TOW #25: "Heartbleed Explanation" by Randall Munroe (Visual Text)

Reading Goal: Find a visual text that's in a different genre from what I've done before.

Writing Goal: Work on conclusion to do less restating and more thought-provoking.

(Source: http://xkcd.com/1354/)

     On April 7th, 2014, it became public knowledge that a security bug called "Heartbleed" was loose on the internet, making many people's important passwords at risk to be stolen. At this time, most internet users had heard of it, but many (including me) didn't really understand how it worked. On April 11th, Randall Munroe, the author of the popular webcomic xkcd, released a comic explaining how the bug worked. His audience for his webcomic is mainly avid internet users, often in the range of high schoolers to middle-aged people. This particular comic, however, could be directed to anyone who wished to understand how Heartbleed was stealing their passwords. Through his use of bold text and highlighting, Munroe effectively points out to viewers how Heartbleed works.

     In the first panel, Munroe draws the character Meg stating a request to the computer, and by uses bold text, shows that request in the computer's dialog. The reader can also see the other requests to the server in non-bolded text. In the next frame, the response to the request is highlighted, and the computer is shown sending the response. These first two panels establish a system for how Munroe will show the request-and-response pattern, and the bold text and highlighting make what he is trying to show very clear. The next two frames repeat this pattern to teach it to readers. The final two panels, then, point out to readers how Heartbleed works. Munroe uses the bold text to again show the request, but then shows readers through the highlighted text that not only the response part of the bolded request is what is given in response – many of the other, non-bolded requests (for example, "User Karen wants to change account password") are part of the computer's response, too. By using tools like bold and highlighted text, Munroe effectively taught his audience about the request-and-response system used by Heartbleed to find vulnerable information like passwords.

     When the Heartbleed bug became common knowledge, popular webcomic artist Randall Munroe was able to use his fame to teach people about how the bug worked in a simple, interesting manner. He used mainly bold and highlighted text to explain to readers the system used by the bug. The only shortcoming in this cartoon, though, is that it does not tell readers what they can do about the bug. It would have interrupted the flow of the cartoon, but a small footnote or something equally unassuming would have been a helpful and important addition.

Musicophilia Introduction (IRB)

     Musicophilia is written by Oliver Sacks, a physician and the Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry at Columbia University. Throughout his career, he has written many books on different functions and oddities of the human brain. Musicophilia focuses how the brain interacts with music and addresses specific conditions (both good and bad) relating to music, from absolute pitch to amusia. Many of his chapters draw from stories his patients have experienced, so Musicophilia is sure to have interesting and real stories.
     I'm very interested in studying neuroscience throughout college, and music has always been a huge part of my life, so a book that combined the two sounded incredibly interesting to me. Hopefully, Musicophilia will give me a better idea of if I actually want to pursue neuroscience, and, if so, open my eyes to possible specific aspects of neuroscience that I could study in college.

TOW #24: I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson (IRB)

Reading Goal: Try to identify new rhetorical devices (different from last time) that Bryson uses.

Writing Goal: Try to incorporate my voice into my writing.

     Throughout I'm A Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson has continually been effectively entertaining while actually being informative about the differences between American and British life. However, in the second half of the book, Bryson has been back in America for about two years now, and his articles are less about the differences between the two countries and more about annoying and frustrating acts of his life. Of course, Bryson is still striving to be entertaining, and he continues to achieve that through his use of parody and hyperbole.

     In the chapter entitled "Your New Computer," Bryson addresses the hassle of setting up a new computer. However, instead of simply stating his annoyance (which would be rather boring and seem far too much like he was just complaining), Bryson writes the chapter as a parody of a computer set-up manual. One section reads: "Unpack the box and examine its contents. (Warning: Do not open box if contents are missing or faulty, as this will invalidate your warranty. Return all missing contents in their original packaging [...] and a replacement will be sent within twelve working months.)" (227). Through this statement (part of the "Getting Ready" section of his "computer manual"), Bryson parodies a step that one would normally read in a computer manual. Through this, he highlights how ridiculous and frustrating warranties can be – yet he does so in a funny way. By parodying a computer manual, Bryson achieves his purpose of entertaining his audience.

     To make his parody effective, Bryson often utilizes hyperbole. He exaggerates elements of computer manuals, especially the steps that involve installing software and plugging in cords, to show the unnecessary complexity of the process. He writes, "Also included with your PC is a bonus pack of preinstalled software – Lawn Mowing Planner, Mr. Arty-Farty, Blank Screen Saver, and Antarctica Route Finder" (226). While everyone reading certainly knows that the average computer doesn't instruct users how to embark upon an Antarctic adventure, the audience can certainly tell from the ridiculous programs that Bryson describes that computers often come with unneeded and annoying programs that just waste space. And above all else, when exaggerated, Bryson's complaints (for, ultimately, that's what his articles are) are certainly funny.

     The second half of Bryson's I'm A Stranger Here Myself focuses more on entertaining the audience rather than doing both that and comparing America and English. To do so, Bryson often uses parody and hyperbole. Because of his effective use of these rhetorical devices, every chapter in I'm A Stranger Here Myself is highly humorous and a joy to read.

Complicated Computers:
Computers today are (in my opinion) wonderfully easy to set up, though Bryson's parody suggests that in his day, computers were far more complicated and resulted in all sorts of disorder, as shown in the picture above.

(Source: http://www.tuug.utu.fi/~jaakko/kuvat/huonesuuri.jpg)

TOW #23: "The AIDS Cure" by Apoorva Mandavilli (via Popular Science)

Reading Goal: Find a challenging (possibly scientific) article to read.

Writing Goal: Work quotes into analysis in a cohesive and less formulaic manner.

     For decades, scientists and doctors have been searching for a cure for AIDS, and until recently, nothing promising was found. In the Popular Science article entitled "The AIDS Cure," Apoorva Mandavilli, a science journalist with a special focus in biomedicine and infectious diseases, discusses the few cases of cured AIDS. She strives to inform readers about how HIV/AIDS works, and how it can then be cured. Since she is writing about a rather complicated subject to a general audience of teenagers and older, Mandavilli uses diagrams and an extended analogy to inform readers about how AIDS works and possible cures for the disease.

     The case that Mandavilli focuses on for much of her article is that of Timothy Ray Brown, a patient who had both HIV and leukemia. When Brown received a bone marrow transplant (for his leukemia) from an HIV-resistant donor, his HIV disappeared. When explaining how this works, Mandavilli writes that an HIV-resistant cell, "[c]alled CCR5-delta32, [is] a mutant form of CCR5, a receptor that HIV needs to gain entry into one of its well-known targets, CD4+ T cells." However, this explanation is, as Mandavilli evidently realized, a bit confusing to the average reader, so she includes a diagram on the facing page. The diagram provides a color-coded drawing of HIV cells attaching to a T cell, along with simpler explanations, such as: "Immune cells that carry a mutant form of CCR5 don't allow HIV to bind." By offering a visual and simplified explanation of what she is describing as well as a scientific one, Mandavilli effectively includes the entirety of her audience, from teenagers to professional scientists. Through this, she is able to achieve her goal of informing readers about how AIDS works, regardless of their level of understanding.

     Mandavilli again gets into complicated territory when she begins to explain how Brown was cured of AIDS. To help readers understand, she uses an extended metaphor of HIV-infected CD4+ T cells as cars. One of the main problems she discusses is the idea that many HIV-infected cells are hidden in "reservoirs" rather than in the bloodstream (on the highway), so it's hard to predict how many are in the body. She writes, "[i]n the analogy, this means that cars are idling in garages, waiting for an opportune moment to pull out." The concept of a reservoir of cells may be confusing to some readers, but everyone can understand the concept of cars hidden in garages. Later, Mandavilli addresses the ways doctors have tried to get rid of reservoirs, such as the "shock and kill" method. She explains that this essentially works to "lure the cars out of the garages and onto the highways, and then blow them up." By using an analogy that is concrete – that readers can picture – Mandavilli effectively informs readers of any understanding level of a technique for curing AIDS.

     Since Apoorva Mandavilli knew the diversity of her audience well, she was able to employ tactics such as diagrams and extended analogy to inform readers of how AIDS works and how it can be cured. She provided technical explanations for readers who could understand that, and then offered the rest of her audience simpler explanations. That way, everyone understood what was going on, and Mandavilli effectively achieved her purpose. Aside from being a successful informative article, "The AIDS Cure" just goes to show how important it is for speakers to fully know their audience.

How HIV Invades Cells – And How to Stop It:

This diagram, found in "The AIDS Cure," is color-coded and simply labelled, which allows readers to better understand what Mandavilli means when she describes the mutant cells.

(Source: http://www.popsci.com/article/science/aids-cure?page=0%2C1)

TOW #22: "Our Universe Just May Exist In A Multiverse After All, Cosmic Inflation Discovery Suggests" by Miriam Kramer (via Huffington Post)

     In her Huffington Post article "Our Universe Just May Exist In A Multiverse After All, Cosmic Inflation Suggests," Miriam Kramer, a science journalist, writes about the newly-discovered evidence of cosmic inflation. These new findings, she says, contribute to the multiverse theory – that we simply live in one iteration of the universe, and there are infinitely many more. Since it uses layman's terms, the article is clearly directed to anyone who is interested in space, regardless of age. Throughout the article, Kramer strives to inform readers about cosmic inflation and to draw connections between it and the multiverse theory. To achieve this, she appeals to ethos by quoting numerous experts.
     Since Kramer's article revolves mostly around the connection between theories, it's not particularly concrete. To solidify her points and gain credibility, she quotes experts. When discussing how cosmic inflation and the multiverse are directly connected, she quotes Alan Guth, a theoretical physicist from MIT as saying: "It's hard to build models of inflation that don't lead to a multiverse" and "It's not impossible, so I think there's still certainly research that needs to be done. But most models inflation do lead to a multiverse [...]" By identifying and quoting an expert, Kramer establishes credibility for the connections drawn between the two theories, which convinces readers that cosmic inflation really could support multiverse theories.
     Furthermore, Kramer understands that the connection between inflation and the multiverse may be difficult for some readers to comprehend, so she quotes another expert who knows a great way to describe the theory. She writes, "Linde, one of the main contributors to inflation theory, says [...] 'Think about some unstable state [...] You are standing on a hill, and you can fall in this direction, you can fall in that direction, and if you're drunk, eventually you must fall. Inflation is instability of our space with respect to its expansion.'" Kramer goes on to quote Linde explaining that the ability to "fall" in any direction is what makes the multiverse theory work – it could "fall" in infinitely many directions, causing an infinite number of possible universes – the multiverse. By quoting Linde, Kramer was able to present to readers a simple analogy straight from a person who understands cosmic inflation best. This not only informs readers but also adds even more credibility to the connections between cosmic inflation and the multiverse.
     In her article about cosmic inflation and the multiverse theory, Miriam Kramer quotes various experts to appeal to ethos. This ethical appeal then gives the audience concrete evidence that there are strong connections between the two theories, because readers are very likely to accept the words of experts. Quoting Guth and Linde allowed Kramer to strengthen her article's credibility and ultimately inform and convince readers of the connections between newly-discovered cosmic inflation and the theory of the multiverse.

The Multiverse:

The multiverse theory discussed in this article explores the possibility of "bubbles" created as space-time expanded at different rates. Each of these "bubbles," the theory says, contains a different version of the universe.

(Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/19/universe-multiverse-cosmic-inflation-discovery_n_4993429.html?ir=Science)

TOW #21: KAL's Cartoon in March 15th, 2014 Issue of The Economist (Visual Text)

(Source: http://www.economist.com/news/world-week/21599067-kals-cartoon?fsrc=scn/gp/wl/kal/march16)

     Kevin Kallaugher is a weekly political cartoonist for The Economist. In his most recent cartoon, published in the March 15th, 2014 issue of the magazine, Kallaugher comments on Russia's involvement in Ukraine (specifically in Crimea). This cartoon, directed at an audience with a current events-awareness, strives to bring to light the problems in the Russian government, especially when the situation in Ukraine is concerned. To achieve this, Kallaugher uses hyperbole and starling imagery in his drawing.

     To convince his audience of the widespread problems in the Russian government and just how many Ukrainian people they affect, Kallaugher uses hyperbole. The group of people in the second panel of the cartoon is shown to be rather diverse, including what appears to be a child, an old woman, middle-aged men and women, and even a dog. The dog is an exaggeration – Putin is certainly not asking the opinion of Ukrainian dogs – but it does get Kallaugher's point across. The exaggeration of who is faced by Putin's tactics shows viewers that virtually everyone in Crimea is affected by the governmental problems under Putin. The image of Putin in a tank is hyperbole in and of itself, but it is primarily used for its ability to startle cartoon readers.

     In this cartoon, when the reporter asks Putin if he can truly conduct a vote in Crimea when he has troops essentially occupying it, Putin responds with a simple "Sure." However, the next panel of the cartoon serves to alarm readers – the reporters and Putin are found to be standing upon a tank, and the Russian President has the tank's gun trained on a group of people. This image is extremely startling to readers, as it evokes a sense of fear for the people involved. This image works together with the other exaggeration in the cartoon to bring to light the lack of "free and fair referendum in Crimea" because, as the cartoon clearly states and shows, the Republic is essentially under military occupation. Additionally, the alarming response of Putin in contrast to his affirmation of the reporter's question demonstrates the lack of honestly present in the Russian government, further convincing readers of widespread problems relating to the current situation in Ukraine.

     Through his use of hyperbole and startling imagery, Kevin Kallaugher effectively updates readers on problems with Russia's government and its involvement in Crimea. The alarming pictures mainly appeal to pathos through their exaggeration of the situation (though the exaggeration may not even be to particularly large magnitude), but this nonetheless allows Kallaugher to convince readers that there in a serious problem in Ukraine.

TOW #20: I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson (IRB)

Reading Goal: While reading, identify why the author using rhetorical devices rather than just pointing out the specific devices used.

Writing Goal: Arrange everything in a cohesive but interesting manner (i.e. avoid simply listing SOAPS in the introduction).

     In the spring of 1995, author Bill Bryson and his family moved from England (their home for twenty years) to New Hampshire. Although Bryson had grown up in America, he was shocked at the differences between American and British life. His book, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, is a compilation of his stories about those differences, intended for a teen to adult American audience. The book has dual purposes – it strives both to highlight the contrast between life in the US and life in England and to entertain readers. Bryson's use of exaggeration and juxtaposition allows him to present the differences as well as make readers laugh.
     I'm a Stranger Here Myself contains many short, four-page chapters that compare aspects of British and American life. In one particular chapter, entitled "Gardening With My Wife", Bryson discusses the difference between British "gardens" and American "yards". Bryson first describes gardening in England: "I was in a nation of people who not only knew and understood things like powdery mildew, peach leaf curl, optimum pH levels, and the difference between Coreopsis verticillata and Coreopsis grandiflora but cared about them" (118). His exaggeration of the specifics with which all British people are concerned highlights the detailed-oriented mindset in which British people garden.
     Bryson then goes on to describe the contrasting American garden: "American gardens are mostly lawn, and American lawns are mostly big. This means that you spend your life raking. In the autumn the leaves fall together with a single great whoomp ... and you spend about two months dragging them into piles ... When you come out in spring, there they all are again ... So you spend weeks and weeks raking them up ... Finally, just when you get the lawn pristine, there is a great whoomp sound and you realize it's autumn again" (119). Bryson exaggerates the existence of leaves, saying that they all fall at once and, in a personified way, creep back into the yard throughout the year, so that the entire year is spent raking. In this way, Bryson highlights the monotonous nature of American yardwork. This monotony and simplicity juxtaposed against the specific and scientific dedication of British gardening shows Bryson's audience how different the two nations are when it comes to the grassy area surrounding one's house.
     The exaggeration not only helps to highlight the differences between America and England but also is able to make readers laugh. It seems very unlikely that every Briton will measure the pH level of their soil to determine which flowers to plant, and any American knows that one does not literally spend the entire year raking leaves. Through this use of exaggeration and juxtaposition, Bill Bryson effectively conveys differences between American and British life in an entertaining manner.

Leaves Here, There, and Everywhere:

As Bill Bryson comments on in "Gardening With My Wife", we Americans spend a great amount of time per year dealing with the leaves infesting our yards.

(Source: http://perfecttouchlandscapes.com/images/fall-Leaf-cleanup-bothell-clean-up-landscaping-clean-up-fall-landscaping-landscape-care-cheap-landscaping-cheap-yard-maintenance.jpg)