Does Artificial Intelligence Kill?
With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), are humans’ sense of human creativity and application destined to end? Are we already seeing the decline of genuine human content? These questions reflect our fears, and they are well-founded as we have already seen Artificial Intelligence take over every aspect of our daily lives; with virtual assistants to…
Singapore’s Education System; Two Sides of a Coin
Singapore’s education system is considered the best in the world with our holistic approach to developing young individuals into lifelong learners. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development performed every three years, our country has been steadily ranked amongst the top for having the best education.…
The Monetary System and Life’s Monotony
“Fifteen Million Merits” is an episode from the anthology television series, Black Mirror; it provides a satirical narrative on a capitalised and high-technology society. In this episode, people ride stationary bikes to power their building and earn merits (not money) to buy necessities and entertainment materials. The endless act of riding is similar to our reality…
Desire the Night
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, “To Night” expresses the poet’s love for the night. He does it by personifying the night as someone with character and of a free spirit. Besides the night, the day is also personified, but it is treated like an unwanted guest. Unlike most people, the speaker does not show any desire…
The diabolical game of choice
“Would you rather” is a psychological horror movie, inspired by a party game where contestants had to choose between two alternatives for different scenarios; but with a diabolical twist in this movie. The movie started with the protagonist, Iris, who struggled to secure a job to afford the financial costs behind the leukaemia treatment for…
The pandemic of anti-Asian American racism
Racism against Asian Americans is an ongoing pandemic; it is further heightened with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States (US), crimes against Asian Americans have increased by more than 100 percent this year. Across the US, law enforcement agencies are working towards stopping racially motivated crimes, and US President Biden has signed the COVID-19…
The self and all of mankind
“Song of Myself” is a poem that is part of the verse collection, “Leaves of Grass.” It is written by Walt Whitman, a well-regarded 19th-century American poet, essayist and journalist. Upon reading the poem for the first time, one may see it as a means to promote ecocentrism based on the prominent use of first-person…
Child Labour
On 12 Jun, we marked the ‘World Day Against Child Labour’. But, what exactly defines ‘Child Labour’? According to the International Labour Organization, “it is work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.” With the global rise in ‘Child Labour’, there is an…
Have you questioned the nature of your reality?
“Have you questioned the nature of your reality?” is one of the first few questions asked in the American television series, Westworld; it is deceptively complex in nature. You cannot reply with just “yes” or “no” and be supported with a past personal experience. Also, often the case, we take reality for granted; we go…
Hope
Hope comes from the Late Old English word, “hopa”; it means confidence in the future. Hope has a place in our hearts; it does not discriminate based on our secular or spiritual background. Its universal symbols include the anchor, ginkgo tree, rainbow, dove, and so forth. A bird is used as a symbol/extended metaphor for hope…
2021 CNY: How COVID-19 affects us!
Chinese New Year (CNY) used to be associated with having family reunions, eating good food, and giving/receiving red envelopes of money. Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, CNY will be disrupted by the safe-distancing measures. Also, many individuals from overseas will not be able to return to their home country to celebrate CNY. For Malaysian…
Multi-racial society does not mean racism-free
“Singapore is a rare and precious example of multi-racial…society where people live harmoniously together” said Prime Minister Lee. Singapore emphasises diversity and strengthening ties among different racial groups. One would conclude that we take on such values from the environment we grew up in. And yet, there seems to be a societal privilege that benefits…
Escape into the reality of Sci-Fi
a) Orphan Black (2013-2017) – Canadian television series With animal cloning being possible, have you thought about the dangers of the possibility of human cloning? The show starts with Sarah Manning who witnesses the death of her clone and decides to steal her identity. With this scene as an introduction, we can see how stolen…
Gender inequality in Singapore
Gender inequality is generally perceived as a myth in developed countries such as Singapore. However, the truth remains that females are still under-represented in Singapore’s workforce. Based on an article in ASEAN Today by Maegan Liew, the proportion of female labour force participation increased by only 5.9% over 12 years from 2006 to 2018; this…
Dickinson’s poem, “A Bird, came down the Walk”
‘A Bird, came down the Walk’ by Emily Dickinson speaks out to nature’s beauty as the speaker interacts with the bird. The use of visual imagery allows us to ‘see’ the bird, “bit an Angle Worm in halves” and drink “from a convenient grass.” The speaker observes the bird moving from one need to another;…
Little Women (2019)
Synopsis Little Women (2019) is the latest movie adaptation of the novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The story depicts the lives of the March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy from childhood to adulthood. Three reasons to watch Realism Jo is based on Alcott. Alcott never got married, and Jo…
Change in Air Quality
Yes, we were denied our freedom of movement as halting the spread of the COVID-19 took over as a priority. Many suffered anxiety and loneliness due to being trapped in the confines of our living space. But the pandemic did offer us the “temporary experience of cleaner air” and even “lessons for the kind of…
Wordsworth’s poem, “Daffodils”
“Daffodils” (or “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”) is one of the first poems I read and remains my favourite. During times of loneliness and sadness, I always turn to this piece of writing to lift my spirits. The power of imagination is fulfilled by taking in the beauty of nature and establishing a state…
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