When I went to the lecture by Steven Strogatz on synchronization in nature, I was not sure what to expect. What does he mean by synchronization in nature and the world by mathematics? Would I even be able to understand the topic and discussion? I did not have to worry because Strogatz was incredibly easy to understand and broke his studies down into easy to understand chunks. Synchronization in nature is natural and like Darwin’s theory of the balance of species in nature, every input has an output to maintain a balance.

Darwin and Strogatz both provided examples for their balance in nature. Darwin cited population control techniques so as to prevent certain species from growing past a certain limit. One example he gave was deer, and their rapid breeding if left unattended by predators. Once the deer have consumed all of their food supply because of their rapid population explosion, many will die. This leaves only a certain number of deer who are able to adapt and survive while trimming the population and bringing the ecosystem back into synchronization. Strogatz talked about fireflys and their ability to flash their “lights” in synchronization with no indicator. He spoke about a possible biological chemical or transmitter that controls their pattern of flashing lights. Strogatz also spoke about how women’s menstrual cycles were altered to fall in sync of the pheromones of a women that she had never met. This gave the scientists the hint that there is possibly a signal in our biology that controls synchronization of our bodies and other species bodies unconsciously. This again leads into the theory of natural order and control of nature.

The lecture was a great opportunity provided by the school to tie in lessons learned in the classroom to real world experiences and research. By going to this lecture I was able to advance my understanding of Darwin while enriching my college experience by learning form such an esteemed professor.    

I sat down with Professor Commins my Professor for my class Middle East Up to 1750, and discussed why he chose to become a professor, history major, and historian. He was quite happy to welcome me into his office and give an insight into why and how he got to where he is today.

Professor Commins discussed is process of becoming a history major, and why he decided to become one. Going into college he was skilled at english and history, which made it easy for him to zero in on a major. When a course that he wanted to take was restricted to history majors, he declared history as his major. Unfortunately he did not get the class even after declaring as a history major! But since he still enjoyed history, he kept on the course and graduated with a bachelors in history, and after moving onto grad school.

Professor Commins explored grad school twice, before finally completing his masters. Like many, he went to work for a few years after his first stint in grad school before then finally going back to school to complete his degree. He focused in Middle Eastern and Asian history because of the emphasis in his early years on US and European history, wishing for a change. His time in grad school set him on the course to being a historian, and through fate, he became a professor and historian at Dickinson College.

Certain classes are not only fun to teach, but also exciting as a professor. Professor Commins discussed his favorite classes to teach, which include discussion based classes where every student is talking and interacting. It doesn’t matter the class size, but rather the chemistry of the students and the professor, going from topic to topic with no defined course. Instead he prefers a natural style of learning which might not always be more straightforward, but it is ten times more impactful and will resonate with the students.

I enjoyed talking to professor Commins about his journey through school, and his teaching style. I learned to not worry about the my destination in college, but rather take the road most enjoyable for me.   

Scope: I want to investigate why in a highly patriotic country like the United States, aggression is so prevalent. My focus will be mainly on the United States, and I will look at the way social media and consumerist ideology play a role in an increasingly aggressive nation. The most recent headlines tell of dishonesty and violent behavior. The frequency of shootings and of other destructive acts has increased to a daily occurrence, yet very little has been done to put an end to it. The United States is a highly nationalistic country, and while that may not necessarily be bad, the combination of its nationalism and narcissism is. The fastest growing generation in the United States is the millennial generation, who have been raised simultaneously to great technological advancements. Yet the Internet has enhanced the image of people, creating a society of self-absorption. Somehow this conceitedness has worked its way into the country’s identity. By examining that identity, and thus the values of the United States, perhaps the cause of the increased aggression will make itself known.

Analytical Questions: According to an eMarketer report in 2013, about one in four people in the United States use some type of social media regularly, and this number is rising. Social media is simply a way in which people are able to show off what they have done or are doing. It is a mechanism that promotes thoughts of only one’s self. If over a quarter of the United States’ population is encourage to think about themselves, it creates a society of callousness. How does a child’s development change in an insensitive society compared to one more compassionate? Does this result in aggressive behavior? Moreover, it isn’t as if the United States is the first patriotic country on the planet, so how does their patriotism compare to the patriotism of other countries? Furthermore, how do American values differ from other countries, and what are the results? Finally, does this make the United States more dangerous than other countries?

Originality: Historically the United States has promoted ideas such as the American Dream which are about an individual’s success. These ideas focus on one person, not on a general group of people or an entire population. These thoughts have not changed, nor has the country attempted to let go of these ideals. Narcissism, however, has led to an insensitive culture, yet this is something that has been embraced by the country. Why does a country that has so much power in the world pride itself on being callous and self-absorbed? It is as if the country is unaware of its own problems, as it is so focused on the disputes outside of its own borders. But the Unites States simply cannot attempt to solve issues in other countries if it cannot control its own problems. Especially not if the country is one of the most powerful in the world.

Practicality: There are definitely enough sources to back my argument. Already I have found a couple sources discussing the various aspects of my paper (i.e. aggression and self absorption, nationalism and narcissism, and the current American values). These sources have just been through a brief search on Dickinson’s Library catalog, so I am positive there will be many more. Moreover, the New York Times and other major newspapers will be a key source as I must refer to the headlines to see if the frequency of shootings remains the same.

Sources:

Caldwell, Wilber W. American narcissism: the myth of national superiority New York: Algora Publishing, 2006.

Black, Percy. “Review of The American People. A study in national character.” Psychological Bulletin 46, no. 1 (January 1949): 89-93.

Lunbeck, Elizabeth. The Americanization of Narcissism. Harvard University Press, 2014.

Davies, Paul G., Claude M. Steele, and Hazel Rose Markus. “A nation challenged: The impact of foreign threat on America’s tolerance for diversity.” Journals of Personality and Social Psychology 95, no. 2 (August 2008): 308-318.

Jahromi, Parissa. “American Identity in the USA: Youth Perspectives.” Applied Development Science 15, no. 2 (April 2011): 79-93.