The Zombie survival guide

”The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls – no matter what their label – these somnambulists are the greatest threat to humanity, other than humanity itself” 

(page 1). 

This is the beginning of the book The Zombie survival guide by Max Brooks. On first look, the book is a complete guide on how to survive the zombie apocalypse. The book is divided in 6 different chapters, from The Undead: Myths and realities to Weapons, Defense and Starting over in the undead world.

But if you look past the zombies and start read between the lines you will found another message. True, the book focuses on how to survive, but it has also an undertone of criticism. How do humans treat each other and do we take care of one and another?

The first sentence in the book says it all. The biggest threat against humankind is not environmental disasters or radiation from broke down nuclear plants, it is humanity itself. Take your time to reflect on that word, humanity. The dictionary tells us that humanity is all human beings collectively, the human race. So, the word itself is another term for people. But if you decompose the word to its components; human and –ity it has another meaning.

·        Human (adjective) - "Having or showing those positive aspects of nature and character regarded as distinguishing humans from other animals: an act of human kindness" or "Subject to or indicative of the weaknesses, imperfections, and fragility associated with humans" ^[1]

·         Ity – “the word in -ity usually means the quality of being what the adjective describes” ^[2]

So the word humanity refers to humans as kind, and that we have the power to be good, but also the part of us that makes it okay to make mistakes. Humans can choose to do an act of good or evil; then a new question arises. If it is so that a zombie lack of intelligence and only acts on impulse and behavior, can they be evil?

The book also describes the anatomy and behavior of the zombie and states an interesting fact. Zombies do not actually need food to survive and they don’t get any nutrition from flesh. But why do zombies then kill and eat humans, as well as animals? The answer is still a mystery but if you reflect on the need to feed, the hunger, humans have always been keen on killing to survive. So, is the zombie just a reflection of our hunger and greed?

The Zombie survival guide is an essential book if you want to survive the apocalypse, but it also contains criticism of the modern society and humankind.  If you have the book by your side during the zombie outbreak you will be fine, but what will happened when the world is dead? What will become of the humanity and fate of humans? Do we want to know?

“No matter what you will find, a no matter what challenges you will face, take heart in the knowledge that you have survived a catastrophe not seen since the extinction of the dinosaurs, a world ruled by the living dead.” 

(page 181)

Book reflection on:

The Zombie survival guide - Max Brooks

ISBN: 1-4000-4962-8

1] The free dictionary, Human 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/human

Last visited 2013-12-18.

2] Etmology Dictionary, -ity,  

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=-ity&allowed_in_frame=0 , 

Last visited 2013-12-18.

Are droids taking our jobs? - A reflection

http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_mcafee_are_droids_taking_our_jobs.html

The question can seem a bit silly, how can a computer do my work? Yet, we know nothing about what the future may hold.

Today the machines and computers are used as a tool, we have to tell the program what to do, in order to get it done. But how will it be in the future? Can the computers work on a problem without any inputs from a human?

In the ted-talk Andrew McAfee are talking about how the future may look like in terms of work, and that raised many questions. How will we work with the new technologies? Are there going to be droids working for us? Will all humans go unemployed due to cheap robotic workforce?

Until today we have seen an explosion in technology growth. Just 5 years ago everyone didn’t have internet access in their pockets, but today due to smartphones, many people have. We are now living in a technological revolution where new and smarter systems are built every day.
 

In history, the Industrial revolution gave us the power above our human strength, we were able to increase production and it enabled us to produce new products.  But the new technology is not all about physical strength, it has more to do with brain capacity and smarter thinking. So how will the future be for us humans? That is not a simple question. You can always hope that the future is bright, but if you are a fan of science fiction, you know that it is not always so.

To sum up my thoughts, I think that new technology are a good tool for humans to develop and create something, but there is always a risk how the outcome will be. But then, what did the workers during the industrial revolution think about the new machines and how did they predict the future? Sometimes I think humans assume the worst when facing the unknown.
I don’t think every job can be done by a droid, but of course there are jobs suitable for nonhuman workforce and I think that in a near future, people are going to work with smart robots.

“These are not the droids you are looking for”.

Online Reflection 1 to the article” The First Five Years of the iPhone Obsession”

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-21/the-first-five-years-of-the-iphone-obsession

”The First Five Years of the iPhone Obsession”

My smartphone is my friend, companion and assistant. It knows my friends birthdays, my schedule and helps me remember things to do. It is always there and can for example tell me when the next buss is coming.

Larry Rosen states that nearly 30 % percent of people born after 1980 feel anxious if they can’t check Facebook every few minute, and others repeatedly pat their pocket to make sure the phone is there. I must admit that I often check my pockets to see if my phone is with me. For me it is important to be available during the day. I use my phone daily to check social media and the news, so I’m updated. But then, a day without Facebook or Instagram is not a big deal for me, because I know that if someone wants something important they give me a call or text me.

The smartphone has changed our ways to communicate with each other. Today a short text is easier to send instead of making a call. Instead of having to ask the usually polite questions about how you are and how you are felling, with a text you can directly go on the issue why you are contacting that person. Still a phone call is more personal and for me the importance of making a call has increased.

But I think it is important to be able to put the phone aside and spend time with family and friends without the interruptions of buzzing phones and someone texting. At least you can have a dinner without the need to check your smartphone all the time.

To sum up my reflections, I think there is both good and bad sides of the new technology that I following us every day. I can understand that it can be stressful to always have the urge to check social media, but the smartphone has changed communication and has made the gap between me the outside world smaller.