please help me critique my 2 essays. Only two days until MCAT.

[Sebriz]

I know like hundreds of people will look at this post so please help me even if its for just one. I don't need an indept criticism, even a sentence of your thoughts would do

 

this is my 3rd attempt at doing a WS so I really am looking for what I need to improve on.

 

 

Scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses rather than to refute them.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a scientist might seek to refute a theory or hypothesis rather than to confirm it. Discuss what you think determines when scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses and when they should seek to refute them.

 

Science is an understanding of nature and some utilize this understanding for the manipulation of science for the greater good. Scientists develop hypotheses in order to apply their understanding of knowledge for a further understanding of science. The statement "Scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses rather than to refute them" means that scientists should only try to confirm scientific theories and ideas instead of trying to disprove them. It is a more efficient use of time to help a fellow scientist confirm their theories instead of refuting them. If a scientist with a theory for developing a vaccine for aids was only met with reasons the vaccine would not work, this would be less benificial for society then scientists that help try to confirm the idea of the vaccine.

 

On the other hand, only trying to confirm theories could actually lead to more problems and even danger. In the past their was a company that marketed a drug called thalidomide to pregnant females that would help reduce nausea. The drug did help to reduce nausea but their were actually two forms of the drug that were created during its synthesis, one that was safe and reduced nausea and another that reduced nausea but also caused birth defects in unborn fetuses. If scientists only spent time confirming that this drug helped to reduce nausea, they would prove that it does but this would do nothing about the other side effect for one of the forms that included birth defects.

 

It is that understanding of nature and the quest for the greater good that drives science. A balance must be found for when scientists should seek to confirm theories and hypotheses and when they should try to refute them. If a certain idea or theory could potentially lead to danger and risk of life, then scientists must try to refute the claim in order to maintain the safety of a society. If ideas are harmless and lead to only good things then they should help try to confirm them as no harm can come and overall utility is maximized. It is also through attempting confirmation that confirmation is achieved and science is furthered and so is our understanding of nature.

In a country that fosters freedom of speech, the expression of ideas should never be censored.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which the expression of an idea should be censored, even in a free society. Discuss what you think determines whether an idea should be permitted expression.

 

In a country that allows freedom of speech, citizens have the right to express their ideas. The statement means that to live in a country that has freedom of speech its citizens should never need to censor their ideas and be free to express what they wish. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela expressed his ideas that apartheid was wrong that that the dutch should give the South Africans back their land and ownership of their country. It is through Mandelas free expression that he did end up in jail because even though there was freedom of speech their, anti-aparthaid groups were illegal. But yet, it was through his actions and words that inspired a nation and eventually he was freed from imprisonment. If he would have censored his ideas that South Africa may still be in apartheid today. It is freedom of speech that allows the ideas of their people to be free and to need to censor ideas would not align with the concept of freedom other then when it results in negativity.

 

Sometimes freedom of speech results in more problems then good if the ideas are not censored. In a Canadian city, Saskatoon, a prominent native american leader and politician made hateful comments about jewish people and said that Hitler was right in wanting to exterminate them. This recieved national attention and resulted in the loss of his job. This leader did not censor the expression of ideas and ended up in the middle of a controversy and lost his way to make money for his family. It is when the expression of ideas result in harm to ones self or others that they should be censored. In Europe there was an author who made a book insulting the Prophet Mohammed of the muslim people which resulted in death threats and even a religious leader placing a fatwah on his head encouraging his murder. This author expressed his ideas and all that was accomplished was the insulting of the muslim people and the risking of his life.

 

A question must be asked now, when is it right to censor the expression of ideas even in a country with freedom of speech? The answer is that if the ideas expressed would be found insulting to a certain group of people or would result in risk to the person who had the idea's life, it is better to be kept in unless more good then harm could be achieved. Otherwise it should always be acceptable to express ones ideas. Nelson Mandella may have offended the dutch in making his statements and did risk his life through imprisonment but ultimately more good was achieved by what he did. In order to truly be free, ideas should not be censored as long as they do not interfere with the rights of other people. A balance must be found between what should be expressed and what should be kept private because the freedom of all people must be protected.

[PastaInhaler]

I know like hundreds of people will look at this post so please help me even if its for just one. I don't need an indept criticism, even a sentence of your thoughts would do

 

this is my 3rd attempt at doing a WS so I really am looking for what I need to improve on.

 

 

Scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses rather than to refute them.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a scientist might seek to refute a theory or hypothesis rather than to confirm it. Discuss what you think determines when scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses and when they should seek to refute them.

 

Science is an understanding of nature and some utilize this understanding for the manipulation of science for the greater good. Scientists develop hypotheses in order to apply their understanding of knowledge for a further understanding of science. The statement "Scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses rather than to refute them" means that scientists should only try to confirm scientific theories and ideas instead of trying to disprove them. It is a more efficient use of time to help a fellow scientist confirm their theories instead of refuting them. If a scientist with a theory for developing a vaccine for aids was only met with reasons the vaccine would not work, this would be less benificial for society then scientists that help try to confirm the idea of the vaccine.

 

On the other hand, only trying to confirm theories could actually lead to more problems and even danger. In the past their was a company that marketed a drug called thalidomide to pregnant females that would help reduce nausea. The drug did help to reduce nausea but their were actually two forms of the drug that were created during its synthesis, one that was safe and reduced nausea and another that reduced nausea but also caused birth defects in unborn fetuses. If scientists only spent time confirming that this drug helped to reduce nausea, they would prove that it does but this would do nothing about the other side effect for one of the forms that included birth defects.

 

It is that understanding of nature and the quest for the greater good that drives science. A balance must be found for when scientists should seek to confirm theories and hypotheses and when they should try to refute them. If a certain idea or theory could potentially lead to danger and risk of life, then scientists must try to refute the claim in order to maintain the safety of a society. If ideas are harmless and lead to only good things then they should help try to confirm them as no harm can come and overall utility is maximized. It is also through attempting confirmation that confirmation is achieved and science is furthered and so is our understanding of nature.

 

The first paragraph starts with some confusing definitions of science. I think what you really want to express is that science is a vehicle for understanding nature.

 

Task one accomplished well in paraphrasing the meaning of the statement. Yet, the argument tends to focus more on the drawbacks of not confirming theories, rather than the benefits of confirming theories. In this way, you have distorted the task.

 

For the second task, you have an okay example. Yet, you tend to focus on why confirming a theory is bad rather than focusing on why refuting theories is good (or better than confirming a theory). In this way you have distorted the task as well.

 

Third task was okay.

 

2.5/6

 

Grammatical and spelling errors detract a little bit from you expressing your ideas.

[HBP]

Only two days till your MCAT? You didn't think this would be a problem ahead of time?

 

Many of your sentences aren't proper ("If he would have censored his ideas that South Africa may still be in apartheid today").

 

Read this: http://www.wikihow.com/Use-There,-Their-and-They%27re

 

And this: http://www.wikipremed.com/mcat_essay.php

 

"The statement "Scientists should seek to confirm theories or hypotheses rather than to refute them" means that scientists should only try to confirm scientific theories and ideas instead of trying to disprove them." Very inefficient way to explain the meaning of the statement. This is not elementary school.

[future_doc]

Freedom of speech and censorship:

 

I ndo not know that putting one's own life at risk is a factor, rather it is putting at risk civil society and promoting hatred, violence and death of others. A current and topical issue is those who stir up youth to commit terrorism by suicide bombing or other means and the youth so affected. I submit the world would be a better place if these people do harm to themselves only.

 

You refer to a place as 'their' wen you meant 'there'.

 

"If he would have censored his ideas that South Afrcia", you mesnt "then" and not "that".

 

"more problems then good" - you meant "than" and not "then".

 

Who really cares that this guy lost his job for spewing hatred, this is mere collateral damage that is deserved and not worthy of attention I believe. I do not know that it helps you develop an argument. He favoured extermination of a people and you simply refer to them as "others", reallly focusing on the harm to himself b ylosing money. You are lacking both depth and perspective in your argument that is ill-prepared and misses the point.

 

HYour concluding paragraph refers to insulting a group or harming oneself. And again, you confuse "then" and "than".

[mwoldey]

Don't be so harsh HBP!

 

Sebriz, don't get discouraged...I know someone who started practicing three days before the test and walked out with an R. That being said, you have a LOT of work to do! practice your butt off! You still have a chance of getting a decent score if you practice hard these two days. Good luck

[Sebriz]

Hey thank you all for your help! Negative criticism is very helpful because it inspires me to work harder and mwoldey thank you for your positive motivation I have 12 hours to the test now so am just going to practice writing! thanks again