Your essays should follow the format and style of APA Format. Further information is available from Report Writing and the APA Format.
The following essay lists will be updated as the course progresses.
'Physical Reality'
The first part of the course provides a description of the physical external world in which we live, from the outer reaches of the Universe to the interior of atoms. Space and time are discussed as well as the forces of Nature that act on material entities. This essay is your personal summary of physical reality as, so far, perceived by humans.
Select any one essay from this list:
- 'Case Studies on the Conformity Enforcement of Scientific Memes'
We learn about major scientific ideas in this course and this web site provides links to the biographies of many scientists. We also learn that conformity enforcement is a natural part of memetic evolution. This essay should contain case studies of the conformity enforcement encountered by the ideas of at least two important scientists. At least one of these case studies should be drawn from the 20th century.
- 'On the Evolution of Cultural and Value Memes'
Culture is increasingly considered as a memetic process in which individuals acquire memes as a result of social interactions. This essay should explore the statement that 'culture and values are memetic' and therefore exhibit such characteristics as diversity generation, inheritance, conformity enhancement, competition on a fitness landscape and resource shifting.
- 'The Impact of 20th Century Technologies on Memetic Propagation'
This essay should identify and describe the principal 20th century technologies that have contributed to the propagation of memes. The essay should refer to the memetic propagation effects of such technologies as radio, television, telephony, the Internet and mobile personal communication devices.
Select any one essay from this list:
New technology-memes will propagate (as technological innovations) during the period 2004-2034. Many of them can be expected to face significant challenges of conformity enforcement. This essay should include well argued predictions of the most important emerging technological innovations and associated conformity enforcement over the period 2004-2034.
All governments of industrialized nations have well developed policies that encourage scientific and technological innovation. In this essay, Canada's national and regional policies are summarized and compared with those of other nations. The effectiveness of Canada's policies should be described.
Current human activities are not sustainable for more than a few decades. In particular, many scientists predict that the energy-intensive infrastructure of industrialized societies cannot be sustained due to the eventual depletion of fossil fuel energy resources and the environmental effects of industrial waste, including waste carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In this essay, describe the technological and social actions that the human species must take in order to move to a sustainable way of living within the next 100 years.