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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 17 2008, 8:58 PM EDT (current) | limyuanjie | 1 word added, 50 words deleted |
| Mar 17 2008, 10:31 AM EDT | HongCherh | 56 words added, 1 word deleted |
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Discuss the impact of the Integrated Resort (IR) on Singapore's tourism industry
Contributed by Kenneth
As we all know, Integrated Resort also known as IR is moving into Singapore in 2009. With this first ever casino in Singapore, it is for sure that Singapore's tourism industry would be greatly affect. Nonetheless, Singapore government is targeting not only gamblers, but as well as other tourists to visit IR, instead of gambling in IR.
Tourism industry in Singapore is moving towards a step closer in attracting many tourists into Singapore with it's variety of attractions. With the newly built IR in 2009, it would be a clear answer to Singapore by attracting many tourists and would leave a significant impact on to Singapore's tourism industry. Furthermore, since neighbouring countries like Malaysia, already have a casino on Genting Highlands and are attracting many Singaporeans there, IR as Singapore's first casino, would attract more people.
Resource used: (2008, January 03). Government Awards Integrated Resort at Marina Bay Project to Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Singapore Tourism Board. Retrieved March 06, 2008, from http://app.stb.gov.sg/asp/new/new03a.asp?id=516.
Summary of Resource:
Basically, IR's main target are tourists as well as the locals. However, IR being the first casino in Singapore maybe in a tough competition with the neighbouring countries. Take Malaysia as an example, the casino on Genting Highland is a popular place for Singaporeans. Besides that, there will be a significant impact on Singapore's tourism as well as a major influence to Singapore's economy. Not only is IR meant for tourist, IR also includes travellers who are also non-gamblers as well.
Besides that, as a christian, gambling is a sin and it is also not allowed. With that, many companies with christian workers would want to be less involve with IR even though IR hold a better prospect than any other jobs in the tourism industry. Furthermore, most christians would not take a step into IR's casino base, therefore, employment for IR must be carefully chosen. IR itself can bring more harm than good. As the saying goes, gambling is the seed to all evil. The reasons are very simple, once the gambler loses money and lacks money, they would resort to borrowing money from their sources. With that in mind, gamblers would than not have the liberty to gamble again because they would want to think twice since they are owing their sources a huge debt. And when they are unable to pay up, their life, their family as well would be a threat to them. Gambling is nothing but harm, even though it is seen as a form of entertainment for some, but still, it brings many unneccessary conflicts and problems to the society.
With IR, Singapore can only expect two things from IR. One, tourism industry would increase in the number of tourists and economy in Singapore would rise greatly. However, secondly, many people might declare bankrupt instead or owing people alot of money. Besides that, this would attract alot of unneccessary causes of deaths or threats that would involve police in this case. IR may though stand with both advantages as well as disadvantages, IR in Singapore would only mean to bring many tourists into Singapore regardless of the consequences IR brings. However, Singapore can expect to see a great change in the economy for the better and to meet their target for the expected number of tourist in Singapore.
The Impact of Media Proliferation on Violence in Youths
Contributed by Yuan Jie
Introduction
A recent wave of violent mass-shootings occurring worldwide, particularly in the United States, has left an indelible mark on modern day civilisation and humanity. A particularly astounding thing about these violent crimes is that many of them are committed by young people.
These crimes have left people questioning what has gotten into the minds of youths these days. A popular target of all the finger-pointing has been the media. Is there really any correlation between media proliferation, particularly the increased use of violence in the media, on violence in youths?
I embarked on this project with hope of gaining insight on the extent to which the media has made youths more violent, and here are my findings based on what I read from a particular resource.
Resource used: Media Awareness Network, Canada (2008). “Research on the Effects of Media Violence” Retrieved March 6, 2008 from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm
My Summary of the Contents from the Resource
The question of whether media violence causes increased levels of violence in youths has been a common question in many studies that look into the media.
According to the resource, some researchers have argued that violence in the media brings about psychological effects in children. As children watch violent shows, they tend to internalise the scripts that use violence as a method of problem-solving, and in turn imitate these methods in their own lives. These behavioural tendencies then continue into adolescence and eventually into adulthood.
This tendency is manifested from a study mentioned in the article, which says, “In 1956, researchers took to the laboratory to compare the behaviour of 24 children watching TV. Half watched a violent episode of the cartoon Woody Woodpecker, and the other 12 watched the non-violent cartoon The Little Red Hen. During play afterwards, the researchers observed that the children who watched the violent cartoon were much more likely to hit other children and break toys.”.
Another study which took place over a longer period of time and was cited in the resource mentioned, “In 1960, University of Michigan Professor Leonard Eron studied 856 grade three students living in a semi-rural community… …, and found that the children who watched violent television at home behaved more aggressively in school. Eron wanted to track the effect of this exposure over the years, so he revisited them in 1971, when the children who participated in the 1960 study were 19 years of age. He found that boys who watched violent TV when they were eight were more likely to get in trouble with the law as teenagers. When Eron and Huesmann returned in 1982, the subjects were 30 years old. They reported that those participants who had watched more violent TV as eight-year-olds were more likely, as adults, to be convicted of serious crimes, to use violence to discipline their children, and to treat their spouses aggressively.”.
The two studies above show that violent television shows do contribute in some ways to violence in youths. On the other hand, there is also a study which shows that even non-violent television shows may contribute to violence in youths. According to a study which spanned from 1975 to 2002, youths who watched one to three hours of television a day were 60 percent more likely to be involved in brawls as compared to those who did not watch as much television.
The studies cited in the resource on media and violence in youths are not just limited to studies on television. A 2003 study of 500 college students by 3 academics revealed that “violent music lyrics increased aggressive thoughts and hostile feelings” among the students.
The resource concluded by emphasising that the studies on the topic are far from definitive, and that “parental attitudes towards media violence can mitigate the impact it has on children”.
A Brief Evaluation of the Resource
I think this site is a rather credible website where a person can gain insights on issues related to media and society, based on the degree of accuracy and authoritativeness of the website.
It caters to the needs of two main kinds of users, the first of which includes the lay men. The general textual information and games in the website make it easy for the general public to understand the issues pertaining to media and society, while citations of formal research papers enable subject specialists to gain further and more in-depth insights into the topics concerned.
The appropriate use of multimedia materials in the site and the typographical error-free status of the site are remarkable.One of the ways the creators of this website can improve the site is to include a site map so that users can jump between subsections of different sections faster. All in all, I trust the insights that this resource gives me on media and violence in youths.
Development in the Market for 3G Mobile Devices
Contributed by Xiao Yao
What is 3G
3G stands for the third generation of wireless communication technology and the industry direction are to raise speeds from 9.5K to 2M bit/sec. According to 3gnewsroom.com (one of the 3 websites I have previously found according to my research topic), devices can be devided into four categories. The first category includes the basic 3G phones will be used mainly for talking and will store all their information on the network. The second category will support video-streaming, and will provide the user with news and web content. More sophisticated models will be information centres which let users download information from the Internet and store data on the device.
3G Market Development
The wireless mobile market is set to explode and this will provide many new job opportunities. According to Will Daugherty’s The Growth of Wireless Mobile in Business 2.0, there will be 3 waves of mobile data services. The first wave is linked wireless access to existing information and data applications. The current second wave takes advantage of wireless-specific functionality. The third wave will bring rich graphics, video, real-time multiplayer games.
Don Tapscott has been quoted “Mobile commerce is the next stage of e-commerce, where we have the integration of the physical world with the digital world…What we ’re talking here is the beginning of pervasive and ubiquitous computing where billions and billions of inert objects become Internet appliances - enabling the sharing of knowledge and the delivery of a vast new array of services.”
Statistics
According to the findings in Wireless Portals: the Information Gateway to the Wireless User, by the end of 2006 there will be close to 1 billion wireless portal users worldwide. The bulk of these users will be wireless voice users, WAP users, 2.5G and 3G subscribers, and other wireless device users such as those using PDAs. Multi-modal users worldwide will stand close to 282 million in 2006.
Resource used
Discuss the developments of cancer research.
Contributed by Hong Cherh
Cancer has always dumbfounded and stumped humanity. The high death toll of 13% of all deaths from cancer has always been a problem. Thus, a lot of funding has been put into cancer research and how we can eliminate this disease.
Recently, the research on cancer has begun to go more "micro". This means that the more research is being done into areas such as genes and cells. This can be seen simply by looking at the articles from cancer research uk’s latest news releases website. For example, "Scientists identify genetic markers for aggressive lung cancer (14.03.2008)" and "'Kingpin' gene controls breast tumour growth and spread (12.03.2008)" . In the first article, they discribe how certain genes can show if the person has more severe cancer or less severe cancer. This will allow the doctors to determine if the patient needs to undergo intensive or less intensive chemotherapy after surgery. The second article features what the researchersdiscovered about a gene that is involved in cancer development. This will help further research done by them.
However, there are also research being done into other areas that affect cancer. For example, blood clotting and asprin are related to cancer. This can be seen in the articles "Blocking blood clotting could slow down cancer spread(11.03.2008) " and "Aspirin may protect against breast cancer and assist treatment(7.03.2008) " on the website.In the first article, they describe how they discovered the link between platelets and cancer and how 2 drugs can affect platelets to help shrink tumour cells in rats. In the second article, they describe how asprin and other drugs like it can reduce breast cancer by 20% and help patients who already have breast cancer.
With such developments almost daily, we can confidently say a that cure for cancer will soo be found and humanity can at last be rid of this disease.
However, since we cannot say exactly when will the cure be found and thus, until then , we will still have to battle cancer with the short term solutions that we already have in place.
Resource used:http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/
Contributed by Kenneth
As we all know, Integrated Resort also known as IR is moving into Singapore in 2009. With this first ever casino in Singapore, it is for sure that Singapore's tourism industry would be greatly affect. Nonetheless, Singapore government is targeting not only gamblers, but as well as other tourists to visit IR, instead of gambling in IR.
Tourism industry in Singapore is moving towards a step closer in attracting many tourists into Singapore with it's variety of attractions. With the newly built IR in 2009, it would be a clear answer to Singapore by attracting many tourists and would leave a significant impact on to Singapore's tourism industry. Furthermore, since neighbouring countries like Malaysia, already have a casino on Genting Highlands and are attracting many Singaporeans there, IR as Singapore's first casino, would attract more people.
Resource used: (2008, January 03). Government Awards Integrated Resort at Marina Bay Project to Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Singapore Tourism Board. Retrieved March 06, 2008, from http://app.stb.gov.sg/asp/new/new03a.asp?id=516.
Summary of Resource:
Basically, IR's main target are tourists as well as the locals. However, IR being the first casino in Singapore maybe in a tough competition with the neighbouring countries. Take Malaysia as an example, the casino on Genting Highland is a popular place for Singaporeans. Besides that, there will be a significant impact on Singapore's tourism as well as a major influence to Singapore's economy. Not only is IR meant for tourist, IR also includes travellers who are also non-gamblers as well.
Besides that, as a christian, gambling is a sin and it is also not allowed. With that, many companies with christian workers would want to be less involve with IR even though IR hold a better prospect than any other jobs in the tourism industry. Furthermore, most christians would not take a step into IR's casino base, therefore, employment for IR must be carefully chosen. IR itself can bring more harm than good. As the saying goes, gambling is the seed to all evil. The reasons are very simple, once the gambler loses money and lacks money, they would resort to borrowing money from their sources. With that in mind, gamblers would than not have the liberty to gamble again because they would want to think twice since they are owing their sources a huge debt. And when they are unable to pay up, their life, their family as well would be a threat to them. Gambling is nothing but harm, even though it is seen as a form of entertainment for some, but still, it brings many unneccessary conflicts and problems to the society.
With IR, Singapore can only expect two things from IR. One, tourism industry would increase in the number of tourists and economy in Singapore would rise greatly. However, secondly, many people might declare bankrupt instead or owing people alot of money. Besides that, this would attract alot of unneccessary causes of deaths or threats that would involve police in this case. IR may though stand with both advantages as well as disadvantages, IR in Singapore would only mean to bring many tourists into Singapore regardless of the consequences IR brings. However, Singapore can expect to see a great change in the economy for the better and to meet their target for the expected number of tourist in Singapore.
The Impact of Media Proliferation on Violence in Youths
Contributed by Yuan Jie
Introduction
A recent wave of violent mass-shootings occurring worldwide, particularly in the United States, has left an indelible mark on modern day civilisation and humanity. A particularly astounding thing about these violent crimes is that many of them are committed by young people.
These crimes have left people questioning what has gotten into the minds of youths these days. A popular target of all the finger-pointing has been the media. Is there really any correlation between media proliferation, particularly the increased use of violence in the media, on violence in youths?
I embarked on this project with hope of gaining insight on the extent to which the media has made youths more violent, and here are my findings based on what I read from a particular resource.
Resource used: Media Awareness Network, Canada (2008). “Research on the Effects of Media Violence” Retrieved March 6, 2008 from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm
My Summary of the Contents from the Resource
The question of whether media violence causes increased levels of violence in youths has been a common question in many studies that look into the media.
According to the resource, some researchers have argued that violence in the media brings about psychological effects in children. As children watch violent shows, they tend to internalise the scripts that use violence as a method of problem-solving, and in turn imitate these methods in their own lives. These behavioural tendencies then continue into adolescence and eventually into adulthood.
This tendency is manifested from a study mentioned in the article, which says, “In 1956, researchers took to the laboratory to compare the behaviour of 24 children watching TV. Half watched a violent episode of the cartoon Woody Woodpecker, and the other 12 watched the non-violent cartoon The Little Red Hen. During play afterwards, the researchers observed that the children who watched the violent cartoon were much more likely to hit other children and break toys.”.
Another study which took place over a longer period of time and was cited in the resource mentioned, “In 1960, University of Michigan Professor Leonard Eron studied 856 grade three students living in a semi-rural community… …, and found that the children who watched violent television at home behaved more aggressively in school. Eron wanted to track the effect of this exposure over the years, so he revisited them in 1971, when the children who participated in the 1960 study were 19 years of age. He found that boys who watched violent TV when they were eight were more likely to get in trouble with the law as teenagers. When Eron and Huesmann returned in 1982, the subjects were 30 years old. They reported that those participants who had watched more violent TV as eight-year-olds were more likely, as adults, to be convicted of serious crimes, to use violence to discipline their children, and to treat their spouses aggressively.”.
The two studies above show that violent television shows do contribute in some ways to violence in youths. On the other hand, there is also a study which shows that even non-violent television shows may contribute to violence in youths. According to a study which spanned from 1975 to 2002, youths who watched one to three hours of television a day were 60 percent more likely to be involved in brawls as compared to those who did not watch as much television.
The studies cited in the resource on media and violence in youths are not just limited to studies on television. A 2003 study of 500 college students by 3 academics revealed that “violent music lyrics increased aggressive thoughts and hostile feelings” among the students.
The resource concluded by emphasising that the studies on the topic are far from definitive, and that “parental attitudes towards media violence can mitigate the impact it has on children”.
A Brief Evaluation of the Resource
I think this site is a rather credible website where a person can gain insights on issues related to media and society, based on the degree of accuracy and authoritativeness of the website.
It caters to the needs of two main kinds of users, the first of which includes the lay men. The general textual information and games in the website make it easy for the general public to understand the issues pertaining to media and society, while citations of formal research papers enable subject specialists to gain further and more in-depth insights into the topics concerned.
The appropriate use of multimedia materials in the site and the typographical error-free status of the site are remarkable.One of the ways the creators of this website can improve the site is to include a site map so that users can jump between subsections of different sections faster. All in all, I trust the insights that this resource gives me on media and violence in youths.
Development in the Market for 3G Mobile Devices
Contributed by Xiao Yao
What is 3G
3G stands for the third generation of wireless communication technology and the industry direction are to raise speeds from 9.5K to 2M bit/sec. According to 3gnewsroom.com (one of the 3 websites I have previously found according to my research topic), devices can be devided into four categories. The first category includes the basic 3G phones will be used mainly for talking and will store all their information on the network. The second category will support video-streaming, and will provide the user with news and web content. More sophisticated models will be information centres which let users download information from the Internet and store data on the device.
3G Market Development
The wireless mobile market is set to explode and this will provide many new job opportunities. According to Will Daugherty’s The Growth of Wireless Mobile in Business 2.0, there will be 3 waves of mobile data services. The first wave is linked wireless access to existing information and data applications. The current second wave takes advantage of wireless-specific functionality. The third wave will bring rich graphics, video, real-time multiplayer games.
Don Tapscott has been quoted “Mobile commerce is the next stage of e-commerce, where we have the integration of the physical world with the digital world…What we ’re talking here is the beginning of pervasive and ubiquitous computing where billions and billions of inert objects become Internet appliances - enabling the sharing of knowledge and the delivery of a vast new array of services.”
Statistics
According to the findings in Wireless Portals: the Information Gateway to the Wireless User, by the end of 2006 there will be close to 1 billion wireless portal users worldwide. The bulk of these users will be wireless voice users, WAP users, 2.5G and 3G subscribers, and other wireless device users such as those using PDAs. Multi-modal users worldwide will stand close to 282 million in 2006.
Resource used
Colin Ong TS (2008, Mar 17). "3G forum, your 3G
community and resource" Retrieved Mar 17,2008
from World Wide Web:
Discuss the developments of cancer research.
Contributed by Hong Cherh
Cancer has always dumbfounded and stumped humanity. The high death toll of 13% of all deaths from cancer has always been a problem. Thus, a lot of funding has been put into cancer research and how we can eliminate this disease.
Recently, the research on cancer has begun to go more "micro". This means that the more research is being done into areas such as genes and cells. This can be seen simply by looking at the articles from cancer research uk’s latest news releases website. For example, "Scientists identify genetic markers for aggressive lung cancer (14.03.2008)" and "'Kingpin' gene controls breast tumour growth and spread (12.03.2008)" . In the first article, they discribe how certain genes can show if the person has more severe cancer or less severe cancer. This will allow the doctors to determine if the patient needs to undergo intensive or less intensive chemotherapy after surgery. The second article features what the researchersdiscovered about a gene that is involved in cancer development. This will help further research done by them.
However, there are also research being done into other areas that affect cancer. For example, blood clotting and asprin are related to cancer. This can be seen in the articles "Blocking blood clotting could slow down cancer spread(11.03.2008) " and "Aspirin may protect against breast cancer and assist treatment(7.03.2008) " on the website.In the first article, they describe how they discovered the link between platelets and cancer and how 2 drugs can affect platelets to help shrink tumour cells in rats. In the second article, they describe how asprin and other drugs like it can reduce breast cancer by 20% and help patients who already have breast cancer.
With such developments almost daily, we can confidently say a that cure for cancer will soo be found and humanity can at last be rid of this disease.
However, since we cannot say exactly when will the cure be found and thus, until then , we will still have to battle cancer with the short term solutions that we already have in place.
Resource used:http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/
