“Are Some Types of Knowledge More Useful than Others?”
I chose the prompt “Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?” because I believe it is true and crucial to optimize beneficial knowledge to get by in the everyday operations of life. There is specific knowledge that can benefit everyone and then there is knowledge that is only beneficial depending on the context.
Object 1: Calculator
For my first object, I chose a calculator. Deciding on whether knowing how to use a calculator is useful, depends on the context of the situation. For example, a student in a mathematics class would most likely need a calculator. When numbers get too big to handle mentally, it would be smart to use a calculator to get the answer efficiently. On the other hand, if there is an adult who has a job that never needs to use complex equations that need a calculator, then why would he need to know that? Most functions on the calculator will most likely not benefit the average person unless their job has to deal with that specific area of knowledge. This example can be argued by saying that everyone needs to be able to know how to work a calculator since they will most likely need to use one at some point in their life, whether it is financial, business-related, or some other type of knowledge requiring math. It all depends on the context of the situation.
Understanding how math formulas work and why they are used is more important than relying on a calculator. Take the scientific or engineering field, they don’t just need to use the calculator but understand the theories applied behind them. Deep knowledge makes sure that it is a tool and not just trusting the answer without the context. This leads to the argument of calculators being efficient versus dependent. Although using calculators saves time and reduces errors, relying on them too much without a good understanding could lead to the inability to solve problems, which can be a disadvantage in certain situations.
Object 2: Car
For my next object, I chose a car. Cars are a necessity to learn since the majority of people have a car or plan on getting one. Knowing how to operate a car by understanding the dashboard, how to fuel it, and drive it is essential for anyone who has a car. Understanding basic car maintenance such as having their tires changed, oil levels checked, and recognizing what warning signs mean are all valuable information as well. It helps the driver become independent and be able to fix the problem themselves to possibly save money from going to a mechanic. Basic knowledge of the car is important to make sure the car is operating properly and safely. However, it's possible to argue this can’t be applied to those who live in big cities where they most likely don’t own their own car and use public transportation systems instead.
Then, there is more specialized knowledge about cars like how the engine works, specifics of car repair, transmission, braking system, etc. which is more suited for someone who wants to go into a mechanical field. So, more advanced knowledge of engineering and repair of cars is not considered useful to everyone around the world. Next, is knowledge about electric cars. EVs are becoming more and more prominent in today’s world to help the environment and will one day likely surpass combustion engine cars. For right now, most cars are still combustion engines so it is not crucial knowledge to know how the batteries and other features in the EVs work unless someone has one. Learning about how to operate an EV is not very complicated either. It is nice to know how they function and take care of them since more are being produced and are becoming more common. Research on the impacts of cars is important to optimize their effect on climate change, pollution, and safety as technology progresses.
Object 3: Phone
For my final object, I chose a phone. I would consider this a necessity to know in today's world. Everything in the modern world revolves around technology and phones are arguably the pinnacle of it. Phones are crucial for most tasks involving technology every day. They can make calls, send messages and emails, and have features like alarms, calendars, and navigation which most people in the world need to do. They help with businesses as well by being able to use apps to send money to whoever they need and promoting themselves. On top of that, information of all kinds is available to anyone who has a phone. I would also consider knowledge like troubleshooting, restarting the phone, clearing storage, and updating operating systems as basics as well to keep the phone’s performance in check. One of the most important areas of knowledge that everyone should know is how they affect society. They influence communication habits, behavior, and even politics. Knowing how to prevent and mitigate issues caused by technology like developing an addiction, mental health, and privacy issues is essential to optimize health especially since health concerns are growing amongst the younger generation which happens to use electronics almost every day.
Understanding how to work the security and privacy of a phone is very important to keep our personal information safe. Things like setting strong passwords and using encryptions are crucial to protect information as cybercrime is more relevant than ever. Knowledge of trends and features in smartphones can be very useful for phone companies to compete and enhance the user’s experience as well. It all depends on the context when deciding if one form of knowledge is more important than another.