Wow so much time has passed. I can’t believe the summer is getting ever closer to coming to an end. The past week or two I’ve been using my time wisely in Oregon. I’ve managed to attempt spear fishing and going into it I figured it would be difficult. I was correct in believing so, because swimming down 15-20ft into the dark unknown on a single breath all the while trying not to scare the fish once you’ve reached the bottom is nearly impossible for a newbie. With all the difficulty aside though, it was a rich experience and I plan on attempting it again after taking a few more snorkeling trips to gather some confidence in my diving abilities in low visibility waters. Something on my bucket list also water related is that while out here I’m going to go surfing and the next opportunity I get I’m taking it.

On the science end of things, crab data has been gathered and we are beginning to conduct analyses and have begun building the prototype stereocam rigs. There’s really only two weeks until our poster sessions, so the scrambling of trying to get projects done and putting the “final” product into a physical presentation will soon be among us.

Something totally unrelated to my crab/camera project, but I feel like is worth noting about science is that I recently had brought to my attention a thought. A philosophical question put into my mind by a movie. The movie “Chappie”, not to give too much away is about a police sentry robot in South Africa that is programmed with consciousness. Unlike most movies that portray robots enslaving our species or eradicating us entirely, Chappie brings up the question as to how we would potentially treat and raise this artificial intelligence and whether it would be morally considered a sentient subject with rights like you and I. You may be thinking that this is a far off thought that is merely fiction, but as we progress with technology we are fast approaching a time where this could be reality in the not so distant future. Some of the top minds in the world are already raising concerns over the topic like Stephen Hawking. What are your thoughts on this debatable topic? Although some parts of the movie are not for younger viewers, I suggest checking it out if you feel like acquiring some new “keeping you up at night” material to think about.

Theatre poster for the movie Chappie