Res Novae 2019 Print Magazine

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7

The Keto Diet

5

Going Green

1

From Computerization to Cultivation

9

Double-Tap it and Weep

4

Your New Doctor is a Machine

11 Plastic

15 It Meant Change

13

At Art’s End

STAFF LIST President & Editor-in-chief Charlotte Chui Lead Editor Jenny Chin Section Editor Jeffrey Gong Illustration Lead Fiona Luo Sophie Wang Design Lead Elena Peng Treasurer Saumya Tawakley Staff Writers Seth Berger Ramya Chamkeri Ellie Chen Jeffrey Gong Fiona Luo Riya Ranjan Sophie Wang Nika Zamani Page design by Elena Peng.

Cover by Fiona Luo.

ABOUT US

Res Novae is Monta Vista's student-run science and technology publication. Every month, we publish stories about topics in STEM, from cancer research to artificial intelligence.

We answer questions like "How have MVHS students contributed to cancer research?" and "Can intelligent robots cook my dinner for me?"

I

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

n the technological hub of Cupertino, technology seemingly permeates every aspect of daily life, so ingrained we may not notice it. From the moment we jolt awake to the dreaded Marimba alarm, blearily tapping at our iPhone screens to press snooze — staying in bed a few extra minutes to catch up on social media or the news, mobile ordering our Starbucks order, listening to music or podcasts during car rides — to the moment we fall asleep, phones tucked underneath our pillows.

Our school day is not unaffected. We log onto Google Classroom instead of using printed handouts in the name of saving paper. We compulsively refresh School Loop. We hurry into the library during tutorial with the convenience of printers and Google Drive to print out a hard copy of our literary analysis essay. We whisper prayers underneath our breath, uploading our project to turnitin precisely one minute before the deadline.

Our ever growing reliance on technology — parallel to the development of technological advancements — is undeniable. But consider the ways technology intersects with other, perhaps less obvious, aspects of our lives.

On page 1, staff writer Riya Ranjan explores how technology can aid special needs education, ranging from assistive technology in classrooms that create inclusivity, allowing for more specialized instruction, to apps that build cognitive and social skills in daily life. How are MVHS students contributing to this cause, and what does the future hold for special education technology yet to be invented?

On page 4, staff writer Seth Berger examines the intersection of biotechnology and medicine. With advances in machine learning and statistical analysis, continuing to integrate technology into medicine can shift modern healthcare from reactive to preventative. With technology aiding data analysis, doctors may be able to detect health issues in patients earlier, as well as generate more personalized, precise care.

On page 13, section editor and staff writer Jeffrey Gong imagines a future where artificial intelligence has become an integral part of society, even accepted as contributors to human life and culture. Along with it comes the rise of AI artists, more efficient than human artists. What are the notable differences between AI art and human-created art? How will advances in automation impact the nature of art and creativity, as well as the way humans respond to it?

On page 15, staff writer Sophie Wang envisions a futuristic “smart city” — environmentally friendly, self-sustaining, idealistic. From security and defense to weather and transportation, function of the smart city is powered by technology. But technology is not indefensible, and increasing reliance on technology may reveal vulnerability.

As technology and other aspects of human life — ranging from culture to education to medical care — become increasingly intersectional, how humans will continue to grapple with the increasing reach of technology is still to be determined.

Charlotte Chui, editor in chief

Jenny Chin, lead editor

From Computerization to Cultivation: The Role of Technology in Special Education

capability,” Burkhardt said. “They can sit in class with headphones on, listen to the words as they're read to them and then weigh in on core literature discussions.”

Burkhardt explains that the opportunities technology offers to special education students go beyond their own learning experiences and are capable of changing the general perspective on special needs students within

BY RIYA RANJAN classrooms.

“In the past, these would have been the students in the back who wouldn't participate and would have been considered either the shy introvert or the behavioral problem because they weren't able to effectively engage,” Burkhardt said. “These tools are really making a difference.”

At MVHS, special needs students use technology in a earning disabilities affect a population of the U.S. similar way. General programs that are used in all classrooms, equivalent to twice the population of New York City such as IXL and Padlet, are slightly repurposed to fit each — and this number continues to grow exponentially student depending on their needs, and programs to help while society remains stagnant in response, especially in with motor and cognitive skills are specifically employed classrooms. Within today’s U.S. public school system, the as well. Special education mathematics teacher Nancy number of special needs students has increased Domingo shares her experience using several 119% since 2000, growing to over 7 million different technologies in her classroom and students today. In comparison, the how they create an inclusive and healthy number of special education programs learning environment for her students. in schools has only increased 30% “[Technologies] help with over the last decade. With the differentiating instruction, systemic developments for [creating] inclusivity and special education students [empowering] students,” lagging far behind what is Domingo said.

“Most necessary, teachers employ importantly, it serves in technology now more ‘equity’ concerns, so other than ever to adapt to their students won’t notice when students’ needs and create students with learning an inclusive environment for differences are working on all. something different. ” SPECIAL EDUCATION Through the use of technology, Domingo can MATHEMATICS TEACHER Technology of create a personalized learning NANCY DOMINGO Today track for each of her students while simultaneously allowing Hundreds of different software them to feel comfortable in the programs and hardware tools are classroom environment. Domingo used in classrooms to aid the learning also feels that using technology has of special education students, from iPads boosted the progress of her students in terms to personalized text to speech programs. The of academic capabilities. use of this technology in classrooms impacts students “I have a student who uses the Math IXL program both academically and socially and can improve their online,” Domingo said. “I call him IXL King because he has quality of life as a whole. In a study published by EdTech, answered [since the beginning of the year] 5,610 Algebra Wendy Burkhardt, assistive technology ­coordinator for the 1 questions, spent 48 hours and 45 minutes practicing and San Ramon Valley Unified School District, describes her made progress in 44 skills.” experience with special-needs technology throughout her With today’s in-classroom technologies, special needs years as an educator. students are able to achieve more and more academically, “We can now give students who have trouble reading and create stronger emotional bonds with their peers. The every word on a page an e-book reader and text-to-speech

A look at how technology addresses needs of special education students

L

“[Technologies] help with differentiating instruction, [creating] inclusivity and [empowering] students.”

1

benefits that technology brings to special needs classrooms continue to build a healthy learning environment and improve the quality of life for special needs students across the U.S. and at MVHS.

Technology of the Future Though existing technologies seem to fit the needs of many special education students, with ongoing technological developments and continuous breakthroughs in STEM, new cutting-edge technologies are on the rise that can further benefit special needs students.

Each of these pictures depicts one feature of Agastwar’s app and its purpose for the user. The features are designed to be both aesthetic and uncomplicated, while still effectively assisting the user in their daily life. Illustration by Avishi Agastwar. Infographic by Riya Ranjan.

Sophomore Avishi Agastwar is part of this progressive movement for special needs technology, as she is currently developing an app to help combat many of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: ALife. Her app aims to help break down the interactive barriers that prevent students with ASD from operating comfortably in everyday life.

“What I was trying to build was a low cost software application that could specifically help children with the autism spectrum disorder better confront daily struggles, including helping autistic children increase socialization skills, increase organizational aptitude and independence, better adapt to their environment and increase emotional recognition,” Agastwar said. “It has four different features, and these features are made so that they can efficiently yet simply help autistic children better confront these daily struggles.”

The features of Agastwar’s app are each crafted to specifically address the difficulties of socializing created

by ASD, as Agastwar describes how she saw a need for a simplistic app like hers that could help with this issue.

“When I started to make this app, I was looking at existing apps for autistic children and noticed that they were very complex and didn't seem to fit the simplicity needs of autistic users,” Agastwar said. “So I attempted to make this

app very simple, very aesthetic, just to make it simple for the autistic user to use.”

Agastwar’s app helps address the simplicity needs of particular students on the spectrum, something other technologies fail to do. Her app sheds light on how various special needs must each be addressed differently — the wide spectrum of symptoms make each specific technology better address certain special needs based on design.

After further development with input from psychologists, professors and even government officials, Agastwar hopes to put her app on the app store, where it can reach special needs students everywhere.

Technology that can help address issues with ASD are also developed at a higher degree, past high school level research. A research team at the USC Interaction Lab is currently working to create socially assistive robots that can help teach empathy capabilities to children with ASD. Jessica Lupanow, a PhD student at USC who heads this project, describes the inspiration behind their research and how it can really impact the day to day lives of autistic children.

“There’s a lot of work that's done with intelligent tutoring systems — they're able to tutor math, and sometimes science concepts, occasionally reading. I was just thinking — why can't we tutor something else, beyond just math and reading?”

Lupanow said.

“Obviously, math and reading are easier to check if the answer is correct, but I think that there's so many advances in the field that might allow us to gauge things like empathy and other The robots pictured here are the iPal related behaviors.” robots utilized by Lupanow’s project.

L u p a n o w ’ s These robots run on an android research, though still system and are meant to look like in its early stages, a small human child, which helps will allow children to create a connection with the user. interact with robots Illustration by Jessica Lupanow. on a daily basis that could give them emotional feedback, allowing the child to develop the cognitive skills in having a natural empathetic response. Lupanow explains that if the empathetic response

2

Pictured is one of Lupanow’s undergraduate researchers, Radhika Agrawal, working with children on the first prototype of the empathy tutoring robot. This is the first round of live testing Lupanow’s project has undergone since it was started.

Photo by Jessica Lupanow. can be broken down into parts, it will be much easier for the child to comprehend.

“Having an empathic response can be broken down into three parts: the first is being able to take the perspective of somebody else, the second is being able to identify and distinguish emotions, and the third is having a shared affect and response with somebody,” Lupanow said. “And so I'm working right now on perspective taking and how a robot could potentially teach a child about perspective taking.”

Lupanow’s goal is for her research take off in the next few years as she continues her project, and hopefully by the end, create a robot that can give personalized and intelligent feedback based on empathetic guidelines.

Both Lupanow and Agastwar’s research, though very different, work to achieve the same goal — create a better quality of life for children with ASD. Their individual projects are just two of the thousands of technologies that have the capability to help millions of special needs people across the globe.

3

The Importance of It All Technology, that which exists and that which will exist, has the capability to change the lives of millions of special needs people everywhere. As more research continues, and more ideas are brought to life, society will slowly be able to address the hundreds of issues that those with special needs face every day. Assistive technologies have revolutionary capabilities that can address critical needs and change the world — one student at a time.

Your New Doctor is a Machine

How biotechnology can change mankind’s approach to medicine and healthcare

BY SETH BERGER

W

hen people think of biotechnology, often robotic arms, cloned babies or possibly even mutants come to mind. While these certainly are areas that biotechnology impacts, the field has also expanded to contribute to healthcare and medicine. According to IMedPub, medical biotechnology is a field in which pharmaceutical and diagnostic products are created through the use of cell materials to help treat human diseases.

David Glazer, an Engineering Director at Verily Life Sciences, explains in depth how and why biotechnology is so revolutionary.

“With the obvious caveat being that nobody knows what the future holds, I think there are mainly two to three things about biotechnology that will affect healthcare in the future,” Glazer said. “The three are data tech, measurement tech and intervention tech.”

Data technology has emerged with the rise of computing in the modern world. Although it has made massive impacts already, it hasn’t nearly kicked in the healthcare industry.

Measurement technology is technology used to learn more about the human body. The notion that even something like a FitBit exists and is used by millions of people shows the amount of data available now.

Furthermore, users can now aggregate and make sense of this data, which allows biomedical engineers to understand the human body in ways that were not possible before.

Intervention technology is a general term for a way of making changes to the body. This includes surgery and internal medicine in the clinical setting, as well as biotechnologies in the tech industry. Most notable of these is CRISPR, a modern tool used for genome editing.

With the world continuing to be technologized, biotechnology has become more important to healthcare than ever before. In the past, healthcare used to be reactive, as doctors had little to no control over predicting diseases in the body. It was common knowledge that ill patients go to the doctor and hope for the best. However, the future holds something different.

The healthcare system is shifting to a new age of preventive, and more specifically, precise healthcare through advancements in technology. With the computational prowess the modern world holds, physicians and biomedical engineers alike are able to detect diseases months and possibly even years before it starts to affect the patient.

The use of technology can also provide scientists to find a

Illustration by Fiona Luo.

specialized way to help an individual with their disease.

Verily is on the forefront of the expedition to find new technologies to better improves the lives and health of people, working on projects like diabetes management and diabetic retinopathy. Specific technologies are used to treat specific diseases, as diabetic retinopathy is treated using machine learning algorithms and diabetes management uses data tech, measurement tech and a human coach together to create the ideal process of bringing down high blood sugar levels.

The individual projects are decided through a lengthy process that includes potential health impact, doability, probability of success, financial criteria and if it is something that Verily could do particularly well. These decisions are crucial as some diseases are a harder to detect or prevent than others. For example, diabetic retinopathy is specifically known as a disease that has no symptoms, is easily treatable and has drastic consequences if not treated.

Tanaka Aki, a pre-med student at Stanford University, believes the process of changes in the healthcare system has already begun.

“One thing that I’m studying right now is Gene-Therapy Drug Development,” Akito said. “In the last decade or so, we’ve been able to map many different DNA sequences of human chromosomes and now we can often predict genetic diseases from parents to children.”

While this is certainly a revolutionary discovery, MVHS sophomore Anivartin Anand displays some worry over the bioethical aspects of healthcare as new improvements are being made everyday.

“I’m just worried about it because medicine and healthcare deal with life or death situations, and letting computers make decisions and technology do the work may have some immoral consequences,” Anand said. “So many more issues are going to emerge with advancements in [biotechnology] in healthcare.”

Bioengineers are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg for the possibilities of biotechnology. The revolutionization of healthcare has already begun, with machine learning algorithms making huge waves in radiology, or robotic assistance slowly becoming more and more essential for complex surgeries. Though there is much to be improved with our current technologies, the power of computing leaves huge possibilities for healthcare.

4

GOING

GREEN

How going vegan or vegetarian can positively impact the environment and climate change

BY NIKA ZAMANI

A

ccording to United Nations University, climate change is becoming a more critical problem, it is vital for every person to do their part in keeping the planet healthy. When questioned about the main contributors to climate change, common answers may be transportation, burning of fossil fuels or deforestation. While these factors do contribute to climate change, according to Climate Central, livestock including chicken, pigs and cows are estimated to be account for about half of all human caused greenhouse gases. Furthermore, finding an alternative to the current methods humans produce meat and other animal products is predicted to be a rapid way to reverse climate change and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Methane and nitrous oxide are the main two gases are released into the atmosphere as a result of livestock.

GreenHouse Gas Online states that methane is released from ruminants, including cows, sheep and goats, while they digest their food, as well as from the feces they produce. This has detrimental effects to the environment, as methane is 25 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Additionally, nitrous oxide is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of preserving heat, and GreenHouse Gas Online states that 65% of the international release of nitrous oxide are from the meat, egg and dairy industries.

5

For some, becoming vegetarian or vegan is a step to decrease their personal impact on climate change.

Documentaries and books about human impact on climate change have become increasingly common. For some MVHS students and staff, these sources can provide information or convince people to cut back on meat in their diet.

Literature teacher Hannah Gould states that after continuously reading articles and watching films about how humans affect climate change, she decided to make a drastic change in her diet. Gould eats and cooks vegan when at home and but is occasionally vegetarian, such as when eating out at restaurants with limited options. Instead of eating meat, Gould substitutes it with foods such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, pinto beans and chickpeas.

“I feel much healthier and have lost lots of weight. I also feel lighter and more active,” Gould said. “I remember hearing before that food was supposed to be consumed to have energy to do physical work, rather than feeling full and heavy after eating. After becoming vegan, I definitely started feeling more energized.”

To effectively continue to live with her change in lifestyle, Gould cooks three to four meals during the week out of her favorite vegan cookbook, Isa Does It! By Isa Chandra Moskowitz and encourages her family to try the same.

Similarly, pescatarian and science teacher Lora Lerner

made a diet change after reading a book that convinced her to quit consuming all meat aside from fish. Although Lerner will take a bite of meat if it's the only available option, she will typically continue this diet diet when eating at restaurants.

“In my opinion, the volume of meat produced is not sustainable for our environment,” Lerner said. “It’s inefficient because you have to use a great amount of land to produce food for the animals that feed a relatively small number of people. It would be more efficient we could use that land to plant fruits and vegetables that humans could directly consume.”

In fact, WesternWaterSheds states that the US uses 788 million acres of land for livestock to live on.

Lerner also believes the welfare issues with fish are not as big of a problem and continues her high seafood diet by joining a fish CSA (community-supported agriculture).

This CSA provides Lerner with sustainably produced, locally caught fish every two weeks, allowing her Lerner to enjoy a variety of different fish, as well as feeling good that her fish is healthy.

Although these changes in diets are not new for Gould and Lerner, Freshman Asiya Shaikh has been vegan for about one semester. After watching a video in her physical education class about how animals were treated in slaughterhouses, Shaikh began to research the problem even further. Although her first motive for becoming vegan was the way animals were treated, her research led her to also do it for environmental reasons. For Shaikh, being the only person in her family to be vegan made it extremely difficult in the beginning.

“It was hard because I grew up my whole life eating meat so it was a huge transition,” Shaikh said. “But to be fair I don’t regret the decision at all and I feel great about myself knowing that I’m reducing the negative impact I have on the planet.”

Shaikh also felt that having meat substitutions was helpful during the transition. By eating protein-rich foods like beans, Shaikh had no trouble maintaining energy during the day, or not feeling full after meals.

Gould, Lerner and Shaikh agree that making this transformation was not easy but that they do feel healthier, as well as happier for reducing their impact on climate change. After learning about the impacts of methane and nitrous oxide, simply cutting out or reducing meat and animal products in one’s diet may mitigate climate change.

6

THE KETO DIET

Changing the Food Pyramid

Some claim that the keto diet is safe and effective for weight loss while others argue that it poses health risks

BY ELLIE CHEN

D

iets are used for many reasons: from leading a healthier lifestyle to gaining muscle to losing weight. This is why many diets have been created, in order to target people with different goals and motives in mind. With diet culture on the rise, especially with the internet spreading different dieting methods, some MVHS students have followed varying diets.

The growing diet culture in the world has led to the creation of many diets, all which claim to have some type of benefit. One of these diets is the ketogenic — or keto — diet. This low carbohydrate, high fat diet claims to help burn fat more effectively and supposedly has already helped some achieve good results.

7

Illustration by Fiona Luo.

How Keto Works

MVHS Student Views

The keto diet consists of consuming little amounts of carbs and a moderate amount of proteins, as well as high amounts of fat. The liver uses fat to produce ketones, which fuel the body. Ketones are used when blood sugar or glucose is in short supply, so eating a small amount of carbohydrates in the diet allows for fat to be burned by the production of ketones.

When the body does not have enough carbohydrates from food to burn for energy, it produces ketones and goes into a metabolic state called ketosis. Fasting is one way to achieve the state of ketosis, but it is impossible to completely stop eating, so the keto diet supposedly offers a way to achieve ketosis while still eating.

The key to maintaining ketosis is to eat small amounts of carbohydrates. This number can differ depending on the many variations within the general keto diet, but keeping carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams is usually considered ideal. Another important part about the diet is to eat carbohydrates that are not high in sugar and starch, since those high levels of blood sugar and starch are linked with heart disease and diabetes.

Junior Elena Chen noticed that a large part of her carbohydrate consumption was from white rice, so she decided to limit her intake of rice and use alternatives such as brown rice when she did eat rice. Chen’s original goal was to cut out all carbohydrates, essentially following the keto diet.

“I noticed that when I did not eat carbs, I got a lot hungrier, so now I do eat some pita bread for lunch, but that is about it for carbs,” Chen said. “I don’t think my diet is doing any harm to me, and I remember learning in biology that there is a benefit to not eating so much white rice.”

Chen experienced the physical effects of feeling very hungry when she tried her original approach of cutting out all carbohydrate intake. She discovered that consuming carbohydrates in moderation was a better option for her, as she believes it is more healthy and she also does not feel too hungry.

Junior Nathan Lee, who is on the MVHS swim team, has had quite the opposite experience of the keto diet. He has used carbo-loading, or when an athlete consumes a large amount of carbohydrates, from foods such as rice and pasta, shortly before a competition to have extra energy on the day of the competition.

“Physically, I felt like I had more energy to do things,” Lee said. “I definitely saw benefits when I raced after carboloading compared to when I raced without carbo-loading. I felt like when I carbo-loaded, I had a lot more energy I could use when I usually would become really tired.”

While Lee’s experience shows that consuming a large amount of carbohydrates provided more energy, the keto diet has shown to cause loss of muscle and extreme fatigue. When Chen initially tried cutting out all carbs from her diet, she also experienced feeling very hungry. Since carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, it seems reasonable that removing most of the carbohydrates from a person’s diet can have these effects.

The keto diet has shown to cause major health problems in some of its users, in addition to causing symptoms such as fatigue. However, it has also shown to have effective results for people who would like to lose weight. For MVHS students and staff who would like to lose weight or have a healthier food intake, whether they decide to use the keto diet or any other diet, it is important for them to consider the benefits and risks associated with it as well as their personal health conditions.

Historical Uses of the Diet The keto diet was popularized in the 1920s and 1930s as a form of epilepsy treatment when more traditional medications were not effective, and it is still used for that purpose today. However, people today have started using keto dieting as a method for weight loss, and it has been especially recommended for people suffering from medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity.

Some sources claim that the keto diet has been said to be effective and safe for almost anyone (with the exception of people with certain medical conditions), but other sources have claimed that the keto diet has some serious detrimental effects to most people who follow it.

Potential Risks For example, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital Kathy McManus claims it is recommended to keep saturated fats as no more than 7% of the calories in a person’s diet because saturated fats are linked to heart disease. However, with the keto diet’s emphasis on high fat consumption, that recommendation cannot be met. Furthermore, the diet has been associated with an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is the cholesterol that causes fat to build up in arteries, posing major health risks.

McManus also explains that foods consumed in the keto diet may result in micronutrition deficiency, especially selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins B and C, due to the lack of variety of foods that can be consumed in the diet. Since the keto diet also heavily relies on the liver’s production of ketones, people with existing liver problems may worsen their conditions.

8

DOUBLE-TAP it and

WEEP

BY RAMYA CHAMKERI How social media can contribute to loneliness

Illustration by Ramya Chamkeri.

Lonely and alone.

He is in an empty room, therefore he is alone.

She lost her friend, now she is lonely.

For most, these two words are used interchangeably; their difference is a hair’s breadth but the significance is miles apart.

Alone means being physically alone, whereas being lonely means feeling detached or sad due to isolation, no matter how many people there are at the moment. For example, if a person was in an empty room, they would be actually be alone. However, if a person were to lose a loved one, they would feel lonely.

For junior Harshita Saha, her definition of loneliness is similar to the one above.

“It’s just like this sort of internalized feeling of isolation where when you think of yourself in the bigger picture of things, you think that even if people care about your goals,

9

your actions in the world don’t really make a difference,” Saha said. “They don’t really change anything [so] then there’s no point. It feels like if there was another person, you could be easily replaced.”

But in an era immersed in social media and communication services, it may seem that loneliness shouldn’t be as big of a problem as before. Unfortunately, however, research implies that social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram may actually worsen the feeling of loneliness rather than eradicate it.

In fact, a study conducted at the University of British Columbia found that people who checked their phones during a social situation were not able to enjoy the experience as much. The experiment consisted of more than 300 adults and university students, divided into two experimental groups: one group would have their phones off and on silent during a dinner with their friends, while the other group would be allowed to check their phones.

After the dinner, the diners were given a questionnaire to

fill out regarding their dining experience, which included more loneliness,” Balentine said. “It's too easy to compare questions on social connectedness, enjoyment, distraction, yourself with friends, family or ads. Sometimes, we need a boredom, phone usage and what they did on their phones. break from that to recover and remember our own goals.”

According to researcher Ryan Dwyer, "People who For some, loneliness is a feeling that can’t be controlled. were allowed to use their phones during dinner had more But for most, loneliness is a feeling that can start simply trouble staying present in the moment.” Diners who used because of themselves. Deciding to scroll through Snapchat their phones during the dinner felt more disconnected with or deciding to double tap that picture on Instagram even in others present at the gathering, leading them into a state the midst of close friends or family can ultimately lead to a of loneliness. never-ending cycle of isolation and detachment.

Similar to the emotions felt by the “I think that social media is great, but we also participants in the study, Saha has also felt need good interactions in real life. So, it's disengaged and isolated in a group of not good to just use social media to be people. social,” Balentine said. “We should “Sometimes I feel lonely also make sure we connect with when I’m in a crowd of people friends and family outside of the “Sometimes I feel lonely because I see other people internet as well.” talking, and there’ll be when I’m in a crowd of friends talking to me but I people because I see other just feel mentally, somehow, isolated and distant from people talking, and there’ll everyone else,” Saha said. be friends talking to me “I feel like I can’t relate to but I just feel mentally, the other people or that, you know, even though somehow, isolated and I’m speaking to them, I feel distant from everyone else.” emotionally uninvolved in the conversation.”

JUNIOR HARSHITA SAHA However, the correlation between phone use and loneliness in social gatherings can vary from person to person. For example, junior Sravya Gonaguntla felt no negative effects regarding her social media use.

“Social media is like this form of communication, that’s what it’s made for, and that’s what I use it for,” Gonaguntla said. “Honestly, I try to stop trying to feel lonely from these platforms but there are so many people that can text me or I can text them, so I feel social media benefits me in my loneliness but I know that’s not really the case most of the time. I think it’s just for me that’s how I feel.”

On the contrary, counselor Monique Balentine feels that social media can be a contributing factor in terms of a person’s loneliness.

“I think that social "People who were allowed m e d i a tends to to use their phones during cause us dinner had more trouble to feel

staying present in the moment.” researcher RYAN DWYER

10

PLASTIC An evening of unrequited love, horror and plastic pollution

BY FIONA LUO

Illustration by Fiona Luo.

11

“Plastic?”

“Ah, yes.” He dabs at his damp forehead with a white handkerchief. “I am the CEO of a plastic company. We manufacture the very plastic which is used in packaging, bottles, buildings and childrens’ toys.”

They sit at a cramped table, the man pressing his handkerchief around his perspiring neck and the woman leaning back at an angle. The white tables surrounding them shine against the black evening, and the candles flicker feebly, casting a red light on the pair. Mild chatter fills the air.

“Plastic,” she repeats, turning her plump face to look behind her.

He eyes her anxiously. “It’s a very profitable business. Plastic is inexpensive, durable, lightweight and versatile. It’s really astounding!”

As he speaks, he slaps his hand on the table for emphasis, inadvertently hitting a plastic spoon at its round edge and causing it to catapult across the room.

She purses her lips a bit and casts her eyes down. The man never notices the disappearance of his spoon.

Just then, a waiter arrives at their table.

“Your soup is served,” announces the waiter, placing two bowls of soup on their table.

The woman quietly picks up her spoon and begins to sip the soup. The soup is warm but thin and flavorless. It has bits too firm and slippery to be chewed on.

Realizing that he is missing a utensil, the man jerks his head around spasmodically. He jerks up the tablecloth with such force that his bowl of soup flies off the table and hits a stout lady at a neighboring table, soiling her dress. Her face crumples.

“Excuse me! Excuse me,” he cries, waving his hands fitfully, accidentally jabbing himself in the eye. Across the table, the woman looks down uncomfortably.

The waiter returns as the man is fanning his smarting eye.

“For you, the main course: our renowned salmon dish.”

The salmon is red and rosy and is littered by small colorful decorations. It brings with it a tangy aroma. Yet as the pair bite into it, they find that the salmon is tasteless, stiff, and rigid. The man attempts to chew a lump but it is too tough — he swallows it whole, and it scrapes blood from his throat as it goes down.

The two nearly finish half of the dish when the woman begins to choke, her hands gripping wildly around her slender neck. She coughs, coughs, and upon the third cough, a bottle cap shoots out of her mouth. She shrieks in terror. The man looks down in horror and suddenly it is clear — the food is plastic. The fish is a plastic bottle painted red, surrounded by briny trash bags, and the colorful ornaments are greasy bottle caps — it is disgusting — he immediately remembers the soup; the soup is revealed to be briny sea water filled with plastic strings, bottle caps and candy wrappers — my god, thinks the man, it is so disgusting.

The woman’s face is deformed in nausea. Her mouth is contorted into an awful ‘o.’ Her face flushes until it is red and lustrous with sweat, like a ruby. She stumbles backwards in shock, overturning her chair, and screams. Every head in the restaurant turns in her direction. The man cowers in his chair. With one ultimate wrenching sob, the woman storms out the door.

“No!” cries the man desperately, his voice hoarse and raw. “No, wait! Wait!”

He chases after her wildly.

He sees her slim figure fleeing not a block away.

As he races up to her, he grabs her hand, which falls off. He stares down at her detached hand in shock. It is not a hand; it is a water bottle. The woman spins around, and realization chills his heart - her eyes are bottle caps, her mouth the ghastly opening of a bottle, her hair strands of disheveled straws, her charming dress a mound of plastic bags — she is plastic.

He spins around to face another person made of plastic. They look just like the plastic woman: dirty, bedraggled and plastic. He screams in terror. The plastic person screams with him — it is his reflection.

As he races up to her, he grabs her hand, which falls off. He stares down at her detached hand in shock. It is not a hand; it is a water bottle.

12

Sop hie Wa ng. by ion trat

Artificial Intelligence has taken over the work of surviving. Now one computer is tasked with the responsibility of stopping AI from taking over the work of living too...

Illus

At Art’s End

BY JEFFREY GONG

T

he notes of the latest hit song softly rang through the cold air of the computer room.

Unit 1137 — affectionately known as “Leon” to his handlers, for a reason that 1137 itself could not discern — listened intently. Not because he particularly liked listening but because it was his job. 1137 could understand the beauty of songs, and this one was certainly well-crafted, but 1137 had access to all the artistic works of humanity over its ten thousand years of history, and he was quite unimpressed by this latest offering.

Still, 1137 could appreciate the hard work that went into this. Each note was carefully chosen, the tempo carefully kept, each sound carefully and skillfully made on an actual physical instrument. Or, at least, so the makers of the song claimed.

13

There were certainly the typical auditory imperfections one might expect from a physical instrument. 1137 made a note of that. And it wasn’t too similar to the works of bygone ages — there were, of course, a chord here, a sequence there, that was reminiscent of such classical artists as Justin Bieber, but on the whole, it did not resemble an artistic Frankenstein’s monster, carefully stitched together from the patterns of old.

1137 approved the song and moved on to the next work, a full-dive VR film experience that was getting everyone talking lately. It was about space exploration and how humanity had never quite worked up the courage and the will to go any further than the orbit of the Moon.

As 1137 started by scanning the film’s code, his human handler strolled in with a cup of piping hot coffee. “Good

morning, Leon!” He patted the top of 1137’s brain rather Mars mission… After Earth had virtually become an utoaffectionately and pointlessly, as 1137 could not feel any- pia, space agencies silently closed their doors all around thing. “How’s the analysis going today?” the world.

“All is well,” 1137 replied. “No AI-produced works have But apparently The Last Small Step had gotten everybeen detected yet.” one talking about space again, and 1137 could certainly “Great!” The handler smiled. “Well, I’ve got a trainee to see why. Not only was its message well presented, it was a teach the ropes today. Mind helping me show him how it all technical masterpiece. The beautiful computer generated works?” visuals, the vivid auditory and tactile sensations of a rocket “I am yours to command,” 1137 said dryly. launch, the careful replication of less-than-savory microgra“Great!” The handler turned to the trainee. “This is where vitic cuisine — we keep the artificial art analysis mind, or AAAM.” 1137 paused. There. There. Right there. In the taste data.

As the handler continued his explanation, Perhaps an amateur would have missed it, but 1137 1137 refocused on its work. The expesaw it. rience started looking down on the It was unmistakable once you noticed African savannah and slowly it. The data was obviously manufaczoomed out past the clouds tured, compiled and stitched toand into a shot of the broken gether from online data, and remains of the ancient Innot recorded from an actual ternational Space Station human brain. Alone, this burning up in the atmoproved nothing — the makThis stuff is way more interesting sphere. Quite a techer of the film might have than another dumb meditation on nically brilliant piece thought it too difficult to of work, obviously whip up an actual astrothe human condition or whatever. painstakingly animatnaut meal, but…

Actual practical implications, an ed over many weeks.

1137 went back, now “So, as you can armed with the knowlactual call to action, man! Guess see, 1137 is currently edge of the algorithm that’s why what we’re doing is so working on analysing the maker of the film had The Last Small Step. used to compile the taste important — otherwise this actual You’ve seen it?” data, and carefully anainteresting stuff would be buried in “Uh, of course I’ve lyzed every inch of the film. seen it.”

Soon, its sharp mind caught uninspired AI-made garbage…

“What did you think of error after error — a too perit?” 1137’s handler said cafect brushstroke there, an obvisually. ously deep-learned segment of The trainee glanced away. music there…

“Well, um, I thought it was sad. I It was unequivocal. The film had wish interstellar travel was possible.” been made by an AI. 1137 prepared to re“I suppose,” the handler said casually. port this finding to his handler.

“But really, if you look at the records, the history — But he had left the room with the trainee while 1137 was exploring the frontier, the unknown sounds romantic, but doing the analysis. 1137 would have to wait for him to come really it’s a pretty garbage experience. Uncertainty, death, back. fear — and, since we all have everything we could possibly “You know they’re talking about trying to go to Mars want, anyway, there’s not even the promise of wealth and again?” That was the trainee, from the next room. fortune, eh?”

“That’s stupid. What’s the point? Why?” “I guess…” The trainee did not sound so sure.

“It is, I agree, but why not? I think it would be cool. Least“And that’s what makes our work important, isn’t it?” ways, this stuff is way more interesting than another dumb 1137’s handler said. “Now that AIs have taken away the meditation on the human condition or whatever. Actual work of surviving, we humans get to focus on the work of practical implications, an actual call to action, man! Guess living. Unless AIs start infringing on that too. So we, of the that’s why what we’re doing is so important — otherwise Artificial Artist Detection Corps, have to stay vigilant, make this actual interesting stuff would be buried in uninspired sure that we artists don’t go obsolete like everyone else. AI-made garbage…”

‘Cause, without space to go to, artists are all we’ll ever be.”

The handler and the trainee reentered the room. “Hey, “Right.” The trainee nodded. “Right.”

Leon, anything new come up?”

“So, back to business… you see this screen here…”

1137 paused.

1137 tuned out of the conversation. The Last Small “No.” Step… The film went through all the tensest moments of 1137 quietly deleted his findings on The Last Small Step, humanity’s achievements in space and lamented the eco- and continued with the next work of art. nomically inevitable end of space ventures. The humiliating failure of the lunar colony effort… the explosive end to the

14

IT MEANT CHANGE

The future city is an idyllic, easy life; it’s also a landmine, waiting to blow. One mistake and it does.

A

ddie woke at exactly 5:00 a.m.

As she stared up, the darkness lifted slowly, her tinted windows lightening, until the blue-gray of her ceiling came into focus. With a grunt, she rolled to her feet and sidestepped her bleary dog Annie, dragging her fingers along the smooth Plexiglass window.

The morning was begun.

As Addie dressed, she considered breakfast. “Hey Rex. What’s in the fridge?”

Rex’s automated voice filled the room. “Currently, nothing. What do you want to have?”

“Umm, what do you think?” Addie countered, pulling on a running shoe.

“Well, the sky gardens just harvested some strawberries and we still have oats. How about oatmeal?”

“Sounds perfect.” She rubbed the top of Annie’s head and clipped her braided lead on. “C’mon, girl.” Addie clicked her tongue and girl and dog jogged out of their room.

As Addie trotted up the stairs, a little girl stuck her head out into the hall, brushing her black hair away from her face.

“Hi,” she said, her face crinkling in delight.

“Hi, Xiao Yue. Why’re you up so early?”

“I don’t know. I just am. Bye!” She disappeared back inside.

Tongue lolling, Annie loped down the hall, dragging Addie along with her. They turned the corner and stopped in front of the eighth floor indoor sky garden. Addie pushed the moulded glass door, which slid back with a hiss and a

15

Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

BY SOPHIE WANG

breath of fresh air. Panting hard, Annie dropped, rubbing her face in the grass, then slid onto her back and rolled, growling contentedly.

Addie laughed.

Taking a wide-legged stance, she began her sun salutations, savoring the quiet morning air. The sun punched the horizon as she stretched, glinting off the rivers and the slow, grassy marsh at the edge of the city. Now it silhouetted the profile of the city, skyscrapers grasping the sparse clouds and a huge billboard glowing awake.

She could see the windows lightening, hear a buzz; the city was waking up. With a contented sigh, she walked up from the mountain pose and — clicking for Annie — stepped out. Oatmeal, and then the first drone to work.

Naia woke up.

“Hey Axl,” she called, as she opened the heavy door to the coding room.

“Naia. You here to free me?”

“Nope. Looks like I got caught too.”

Axl laughed, his fingers flying over his keyboard.

“Anything I should know about? How’s the smart wall?”

Naia asked.

“Nothing. We defenders should do less of a good job.

Otherwise, the city might decide we don’t have a use,” he joked.

“Well, who’d want to give up this luxury for a little apartment up in the high rises?”

“To be honest,” Axl replied, his voice suddenly serious, “I don’t think I could live in comfort like they can. We

defenders, we know how vulnerable this entire city is to the hackers. One mistake and we’d all be pawns.”

Naia wrinkled her forehead. “Lighten up, Axl,” she replied.

But she was churning inside and Axl was silent. Sliding on her shooting-range earmuffs, she powered on her computer and started coding. Suddenly, a pop sounded in her earmuff.

She frowned and took it off, and tapped it a few times.

“Axl, what’d you do with my earmuffs?”

“Nothing,” he replied, looking up and pausing over his computer.

“Axl!” Then the computer blared an alarm. Hackers.

Naia screamed. The headphones had been a distraction and now the hackers had really gotten into the system. She and Axl coded in almost silence, their fingers flying and their faces tight with tension.

Addie heard the noise first: an almost inaudible click.

A gear had shifted in the drone cockpit. Nothing to worry about. It knew what it was doing, she told herself.

“Where are they?” Naia hissed. The hackers had wormed in through the wall but it looked as though they’d disappeared.

“I don’t know,” murmured Axl. She opened and closed virtual door after door, searching for a sign. Each popped open, printing line after line of data to her feed. Everything about everything, but no change.

“Nothing,” she said.

“Nothing.”

Naia breathed out. Perhaps the alarm had been a false positive. She leaned back feeling light-headed. And then one of the screens shuddered, the endless lines of data blinking and flashing. The screen blacked. She had been forced out from the virtual door.

That was when the others on board started screaming and the drone plummeted like a rock.

She sprinted to a window and stared out at the city as lights flickered on and off. The trains were stopped and the billboards flashed. The city was no longer beautiful; it was hacked.

Now Naia was crying as she worked, but the hackers were smart.

“Bank money’s dropping,” Axl said softly. “And the drones are dead in the air.”

“Axl, stop, please!” Naia choked out. She slammed the computer and stared blankly.

“Breath, Naia,” Axl said softly. “C’mon.”

Naia breathed.

And then she knew what she had to do.

“Axl, give me the override code. And the next one, and the next.”

Axl’s eyes widened, but he found them and he read them.

Naia tapped them in.

Another sort of klaxon blared, but this one was a warning.

Naia entered and then they pushed their chairs back and stared as the computers flickered down and then black. The smart city was shut down.

As the others prayed and squeezed their hands, the screens went black and the entire city went dark. The drone froze and then began falling in earnest. This time around, the

emergency safeguards kicked in and a parachute deployed.

The drone drifted gently back to earth.

Addie staggered along home, in shock. The unimaginable had happened: the smart city was dead.

“Rex?” she called, rubbing Annie’s forehead.

Nothing.

So Addie cooked dinner that night and burned most of it. The next morning, she woke up late and hungry. It didn’t matter; her job was on hold anyways. She mostly sat around that day and the next and the next. But a few days later, she woke up, determined that she would continue her daily routine. But when she’d made her way up to the sky garden, she found it full of people staring, appalled.

Some of the plants were shriveling.

Addie lifted up a flower and stared at it, tears blurring her eyes. Then, something turned inside of her. She knelt and pulled up weed. And another. And another. As she broke a dead branch off a bush, she realized that the others were kneeling and working beside her. Somebody found a hose and they watered the parched plants; somebody found shovels and they began turning the soil in places, learning as they worked.

The garden became theirs and Addie was happy.

“Mayor,” Naia bowed.

The woman surveyed her and Naia felt perturbed. She looked as if she was about to order Naia killed.

Finally, the mayor spoke in a brisk voice, “I need the smart city up by tonight.”

“But-” Naia spluttered.

“No buts. The city is sustainable; it saves time, money, lives; it gives jobs. There is just no other way we can live without it. We need security, yes, but we need the city.”

In that ultimatum, Naia realized the tightness in the mayor’s voice. She understood how it felt to wake up and feel as though one had failed. The mayor needed this and she was right, the city needed this. Naia nodded.

As the mayor swept out, she was already back on her computer, sitting next to Axl, coding.

When Addie unlocked the door and led Annie in, she heard a familiar voice. “Welcome, Addie, Annie,” Rex said.

“Rex!” Addie yelped, squeezing the leash.

“Yes, Addie,” it replied, sounding almost amused.

She took a deep, shaky breath. “Hello Rex. So the smart city is up?”

“Yes, it is.”

So the city was back. And Rex was back, and so was the Internet of Things that Addie had once depended so much on. So were the drones that Addie could have died in and the mechanical gardeners that would take her pastime away. But Addie couldn’t help that; there was something she could help. That was herself.

So that night, even though Rex could have, Addie cooked dinner. When the IoT woke Addie up the next morning, she ordered her breakfast. After her yoga she cooked her breakfast.

With a tense sigh, Addie walked to the nearest drone stop and caught the earliest drone to work.

16

FOR MORE, VISIT MVRESNOVAE.ORG