How much should Shakespeare be a part of a college English major's life? Tough question. How about this? Should an English major be required to take at least one course focused on Shakespeare?
Not according to the powers that be in higher education, apparently.
Though it may come as a surprise to the average person, a course in Shakespeare is not required in most highly regarded U.S. colleges. In the Ivy League alone, only one college requires it.
A 2015 study for The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found that only 4 colleges - out of at least 50 of the highest rated colleges in the U.S. News & World Report rankings - required their English majors to take a course focused on Shakespeare. That means, of course, that 92% of those highly ranked colleges would not have such a requirement.
The study - referred to by ACTA as "The Unkindest Cut" - included the top 25 schools in the category of Liberal Arts Colleges, and the top 25 in the category of National Universities. Two colleges in each of those categories require the Shakespeare course.
According to the study, the four colleges that do require a Shakespeare course for their English majors are Harvard, UC Berkeley, The US Naval Academy, and Wellesley.
In regard to actual requirements for English majors, the research reported that some of the no-Shakespeare-required colleges give equal weight to courses in Shakespeare and courses such as "Gender, Sexuality, and Literature: Our Cyborgs, Our Selves", "Pulp Fiction: Popular Romance from Chaucer to Tarantino", "Renaissance Sexualities", and "Love and Ecstasy: Forms of Devotion in Medieval English Literature".
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BRIGHTEN UP - Smart Tools in Reading, Writing, Memory, Vocabulary, Spelling, etc.
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WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TAKE OVER THE WORLD?
It's easy to be an alarmist. Heads turn when one screams. But where is the line between alarmist and cautious realist?
We have heard the alarm about artificial intelligence - "AI" - for quite a while - the better we get at developing artificial intelligence, the closer we get to computers taking over the world. Hardly a week goes by that we do not hear of technological advances that permit computers to replace employees, and to drive cars and trains and planes better than we do, and, generally, to perform at a higher level than humans.
We have heard the alarm about artificial intelligence - "AI" - for quite a while - the better we get at developing artificial intelligence, the closer we get to computers taking over the world. Hardly a week goes by that we do not hear of technological advances that permit computers to replace employees, and to drive cars and trains and planes better than we do, and, generally, to perform at a higher level than humans.
The enormous benefits of advanced technology are clear, but, according to some of the most respected scientists, the fast-paced progress must not go unmonitored.
The message of caution in simple terms is at least this - the smarter that computers get, the more vulnerable that humans become in diverse areas of society, such as in the economic arena with significant job losses resulting from robot/computer technology displacing the human workforce at rates much higher than present.
Many think that job-loss, however, is just one of many potential ills that unchecked technological advance may harbor - and a lesser ill at that. Think "Terminator" and other popular sci-fi films if your imagination fails you.
The alarm has been sounded. The important question is - will it be heeded?
Many think that job-loss, however, is just one of many potential ills that unchecked technological advance may harbor - and a lesser ill at that. Think "Terminator" and other popular sci-fi films if your imagination fails you.
The alarm has been sounded. The important question is - will it be heeded?
GETTING SMARTER ABOUT U.S. TOURISM
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, tourists from Canada (nearly 23 million) and Mexico (17+ million) again led the charge into tourist-friendly USA in 2014.
Tourists from the following countries visited as well (listed in order, in millions):
UK (3.9)
Japan (3.5)
Brazil (2.6)
China (2.1)
Germany (1.9)
S. Korea (1.6)
Australia (1.4)
Colombia (1.2)
France (.961)
Italy (.934)
Tourists from the following countries visited as well (listed in order, in millions):
UK (3.9)
Japan (3.5)
Brazil (2.6)
China (2.1)
Germany (1.9)
S. Korea (1.6)
Australia (1.4)
Colombia (1.2)
France (.961)
Italy (.934)
BOOKS ABOUT SMART KIDS
If you are interested in smart kids, you will want to read these books:
The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley
"In a handful of nations, virtually all children are learning to make complex arguments and solve problems they’ve never seen before. They are learning to think, in other words, and to thrive in the modern economy. Inspired to find answers for our own children, author and Time magazine journalist Amanda Ripley follows three Americans embedded in these countries for one year."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.)
Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five by John Medina
"What’s the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy? What does watching TV do to a child’s brain? What’s the best way to handle temper tantrums? Scientists know."
Intelligent Children: A Brief Introduction To What Today's Smart Parents Know About Increasing A Child's Intelligence by Dr. Edward Droge
"Smart isn’t what it used to be. The understanding we have gained about intelligence in recent years has turned old notions on their heads and has created a giant wave of insight and encouragement for parents and children everywhere. In this clear, crisp, reader-friendly introduction to the subject, Dr. Droge, a Harvard-Yale educator, provides a wealth of information about what today’s smart and savvy parents know about increasing intelligence. Areas discussed include IQ, learning, memory, genius, parent-child language interaction, and reports on theories and research of important scholars and educators in the field."
$2.99
Click Here to Look Inside
(The above description-blurbs are excerpted from the book's Amazon page.)
The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley
"In a handful of nations, virtually all children are learning to make complex arguments and solve problems they’ve never seen before. They are learning to think, in other words, and to thrive in the modern economy. Inspired to find answers for our own children, author and Time magazine journalist Amanda Ripley follows three Americans embedded in these countries for one year."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.)
Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five by John Medina
"What’s the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy? What does watching TV do to a child’s brain? What’s the best way to handle temper tantrums? Scientists know."
Intelligent Children: A Brief Introduction To What Today's Smart Parents Know About Increasing A Child's Intelligence by Dr. Edward Droge
"Smart isn’t what it used to be. The understanding we have gained about intelligence in recent years has turned old notions on their heads and has created a giant wave of insight and encouragement for parents and children everywhere. In this clear, crisp, reader-friendly introduction to the subject, Dr. Droge, a Harvard-Yale educator, provides a wealth of information about what today’s smart and savvy parents know about increasing intelligence. Areas discussed include IQ, learning, memory, genius, parent-child language interaction, and reports on theories and research of important scholars and educators in the field."
$2.99
Click Here to Look Inside
(The above description-blurbs are excerpted from the book's Amazon page.)
BEST RECENT BOOKS ABOUT INTELLIGENCE
A diverse offering. All published in the past year. In no particular rank.
Search: How the Data Explosion Makes Us Smarter by Stefan Weitz
"Search is as old as language. We've always needed to find something in the jumble of human creation... Author Stefan Weitz explores the idea of access to help readers understand how we are inventing new ways to search and access data through devices in more places and with more capabilities."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)
The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind
by Michio Kaku
"For the first time in history, the secrets of the living brain are being revealed by a battery of high tech brain scans devised by physicists. Now what was once solely the province of science fiction has become a startling reality. Recording memories, telepathy, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis are not only possible; they already exist."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)
Gender Intelligence: Breakthrough Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Improving Your Bottom Line by Barbara Annis and Keith Merron
"World-renowned experts on gender intelligence Barbara Annis and Keith Merron suggest it’s time to move beyond arguments based on politics and fairness, building an economic business case for gender diversity in the workplace."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)
<br />
SuperIntelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom
"Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.)
How Successful People Think Smart: 7 Ways You Can Develop Their Mind Power by Dr. Jill Ammon-Wexler
"Why are some people so successful? The secret is how they use their brain power. Here's how YOU can duplicate their secrets. This fast-reading book shows EXACTLY how the brains of successful men and women are different – WHY they’re smarter, faster, more creative and unstoppable and end up on top."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.)
<br />
(The above description-blurbs are excerpted from the book's Amazon page.)
Search: How the Data Explosion Makes Us Smarter by Stefan Weitz
"Search is as old as language. We've always needed to find something in the jumble of human creation... Author Stefan Weitz explores the idea of access to help readers understand how we are inventing new ways to search and access data through devices in more places and with more capabilities."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)
The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind
by Michio Kaku
"For the first time in history, the secrets of the living brain are being revealed by a battery of high tech brain scans devised by physicists. Now what was once solely the province of science fiction has become a startling reality. Recording memories, telepathy, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis are not only possible; they already exist."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)
Gender Intelligence: Breakthrough Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Improving Your Bottom Line by Barbara Annis and Keith Merron
"World-renowned experts on gender intelligence Barbara Annis and Keith Merron suggest it’s time to move beyond arguments based on politics and fairness, building an economic business case for gender diversity in the workplace."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)
<br />
SuperIntelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom
"Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.)
How Successful People Think Smart: 7 Ways You Can Develop Their Mind Power by Dr. Jill Ammon-Wexler
"Why are some people so successful? The secret is how they use their brain power. Here's how YOU can duplicate their secrets. This fast-reading book shows EXACTLY how the brains of successful men and women are different – WHY they’re smarter, faster, more creative and unstoppable and end up on top."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.)
<br />
(The above description-blurbs are excerpted from the book's Amazon page.)
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