say it was very meritable (my vocab is innovative). It cited specific information from the project, as well as interviews from the people who were actually involved.
    c. I liked this movie more than the other two.
    Dr. Strangelove:
    1. a. A few characters in the movie believed the Soviets were polluting the water supply.
    b. The major rode the bomb. wow
    c. Soviets created a doomsday device that cannot be destroyed.
    2. a. They discussed the fluoridation of the water supply.
    b. Used math to predict the trajectory of the bomb into USSR
    c. CRM encoding on the plane
    3. See above.
    4. a. The content was quite dull and did not include a lot of hard science.
    b. Without knowing who produced this movie, it is difficult to determine its merit. That being said, I did not see many references to actual science, but instead, lots of sensationalism and hyperbole.
    c. I found this movie to be incredibly dull and not particularly informative.
    Transcendent Man:
    1. a. This movie was about the predictions Ray Kurzweil has made.
    b. Bc his father died, Ray attempted various ways of continuing life.
    c. He takes over 200 pills a day.
    2. a. Ray discussed his predictions that came true (advent of Internet, etc).
    b. Robots might be in people’s bodies.
    c. The conflict between philosophy and science. He discussed the blending and changes to the human genome as robots are added to people’s brains.
    3. See above.
    4. a. The content was included a lot of hard science.
    b. The movie was well-produced and .
    c. I liked this movie as it included a lot of different perspectives and opinions about what is to happen in the next 50 years.


    Eeman A.

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  40. Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    1. a. Some of the best European scientists only ended up working on the bomb because they fled Europe – otherwise it might never have been built
    b. Calculations showed that the bomb was ten times more powerful than it needed to be
    c. 60,000 workers lived in tents while working on the bomb
    2. a. Fermi is good in theory, and it was proven in practice
    b. Electromagnetic separation was used to separate U235 from U238
    c. Impurities in the plutonium that could have been used in the bomb would have caused excess activity that would detonate the bomb early
    4. a. The information about the Manhattan Project was very interesting and necessary to understand about American history
    b. I think the movie was well-made and provided good points. There were points of view from people who both supported and opposed the use of the bomb, which gave a comprehensive picture of the bomb.
    c. Personally I did not enjoy the movie because I’m not a fan of documentaries.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    1. a. Ripper locks Mandrake and himself out of his office
    b. Ripper thinks the Soviets have been using the water in America to pollute the Americans’ bodies
    c. Major Kong rides the bomb – rodeo style (I think he died but imho it’s not certain)
    2. a. The atom bomb was created through the energy created when atoms are split
    b. Herman Kahn, the strategist, used algorithms to determine risk
    c. The doomsday device uses Cobalt Thorium G
    4. a. The movie contained a lot of interesting concepts, and the risks involved with trying to keep human error out of science.
    b. The movie showed both pros and cons of those concepts.
    c. I thought Dr. Strangelove was an interesting concept but I did not find the movie very engaging (might have something to do with being at the end of the day and me being tired)
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    1. a. Ray is a serious pill-popper (trying to improve longevity)
    b. Ray’s father died when he was young (wants to bring him back)
    c. There is a creepy-looking robot with a humanish face
    2. a. Robots will be put in people’s neurons by 2029
    b. Singularity will be reached by 2029
    c. Kurzweil uses algorithms to predict events
    4. a. There were a lot of provocative issues and predictions brought up in the movie that are thought-provoking.
    b. Both sides of the issue were presented, providing some merit to the arguments presented.
    c. Personally, I am not a fan of documentaries and therefore did not enjoy the movie very much.
    3. All three movies present interesting concepts as far as scientific progress and what it really means. They also show the moral dilemmas that may arise when science progresses. The Manhattan Project movie gives us a historical basis to understand real-world implications of the advance of science. Dr. Strangelove is a comical take on the serious risks presented by weapons of mass destruction held by major powers of the world. Transcendent Man gives us a look into the future of science. All three movies give us a grounding at this point in time – we have a history of what has happened before and a guess of what can happen in the future.

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  41. Victoria Liu

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    1. – Many scientists for the Manhattan Project came from fascist Europe.
    - Creation of the bombing facility (the “Gadget”)
    - Dropping of “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” on Japan
    2. - The discovery of fission
    - The method to keep 2 critical masses away from each other for a temporary amount of time
    - Plutonium was a possible alternative for Uranium
    3. Transcendent Man and Modern Marvels were documentaries. The difference between these two is that one looks at the past, and the other at the future. Dr. Strangelove was fictional and took place in the past. Dr. Strangelove and Modern Marvels give us looks at the past, whether fictional or not, and let us learn from them. Transcendent Man provokes us to think about the endless possibilities in the future.
    4. a) The content was very thorough and engaging.
    b) The History Channel is known to produce documentaries that truthfully and historically follow events. Therefore, everything mentioned in the movie has factual credibility that makes it trustworthy. They also interview people who were involved with the project, which not only gives us a personal view of the events then but also further credits the information given.
    c) Personally, I thought it was satisfactory. It was like any other documentary – engaging but also a bit boring.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    1. – Ripper tells Mandrake that he believes the Soviets have been using fluoridation of United States' water supplies to pollute the "precious bodily fluids" of Americans
    - Soviets have created a “Doomsday Device” that cannot be disabled.
    - Major Kong rides on the bomb like a cowboy. Promptly dies.
    2. – CRM code on the plane
    - Soviet Union has created a doomsday device consisting of 50 buried bombs with "Cobalt Thorium G
    - America nuclear missile complex
    3. (see above)
    4. a) The content was somewhat entertaining since it was fictional.
    b) Like I said before, it was all fictional, so the facts presented aren’t that credible.
    c) I’m personally not a fan of this movie. I wouldn’t really watch it again because I nearly fell asleep (sorry). Old movies don’t appeal to me that much tbh.

    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    1. – Ray created a computer that made sheet music when he was 16
    - Ray takes over 200 pills a day
    - Ray really wants to bring back his dad from the dead…
    2.- Robotic neurons?? Robotic red blood cells??
    - Singularity by 2029???
    - Improve longevity with pills.
    3. (see above)
    4. a) I guess content was really thorough? It was following the life of Ray and the scientific endeavors he wants to achieve, and I felt like I was thoroughly educated.
    b) Both Ray’s views and the opposing side’s views were presented, so the viewer was given credible information from both sides.
    c) I actually kind of liked this one since it explores a lot about technology in the future, and provokes me to think about what the future will be like for our generation (will we really reach singularity by 2029?)

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  42. 1.
    a. Modern Marvels:
    i. Creation of the bomb required a workforce of 75,000 workers. A small town was created just for production of the materials required for the bomb.
    ii. There were two different types of bombs; a uranium and plutonium one, so two types of bombs were introduced for the first time on Japan, not just one.
    iii. The testing of the plutonium bomb, which vaporized the tower and turned the sand around it into glass. There was not enough uranium to create a bomb to test.
    b. Dr. Strangelove:
    i. MEIN FUHRER – I CAN WALK
    ii. Bodily fluids/fluorination conspiracy
    iii. Scene where commander of the American bomber rides out of the plane on the bomb.
    c. Transcendent Man
    i. Tour of Kurzweil’s home – awards table, cat statues.
    ii. Kurzweil eating all those pills every day in order to stay healthy.
    iii. Kurzweil’s fear of death due to his father’s death and him not being able to come to terms with it
    2.
    a. Modern Marvels:
    i. The uranium bomb, Little Boy, required 200 kg of U235. It was very hard to obtain the uranium, as it required an extensive process to
    ii. The uranium bomb had a gun design which fired a particle at 300 feet per second.
    iii. The atomic bombs were based on the principle of nuclear fission and the idea was developed after the first atom was split.
    b. Dr. Strangelove
    i. Controlling the bomber, how the pilots used the messages, the process they had to go through to drop the bomb
    ii. The idea of a doomsday device, which would explode and release a nuclear cloud that would surround the entire world.
    iii. The bomber flying close to the ground to avoid detection by radar, the scene where the missile tracks the bomber and they carry out evasive procedures.
    c. Transcendent Man
    i. GNR revolution – Genetics, Nanotechnology, Robotics
    ii. Device that can let the blind read – can fit in your pocket
    iii. Exponential growth of technology, right now the smartphone has so much more power than the most powerful computer only decades ago
    3. The three movies were similar in many ways, all being about advances in technology and potential consequences of those advances. But they were also very different, the prime example being Dr. Strangelove, which was mostly satirical and had much less scientific content than the other two. The movie also provided a perspective on the topic, as opposed to just spelling out the facts. The more factual movies, Modern Marvels and Transcendental Man also had striking differences. Modern Marvels portrays an event that happened more than 50 years ago while Transcendental Man portrays possibilities for the future. So regarding relevance, Transcendental Man is probably much more relevant, although weapons of mass destruction still pose a big threat.
    4. I thought Dr. Strangelove was a very entertaining movie, but it obviously did not have as much merit as the other films, as it was fiction. However, I do think the movie addressed possible problems with weapons of mass destruction very well, and I think it provided a semi-reasonable example of what could happen. As for Modern Marvels, I thought it provided very interesting facts about the race to create the first atomic bomb. It included a lot of scientific content and seemed to be reliable. Transcendental Man, on the other hand, was largely based on conjectures and predictions, some of which I found hard to believe. Although there was some scientific basis, I think it could have been based a little more on actual facts and data.

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  43. Victoria Li
    1. In Modern Marvels, 3 moments that I found memorable were 1)The test bomb was held together with masking tape 2) The decision to drop the bomb first before testing it and 3)The secrecy that such a large operation maintained for a long period of time. In Dr. Strangelove, 3 moments that I found memorable were 1) how incredibly stupid the doomsday device was 2) how incredibly disturbed Gen. Ripper was and 3) how incredibly talented Peter Sellers is. In Transcendent Man, 3 moments that I found memorable were 1)The prediction that technology would become an integral part of our lives by 2029 2) The amount of stuff that Ray Kurzweil has invented and 3) Kurzweil’s belief that he will live to the time when memories of his father will be able to be uploaded and preserved
    2. In Modern Marvels, 1) nuclear fission = exponentially increasing amount of energy 2) fission good for U235 3) plutonium used in atomic bombs rather than U235. In Dr. Strangelove, 1) technology used in the construction of the doomsday device was all there 2) The stuff that the people in the planes did was very much mathematical in terms of determining the trajectory the missiles took as well as the evasive actions taken to avoid a missile. In Transcendent Man, GNR (Genetics, Nanotechnology, and Robotics) are three areas that Kurzweil believes that humanity will make large advancements in.
    3. Each movie viewed technological advancements from a different POV. Modern marvels looked at the facts of the creation and use of the atomic bomb, while Dr. Strangelove took a more satirical approach, while Transcendent Man had a more objective view. But all of the films addressed the issue of what to do in the face of something that has the potential to destroy humanity.
    4. Modern Marvels was filled with information and probably the most factual of them all. It also included accounts of the effects of the bomb from both sides, making it an unbiased report. And for these reasons, it was probably the one that bored me the most. I found Dr. Strangelove a little strange, probably because I didn’t understand some of the humor. Since it was meant to be satirical, it took a biased point of view, but still presented the issue of what we would do when presented with such an issue like a doomsday device. On the other hand, I felt that Transcendent Man was really really really biased because it looked through Kurzweil’s point of view, and just like one of the people in the movie said, Kurzweil had a very optimistic view of the future – maybe too optimistic. There’s always a possibility of a dystopian future happening.

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  44. Jacob Gibbons-Morales


    One memorable moment was the fact that they worked on nuclear fusion under a football stadium in a racket ball court. It was such a random and seemingly dangerous place to be performing test. Also memorable was the size of the town created from workers at this plant. Oak ridge became the 5th largest town in Tennessee. Finally it was ironic when Truman became president he had to be briefed about the Manhattan Project. Even as the Vice President he was not told of the top secret project.

    There were many different examples of stem in the modern marvel. In MM U 235 U 238 to isotopes of uranium must be separated in order to make the correct fuel for the bomb. Also a different element plutonium was used to make a different type of bomb. There is also stem involved in how the bomb release energy neutrons are sent into the atom until it becomes so full it explodes setting up a chain reaction.

    The modern marvel movie content was spectacular. It was very detailed and trough and had a good mix of historical fact and interviews they also had period accurate movies. It's merits were also good. It discussed an important topic in an interesting and thought provoking way. Personally I found it interesting and I felt a learned a lot about the event.

    The moment when the general started ranting about the dangers of fluoride was memorable. Also the conversation between the president and the leader of the Soviet Union was memorable because they seemed do calm and nonchalant during the possible end of the world. The final memorable moment was when the captain rode the bomb.

    There was stem involved when they were hit and used calculations to find how far they could go. Also they used stem to make the nuclear weapon and the dooms day device. Also there was stem when they discussed what would happen because of nuclear fall out.

    The movie was funny while still getting across the risk of these weapons. It was a well made movie with good acting. I liked it because I found its dry humor funny.

    Transcendent Man: The most memorable part was that he took 200 pills. Also his desire to have his father resurrected was memorable because of his extreme desperation. The part of the movie where he discussed mini-robots in the brain was interesting.

    Mini-robots in the brain is stem because engineering is needed. Also he used mathematical model to make his prediction. Finally stem is used in the making of devices for the blind.

    I personally did not really like this movie. His prediction seemed to be based on his desire to have his father and live forever. Its content was thought provoking.

    3. The main differences between the movies was the different time periods discussed. Modern Marvels discuss events in the past and was nonfiction. Dr. Strangelove was set in the past and about a similar event but was fiction. Transcendent Man discussed the future and like Modern Marvel was non-fiction. All of these movies wanted to inform their readers. Dr. Strangelove informed about the dangers of weapons while the other two talked about the science of the future or the past.

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  45. Jen Z. (Part 1)

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project – History Channel
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    I think one of the most memorable moments for me was when Zalard, a researcher, sent a letter to President Roosevelt, signed by Albert Einstein, in order to warn the United States of the German building of the atomic bomb. Another memorable moment was when the narrator mentioned that Scientists at Columbia had found another method of isolating the U235 isotope other than electromagnetic separation through using the method of gaseous diffusion. I also noted it interesting that General Grove chose a location to work on the bomb where it was high up, away from the sea and enemy planes, yet where he could also keep many beautiful ladies around him.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    One example of STEM related content was when the narrator discussed how the Germans had split the atom by bombarding Uranium with neutrons, creating instability in the uranium nucleus and leading to a decrease in mass. The loss in mass resulted in an increase in kinetic energy, thus fueling the idea for the atomic bomb. Another example is when Zalard and the other refugee were trying to prove that the fission process could be harnessed by launching a sustained chain reaction process using uranium covered by lead. Another example of STEM was when the narrator described the method of isolating the needed isotope, Uranium U235 through electromagnetic separation. He mentions that the isotope needs to pass through a magnet, at which the lighter isotopes, U235 will be deflected and collected one at a time in the collector.

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Modern Marvels is a bit different in comparison to the other two movies in that it is a documentary of the building of the atomic bomb. It contained many historical facts, and presented a wholistic view on every component of the development process. In terms of our modern day applications, I believe we know the dangers of the atomic bomb, and that we were able to build it before the Russians gave us the title of being the perpetrator of unleashing such a disastrous weapon into the world.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference.
    A) I found this movie to be enriched with information about the history of how we developed our bomb. Each step was clearly detailed, so that we, as an audience could understand the difference between gaseous diffusion and electromagnetic separation.
    B) In terms of merit, I found the movie was clearly produced by the History channel, indicating that a majority of the information should be correct.
    C) Honestly, I enjoyed watching Dr. Strangelove and The Transcendent Man more so than this movie, simply because it was a monotone narrator the whole duration of the movie. However, I do believe the movie fulfilled its purpose as a documentary. I ranked it third.

    Dr. Strangelove – Stanley Kubric Film
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    The first memorable moment for me was when the top officer, aides and the president were meeting at the pentagon. I found it hilarious to watch General Buck Turgidson attempt to convince the President Merkin Muffley to continue the attack on Russia, and his bickering with the Soviet ambassador, Alexei de Sadeski. I also found it interesting to learn of Ripper’s conception of the Soviet pollution of American “precious bodily fluids.” Furthermore, watching the soldiers at the base delude themselves into believing the Soviets had taken dressed up as American soldiers hinted at the change in mindset people take in war.

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  46. Jen Z. (Part 2)

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Some STEM related ideas were the single code needed in order to contact the planes, Ripper’s idea of the Soviet contamination of precious bodily fluids, and the doomsday machine. The single code represents the precision of communication which existed even back in the day, whereas Ripper’s idea offers some light into a possible future war tactic, and hints at the problems affecting modern third world counties. The doomsday machine also is an example of the elaborate engineering measure taken in warfare, and the detailed plan of 350 underground bombs which were to go off seemed quite interesting.

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Dr. Strangelove differs from the other two movies in that it offers a psychological perspective of the war, rather than just facts. Furthermore, there are some comical elements in the movie, and the obvious characteristic that it is a black and white film. It seems the problems the movie deal with are still what we feel today – that the war is not getting anywhere, and leads us to question if our government is really doing everything they can to prevent a war, or end it.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference.
    A) I found the content to be lacking in terms of historical facts. Instead, I believe the movie was filled with the development of the theme of not placing all efforts into the war, and getting distracted by various small conflicts. Overall, I believe it fulfilled its purpose - to emphasize the problems of placing the outcome of war in the hands of the few.
    B) The movie was well developed, and I found myself ending the movie with a clear idea of each character. The cinematography of the film was quite aesthetically pleasing,
    C) In terms of personal preference, I found this movie to be at the top of my list – it was engaging, with a slight tinge of humor and splash of coloring indicating the corruption of the people engaged in the war.
    Transcendent Man – Ray Kurzweil
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    I found one of the most memorable moments to be when Kurzweil was describing his childhood. As someone who has also lost a loved one, I understand Kurzweil’s desire to resurrect his father, and his desire to spend more time with him. Kurzweil’s father’s lack of a presence in his childhood impacted their relationship severely, and this is shown through Kurzweil’s desire to spend more time with his father. The second moment I found memorable was when Kurzweil was called an “idiotic imbecile” on the talk show he was on, which really reflected the rejection some people have to face, despite having people arriving to his book signings and others thanking for his contributions to help the world. The third moment that comes to my mind is of Kurzweil as he walks around his house, emptying all his vitamins into a bag, consisting of over 200 of them. I found it interesting that although he was later admitted due to a heart problem, he continued to hold faith that he would survive.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    One example of STEM was shown with the robotic cells which could be manufactured to put into the bloodstream to help the immune system. Another segment of STEM was when a researcher was discussing his surgeries, in which he had people implant microchips and such into his body, in an attempt to see how the body would react. I found it intriguing that the tissue wound up growing around the microchip. The scene concerning Kurzweil's new device, which will take a snapshot of a book and translate it out loud for people who are blind also represents a STEM component of the movie.

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  47. Jen Z. (Part 3)

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Out of the three movies, this was more of a biography of Ray Kurzweil and his beliefs rather than the facts. Since Kurzweil's job consists of predicting the future, he spends most of the movie sharing his life and background and explaining his predictions for the future. In terms of modern day, I find it interesting how the technology Kurzweil mentions would immensely help humanity, although the problem of human immortality would prove to ruin the earth, as there would not be enough resources.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    A) In terms of this movie's content, I found it achieved a perfect balance between biography and STEM related topics. Although we were introduced to Ray Kurzweil and his life, I found it interesting and engaging to see him voice his opinions about the future advancements of the world.
    B) In terms of merit, I think the multiple perspectives offered in the movie give people a chance to truly develop an opinion on the issue of technological advancement for themselves.
    C) In terms of personal preference, I would rank it second to Dr. Strangelove.

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  48. Arpita Part 1
    1. For the Dr. Strangelove movie, one of the most memorable moments was when Dr. Strangelove had to physically restrain himself from raising his hand in the “Heil” position. It was interesting to see how ingrained into a person actions can become, to the point where the person cannot control themselves of their own volition. It was also interesting to see how paranoid the General who authorized the bomb strike had become about everything, even something so small as the water supply. It highlights the fears, suspicions, and hysteria of the Cold War time period, and shows how those three factors can combine to cause a person to take extreme and desperate action. The last memorable moment was the entire dialogue and dynamic between the president and Buck Turgidson. Besides the comedic aspects, their conversations highlighted the necessity of collaboration. It was clear that the president and Turgidson didn’t especially like each other and disagreed on many issues, but they were forced to work together and each factored in the other’s opinion with at least some amount of civility.
    For “Transcendent Man,” one of the most memorable moments was the fact that Ray Kurzweil takes 200 pills per day. It is slightly scary and even hard to believe that through this “therapy” he is able to alter the internal workings of his body. Another thing that struck me is how convinced Ray was that he would become immortal in some way, whether that be by backing up his memories or by becoming physically immortal. It seems almost arrogant to exhibit that level of confidence. Also, it shows how he wholeheartedly believes that immortality is a good thing, which is a large contrast to the majority of the populace which might have some qualms about the concept. The last memorable moment was when the other scientist predicted that in the future there would be a war between people who were pro-immortality and against immortality, which is an ominous and scary concept.
    I wasnt here for the atomic bomb documentary.

    2. In Dr. Strangelove, one example of STEM-related content was the water fluoridation that General Ripper was so worried about. It is a technique in which controlled amounts of fluoride are added to the public water supply. It is meant to decrease tooth decay. However, high levels of fluoride can lead to long term bone weakening. Another example was, obviously, the atomic bomb. It harnesses the energy of nuclear fission. A final example was the doomsday device, which was allegedly comprised of 50 buried bombs with “Cobalt Thorium G” that would detonate in the event of a nuclear attack on Russia.
    In “Transcendent Man,” Ray Kurzweil demonstrates The Law of Accelerating Returns, which is the exponential increase in the growth of technology. He also postulates about how this law will end in the “singularity,” or the point at which technology is completely merged with humanity in a way that allows for immortality. He also talks about nanotechnology that will fight off diseases and infections from the inside of a person’s body. He also talks about an artificial intelligence, or a supercomputer whose power and intelligence is millions of times greater than that of humanity. This may allow humans to back up their mind to such computers.

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Both Dr. Strangelove and Transcendent Man took the use of technology to an almost unbelievable extreme. However, Dr. Strangelove focussed primarily on the atomic bomb, a device whose primary use is to end human life, whereas Transcendent Man focussed mostly on the singularity of immortality, or a means to extend human life. In this way, Dr. Strangelove took on a macabre aspect, while Transcendent Man was painted in a more hopeful light.

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  49. Arpita Part 2
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    Dr. Strangelove was a very skillfully-crafted amalgamation of satire and science. It covered many different aspects of a bomb strike, while craftily leaving others untouched to make the audience think about the ramifications of such an action. It was also incredibly well thought out for its time period. I thought it was entertaining, if a bit eccentric at times.
    Transcendent Man also covered a large variety of ways in which to approach human immortality, all the while keeping the overarching theme of the technology-human singularity. It was very interesting, and made me think a lot about whether immortality even is something to strive for. Although I disagreed with Ray Kurzweil’s view that immortality was a good thing, the movie itself was very intriguing.

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  50. (Part 1) Modern Marvels: 1. The three most memorable moments from the movie Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was when President Roosevelt approved research for an atomic bomb, the first test of the bomb, and when they bombed Japan. I was surprised when Roosevelt approved research because I would not think that the president would want to approve research for something this deadly. Also, the first test of the bomb was memorable because it was very suspenseful and it was a momentous occasion, in that it was the first atomic bomb to be detonated. Lastly, when they bombed Japan was memorable because it was a devastating blow to Japan and it contributed to the end of the war. 2. Three examples of STEM related content in this movie would be the process of building the bomb, the skills needed to build the bomb, and resources needed to build the bomb. These are all related to STEM because they all require technology and science. 3. This movie is different from the other three because it is a documentary about technology in the past and it is nonfiction. From our modern perspective, we now know the tremendous effects of the atomic bomb. Back then, I do not think the scientists could have predicted how detrimental the bomb was to people's health. 4. This movie is good because it gives a lot of information about the making of the atomic bomb while still being interesting. I did not know a lot about this topic before watching this movie and I learned a lot. I liked how it was not just facts, but more experiences.

    Dr. Strangelove: 1. The three most memorable moments from the movie Dr. Stangelove were when the Russian ambassador was warning the president about the Doomsday machine, when the president was willing to kill his own pilots in order to keep good relationship with Russia, and when Dr. Strangelove keeps accidentally hailing Hitler. I was surprised when the Russian ambassador described the Doomsday machine because at the time I believed it actually existed and I did not think that a country would build such a thing. I was also surprised when the president was willing to kill his own pilots in order to keep a good relationship with Russia because I would think that the president would put his own pilots over his relationship with Russia. Lastly, the part where Dr. Strangelove kept accidentally hailing Hitler was memorable because it showed where his true alliance was. 2. Three examples of STEM related content in this movie are the Doomsday Machine, the plan to bomb Russia with nuclear bombs, and the general's idea that the Russians were planning to contaminate all of the U.S.'s water. These are related to STEM because without science and technology, they would not exist.

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  51. (Part 2) 3. This movie is different from the other movies because it is a satire that is fiction. It is making fun of the bomb and how it was used. From our modern point of view, we know that something like this never could have happened. 4. This movie was bad because the content was not realistic in any way. Also, the ending made no sense to me. I did not like how any of the characters were likable and there was a lot of monotony because a lot of time spent on describing the workings of the plane.

    The Transcendent Man: 1. The three most memorable moments from the movie, The Transcendent Man, were when Ray Kurzweil described how man would become one with machines, the part when Ray described how one human biological body will not be enough, and when we found out that he takes 200 pills a day to try and improve his body. I was surprised when Ray described how man will become one withe machines because I can not imagine the capabilities that this will give humans. I was also surprised when he described how one human body will not be enough because I did not think that the human mind, thoughts, and conscious will surpass the human body itself. Lastly, it was memorable when we found out that he takes 200 pills a day to try and improve his body to achieve immortality because I do not think this is possible. 2. Three examples of STEM related content in this movie would be the tiny robots in human brains, the devices implanted in a researcher's body, and Ray's idea to resurrect his father. These are related to STEM because science and technology made them possible. 3. This movie is different from all the others because it is about technology in the future. From our modern point of view, we know that these technologies that Ray Kurzweil talked about could actually be built. 4. This movie was bad because the content Ray Kurzweil's predictions were not all backed up by evidence. I did not like how it showed random pieces of his life.

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  52. Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project – History Channel

    Unfortunately, I was not here for the showing of this movie. I missed three days of school and unfortunately was not able to see this movie.

    Dr. Strangelove – Stanley Kubric Film

    1. The most memorable moments of this film were towards the end. 1) I specifically remember enjoying and watching the argument on whether or not the US president should let the Russians enter and see the big BOARD. With all the top secret information. 2) I also specificially remember the part (and found it funny) at the very end when Dr. Strangelove had to restrain himself from making the ‘heil’ position. It was as if his arm had a mind of his own. 3) Another memorable moment of the film was at the end when Dr. Strangelove exclaimed “Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!” It was a good way to end the film.
    2. In this film there were not many examples of STEM related content. 1) The movie gave an accurate depiction of how a bomb would be flown and the methods of releasing the bomb. It was very interesting to see the reactions and methods of the pilots. 2) The ‘development’ of a ‘doomsday’ weapon that would end the world was an example of technology that was recently ‘invented,’ no one knew if it would work or not. 3) Also, at the end of the film the camera used by the Russian ambassador was a piece of very new technology. It was disguised and no one noticed him taking pictures of the big board.
    3. See below
    4. I did not particularly enjoy this movie because of the cliff hanger ending! However, I thought the movie was fairly good (other than the ending). I did not find the movie that funny either. Also, there was not a lot of STEM related content.

    Transcendent Man – Ray Kurzweil
    1. I enjoyed this movie and there were many memorable moments in this film. 1) I thought it was very interesting to hear/learn about Ray’s adaption to living with diabetes. Learning the fact that he had to take over 200 pills a day was very eye-opening and really showed his innovation. 2) Also, when the documentary showed the projected timeline for the development of robots that are smarter than humans, was very eye-opening. It was really interesting (and also terrifying) that in our life time there would be robots who are smarter than humans. It made me think of the science fiction movies where robots take over the world! 3) Also, the fact and explanation that one day, in the near future, machines and humans will co-exist together as one organism is very interesting. It was very interesting to hear and learn about the possibility of creating immortality for humans if they are combined with machinery
    2. This film contained MANY examples of STEM related content. 1) All of Ray’s predictions were based on science, the development of technology and mathematical calculations. 2) The development of the robots and future predictions are all based on the development and evolution of technology and engineering. 3) Engineering is a big part of developing the computer programs, machinery, computers, robots, etc that would eventually change and rule our lives forever.
    3. Of the two movies I saw, I thought they were both very different. Dr. Strangelove was obviously a fictional, comedy movie while the Transcendnet man was a documentary of an amazing man. I think that Transcendent man is more relevant to our class today and for our modern day vantage point. Transcendent man gave us a look into the future by teaching to viewers about the technology and the basis of all the predictions. Although Dr. Strangelove had its own benefits, I thought Transcendent man was the more relevant film.
    4. I really enjoyed this movie. I found it very interesting (if not terrifying) to learn all about the future and the predictions of the future. I thought the content was relevant to our class, because it discussed the process of research and predictions (hypotheses). I thought the movie was fascinating.

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  53. 1.
    The three most memorable parts in Manhattan Project was where when they stated that the test bomb was held together by masking tape, the decision not to test the bomb before dropping it, and the amount of money that went into the arizona bace/ bomb making facility.

    The three most memorable moments of Dr. Strangelove were the paranoia of the U.S. and Russia, the meeting in the war room with the President and the Russian ambassador, and the final dropping of the atomic bomb with a man riding it like a cowboy.
    
The most memorable moments of Transcendent Man were the Singularity, the fact that his goal was to bring back his father, and the biological body being inferior to technology (ie. Major pill popping).
    2.
    In the Manhattan project they discussed how/ why they used plutonium in the atomic bomb rather than U235, how the Germans had split thr atom by bombarding Uranium with neutrons, and how the uranium bomb required 200 kg of U235 and how difficult it was to obtain that volume.

    In Dr. Strangelove there was a lot of failure of technology. There was a retrieval code for the plane, but only one person knew it. There was no other technology to communicate with the plane, since radio communications had been switched off. The main STEM concepts we saw was the the use of technology such as the telephone and air craft. However, the idea of making and setting off the bomb utilized STEM as well.
    
Transcendent Man talked about nano robots that could act as red blood cells, ways to “upload” your brain and “back it up,” and how we could essentially “bring back the dead” through technology and DNA. Also, he discussed how we could essentially re-engineer our DNA using supplements.

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  54. 3.
    The three movies were differentiated as Modern Marvels was more of a documentary bent on explaining the past and what happened in the making of the atomic bomb. Dr. Strangelove was fictional and somewhat comedic using humor and not so much factual evidence to guide the plot. The Transcendent Man focused on the future. Ray Kurzeil discussed how technology would evolve and shape our future into a very different environment then what was depicted in the previous two films.
    Dr. Strangelove seemed ridiculous from our modern day vantage point. The humor was outdated and most of the references were lost on me as I did not understand the context. The technology and discussion of future occurrences seemed ludicrous as well as we now know what occurred. Modern Marvels was interesting because we were looking back on it, having spent all of our lives with the atomic bomb already invented and impacting our lives currently. However, looki ng back on the making was intriguing as much of technology used to make and invent the bomb are no longer in use and in our day to day lives. Transcendent Man was particularly interesting from our vantage point because it focused on the future and seemed implausible and silly, however, still scientifically based.
    4.
    Modern Marvels was very rich on content. It provided an all encompassed view on what occurred. It was all based on recorded scientific and historical facts, so it had a lot of merit. It was not silly but rather more focused on relaying information then providing chuckles. I personally enjoyed this movies the best as it was entertaining yet remained in the realm of what I find reasonable.
    Dr. Strangelove was interesting in content meaning the majority of it was meant to provoke humor. It was extremely lacking in merit as it was fictional. I did not like this movie as the humor was a little hard to pick up on and it was rather difficult to understand what some of the characters were saying in some of the scenes.
    The Transcendent Man was the most interesting to me. Ray Kurzwiel was the individual of main importance. The movie allowed him and his life around illustrating his ideas. In this was it was strong in content. It held merit for those who are forward thinkers however it was hard for me individually to take some of his predictions seriously as they were predicting so far out in the future with such specificity. This movie was entertaining however not something I would have elected to watch on my own.

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  55. 1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    Dr. Strangelove: The most memorable moment was when the President of the United States, Merkin Muffley, called the Soviet Premier, Dmitri Kissoff, to inform him about the bomb attack. Of course, Kissoff is drunk throughout the call and Muffley must deliver the information in such a way that will not cause uproar on the other end of the line. Muffley is forced to used milder and more child-like terms than usual, describing Jack D. Ripper as going “a little funny in the head.” This made the grave situation seem humorous.
    Transcendent Man: The most memorable part was when the documentary showed a graph of the exponential growth of technology. It was both startling and exciting to see how quickly artificial intelligence would exceed human intelligence.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Dr. Strangelove
    1) The discussion of the nuclear bomb educated us about how powerful it can be.
    2) The film also showed a large room of computers at the military base. This shows the technology present at the time and how it was used.
    3) Dr. Strangelove’s plan of creating an ideal population can be an example of engineering. It shows the Nazis’ inhumane and sick ideas of engineering humans to create the “superior race.”
    Transcendent Man
    The following show Ray Kurzweil’s ingenious innovation in STEM:
    1) The music-composing machine he created at 18.
    2) The idea of implanting computers into humans.
    3) His method of curing himself of heart disease by taking 200 pills a day.

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Dr. Strangelove and Transcendent Man are two very different movies. Dr. Strangelove is a satirical depiction of war. It takes the grave issues of war and creates a comedy out of it, utilizing entertaining personalities of characters and circumstance. On the other hand, Transcendent Man is documentary about a man who is practically a STEM genius. Although both movies discuss STEM, the main plot lines of each are drastically different. Transcendent Man was more informative and Dr. Strangelove was more entertaining and humorous.







    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    Dr. Strangelove
    Dr. Strangelove was a very interesting film. Some of the fictional events were depicted in such a way that it was possible to picture it happening in real life. For example, the disbelief the pilots expressed when they received the message to bomb Russia was realistic. In addition, the film received best British Film and many other nominations. I personally enjoyed Dr. Strangelove. Contrary to its monotonous color scheme, the characters created a vibrant landscape. Although the topic of war is very serious, Stanley Kubrick added satire and effectively gave the film a comedic feel.
    Trancendent Man
    Transcendent Man was a wake up call to the public about how quickly technology is advancing. It was a very informative film about Kurzweil’s theories and the level artificial intelligence is capable of. However, this documentary has not received any nominations or awards. Regardless the documentary opened my eyes to the infinite possibilities STEM can achieve.

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  56. I did not watch the Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, and only watched half of Transcendent Man

    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.

    During the class periods in which Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was played, I was working on the RWDC final report and was not able to watch the movie.

    The Dr. Strangelove movie has multiple memorable moments. One memorable moment is the intensity and unreasonable meeting in the war room. In addition, another memorable moment includes the weird humor which was enjoyable. Another memorable moment is the effect of the atomic bomb when it dropped and the damage and destruction it would create.

    The transcendent man movie also was very memorable. I was only able to watch half of it due to the State Competition for RWDC. From that half of the movie, some memorable moments include the mass amounts of pills he takes and how the new inventions which relate to artificial intelligence.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project: During the class periods in which Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was played, I was working on the RWDC final report and was not able to watch the movie.

    The Dr. Strangelove movie: Some of the STEM related content in this movie includes the atomic bomb, the computer, and the plane. The atomic bomb is most related to the science aspect of STEM because of the element used to make it. The computer is most related to the technology aspect of STEM. Also, the plane is most related to the engineering aspect of the movie because many hard calculations had to be made in order to build the plane.

    The transcendent man: Some examples which are STEM related content include the engineering, math, and science for the inventions. Engineering is prevalent in this movie because it was an important aspect of the building process. Math is prevalent in the movie because it is an important aspect in make the calculations in order to get the robot and its software. Technology was prevalent in making this robot happen is because software was a highly important aspect of creating the robot.


    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project: During the class periods in which Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was played; I was working on the RWDC final report and was not able to watch the movie.

    The Dr. Strangelove movie was a comical movie which showed the dangers of the nuclear war if it were to happen. Also, the movie was fictional and was only trying to show the dangers of something that might’ve been possible years ago. However, the Transcendent man movie was talking about the future and implications of new technology and software.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference

    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project: During the class periods in which Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was played; I was working on the RWDC final report and was not able to watch the movie.

    The Dr. Strangelove movie: I did not enjoy this movie very much. The content was interesting but the way it was presented to the audience was in a comical way which I did not very funny. The content was serious and important if something like this were to happen, but the way it was put into a movie was not very appealing to me.

    The transcendent man: I enjoyed this movie very much. I liked how it was made into a documentary and was serious about its content. It was very interesting in the way it taught us about the future and what the possibilities were and how it had endless possibilities. In addition, I liked how they showed us the new technology and software related to artificial intelligence. This is a movie that I would watch again to see if there is more that I can learn from it.

    Harika Lingareddy

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  57. 1) The three most memorable moments from the movie Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project were when the movie explained the amount of money that went into the Manhattan Project, when the movie explained the number of people who were employed by the Manhattan project, and when the movie showed the actual testing of the first atomic bomb. The three most memorable moments from Dr. Strangelove were when the doomsday machine was described, the meeting between the U.S. president and the ambassador of Russia in the war room, and when the atomic bomb was finally dropped at the end. The three most memorable moments in Transcendent Man were when the man’s arm was connected to the robots arm, when they showed Ray Kurzweil taking two hundred pills a day to reprogram his body, and when the movie explained Ray Kurweil’s obsession with death.
    2) In Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, the bomb’s mechanism, the production of Uranium, as well as the production of neutron pellets all met STEM curriculum. Although Dr. Strangelove was not a documentary, certain portions also met STEM curriculum. In Dr. Strangelove, the Dooms-Day device, the atomic bomb itself, as well as the radio communication signals were all examples of STEM related material. In Transcendent Man, the different artificial intelligence technologies, the remotely controlled hand, and the virtual world being developed were all examples of STEM curriculum.
    3) While all of these movies were STEM related, they all had different approaches and content. Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was a historical documentary on the atomic bomb. Contrarily, although Dr. Strangelove also dealt with the atomic bomb, it was a fictional historical satire that depicted potentially realistic events at the time of its creation. Although Transcendent Man was also a documentary, like Modern Marvels, there content was very different. Transcendent Man was made more recently and is also dealing with more modern content. Transcendent Man was a documentary about Ray Kurzweil, and his vision to use artificial intelligence to extend human life. All of these movies show us different examples of scientific repercussions both in the past, present, and future.
    4) I felt that Modern Marvels was very strong in terms of content, and I learned a lot while watching the movie. Modern Marvels was primarily based on facts and scientific history, so it was also strong in terms of merits. I love both history and science, and personally preferred Modern Marvels to the other movies.
    Dr. Strangelove was filled with humorous, satirical content on the cold war and our leaders. Dr. Strangelove, however, was not based on merit, although the storyline would be quite plausible during the time the film was made. Although I found it interesting to assess history and different examples of historical propaganda, I overall did not enjoy Dr. Strangelove because at times the plot line was hard to follow. Transcendent Man was filled with both a debatable and engaging content which opened our eyes to the potential future of the human race. The merit of Transcendent Man, however, was mostly based off of opinions and speculations rather than on solid facts. Overall, I enjoyed Transcendent Man, because it was interesting, although at times even frightening.

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  58. Modern Marvels
    1) This movie's three most memorable moments were when the scientists were initially testing the bomb and they had no idea if it actually functioned correctly. Another very memorable moment was when they showed the huge facilities that had to be built in order to create such a powerful bomb to use in the war, and finally the actual detonation of the bomb over Hiroshima and how the world was forever changed by the bomb's creation.

    2) This movie went into a lot of detail of explaining how the bomb worked using fission. The movie also showed different methods on how to obtain the very rare Uranium-235 and separate it from the other isotopes of Uranium. Modern Marvels also talked about the physics behind achieving critical mass.

    4) I thought Modern Marvels was very detailed and thorough in their explanations and content that the movie featured. It was very interesting to see how the bomb worked and how much effort and money had to be put into the project just to make the bomb. Overall it was very enjoyable and was a cool movie to watch.

    Dr. Strangelove
    1) Dr. Strangelove had a lot of very memorable moments and I especially developed a fondness for the team that was driving the airplane and trying to deliver the bomb to its target. The very end when the pilot was riding on the bomb and swinging his hat was a very memorable moment. Another memorable moment was near the end when the ex-Nazi was developing a plan to prolong the survival of the human race, and also when the Russian ambassador was attacked for believing to have a hidden camera.

    2) This movie talked a lot about the use of technology to build the doomsday device, the radio communications that were disabled because of the protocol in Plan R, and also how the probability of getting the recall code and preventing the airplanes from reaching their targets.

    4) Dr. Strangelove was a very memorable film that may not seem to have much factual content in our modern day perspective but expressed many of the fears that people had in the Cold War period. I enjoyed watching the movie and seeing the horrible scenarios that only seemed to get worse in the film.

    Transcendent Man
    1) Transcendent Man was a very interesting movie and had many memorable moments. Such as in the beginning when Ray Kurzweil predicted that in only about 40 years the singularity would come. Also when the movie talked about our eventual ability to download information and also to prolong our lives.

    2) This movie talked about the technology that could be used to prolong the human life, to download information straight to our brain, and also the developments that will be happening in artificial intelligence and robotics.

    4) This movie was very interesting content-wise and seeing what Ray Kurzweil thought was going to happen in the future was very cool. He seemed to have a lot of evidence for the formation of his theories about the future especially his idea the technology growth is exponential and feeds off of itself. Overall this was my favorite movie out of the three because it was so interesting.

    All Movies
    3) The 3 movies, though all science related had a lot of differences. Modern Marvels was a documentary about the past and Dr. Strangelove was also about the past but was a comedy. Transcendent Man was about the future. From our modern day perspective the events that occurred in Dr. Strangelove seemed absurd but was really a reflection of the fears that some people had in that time period. Also Transcendent Man and the technologies that the movie talked about seemed almost just as ridiculous and crazy but we never know what the future holds. Finally Modern Marvels was very cool to see from a modern day perspective and learn what had to be done to create such a powerful bomb that would forever change the world.

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  59. STEM Video Reflection Part 1

    The Manhattan Project

    1. The Manhattan Project included many memorable moments. One memorable moment was when the movie discussed the town that was set up to make the bomb. In the town, the civilians were all instructed to work on the project, but they weren’t told what they were building. Another memorable moment was when they discussed how the scientists were trying to extract the 235 Uranium isotope. The movie described two different methods that the scientists used to remove the isotope from the other isotopes. The last memorable moment of the movie was when it showed actual footage of test bombs and described the heat that was felt from the bomb. Even though the scientists were miles away they could still feel the heat from the bomb.

    2. In The Manhattan Project, the movie discussed lots of factual information about the making of the atomic bomb. The first evidence of this is the description of how the scientists were able to get the Uranium 235 isotope. The movie showed the process that the scientists used to remove the isotope from other isotopes. A second example of STEM related content was in the use of math in the project to calculate where the bomb needed to be dropped from the plane. The last discussion of STEM in the movie was the engineering of the bomb itself. The scientist faced many challenges in the engineering of the bomb, but they were able to overcome them.

    3. The Manhattan Project was the most historically accurate of the two movies that discussed the atomic bomb. The movie explained the planning and preparation that was needed to build the bomb. The movie included lots of factual information concerning the bomb. It also gave the viewer an inside look at the facility and the effort required to build the bomb. From the modern day perspective it gave the viewer a lot of factual information on the making of the bomb.

    4. The Manhattan Project contained a lot of factual content on the making of the bomb. The movie included specific information on how the bomb was made and the effort involved in making it. The movie was closely aligned with the actual facts concerning the bomb. This could be due to the fact that the History Channel produced the movie. I enjoyed the movie a lot. It was not my favorite movie, but I believe it came in at a close second.

    Dr. Strangelove

    1. Dr. Strangelove also contained some memorable moments. Three in particular stuck out to me. The first memorable moment was when the men gathered around a table to discuss how to stop the bomb from dropping. This was interesting because it gave the viewer an inside look at the decision making process of high-ranking leaders. Another memorable moment was the discussion on the phone between the president of the US and the leader of Russia. This conversation gave the movie another light-hearted scene. A third memorable moment was when one of the men was trying to explain to another that the Russians were trying to infiltrate the soldier’s bodily fluids. This was another light-hearted moment.

    2. Dr. Strangelove contained three memorable STEM related aspects. The first of these was the communication codes used between the planes and the ground controllers. The second STEM related aspect of the movie was the doomsday device that they controlled. The last was the bomb that was dropped in Russian Territory.

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  60. Part 2 Ryan Oleynik

    3. Dr. Strangelove was a fictional movie that included some ideas that were based off a possible situation between the US and Russia. The movie was intended to be light-hearted and funny. I believe it succeeded at both of these objectives. The movie contained no facts or information on the building of the real atomic bomb, but it was based off the idea of a doomsday device. From a modern day vantage point it didn’t capture the essence of the atomic bomb, but it was very entertaining.

    4. Dr. Strangelove contained a good amount of content. All of the scenes were unique and different. They made the movie very enjoyable and fun to watch. Although this is true, there is little merit for this movie. The movie was based on a fictional doomsday device. The movie was very entertaining, but it lacked in STEM related content.

    Transcendent Man

    1. Similar to the other two movies, Transcendent Man contained many memorable moments. One of my favorite moments was when Ray Kurzweil explained how he treats his diabetes. He does this by taking over 200 pills a day. Another memorable moment was when Kurzweil showed all of the information he kept about his father. A third moment was when the movie showed people whom agreed with Kurzweil and those who believed he was crazy.

    2. Transcendent Man was broken up into three sections. The sections were genetics, Nano technology and robotics. In each of these sections the movie discussed how they could play an impact in the future of human life. All three sections are directly related to the science area of STEM.

    3. Transcendent Man showed some of the possibilities in the area of STEM for the future. The movie focused on the three big future areas in STEM. These are genetics, Nano technology and robotics. The movie also included many interviews with people who agreed and disagreed with him. The movie showed a modern vantage point. It incorporated technology that Kurzweil believes will be invented.

    4. Transcendent Man contained a lot of great information. It discussed lots of interesting theories. Overall it contained a good amount of content. Most of Kurzweil’s ideas had lots of merit. He had previously predicted other technological advances. By far, the movie was my favorite out of all the other movies. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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  61. Part 1:
    1.) In the movie, Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, there were three moments that particularly stood out to me. One of these was that when President Roosevelt died, Vice President Harry Truman became the president faced with the decision on whether or not the United States should drop the atomic bombs. He entered into this situation without even knowing about the progress of the atomic bomb’s development. To me, this was an incredible amount of pressure Truman had to face in addition to becoming the president during World War II. Another memorable moment in this movie was when it was described how President Truman eventually came to the decision to, indeed, drop the atomic bombs on Japan. One of the guest speakers explained that someone had asked Truman how he would feel when the Americans heard he had access to a weapon that could end the brutal World War II and he didn’t use it. This is thought to be the defining moment, and it truly puts the weight of this decision into perspective. The third moment that stuck with me after watching this movie was when the general in charge of the branch of the air force that was going to drop the bomb took a picture of himself beside a map of Japan. He had been told not to look at Tokyo, and the scene ended with that he was probably staring right at the city of Hiroshima.
    During the second movie we watched, Dr. Strangelove, I was absent for a large majority of the movie. However, what I did see had parts that struck me as very memorable. One of these scenes was when the southern pilot went down to fix the bomb doors and was just sitting on the nuclear bombs. That was the most suspenseful part of the movie. In addition, the ending scene where the government officials were discussing what to do to prepare for the Doomesday machine’s explosion. This was a very dark moment that I hope officials in our world do not have to face.
    The Transcendent Man Documentary had many interesting ideas embedded into it, however there were three that really caught my attention. Those three moments were when they talked about a huge war would break out between humans that wanted new technology and humans that didn’t; when Ray Kurzweil mentioned that the human mind would be able to switch from body to body; and when the man got robotic chips inserted into his arm and his body tissue began to grow over it. These were very memorable moments because they show how far the people in the movie believe technology can go in the future and what it will mean for humanity.

    2.) In the movie, Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project, STEM related content was integrated into it. Examples of this are the chemistry behind the atomic bomb, the mechanism they used to split the two types of uranium, and the force behind each atomic bomb’s explosion. In Dr. Strangelove, three examples of STEM related content are the atomic bombs, the math the air force used in the final plane to calculate how far they would be able to travel with the remaining oil, and the Doomesday Machine. In the Transcendent Man, there were many examples of STEM content including the robotic arm the man moved with his brain, the reading device blind people were able to use, and the experimentation Kurzweil did on himself to attempt to “reprogram the human body”.

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  62. Part 2:
    3.) The three movies we watched were all different because of the genres they were in. The Manhattan Project was a historical science movie that gave details on how the atomic bomb was developed; Dr. Strangelove was a sci fi movie that was designed to get people thinking about what would happen if the events that took place in that movie were actually plausible, and what would happen if they were. Transcendent Man was a more theoretical movie about the future, and it differs from Dr. Strangelove because scientists believe what Ray Kurzweil predicts, and they say that those that don’t are just denying evolution.

    4.) I thought the first movie we watched, The Manhattan Project, was interesting to see what the developing of the first atomic bomb meant for the area around where the research was being conducted. The numbers on the workers it took and how big the town got particularly interested me. However, I did not understand some of the things they were saying because of the high level of chemistry behind the atomic bomb, and that made it less enjoyable. However, it was still a very interesting topic and the History Channel, the organization behind this documentary, is a very reliable source and therefore I think the information in the movie can be trusted. For these reasons I liked this film, but I would not say it was my favorite.
    The second movie we watched, Dr. Strangelove, I was not able to get into at all. I missed the first half of the movie which probably affected my views on it since I missed a lot of the introductory information presented at the beginning of movies. When I did begin to watch it, the plot had already started, and I was confused during the majority of it. The humor that could be found in it I did not find very funny because of the devastation that the events taking place would mean for the members of that world. In addition, the information was very theoretical and not really based off of anything as far as I could see, and I did not enjoy watching this movie.
    The third and last movie we watched, the Transcendent Man, was probably the best movie out of the three we watched in the past one or two weeks. This is because it was a very interesting topic that they were discussing, about humans merging with machines. They presented very logical evidence to the prediction, and because of the amount of guest speakers they had on the film made me really stop and think about if it was plausible, and if I personally believed it. I think the fact that this movie seemed to have ideas that would affect humanity the most in the nearer future made it a very fascinating and engaging video. Though ideas in it disturbed me, I think that’s what made it such an interesting movie.

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  63. Felicia Thomas- Part 1
    1. The most memorable moments from Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project would be when the impact the bomb had on the land. Clearly, the atomic bomb was a sight to see, and was very dangerous. The second most memorable moment was the secrecy within the plant. Any of the workers working on the bomb had to keep all information a secret. The third most memorable moment was watching the workers put together the bomb. This was interesting because the workers put the bomb together by hand.

    The most memorable moment from the Dr. Strangelove film was watching one of the pilots ride the bomb as it was approaching the ground. This was interesting because it was something that I have never seen before. The second most memorable moment was watching all the planes retreat from the attack, all except for one of the planes. This was interesting because it showed the possible impact that the bomb could have had on the world. The last most memorable moment was watching the interaction between the Russian ambassador and the United States officials.

    The most memorable moments from the Transcendent Man video was watching the man take over two hundred pills per day. This was interesting because to me that was an outrageous amount of pills to consume in one day. The second most memorable moment was the idea that in the future that tiny robots could possibly be living within us. The final most memorable moment was the idea that people could potentially be revived from the dead.


    2. Examples of STEM related content within the Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project was all the techniques used to create the bomb. The second example was watching how the scientists continuously reviewed there work by undoing the work all by hand, wiring wires together by hand as well. The third example was the technology used in transmitting the information back and forth to the pilots to give them directions.

    Examples of STEM content within the movie Dr. Strangelove was the pilot fixing the problem so that the bomb could be released from the plane. The second example was the interactions of how they used three letter codes to relay messages to the pilots, which they then had to figure out what they meant. The final example was all the critical work and planning put into creating the bomb and the plan on how to release the bomb.

    The Transcendent Man video had many examples of STEM content. One example was the idea that in the future robots will be a big part of our life and may be living in us one day. Another example was that there will be technology powerful enough to revive people from the dead. The final example was that the new technology will eventually be able to allow humans to live forever, which can cause a problem to the world’s ecosystem.

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  64. Owais Khan

    1) The most memorable moments from Modern Marvels consisted of the gathering of top scientists trying to build a dangerous weapon, the testing of the atomic bomb, and the explosions that came about from the actual dropping of the bomb on Japan. The most memorable moments from Dr. Strangelove were comprised of when the pilot rode the bomb down from the plane like a cowboy, when the general committed suicide, and when the russian ambassador took a photo of the board, suggesting that the whole doomsday device was just a hoax. The most memorable moments from Transcendent Man were when Kurzweil played the piano piece composed from his computer, when he declared he could quickly invent something if he were to fall ill, and when the he described the implications of decreasing the size of technology to a nano-scale.

    2) In Modern Marvels, the process required to split the Uranium-238 from other ions, the mathematical formula work needed to design and construct the bomb, and the chemistry involved in determining the ideal element to use for the bomb were all examples of STEM-related activities. In Dr. Strangelove, there was a lack of real STEM, but much can be inferred. The use of the Russian Ambassador’s camera represents, “the making stuff smaller” aspect of Stem. Also, hiding from radar detection by flying close to the water was an advanced technological strategy. Moreover, the use of algorithm to determine the weapon’s risk was a prominent use of STEM. The STEM content in the documentary, Transcendent Man, consisted of the usage of a computer to generate a musical composition, the theory of using nano-computers in the human body, and possibility of developing artificially intelligent robots.

    3) The three movies represent the past and future of technological advances. Modern Marvels provided an accurate depiction of how weaponry advanced in the past and Dr. Strangelove created a story about the repercussions such advanced weapons could have. These two movies differ vastly in facts vs speculation, but still convey the causes and effects of extreme weapon advancement. Transcendent Man detailed various scientific developments that are to come in the future. The ethics of such changes were delved into and it is uncertain what their outcomes will be. However, looking back to the past suggests that taking drastic steps to improve technology can only result in catastrophe.

    4) I enjoyed Modern Marvels a lot. It gave me insight into how technology developed in the past and gave me a new perspective on nuclear weapons. I enjoyed the documentary style and the movie did have merit. It provided real and relevant facts that interested the viewer. Dr. Strangelove was also enjoyable. It hooked in the viewer with unreal circumstances of world destruction. However, the film doesn’t really have merit given that many scientific facts were made up. It seemed a little far-fetched and the missile-riding cowboy was a little over the top. I did not quite enjoy Transcendent Man. It doesn’t have merit as most of the “science” presented was pure speculation. One may argue that the film must have merit since many of Kurzweil’s predictions have come true, but I can’t really come to terms with a man claiming immortality. Besides this, it was interesting to listen to some of his predictions; I don’t how far science will influence humanity in the future, but it’s something fun to think about.

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  65. Felicia Thomas- Part 2
    3. Each of the movies that I watched had many different ideas. The main idea within the Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project film was about the first atomic bomb being dropped on Japan. This showed the impact of the bomb on Japan and the work put into creating the bomb. On the other hand, the Dr. Strangelove film was about the impact if the world went to an atomic bomb war. This differentiates from the other videos because, The Modern Marvels film was a true story and the Transcendent Man video was not about the atomic bomb. In fact the Transcendent Man video was all about the possibility of the future, and what is in store for humans. Some of the ideas produced in this film can be scary for some people, where as other may be open to the ideas with open arms. Each of the movies contained forms of technology, yet in each movie the technology was used in different ways. Basically, each of the three movies were very different from one another.

    4. The Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project video was a very interesting film that contained a good amount of scientific information. The videos content is very reliable being from the history channel. I thought the video was interesting and a good film to see.

    The Dr. Strangelove film was a unique video to see. The content within the film was good being that the film was basically a prediction based on the world at its current state and what could possibly happen based on the knowledge at that time. I thought that this film was ok, but it wasn’t my favorite video. The dark humor type film is not my style of a video to watch, but the movie was ok.

    The Transcendent Man was a terrific film. The content within the film kept my interest throughout the movie. The information in the film was all about the future possibilities and was a reliable film being that all the ideas presented was from the man whom made the remarks. This movie was a great film and I would definitely recommend the film to others who are interested about what the future may hold for us humans.

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  66. 1.The most memorable part of The Manhattan Project, for me, was when the narrator of the movie explained how the scientists went to Sweden to collect the noble prize while also tricking the fascist and fleeing to Italy. I thought the scientists’ doing this was very clever. The most memorable part of Dr. Strangelove was when the President was on the phone with the drunken leader of Russia. I thought that was one of the funniest parts. The most memorable part of The Transcendent Man was when they showed his storage unit of his entire dad’s file and said that in the future AIs will use this information to make another AI similar to his father. I thought that the beginning of this movie made a lot of sense but by this part I thought what Ray was talking about sounded crazy.

    2. In the movie The Manhattan Project, they talked about the discovery of fission. They discovered that the atoms could be split by bombarding the uranium nucleus with neurons, in which process mass was lost and kinetic energy was produced. This discovery was a key scientific player in WWII. In Dr. Strangelove, the Dr. talked about the building of a bomb shelter. He suggested that to save the human race from the doomsday bomb the US should build a bomb shelter underground and select people to live in it for 98-99 years and then resurface. This idea was the one chance to save mankind but it came too late. The Transcendent Man featured Ray inventing a reader for the blind that could fit in your pocket. Ray had invented a bulkier model years before but then had found a way to make his technology smaller and more convenient. This invention was a major improvement to the accessibility of knowledge in the blind community.

    3. These three movies were very different. The movies were written in different styles. The Manhattan project was a nonfiction movie, Dr. Strangelove was a comedy/fiction movie, and The Transcendent Man was a mere speculation. The movies were also based on different things. The Manhattan project was a serious documentary on how nuclear bombs were created and used. Dr. Strangelove was a movie that made fun of the US system by showing you what could happen if we accidentally launched a nuclear attack on Russia. The Transcendent Man was a film on Ray Kurzweils speculation of future singularity. Over all the ideas and styles of all of the movies contrast each other tremendously.

    4. The Manhattan Project:
    Content- This movie was very interesting because it showed you what actually happened in the making of the bomb. It showed this information while still keeping time and informing everyone of what was going on the other side of the war.
    Merit- I thought the movie was very good and well made. The movie had a lot of cool add-ons that kept you interested as well.
    Personal Preference- I prefer more comedic movies but I actually enjoyed this one because it was informative and went along with the topic we are learning in world history.
    Dr. Strangelove:
    Content- This movie was kinda eye opening because it actually made sense half the time and showed you just how dangerous nuclear weapons can be.
    Merit- This movie was very funny. It was a good quality movie and it made fun of the US in a way that actually made sense and could be possible.
    Personal Preference- I really loved this movie because not only was it funny but it made you think.
    The Transcendent Man:
    Content- This movie had good content because it showed the different opinions to Ray’s ideas but also allowed Ray to fully explain his thinking.
    Merit- This movie was very weird. Towards the beginning of the movie Ray actually made a lot of sense and seemed like he could be going somewhere with his thoughts, but by the end of the movie he just sounded like a crazy person.
    Personal preference- I didn’t really enjoy this movie because it didn’t make a lot of sense. Ray didn’t convince me enough that this could actually happen.
    by Olivia Castro

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  67. The Manhattan Project
    • Content? Merit? Personal Preference?
    o The film introduced the theory of an Atomic bomb very well. The description of how the bomb was supposed to work was also clear.
    o The movie was very credible. All of the people who actually took part in the project were interviewed.
    o I personally did not like the movie because it had too many different narrators. I would prefer it if only a single narrator told the story, rather than many people saying what happened.
    • There were many STEM related topics discussed in the video:
    o How to get the particles to react properly.
    o The calculations needed to make sure the bomb went off at the right time.
    o The engineering behind transporting the bomb.
    • The three most memorable moments from the movie are:
    o When they figured out how to get the atoms to split/ react properly
    o When the bomb exploded properly
    o When they figured out how to properly load the bomb on the plane

    Dr. Strangelove
    • Content? Merit? Personal Preference?
    o This film was the most entertaining because it explored the artistic aspect of the atomic bomb. It was more of an interpretation than a documentary, and this made it much more enjoyable.
    o Because it was a film meant to entertain, not necessarily inform, I would say that it is not as credible as the other two films.
    o I preferred this film the most out of all three due to the humor and plot.
    • There were many STEM related topics discussed in the video:
    o The way that the planes were able to communicate with the base at all times (engineering/technology)
    o The engineering of the Doomsday Device. It could not be stopped if it were to detonate.
    o There were also some calculations involved when it came to releasing the bombs. (Out of the airplanes)
    • The three most memorable moments from the movie are:
    o The phone calls between Demetri and the other Official.
    o The “Bodily Fluid” theory…
    o When the pilot rode the bomb all the way down out of the air plane.
    Transcendent Man
    • Content? Merit? Personal Preference?
    o The content was quite unnerving. It made me question when the merging of man and machine becomes intolerable.
    o The movie was very accurate. I highly doubt any information could be deemed false.
    o I did not really enjoy this film… it scares me to think that there is a possibility that in 100 years humans will have microscopic computers floating within them. Also it seems to me like the man predicting all of these advancements is psychologically unstable. He is obsessed with death, yet never wants to die. (I still respect his ability to predict advancements in technology)
    • There were many STEM related topics discussed in the video:
    o The engineering of the robotic hand.
    o The predictions of technological advancements
    o The engineering and technology behind machine that can read to the blind.
    o The “calculations” within the waves.
    • The three most memorable moments from the movie are:
    o The scene with all of the awards laid out on a table.
    o When the scientist visited his father’s tomb and commented on how nice the tombstone was
    o When he was able to control the robotic hand from another city.
    Comparison
    These films are all about touchy subjects: Atomic Bomb, Doomsday Device Merging of Man and Machine, however they all go about it in different ways. The film about the Manhattan project was very informative and detached. It resembled any other documentary. Dr. Strangelove was also about atomic bombs however it was more of a movie. It was not very informative, but it was funny and clearly intended to entertain the audience. The Transcendent man was also like a documentary however it was more emotional. I was able to connect more with this documentary than the other because it spoke of emotions as well as facts.

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  68. 1) The most memorable part of the Manhattan Project movie was learning which methods, including centrifugation and electromagnetic separation were used to separate the usable U-235 from the more common U-238. Also, the fact that the world’s first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, was built under a stadium used as a tennis court was quite interesting. Also, the tremendous cost of the Manhattan Project, $24.8 billion dollars in today’s money, was quite surprising. The movie,
    Dr. Strangelove, was interesting in its portrayal of the President as somewhat a puppet of the Kremlin. The sheer power of the idea of a doomsday device in influencing the foreign and military policy of a nation was also memorable, along with the sickening sacrifice Major Kong made in riding the atomic bomb down on a rodeo to its detonation. Kurzweil’s movie, the Transcendent Man, surprised me in its predictions of the imminent fusion of biology and technology. A memorable instance of this time was one talking head’s prediction of a global war within the century, about the argument of the implications of automated intelligence. Similarly, the way that Kurzweil uses vitamin supplements to manipulate his health and his fixation with death were both somewhat strange and sickening, but memorable.

    2) The Modern Marvels movie represented STEM content through its explanation of the methods used to separate U-235 from U-238, along with its description of the bomb deployment mechanism, and its description of the effects of nuclear radiation on the human physiology. The Strangelove movie discusses STEM through its presentation of special coding mechanisms by which only a certain three character sequence will allow an aircraft radio to receive a message. Also, the discussion of fluoridation of water – though inaccurate in its suppositions was a STEM related discussion. Also, the discussion of the best possible way to create an underground society to outlive the nuclear fallout from the doomsday device takes into account many STEM considerations. Kurzweil’s movie discusses STEM in part by its discussion of Moore’s Law, which predicts the exponential (though not indefinite) growth of integrated circuit capacity. Similarly, the idea of composing music through computer algorithms and the infinite prolonging of human life through genetic technology both deal with STEM.

    3) While Modern Marvels was a documentary style presentation on the historical and scientific (to a degree) background of the Manhattan Project and the development –deployment stages of missile testing, Dr. Strangelove was a satirical fictional situation that presented the public’s worst fears about the power of the nuclear missile, and Kurzweil’s “Singularity” presented a mixture of scientific and almost science-fiction predictions about the future of science in influencing the human condition. From today’s vantage point it is easy to look at the Manhattan Project as a simple concept that took much time to develop, or the Strangelove situation as an almost complete impossibility (considering relatively strong diplomatic ties with foreign nations today), and Kurzweil’s predictions as fantastic and unfounded in scientific fact. However, it remains true that development of science is a progression that is continues at an ever increasing pace and it is a difficult task to predict or look back upon it and place merit on past achievements which are invaluable to development of science.

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  69. 4) As a historical documentary, Modern Marvels presented a well laid-out timeline of the progression of the Manhattan Project, and though it has no special distinguishing features to place it above the category of average documentary, I considered it to be an enjoyable view. Dr. Strangelove presented a fantastic scenario that seems preposterous today (and was in part meant to, due to its satirical point), though may have been well-founded in American fears in the past. The Strangelove movie has received praise and top reviews throughout the past and was also enjoyable, albeit in a way that contained much dark humor. Kurzweil’s “Singularity” presented, again, much fantastic speculation, though was based on trends on the progression of science in the past, and has been well reviewed in the past (a New York Times best seller and #1 on Amazon for science and philosophy). I thought it to be insightful, however somewhat too progressive and optimistic in its hopes for scientific progression and a bit frightening in its portrayal of the future.

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  70. I was absent during all of Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel.
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    In Dr. Strangelove, one of the most memorable parts was when it was first revealed that the leader of the American base was insane, and convinced that Russians were attacking Americans through the fluoridation of bodily fluids. A second memorable part from Dr. Strangelove was during the meeting with the President, when he called the leader of the Soviet Union warning him of a possible incoming attack; I found the conversation really funny. Another memorable part from the movie was when the men on the plane first received plane R, and how serious they began taking their job, in comparison to how casual they were acting before.
    In Transcendent Man, one memorable moment was when the idea of singularity was introduced. A second moment was when Kurzweil described how he reprogramed his biological chemistry by taking 200 pills a day, preventing his own death from what’s considered an incurable disease. A third memorable part from Transcendent Man was when (find name) presented the idea of how if technology increases as rapidly as Kurzweil predicts, it could lead to another great war; I found this kind of frightening, because I can defiantly see different groups, even from the same country, being divided and becoming hostile on the topic of how far is too far to advance our own technology.
    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within each movie. Explain.
    Although it may seem silly now, there was a lot of STEM related content discussed in Dr. Strangelove. One major thing was nuclear weapons, and the effect the radiation could have if the bomb exploded. The use of underground bunkers as protection was even discussed. Also, just the use of atomic bombs in general was a technological advancement. The communication system in the planes was also new.
    Transce3ndent Man is largely focused on the future of STEM advancements and its effect on humanity. The documentary mentions the “singularity”, a point at which man and technology will essentially become one. Some technology mentioned was the use of nano sized robots to use in place of blood cells, the use of cyborgs and robots instead of biological bodies. The idea of even surpassing the need for bodies, and instead having a kind of network of minds/ consciousness was mentioned.

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  71. 3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    From a modern day vantage point, Dr. Strangelove is a story of what could have happened in the past, while Transcendent Man looks towards our future. Also, both movies are different in that Dr. Strangelove is a science fiction movie focusing on what might have happened had nuclear weapons actually been deployed, while Transcendent Man is a documentary the focuses on the future of mankind and how we’re destined to become one with machines.
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    While I found Dr. Strangelove to be an interesting movie, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I’ve enjoyed other science fiction films. I found the plot behind it to be very interesting, however because the movie is from the 1960’s, I wasn’t able to appreciate the humor (like calling people Commie’s, etc.) nearly as much as someone from the 60’s might have enjoyed it. Also, I’m used to better quality films now, than movies made in the 60’s. The movie doesn’t have much scientific support in its ideas and plots, but most science fiction movies are just that: fiction. I’ve found that most authors of science fiction works don’t go into as much details in their theories as Jules Verne did in writing Journey to the Center of the Earth, so I don’t find that the merit of this move was awful, it was just okay.
    I really enjoyed watching Transcendent man; I found the movie to be interesting, thought provoking, and just freaky enough to creep me out a little. I found the content within the film, the theories Kurzweil presented and even just a look into Kurzweil’s personal life, to be fascinating. However interesting Kurzweil’s predictions were however, they were still predictions and not based on a large amount of fact. He did use evidence of the exponential growth pattern of technological advancement, however when he started going into theories of humans becoming immortal and becoming largely robot based, and used the theory of evolution as support, he lost me. Personally, I really liked how much the movie made me think about the effects of advancements in technology, both positive and negative.

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  72. Alexander Friedman
    4-3-14
    Science Research
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.

    • Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    o The decision to make such a huge bomb that would be so devastation. It is amazing how people will resort to nuclear weapons in fear and jealousy of others having them.
    o The vastness of energy and materials needed to make such a device
    o The little mistakes that people could have made in the ‘cardboard and masking tapes’ bombs, and the people who almost messed up the bomb so it would not work.

    • Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    o When the officer accused the French man that he killed the major who was in charge, and their only lead on the bomb would have been destroyed.
    o When Dmitri took pictures of the U.S.’s board, and the military representative tackled him.
    o It was funny when the Americans were fighting the Americans, and they didn’t really know it.

    • Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    o It was cool how he took over 200 pills a day to try to become a superhuman.
    o It was hard to believe that humans can one day become one with machines.
    o It was amazing how some people could control things from half way across the world.
    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    • Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    o The Atom bomb was made and it was really interesting because it involved condensing an atomic reaction into an area and making it explosive.
    o The amount of energy that was created to power this project created many small cities. This was very interesting because it created a work force that was enough to make these cities.
    o The time when the bomb was made from makeshift materials and people would have dreams that they messed up was insane. They would go in the bomb and find out that the messed up a wire, which would doom the whole project.
    • Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    o The doomsday device was scary to think about because what if the world could be left up to someone, or one country to decide to make said device and then the world would be in their hands.
    o The fact that a bomber could get through into Russian territory and blow something up, which would start a war. This would not be good, even if it were up to some crazy guy who committed suicide.
    o The way that an all-out atomic war could be started by a single person is insane. A whole country could be destroyed and this would not be good.
    • Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    o It is really weird and creepy how someone could take a bunch of pills and become better than someone else.
    o It is really cool how one day we will become one with the computers. It is also scary because we will have a computer inside of us.
    o It is scary that robots will exist and one day, potentially take over the world.

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  73. Alexander Friedman

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    These movies were are different because it explains the way that people can advance and find out new technological advances. In The Manhattan Project it explains the fact that we could make a bomb that could decimate an entire area, taking many lives, while in Dr. Strangelove it showed the military opportunities that a country could have to destroy another. The Transcendent Man was separate than the other two because it was about how we could eventually become one with computer.
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    There was a lot of information in this movie and it was very interesting because of it. It had good and bad qualities, but over all I did not enjoy it because it did not have enough action for my liking.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    There was not a lot of content about science but there were a lot of funny and satirical scenes. This movie was very entertaining, but not informational. I enjoyed this movie for a fun watch, but it does not have a lot of questions that are drawn and are able to be discussed.
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    This was another interesting video that had a lot of content, and it was very interesting. It had a lot of good theories to think about, and it made you want to know what was to come in the future. I prefer movies such as this one because they are both interesting and entertaining. This movie is good for both school and leisurely watching.

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  74. Modern Marvels
    1. One memorable moment was when they realized they are able to create a bomb. Another important moment was when they created the first atomic bomb which was very successful when tested in New Mexico. The final memorable event was when they decided to bomb Hiroshima and seeing the devastation that followed.
    2. One STEM example was when they were trying to extract the uranium 235 they had to build massive structures to collect it. Another example was when They were deciding how to place the uranium so that they would have maximum efficiency. Another example is when they made the bomb held together with masking tape and this shows the trial and error that they had to go through.
    3. The movies are very different because Modern Marvels showed how we have become more technologically advanced through the years. Dr. Strangelove showed how there is so much tension between countries from the threat of war and Transcendent Man showed the future and what will most likely happen.
    4. The content of Modern Marvels was very interesting because it went over the making of the atomic bomb. The merit of the movie is to teach us what happened during that time in us history. I like the movie because it is very action packed.
    Dr. Strangelove
    1. One memorable moment was when the plane was given the special wing attack order. Another moment that was interesting was when the council met up inside the pentagon. The final most memorable event was when they plane that had lost its radio was going to bomb the nuclear facility in Russia and the commander jumps out with the bomb.
    2. One STEM example is when they were discussing the doomsday device and they were saying that they do not want any sort of human to be able to override the device and not make it explode.
    4. The content of the movie was very interesting. It was a satirical reenactment of the conflicts that went on during the cold war and it was very interesting. The merit of the movie is good because it is interesting and teaches us something.
    Transcendent Man
    1. One memorable moment in the movie is in the beginning when we learn that Ray Kurzweil as a 17-year-old created his own computer which generated notes that he played on his piano. Another important moment was when we learned that he created a special remedy of pills that he hopes will help him live longer.
    2. One place where STEM is used is when he created the computer he used engineering and mathematics and technology to build it. The movie also shows how now he still uses science to create the pills that he eats to stay healthy.
    4. The movie was interesting because it gave us a lot of information about Ray Kurzweil and how he has spent his life trying to develop a way to live forever. I like it because I am always interesting in the future and this added another perspective to my thinking.

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  75. Joseph Neumann

    I apologize beforehand for terrible formatting

    1.a: i: Methods of sifting through uranium to isolate an isotope. ii: the manner in which development of atomic weaponry was kept confidential iii: Detailing the advances in plutonium creation. b: i: the pilot's ridiculously extensive kit ii: the stilted and awkward phone conversations iii: [can't think of anything, i only saw the first half of the movie] c: i: the material science trash-talking Kurzweil and calling futurology a pseudo-religion ii: our classes' reaction to Kurzweil admitting to taking 200+ pills daily. iii: the film's seemingly non-serious and silly approach to describing conflicts between humanity and AI's

    2. i: Documented advances in sifting for desired uranium isotope. ii: comparisons of the different assets of utilization of uranium or plutonium. iii: analyzing various methods of creating a consistent nuclear detonation b: the movie was designed as a comedy, its only scientific roots coming from nuclear weapons as the cornerstone of the movie's plot c: i: Use of exponential regression to extrapolate computational powers in the future. ii: providing a vague conceptual idea of the utilization of nanobots in the microscale. iii: a more comprehensive understanding of the human brain used to create novel technologies

    3. The first movie is a scientific documentary stating only objective information. The second movie was a satirical film on the scale of nuclear weaponry and how difficult it is to avoid chaos when possessing it. The last movie is a speculative prediction of future scientific advances using past scientific advances as a model.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a: i: the first film is mostly thorough of content; it extensively breaks down the abstract mechanics used with nuclear weaponry. b: the movie is extremely credible; it only states what has been documented and avoids making any generalizations. C: I enjoyed it somewhat. While I would have enjoyed it a lot more, I was getting sick and it was detracting from the experience. b: i: The movie does not nor should not have any sort of credibility; it is a parody of actual events regarding the use of nuclear weapons, and a creative interpretation shouldn’t have any objectivity to it. ii: the movie has merit to it if you choose to ignore the insanity and exaggeration that is in the movie. Its message is real and could easily be justified. iii: I personally enjoyed the movie for its lighthearted and silly alternate view on the normally morbid subject matter. c: i: The movie bizarrely fluctuates between being highly speculative and being highly informed on the subject. ii: The movie, though inconsistent in tone, delivers a completely believable message of what we may be (or what we may no longer be) in the near future. iii: I personally didn’t care much for this movie, in contrast to my interest with Kurzweil’s other books. While his writing focuses on recent scientific developments that demonstrate the validity of Kurzweil’s predictions. However, the film seems to pander to viewers more interested in bold claims bordering on science fiction than actual scientific evidence to back up Kurzweil’s claims.

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  76. NB. The following responses are only to the first half Dr. Strangelove and the modern marvels movie.
    Modern Marvels
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    1. Learning that the scientists that helped create the atomic bomb were German refugees that had fled from their countries.
    2. Learning of the immense amount of regret that Einstein felt after writing that letter to the president.
    3. I found the eccentric scientist that worked while in his bathtub memorable just for the fact that it was so odd.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Stem related content was discussed where pertaining to the bomb itself. There is a great amount of chemistry involved with creating an atomic bomb. To be able to create a weapon of mass destruction, scientists had to be innovative and find a way to split the atoms correctly. Engineering played a large role in the construction of the bomb structure and the manner in which it would be carried and released. Finally, the mathematics of the flight plan had to be calculated precisely.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    I very much enjoyed this movie. It was quite informative and I learned more on a subject that I’m interested in. When we watched this movie, I just had finished learning about it in my history class so it was nice to have some other background information to bring to the table.

    Dr. Strangelove
    Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    1. the interactions between the airmen when they received the order to drop the bomb
    2. The goofy general whose phone kept ringing during the meeting.
    3. The overstated patriotism

    Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    1. Radio system
    2. Atomic bomb
    3. The mechanics of the plane
    Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    I was amused by the satirical aspect of the story, although there were times that its humor diminished due to it being a bit confusing. I wish I could have seen the ending to really solidify my thoughts but up to the point that I watched, it was, in my opinion, okay. Because of the great amount of satirical devices (understatement, hyperbole etc) its storyline cannot be trusted for fact. The purpose of satire is to point out an issue and evoke change though so the overarching themes and ideas can be trusted.



    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Due to the SBAC testing and permission from Ms. Day to work during the movie, this response will only include part of Dr. Strangelove and will not include Transcendent Man and will include all of the Modern Marvels video. Both Modern Marvels and Dr. Strangelove included subject matter on World War II and the atomic bomb. Two movies took on different viewpoints and structures. Modern Marvels was essentially a video giving information. On the other hand, Dr. Strangelove had a storyline and contained humor and irony throughout.

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  77. 1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    The three most memorable moments include when the atomic bomb was actually being tested, the impact of the large bomb explosions, and the amount of scientists as well as the effort that went into creating the bomb.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    The comedic style of the movie altogether, the bickering between Russia and the United States, and the paranoia of the military officer.
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    When Ray Kurzweil was able to make accurate predictions about technology in the future, how he worked with ideas such as increasing life in humans and creating a hybrid of human and machine, and how he takes around 200 pills daily because of his diabetes.
    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    The idea of creating an atomic bomb in general was a large technological advancement, math calculations were used to figure out the size and shape of the bomb, and the science plays in when dangerous elements used to make the bomb were also being figured out.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    The security system requiring a code for the airplanes, the electronic big board in the meeting room included lit up locations on a map of the United States, and the conversation on the doomsday device.
    Transcendent Man - Ray Kurzweil
    Kurweil used math algorithms to make his predictions, the process of merging humans with machines, and creating devices such as a reader for the blind.
    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    Modern Marvels was a movie that showed history as it happened. Dr. Strange love had a comedic tone to it and a theoretical outcome of what could have happened during a nuclear war. Transcendent Man had a future aspect to it, and mentioned a lot about what may happen in later years, in terms of technology and mankind as we know it.
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    Modern Marvels had a lot of facts and evidence of what actually happened in the past. It is reliable because it mentions what really took place and has records to prove it. It was interesting to see the technology we started with, but the setup of the movie was a bit boring, in terms of how the information was delivered to the audience. Dr. Strange love took the perspective of what could have happened if Russia and the United States went through with nuclear war. It did not have much merit because the whole plot was theoretical and there was no factual evidence of the way it played out. I liked this movie because it had a comedic, satirical aspect toward emphasizing what went on during the Cold War. Transcendent Man was very interesting because of the predictions Ray Kurzweil made about the future. Some of his theories were hard to believe, but I still found it fascinating to hear a little bit of how Kurzweil came up with some of them as well as some of his life story. There was not much merit because a lot of it was what Kurzweil believed would happen in later years, which means there is no evidence yet. I did not agree with Kurzweil on everything he said, but it was still intriguing to hear his ideas and motives anyways.

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  78. 1. The most memorable moments in Modern Marvels were when it discussed the testing of the first nuclear bomb, how much money was put into the Manhattan project, and the towns built just for building the bomb. The three most memorable moments in Dr. Strangelove were when you found out why General Ripper had sent the bomb, when you learned about the doomsday machine, and when the bomb was dropped. The three most memorable moments in Transcendent Man were the fact that so many of Ray Kurzweil’s predictions were correct, the possibility of robots becoming a very large part of the human body, and how he was somewhat obsessed with his father’s death.

    2. Modern Marvels talked about which isotope of uranium would be best to build the nuclear bomb. It also talked about testing the bomb and the after effects of dropping the bombs in Japan. Dr. Strangelove talked about the building of a doomsday machine, launching the nuclear bomb, and communication & technology problems on the plane. Transcendent Man discussed the possibility of singularity, implanting nanobots the size of red blood cells in the body, and the reader Ray Kurzweil invented for the blind.

    3. Modern Marvels talked a lot about the facts of the creation of the nuclear bomb, while Dr. Strangelove was a story about what might happen if a nuclear bomb was dropped. However, Transcendent Man was very different from both of these and talked more about future technology. Modern Marvels and Transcendent Man were both documentaries, but Modern Marvels talked about facts of past events, while Transcendent Man was predictions for the future. Dr. Strangelove was more of a story than a documentary, unlike the other two movies.

    4. Modern Marvels was very interesting. There was very much information about the creation and dropping of the first nuclear weapons. It was a credible source because it was a documentary, not a fictional movie. Personally, I liked it and found the topic and information interesting. The information in Dr.Strangelove was very unrealistic. The idea of a general having enough power to and wanting to set off a nuclear bomb singlehandedly was not very likely, as was the idea of a doomsday machine. However, it was a movie and was not meant to be realistic or have much merit. I did not feel very strongly about the movie either way. Transcendent Man talked very much about the future and what developments could occur. I thought that some of the predictions on how soon certain technological advances would occur seemed very shocking, and not completely realistic in my opinion. Also, most of them came from one man, Ray Kurzweil, so they may not be correct. This movie made me think very much about what could happen with technology in the future, and how my life would be affected by it.

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  79. Kristin Part 1
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project

    Memorable moments:

    1. When the scientist was talking about how unpredictable the bomb was. Since they had never tested the bomb they really didn’t know wha was going to happen

    2. When they talked about how the test bomb was held together by duck tape in some places.

    3. When they described Dr. Oppenheimer, who was the chief advisor for the nuclear bomb, and how he struggled with the moral implications of the bomb. He feared the beginning of a nuclear arms race that would end humanity as we know it.

    Examples of STEM:

    1. They talked about the amount of electrical power needed to power the generation of the bomb. They had to erect many power plants around the area

    2. They talk about what actually makes the bomb go off. A particle hits a molecule of uranium and break it into to, than more molecules hit other molecules. This limited the stability of the bomb.

    3. They also talked about isotopes. They needed a very specific isotope of uranium called U238. Most uranium isotopes were U235. To collect these U 238, they needed to accelerate the molecules and the U238 were heavier, so they would be going at a different angular acceleration and could be separated.



    Dr. Strangelove

    Memorable moments:

    1. When the president was talking to the Russian premier and they were going back and forth about who was more sorry about the situation. That was the sole funny moment in the movie.

    2. When the general on the base was talking about how they would have to stop drinking outside fluids for fear of infiltration. It surprised me how far his paranoia went.

    3. Another memorable moment was when Captain Mandrake thought that he knew what the recall code was. And then another general thought that he was the “bad guy” but he had to convince him otherwise. This instance just illustrates how messed up the system was.

    Examples of STEM:

    1. The bomb itself represents the STEM fields. The nuclear weapon was a huge step forward in technology. And with new technology, new precautions need to be taken. This movie shows how not enough precautions are taken regarding nuclear weapons and technology in general.

    2. Also, the instant communication between the generals. All the faxes and telephones are examples of technology that was break through at the time. Even though now it is outdated.

    3. Also there were a lot of devices that were programed, such as the bomb itself, and the airplanes. They are programed to do their job. But how they are used are up to the humans that program them. It leads to many caveats in how these machines should be programed and how they should be operated since codes are replacing logic and reasoning on the side of the humans.

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  80. Kristin Part 2
    Transcendent Man

    Memorable moments

    1. One of the most interesting moments was when I saw the robot hand mimicking the human hand. This moment symbolized how robots are now just as able as humans are. The image really illustrated this fact effectively.

    2. I also found it interesting when he was talking about how the issues far outweigh the benefits of technology. He talked about a possible apocalypse once machines achieve consciousness because we may not be able to control them.

    3. My favorite line in the movie was: “People ask if there’s a God. I say, not yet…” This line really hit home because it shows how the scientist belives that humans have taking control of their own destiny. In the future, they will be able to modify their own beings to have desired traits. The job of creating humans was once attributed to god, but it will now be attributed to humans.

    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.

    Each movie provided a different perspective. Dr. Strangelove and Modern marvels both focused on the past while Transcendent man focused on the future. But, they all brought in issues that are important in the world today. All of them talked about the dangers and implications of technology. With new technology comes new responsibility. We need to make sure that these technologies don’t get into the wrong hands, because if they do they can wreck complete chaos on our world, such as the nuclear bomb. Transcendent man provides a different perspective. With singularity, chaos is inevitable in our future if technology continues to advance.

    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference

    My least favorite movie was Dr. Strangelove. It didn’t appeal to me because it seemed like it was trying to be funny but it was a little too dated for me. It also did not have very much merit because it was not based on real events. But, it did bring up important issue on technology described in number 3. Modern marvels had the same important issues as Dr. Strangelove, but it had more merit because it was based on true events. It still did not have personal appeal because it was boring. Transcendent Man was my favorite because it covered all bases. It was entertaining because it talked about the future of technology and what will happen with the world. It also had merit because they explained these complex ideas on a simple level. It was written by an award winning scientists, so it must be legit. It also has good content because it talks about the issues that come with technology and knowledge

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  81. Part 1:

    Clare Staib-Kaufman
    Period 6
    1. Describe the movie's 3 most memorable moments.
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    I didn’t know that Albert Einstein had endorsed for the project when it was presented to the president.
    It was amazing when the test bomb blew up a huge area around the space it was detonated in.
    A lot of the scientists that had worked on the bomb didn't want it to be used on civilians, but they were quieted so that the military could use the weapons.

    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    The pilot of the plane was so dedicated that he jumped on the bomb and rode it into the compound.
    It was a bit confusing and suspicious when the Russian ambassador took a picture of the board with his watch. The whole world was supposed to be destroyed, so why would he need those pictures?
    At the very end of the movie, Dr. Strangelove stood from his wheelchair and saluted Hitler.

    Transcendent Man – Ray Kurzweil
    The part of the movie that described Ray Kurzweil’s childhood really shed light on his purpose. Kurzweil’s father died when he was very young, which explains why he is so focused on immortality. He wanted to either bring his father back or prevent his own death.
    On the same note, he mentioned that all humans fear death, and those who say they have accepted it are just lying to themselves. This shows that he fears and does not accept death, and wants to stop it.
    The machine he invented when he was 17 that could compose music was very interesting to me, as I am a musician.

    2. Give 3 or more examples of STEM related content discussed within the movie. Explain.
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    The scientists had to use their knowledge of atoms to design and build the bomb.
    They had to design a building to safely house the equipment needed to make the bomb.
    The scientist had to figure out a way to transport and release the bomb without damaging any U.S. pilots.

    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    The atomic bombs described (and detonated) during the movie had to be made by those with a complete knowledge of many STEM topics.
    The doomsday device explained by Dr. Strangelove required all of the bombs be set up and connected to a central location.
    The reason the one plane continued to fly toward its target after the recall message was the fact that its radio was broken. If they had been able to fix it, or if they had had a back up radio, this problem would have been solved.

    Transcendent Man – Ray Kurzweil
    He programmed the composing machine to create music.
    He is trying to reprogram his body by taking supplements, but many biologists warned him that it wouldn’t work.
    Some scientists implanted a chip into a man's arm and found he was able to control an arm the way around the planet through the internet.

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  82. Part 2:

    Clare Staib-Kaufman
    Period 6
    3. Differentiate the 3 movies from one another. Include discussion of our modern day vantage point.
    The video about the Manhattan Project was the most factual. Transcendent Man was slightly less fact-based, and Dr. Strangelove was the least factual. The Manhattan Project video and Dr. Strangelove both focused on the atomic bomb, and a lot of the topics discussed seemed a little outdated from our modern viewpoint. For example, Dr. Strangelove was about the Cold War, a period in which a bombing of (or from) the Soviet Union seemed possible.
    The film Transcendent Man made Ray Kurzweil seem a bit crazy, to be honest. It seemed as though his primary goal was immortality, and his primary motivation was his father's death. Some of the concepts discussed, however, were quite thought-provoking and relevant in today's society; for example, the possibility of artificial intelligence is intriguing.
    4. Critique each movie individually based on a) content b) merit c) personal preference
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel
    a) I learned a lot about the making of the bomb, and those involved in the Manhattan Project. The film had a nice balance of the actual science behind the bomb, and the stories of the scientists behind the bomb.
    b) The video was very informative and historical, and has a good deal of importance, as the bomb has affected nearly everything since it was dropped.
    c) I enjoyed the video very much, because I like history. We are also studying this same time period in world history class, and this movie was a good supplement to that knowledge.
    Dr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubric Film
    a) The movie was pretty entertaining, and even funny at some points. It seemed to accurately portray the fear of a nuclear war that existed when the movie was made.
    b) The film didn't really mean anything more than entertainment (except the portrayal of the world-wide war that many feared when the movie was made).
    c) I really liked this movie. It was well-done, and had a lot of humor that you don't see in today's movies.
    Transcendent Man – Ray Kurzweil
    a) The video accurately explained Kurzweil's ideas and predictions, without portraying him as too insane. Some of the ideas were very interesting, but some were pretty far-fetched.
    b) The movie had some good ideas, but did come off as sounding a bit crazy. Kurzweil's predictions sounded too far-fetched to be true.
    c) Even though some of Kurzweil's theories made me slightly uncomfortable, the majority of the movie was very interesting and fun to watch. His ideas on evolution and artificial intelligence particularly stood out to me.

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  83. Harsha
    Modern Marvels: The Manhattan Project - History Channel

    Modern Marvels:

    1) The most memorable moments from this movie was when they discussed the actual atomic bomb testing, the facilities that they had to build to get enough uranium and plutonium, and Japan bombing.

    2). The STEM related content from this video talked about the atomic bomb. They also discussed the physics behind achieving critical mass. In addition, they talked about the mathematics behind the calculations of the bomb.

    3. Didn’t see the other 2 movies

    4. Modern Marvels was mainly historical and listed out facts. Dr. Strangelove was fictional, comedic, and purely hypothetical.

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  84. Matt Whitehill

    1. What was your overall impression of the 2015 SCISEF Fair? Specifically, what things did you enjoy about the fair? Did the fair meet your expectations? In what ways was it similar or different to what you anticipated or experienced in the past?

    I thought that the fair this year was a success, though it does have some flaws. I thought there were a lot less people this year and that the gym wasn’t as crowded. I also think the fair should be shorter; there was a lot of time wasted doing unnecessary things.

    2. What was the judging process like? Were the judges fair and helpful? Be specific.

    I do not like the judging process at SCSEF. The judges are judging something that is often not in their field of study, so its hard for them to understand both magnitude and the purpose of various projects. They are not helpful because they often don’t give helpful feedback. I also feel like much of the judging is on the presentation and not the content.

    3. What was the most helpful comment from the Judges? Least helpful?

    I didn’t really have any helpful comments from my judges, the just asked questions and I was there to answer the questions. I was able to answer most of their questions. I thought it was least helpful when the judges applaud your project, say it is really good, but then end up scoring you low. I think they should be up front with their feedback.

    4. How was the food (breakfast and lunch)?

    Both breakfast and lunch were amazing.

    5. Did you enjoy the Keynote presentation by J. Alan Clark, Associate Prof of Conservation Biology at Fordham University? Explain.

    I enjoyed the presentation but I think it got way too long. I was interested in what he was doing and what he did in the past. I thought it was totally unnecessary to talk about what his graduate students were doing, and that definitely could have been cut out.

    6. In what way(s) do you think the Mock Science Fair helped prepare you for the fair?

    The Mock Science Fair allowed me to fix my presentation and also fix up my poster a little before the fair. It allowed for my to smoothen out the wrinkles.

    7. Did you learn anything new about your project? If so, what can you do to improve it for the next fair?

    I learned that I need to make my implications section longer, since the whole point of my project is its implications. For the next fair, I will definitely make the size of this section bigger and talk about it more in my presentation.

    8. Did you have time to view other student projects? Which project(s) left a lasting impression? why?

    I always do a quick run through with students projects and I never really like what I see. A lot of the projects are way beyond a high school level, to the point where it is apparent that the students aren’t really doing any of the work.

    8. Did you talk to students from other schools? Explain.

    Not really. There were a lot less people this time and my area was completely surrounded by Amity kids.

    9. What can we do to better prepare students for upcoming science fairs, if anything?

    I would say presentation skills. I feel like so much comes down to the presentation that we should focus on that a little more.

    10. Overall on a scale of 1 (terrible) to 5 (amazing) --> How enjoyable was your SCSEF experience?

    I would say 1. I feel like there is way too much “woo”ing the judges with overly complicated projects at these fairs. Also, if the judges have a problem with the presentation or project, they should bring it up and talk about it. The judges are not helping us if they are not being critical. By applauding us and saying good job, we aren’t learning.

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