Larry Howell, a professor in Mechanical Engineering at BYU, recently spoke at a graduate student symposium on the topic of Faith & Scholarship. In light of his renown and success as an academic, I was struck by something he said (and I paraphrase): "At the final judgment, God will not be interested in how many degrees we earned or how many publications we had, but He will ask what we've done with our gifts."
"To every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God," we read in Doctrine and Covenants 46:11. It seems apparent that we each have different strengths and talents. Discovering our gifts requires more than simply identifying what we're gifted at (though it may be a good place to start); gifts require passion.
There are certainly some gifts that we might not be particularly passionate about, but which we should seek for, hence the admonition to "seek ye earnestly the best gifts" (Doctrine and Covenants 46:8). Some of these might include parenthood, charity, and faith. Some gifts are essential to developing the character of Christ.
But just as each of my children have unique gifts and talents, each of us, as literal children of heavenly parents, are blessed with unique gifts and talents, passions for different areas of human endeavor that would drive us not only to make the world in that sphere a better place, but also a predisposition towards seeking and receiving inspiration in those areas.
It's common, in my opinion, for people to go through life without ever discovering or magnifying the gifts they've been given. But those who do become a blessing to any and all with whom they come in contact.
I can readily picture God at the final judgment taking a very personal moment to show us what has been so unique about us, even since the premortal world and then asking us how we used those talents to bless others.
In picturing that moment, I suspect He will also ask us about one particularly important gift that we are to receive in mortality, which is the Gift of the Holy Ghost. A gift to guide and direct us to find other gifts. "How did you use that gift?" He will most assuredly ask. That's probably not a question I think about enough.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Monday, July 11, 2011
Primary Singing Time: Combo Lock Puzzle
Here's an idea to get Primary kids excited during Singing Time.
Materials needed:
In preparation for this singing time activity, draw something like the following on the chalkboard:
The numbers around the edges are chosen at random between 1 and 100, but must include the numbers in the code for the combination lock.
In order to solve this puzzle the children will need to sing songs which will stepwise reveal the traversal of the puzzle and the solution to the combination lock. The first number in the combination, together with the first direction, is already given (down-right), and indicates the song that must be sung in order to progress. In this example, the children must sing "Praise to the Man" (to the chorister's satisfaction) in order to earn the next arrow. The chorister may choose to test how well the children know a particular song before they decide that the arrow is earned.
Once the song has been sung, the chorister gives the next arrow, which in our example is again down-right:
The children must next sing "Search, Ponder, and Pray" in order to progress. And so on.
After every third or fourth song, the arrow should lead to the next number in the code for the combo lock. Thus, after 6 or 7 songs, they will have earned all three numbers to open the lock:
When the arrow points to a number, the chorister may let a child choose the next song or may elect to simply give the next arrow gratis.
Though the combo lock and prize could technically be optional, the enthusiasm inherent in the activity depends on the presence of a reward. Even just a bag of dum-dums should be sufficient to make the activity a raging success. Alternatively, you could have a member of the primary presidency act as the "combo lock" and will only give the prize upon receiving the correct combination.
If you'd rather not have to draw everything up on the chalkboard the activity could be modified to be more like a scavenger hunt around the room with clues hidden bearing the name of the song and the numbers for the combination lock. Again, the chorister would simply give the directions of where to find the next clue. The challenge here would be keeping the clues with the numbers for the lock in order.
One nice thing about this activity is that to fill time you can make up the puzzle traversal on the fly (don't tell the kids!) to include more or less songs. You could even repeat a song in the traversal if you are working on a song for an upcoming sacrament program. If you have ideas for variations on this activity, please let me know! Have fun!
Materials needed:
- A chalkboard and chalk
- A combination lock (optional)
- A prize (e.g. bag of dum-dums)
In preparation for this singing time activity, draw something like the following on the chalkboard:
The numbers around the edges are chosen at random between 1 and 100, but must include the numbers in the code for the combination lock. In order to solve this puzzle the children will need to sing songs which will stepwise reveal the traversal of the puzzle and the solution to the combination lock. The first number in the combination, together with the first direction, is already given (down-right), and indicates the song that must be sung in order to progress. In this example, the children must sing "Praise to the Man" (to the chorister's satisfaction) in order to earn the next arrow. The chorister may choose to test how well the children know a particular song before they decide that the arrow is earned.
Once the song has been sung, the chorister gives the next arrow, which in our example is again down-right:
The children must next sing "Search, Ponder, and Pray" in order to progress. And so on.After every third or fourth song, the arrow should lead to the next number in the code for the combo lock. Thus, after 6 or 7 songs, they will have earned all three numbers to open the lock:
When the arrow points to a number, the chorister may let a child choose the next song or may elect to simply give the next arrow gratis.Though the combo lock and prize could technically be optional, the enthusiasm inherent in the activity depends on the presence of a reward. Even just a bag of dum-dums should be sufficient to make the activity a raging success. Alternatively, you could have a member of the primary presidency act as the "combo lock" and will only give the prize upon receiving the correct combination.
If you'd rather not have to draw everything up on the chalkboard the activity could be modified to be more like a scavenger hunt around the room with clues hidden bearing the name of the song and the numbers for the combination lock. Again, the chorister would simply give the directions of where to find the next clue. The challenge here would be keeping the clues with the numbers for the lock in order.
One nice thing about this activity is that to fill time you can make up the puzzle traversal on the fly (don't tell the kids!) to include more or less songs. You could even repeat a song in the traversal if you are working on a song for an upcoming sacrament program. If you have ideas for variations on this activity, please let me know! Have fun!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
No More "Mr. Trusting User"
According to the 2006 Internet Crime Report from the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, auction fraud and non-delivery are the cause of nearly sixty-five percent of all internet crime complaints. No other category of complaint amounts to even five of the remaining thirty-five percent. What jumps out to me is that these two categories of internet fraud do not represent technological cunning and manipulation but merely a regrettably faulty reliance on a stranger’s discretion. So often we picture the perpetrator as one who takes advantage of the anonymity of the internet or one who uses a superior understanding of computers and programming to achieve an immoral purpose. However, these statistics tell us that sixty-five percent of those “bad guys” aren’t hiding and aren’t particularly cunning; they’re just dishonest. And as relatively little has been done as far as regulatory efforts, these criminals are largely successful.
This reflects how difficult it is to adapt to the very new and different world of the internet. People are used to dealing with people face to face or at least in a way that leaves a physical path for crime fighters to follow. With the internet, we’ve been slow to recognize and utilize what paths exist (many times for political reasons) and thus many mischievous malefactors (who may be more cautious and less present in “offline” markets) are making their debut in a realm that has yet to learn how to properly raise or deal with a red flag.
Perhaps someday we will each have a universal account; an account with our global identity, all of our financial assets, all of our credit and credentials. Then the consequences of bad behavior online won’t be so easy to evade or ignore. But until that day, our motto must be, “be safe or be sorry”. We can’t assume anything but the worst about an online newcomer. Such an attitude may put a damper on business and commerce, but these negative effects will have been worth it if they causes us to recognize the need to focus our attention as much on securing the internet as on building it.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
An Ounce of Prevention
My father raised us on the maxim, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Though few will disagree with this proverb, we’re smothering the greatest concerns of our day with cure and leaving the bottle of prevention untouched on the shelf. I’m talking about internet safety.
My greatest childhood memories were learning to do dangerous things in a safe way. When my dad taught me to mow the lawn, he made sure that I understood not to put my hands or feet down near the blades. When he taught me how to use the edger, I had to wear protective eye-wear. When he taught me how to drive a motorboat, I learned to prop up the engine before pulling the boat out. Our most entertaining family nights were when we pulled out the old plastic rope ladder and practiced our back-up fire plan of climbing out the second-story window.
Unfortunately, despite parents best hopes to protect their children, some of the greatest dangers, those of the internet, go largely unaddressed. We put the computer in an public place, we install filters, we check browser histories, but these things are all cures, not preventions. It would be like taking the time to program 9-1-1 into your speed dial for when your child chops his hand up in the lawn mower rather than taking the time to warn of the danger itself.
Don’t get me wrong, cures are important. But prevention is better. Learning about the internet and teaching children of its dangers is the most important practice we can employ to steer clear of online mishaps. Before reaching for the bottle of cure, let’s use a little more prevention.
My greatest childhood memories were learning to do dangerous things in a safe way. When my dad taught me to mow the lawn, he made sure that I understood not to put my hands or feet down near the blades. When he taught me how to use the edger, I had to wear protective eye-wear. When he taught me how to drive a motorboat, I learned to prop up the engine before pulling the boat out. Our most entertaining family nights were when we pulled out the old plastic rope ladder and practiced our back-up fire plan of climbing out the second-story window.
Unfortunately, despite parents best hopes to protect their children, some of the greatest dangers, those of the internet, go largely unaddressed. We put the computer in an public place, we install filters, we check browser histories, but these things are all cures, not preventions. It would be like taking the time to program 9-1-1 into your speed dial for when your child chops his hand up in the lawn mower rather than taking the time to warn of the danger itself. Don’t get me wrong, cures are important. But prevention is better. Learning about the internet and teaching children of its dangers is the most important practice we can employ to steer clear of online mishaps. Before reaching for the bottle of cure, let’s use a little more prevention.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Krispy Kreme and Anesthesiology
When I went a few weeks ago to Krispy Kreme to pick up a box of donuts, I was awestruck by the automatized equipment that they have to pump out hundreds of donuts without human supervision. Two people at the front desk were all it took to serve the long line of people waiting for their pastries.
In a pair of articles by Mike Adams at NewsTarget.com, the author raises this issue of “outsourcing to robots” and how it will affect the demand for unskilled labor. Adams points out that in many ways robots can do things better and with higher productivity. Surgical robots for example can do surgery with less scarring, less bleeding, and less pain. The question then arises: If technology can supplant everyone from the donut-man to the skilled-surgeon, will there be any work left for the human workforce?
A friend of mine who has been an anesthesiologist for many years says that as much we’d like to think that computers and robots can do everything better, the system isn’t fail-proof. The problem is that while a human would have the mind to never mistakenly give 100 cc’s of morphine when only 10 cc’s are required, a computer doesn’t have that reasoning power. The gravity of mistakes with technology still surpasses benefits of increased productivity.
Nevertheless one must wonder how much our society will evolve in favor of technology. There will always be those who spearhead the move to employ and promote technological innovation. But there will also always be those whose trust of technology extends little further than their FM radio. In my mind it is comforting to know that there is that balance in society. It will be difficult to make hasty and unwise revolutions to the world when those promoting change are required to account to those that fear it. This balance between the two mindsets may be what saves our society from over-reliance on error-prone technology and keeps the donut-man at work.
In a pair of articles by Mike Adams at NewsTarget.com, the author raises this issue of “outsourcing to robots” and how it will affect the demand for unskilled labor. Adams points out that in many ways robots can do things better and with higher productivity. Surgical robots for example can do surgery with less scarring, less bleeding, and less pain. The question then arises: If technology can supplant everyone from the donut-man to the skilled-surgeon, will there be any work left for the human workforce? A friend of mine who has been an anesthesiologist for many years says that as much we’d like to think that computers and robots can do everything better, the system isn’t fail-proof. The problem is that while a human would have the mind to never mistakenly give 100 cc’s of morphine when only 10 cc’s are required, a computer doesn’t have that reasoning power. The gravity of mistakes with technology still surpasses benefits of increased productivity.
Nevertheless one must wonder how much our society will evolve in favor of technology. There will always be those who spearhead the move to employ and promote technological innovation. But there will also always be those whose trust of technology extends little further than their FM radio. In my mind it is comforting to know that there is that balance in society. It will be difficult to make hasty and unwise revolutions to the world when those promoting change are required to account to those that fear it. This balance between the two mindsets may be what saves our society from over-reliance on error-prone technology and keeps the donut-man at work.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Me and the Flat World
Growing up our family was centered on two cherished ideals: Christianity and Apple computers. My father’s hobbyist fascination with emerging technologies exposed me to the reality that every day our lives are more dependent on computers, whether or not we choose to understand their inner workings. Seeing how much the world was ameliorated by the development of computer science, I was convinced that understanding those inner workings was essential to my life’s fulfillment. As a result, I traded in my ambitions for a degree in Medicine for a degree in Computer Science. I did this despite being much less adept with computers than with the biological sciences. I struggled to understand principles and terminology that seemed universally understood among my colleagues and often wondered if I could ever compete professionally in such a field.
What I came to realize as I read Thomas Friedman’s book, is that even though I had entered the realm of Computer Science relatively late (many CS students have been programming since their middle school years or earlier), I can have great hope for my potential in the Flat World for three reasons: first, the Flat World provides equal opportunity to newcomers and veterans alike; second, I have many unique skills that are valuable in the Flat World; and third, my chances at success in the Flat World are highly favored by my life’s circumstances.
In the Flat World the early bird still gets the worm, but so does the late bird. Friedman cites numerous examples of companies springing up in remote locations whose business was spawned by a sudden discovery of the devices of the Flat World. Though I’m not a small business, the principle is the same. As remote as I sometimes feel from the rest of the CS community, with Google and Wikipedia all the information in the world is a few keystrokes away. It’s free, it’s convenient, and once equipped with the knowledge, the ability to communicate with the Flat World is as available to me as to the business owner who has been at it since before I was born. As Friedman pointed out, whether a giant firm or a solo practitioner, “the technology and software are so empowering that it makes us all look the same.” Though relatively new to the Flat World, my potential is not limited by my lack of experience.
Besides affording equal access and opportunity, the Flat World rewards more than just computer expertise. Friedman cites Marc Tucker who said, “software engineers who are also musicians and artists will have an edge over those who are not.” When I first entered the CS program, I was alarmed to find how different I was from the other students. Many of them would have no problem spending days in front of a terminal in some basement on the BYU campus. They eat, sleep, and breath PCs. While I enjoy working with computers, I have a lot of other interests away from the monitors that are equally important to me. I teach italian, I arrange music, I sing in an a cappella group, and I make movies. To find that these hobbies are not a boon to my success, but rather make me a more viable candidate in the Flat World is a very pleasant surprise. I am thrilled at the prospect that I can “use the framework in one [field] to think afresh about the other.” My hopes for success are bolstered by the fact that there are skills that I have developed that are rewarded by the Flat World.
Aside from advantageous skills, my circumstances favor my prosperity in the Flat World. These circumstances are threefold: first, my american heritage; second, my religious background; and third, my involvement in the CS department at BYU. If you are going to be late in entering the Flat World, America is the place to do it. “The nucleus of creativity is here, not because people are smarter–it is the environment, the freedom of thought. The dream machine is still here.” I feel greatly blessed to be in this country. Another great benefit in the Flat World, where people want to collaborate with the best individuals they can find, is maintaining a reputation as a person of integrity and faith. Growing up in a strong LDS family has benefited me to be able to create a very reputable personal profile. Lastly my participation in the CS classes at BYU has exposed me to the Flat World and taught me how to succeed in it. The ethics class I’m taking now has been an eye-opener to what my possibilities are. It has not only proposed the issue of what is good and bad, but also the issue of what is good, better, and best. My preparation for and exposure to the Flat World has been highly benefited by my environment.
One must maintain a degree of reservation when subscribing to another’s idea, particularly an idea as radical as the world being flat, but nevertheless I am confident that what Thomas Friedman is saying in his book is true. I’ve seen first hand many of the developments that he discusses and though I previously felt unconnected and unequipped to participate in this global arena, his insights have made me realize that I have skills and advantages that could make me highly effective in the Flat World, even with my late debut. I’m excited to put my ideas to the test, to find ways to contribute, to be the next chapter in “collaborating so mankind can achieve its full potential.” I feel I can have great success in the Flat World.
What I came to realize as I read Thomas Friedman’s book, is that even though I had entered the realm of Computer Science relatively late (many CS students have been programming since their middle school years or earlier), I can have great hope for my potential in the Flat World for three reasons: first, the Flat World provides equal opportunity to newcomers and veterans alike; second, I have many unique skills that are valuable in the Flat World; and third, my chances at success in the Flat World are highly favored by my life’s circumstances.
In the Flat World the early bird still gets the worm, but so does the late bird. Friedman cites numerous examples of companies springing up in remote locations whose business was spawned by a sudden discovery of the devices of the Flat World. Though I’m not a small business, the principle is the same. As remote as I sometimes feel from the rest of the CS community, with Google and Wikipedia all the information in the world is a few keystrokes away. It’s free, it’s convenient, and once equipped with the knowledge, the ability to communicate with the Flat World is as available to me as to the business owner who has been at it since before I was born. As Friedman pointed out, whether a giant firm or a solo practitioner, “the technology and software are so empowering that it makes us all look the same.” Though relatively new to the Flat World, my potential is not limited by my lack of experience.
Besides affording equal access and opportunity, the Flat World rewards more than just computer expertise. Friedman cites Marc Tucker who said, “software engineers who are also musicians and artists will have an edge over those who are not.” When I first entered the CS program, I was alarmed to find how different I was from the other students. Many of them would have no problem spending days in front of a terminal in some basement on the BYU campus. They eat, sleep, and breath PCs. While I enjoy working with computers, I have a lot of other interests away from the monitors that are equally important to me. I teach italian, I arrange music, I sing in an a cappella group, and I make movies. To find that these hobbies are not a boon to my success, but rather make me a more viable candidate in the Flat World is a very pleasant surprise. I am thrilled at the prospect that I can “use the framework in one [field] to think afresh about the other.” My hopes for success are bolstered by the fact that there are skills that I have developed that are rewarded by the Flat World.
Aside from advantageous skills, my circumstances favor my prosperity in the Flat World. These circumstances are threefold: first, my american heritage; second, my religious background; and third, my involvement in the CS department at BYU. If you are going to be late in entering the Flat World, America is the place to do it. “The nucleus of creativity is here, not because people are smarter–it is the environment, the freedom of thought. The dream machine is still here.” I feel greatly blessed to be in this country. Another great benefit in the Flat World, where people want to collaborate with the best individuals they can find, is maintaining a reputation as a person of integrity and faith. Growing up in a strong LDS family has benefited me to be able to create a very reputable personal profile. Lastly my participation in the CS classes at BYU has exposed me to the Flat World and taught me how to succeed in it. The ethics class I’m taking now has been an eye-opener to what my possibilities are. It has not only proposed the issue of what is good and bad, but also the issue of what is good, better, and best. My preparation for and exposure to the Flat World has been highly benefited by my environment.
One must maintain a degree of reservation when subscribing to another’s idea, particularly an idea as radical as the world being flat, but nevertheless I am confident that what Thomas Friedman is saying in his book is true. I’ve seen first hand many of the developments that he discusses and though I previously felt unconnected and unequipped to participate in this global arena, his insights have made me realize that I have skills and advantages that could make me highly effective in the Flat World, even with my late debut. I’m excited to put my ideas to the test, to find ways to contribute, to be the next chapter in “collaborating so mankind can achieve its full potential.” I feel I can have great success in the Flat World.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Trust Public Creativity, Not Public Conscience
Orson Scott Card needs a wake up call. There is no such thing as a public conscience. In fact, just as I finished reading his proposition to educate people that it’s not okay to copy protected music as a solution to copyright infringement in the digital domain, I opened my email to find a letter from a fictitious “PayPal” trying to scam me out of my identity and credit card information. Don’t mistake my realism for pessimism; we’re simply not all good people.
If what George Scialabba says is true, the panacea to all of our copyright issues in the digital realm may come by taking somewhat the opposite approach. Speaking of the end-to-end “architecture of freedom”, Scialabba points out that the wide open network of the Internet has guaranteed progress but not profits. “Gratitude, the pleasure of discovery, the impulse to self-expression, and devotion to a common enterprise motivate creators quite as much as lucre.” So it was in the miraculous development of the Internet. Can we not expect that it will be so with the arts? The money-hungry recording studios are becoming more and more obsolete anyways as recording software becomes more professional and ubiquitous. Those who truly love what they do -- and love doing it even if they don’t grow rich from copyright laws -- they will keep recording.
Technology has opened doors that allow us to access ideas and information to an infinite degree. Will we close those doors of progress because of pride?
If what George Scialabba says is true, the panacea to all of our copyright issues in the digital realm may come by taking somewhat the opposite approach. Speaking of the end-to-end “architecture of freedom”, Scialabba points out that the wide open network of the Internet has guaranteed progress but not profits. “Gratitude, the pleasure of discovery, the impulse to self-expression, and devotion to a common enterprise motivate creators quite as much as lucre.” So it was in the miraculous development of the Internet. Can we not expect that it will be so with the arts? The money-hungry recording studios are becoming more and more obsolete anyways as recording software becomes more professional and ubiquitous. Those who truly love what they do -- and love doing it even if they don’t grow rich from copyright laws -- they will keep recording.
Technology has opened doors that allow us to access ideas and information to an infinite degree. Will we close those doors of progress because of pride?
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