Scribd
Upload
49 views18 pages

Unit 1 - Science and Computers

The document is about Unit 1 of an English oral skills course given in 2022 by Professor Rocío Holgado. Unit 1 focuses on the topics of science and computers. It includes two video presentations for students to watch - "Why do our bodies age?" by Monica Menesini, and "Can robots be creative?" by Gil Weinberg. After each video, there are comprehension questions for students to answer about the key points and concepts discussed in the presentations.

Uploaded by

Rocio Fernández
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
49 views18 pages

Unit 1 - Science and Computers

The document is about Unit 1 of an English oral skills course given in 2022 by Professor Rocío Holgado. Unit 1 focuses on the topics of science and computers. It includes two video presentations for students to watch - "Why do our bodies age?" by Monica Menesini, and "Can robots be creative?" by Gil Weinberg. After each video, there are comprehension questions for students to answer about the key points and concepts discussed in the presentations.

Uploaded by

Rocio Fernández
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 18

Instituto Superior de Formación Docente y

Técnica N° 10

- Profesorado de Inglés -

Curso de Formación Básica


Área: Oralidad

- 2022 -

Prof. Rocío Holgado

- Unit 1 -

1
Unit 1: Science and Computers

2
Why do our bodies age? - Monica Menesini

Before watching the video “Why do our bodies age?” by Monica Menesini, discuss: Human
bodies aren’t built for extreme aging: our capacity is set at about 90 years. But what does aging
really mean, and how does it counteract the body’s efforts to stay alive?

Watch the video. Then, choose the correct option.

1. Aging can be defined as:


a. change caused by the environment.
b. changes in the structure and function of molecules and cells.
c. failure of the organism.
d. genetic damage.

2. DNA lesions involved in aging:


a. are mainly caused by pollutants in the environment.
b. occur only during cell replication.
c. can accumulate during a lifetime.
d. take place only in the nucleus.

3. Epigenetic changes:
a. are due to poor quality control mechanisms.
b. cause changes in gene sequences.
c. cause a decline of cellular regenerative potential.
d. can influence how genes are expressed at different ages.

4. The accumulation of toxic substances involved in aging:


a. is a consequence of Alzheimer disease.
b. is mainly due to a change in the shape of proteins.
c. is due to incorrect food intake.
d. is due to a decrease of the number of stem cells.

5. Cellular senescence:
a. is a process that can contrast tumor growth.
b. causes an increase in cell numbers.
c. increases the length of a cell’s lifecycle.
d. is due to incorrect cellular communication.

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Can robots be creative? – Gil Weinberg

Before watching the video “Can robots be creative?” by Gil Weinberg, discuss: People have
been grappling with the question of artificial creativity -- alongside the question of artificial
intelligence -- for over 170 years. For instance, could we program machines to create high quality
original music? And if we do, is it the machine or the programmer that exhibits creativity?

Watch the video and answer:

1. Who was Lady Ada Lovelace and what was her contribution to computer science?
2. How do genetic algorithms work?
3. Why do researchers use evolutionary algorithms in an effort to develop creative robots?
4. According to Lady Ada Lovelace:
a. Machines could never be as intelligent as humans.
b. Machines must be able to create original ideas that they were not programmed to create
if they are to be considered intelligent.
c. Machines could be considered intelligent if they exhibit intelligent behavior
indistinguishable from that of a human
d. Creative machines will take over the world.
5. To pass the Lovelace Test a machine should:
a. Use computational methods to generate outcomes that would be impossible, or very
difficult for humans to reverse engineer.
b. Fool people into thinking it is a human rather than a machine.
c. Answer correctly a set of 170 questions about creativity.
d. Use computational methods to become more creative than humans.
6. Name a computational approach that could lead to outcomes that would be impossible, or
very difficult for humans to track.
a. Genetic algorithms.
b. Chaotic functions.
c. Fuzzy logic.
d. All of the above.
7. Researchers have used genetic algorithms in an effort to build creative robots since genetic
algorithms:
a. Utilize randomness and complexity that leads to original outcome that is impossible, or
very difficult, for humans to reverse engineer.

17
b. Introduce human aesthetics into the computational methods in order to create outcomes
that would be perceived by humans as beautiful, meaningful, and/or valuable.
c. Utilize evolutionary methods that could evolve robots to become smarter and more
creative than humans.
d. 1 and 2 above are both correct.
8. The more generations of mutations and crossbreeding we will add to the musical genetic
algorithm described in the video, then:
a. The more beautiful the resulting melodies will become.
b. The less beautiful the resulting melodies will become.
c. The less similar the resulting melodies will become to the fitness function melody.
d. The more similar the resulting melodies will become to the fitness function melody up to a
point where each one of the resulting melodies will be identical to the fitness function melody.

18

You might also like