BUS225 - Project Two

Project One: Executive Summary

Project One: Executive Summary

Problem:

The United States automotive industry suffers from a severe lack of environmentally friendly vehicle options that can a): reduce emissions and b): travel in a fuel-efficient way (Garsten, E, 2021). This is a major issue as our society finds itself at cross-roads between fossil fuels and clean energy; diversifying into the Hybrid & Electric Manufacturing Industry not only innovates our existing offers; but also gives new, and more sustainable options to an ever-growing environmentally conscious consumer base (Martins, A, 2024). In order to support our diversification strategy, I will be using both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data such as gas milage, energy usage, revenue and vehicle production cost will be the primary contribution to this presentation. But qualitative data, like consumer feedback, and preferences will also play a significant role in our diversification strategy, especially as consumer behavior is greatly impacted by strong consumer service and satisfaction policies.

Automotive Manufacturing Industry:

The United States automotive industry saw "low consumer confidence and low business sentiment" (IBIS World, 2024) during the COVID-19 pandemic that discouraged consumer behavior, reducing the automotive revenue by -13.6% in 2020 (IBIS World, 2024). Later seeing revenue growth of 6.9% in 2022, stagnating out at less than 1% growth in 2023 and 2024, expected to see further stagnation in coming years. Currently value of the industry, as measured through over-all revenue is $41.5bn (IBIS World, 2024). There are three large "automotive hubs" in the United States; the biggest of which is located in the Great Lakes region, most notably the state of Michigan. The Great Lakes region amounting to 25.99% of establishments, holds many of the largest U.S automotive manufacturers including the General Motors Company (GM and Ford Motor Company (Ford). The second largest-hub is the Southeast U.S amounting to 23.07% of automotive manufacturers. Lastly the third major hub is the Western states, amounting to 17.2% of all establishments. Alternative and environmentally-friendly vehicles have steadily grown in demand, reaching 13.80 million electric cars in 2023 (Our World in Data, 2024). Additionally, U.S car demand varies dramatically depending on segment or model, with Crossover holding the largest share of 45.1% in Jun, 2022. Pickups at 19.3% and small cars at 7.1% (Carlier M, Statista, 2022).

Purchasing trends in the U.S automotive industry has been towards Crossover's, Pickups and small Cars. New Gasoline engines make up 59.9% of new car sales or $24.9bn in revenue, while automotive parts make up 29.1% of revenue for the industry or $12.1bn. Numerous auto-parts like pistons make up 7.6% or $3.2bn while rebuilt gasoline engines make up 3.4% or $1.4bn (IBS World, 2024). Hybrid and Electric vehicles have seen a "booming rise" in sales in 2024; with Hybrids growing by 50% in sales during the first two months of 2024 alone (Carter, T, 2024).

New Industry:

Major products of the Hybrid & Electric Manufacturing industry are very similar to that of the classic Automotive industry in the United States. The industry saw 36.2 % growth from 2019 to 2024, and is expected to see 9.7% growth from 2024 to 2029 (IBS World 2, 2024), signaling huge potential for further growth. As consumers become more and more environmentally-conscious, it is expected that'll influence the market leading to further growth. With 269 establishments, the main competitors are Tesla, Inc, with 34.1% market share, Ford Motor Company with 5.4% market share. Additionally, Honda, Toyota and General Motors have also entered the industry with smaller shares of the overall market (IBS World 2, 2024).

Revenue totaling $122.1bn, 55.8% is in Hybrid-Electric vehicles, while $39.2bn or 32.1% is in Electric vehicles, additionally $14.8bn or 12.1% is in Plug-in Electric vehicles (IBS World 2, 2024).  Totaling 269 establishments, the Hybrid & Electric Vehicle industry is rapidly expanding, with three major manufacturing hubs. The largest of which is the Great Lakes sector, with 33.6% of establishing, coming in second is the Western states with 25.5%. Coming in a close third is the Southeast with 24.1% of establishments.

With today's consumer-base becoming more conscious and discerning in their purchasing behavior (ONIO, 2024). it is more important than ever for our industry to monopolize and be reactive. Expanding into the Hybrid & Electric Vehicle industry is promising, both in terms of growth and attracting new, more environmentally-conscious consumers.

Almost 14 million new electric vehicles were registered in 2023(IEA, 2024); of those, the Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) have grown significantly as a market percentage(IBS World 2, 2024). Indicating that consumer-demand has increased in recent years; and is very likely to increase even more. Public and private charging ports have trended positively in recent years; seeing an increase of 7.7% in Quarter 3 of 2023 and 4.6% in Quarter 1 of 2024 (Alternative Fuels Data Center).

Porter’s Five Forces Analysis of the New and Automotive Industry:

	New Industry	Automotive Manufacturing Industry
Rivalry Among Existing Competitors	Conducting an analysis using Porter's Five Forces; we can determine that the market of Hybrid & Electric Vehicle manufacturing is very promising. Although the market is highly competitive with four strongly-established companies that hold 47.4% of the entre market share in 2024 (IBS World 2, 2024). The largest market holder is Tesla, Inc, which has recently lost it's majority share of the market, falling under 50% (Energy News US, 2024). While the other major competitors of General Motors, Ford, Hyundai and Kia have gained market share.	There is a high-level of competitiveness in our current market; there are dozens of larger-companies that supply gas-powered automotive engines and parts; which has increased the options and competitiveness of the market. Additionally services like complimentary road-side assistance or wireless startup has been one of the main areas of competition to attract new consumers.
Threats of New Entrants	The "Threat of New Entrants" is low; given that the barriers to entry for the market are High, due to numerous reasons. Most notably is the legal and regulatory requirements faced by automotive makers in the Hybrid & Electric market, including regulations involving fuel efficiency and vehicle safety (IBS World 2, 2024). Additionally new start-ups face significant hurdles due to the number of already-established automotive companies in the market, leading to reduced cash-flow for startups and lack of funding opportunities.	There are high barriers to entry for new companies and startups due to the same legal and financial factors presented in the Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Manufacturing market.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers	The bargaining power of suppliers is low; due to the wide-availability of automotive parts and the ease of gaining access due to the larger automotive industry here in the United States. Additionally, the large international market for automotive industry allows companies to leverage the market for better prices (IBS World 2, 2024).	The bargaining power of suppliers in the automotive manufacturing industry is moderate because of the wide-range of available suppliers and the globalized market offering alternatives for manufacturers to choose from. Although recent supply-chain disruptions like the Russian Invasion of Ukraine or the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the steel supply, leading to increased bargaining power for suppliers (IBS World, 2024).
Threat of Substitute Products	The Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Manufacturing market has a moderate threat of substitute products. Natural-gas cars are similar to hybrid and electric vehicles, and still have significant popularity and market share, which is the biggest substitution threat to this market. But given we are already in the automotive market, this shouldn't pose a big risk to our operations.	There is a high threat of substitutions due to the number of companies present in the automotive industry, giving consumers many options to choose from to find the best-price possible. Additionally; similar products like motorcycle, public transportation and electric vehicles have been a big risk to the market, causing the popularity of gas-powered automobiles to drop.
Bargaining Power of Buyers	The bargaining power of buyers is high in this market; given the rapidly-increasing popularity of the market; there are numerous options for buyers to purchase from which gives them options to attain the best prices possible. Additionally; due to the threat of substitutions in the regular automotive industry, it gives even greater bargaining power to consumers.	The bargaining power of buyers is very high and continues to increase due to a shift-towards environmentally-conscious thinking, leading to an increase in popularity of Hybrid & Electric vehicles, along with other substitutions, causing companies to sell their products for lower prices.

Comparison of the Industries:

After conducting my Porter's Five Forces analyses, I can determine that the two industries are fundamentally similar because they both set-out to solve the same issue, and that is transportation; albeit in different ways. The automotive industry uses traditionally gas-powered engines while the Hybrid & Electric industry using more environmentally-friendly alternatives. Both industry have a high-level of competitiveness due to the existence of many large competitors pushing for greater market control. While the barriers to new entrants is also high in each industry to the similar regulatory, legal and financial implications of entering the market. The supplier bargaining power is similar but different for the industries. Additionally; because of the rise of alternative choices like Electric vehicles, the threat of substitutions is high for our current industry, but only moderate for the electric vehicle market.

Summary of Findings:

The problem we are trying to solve is fundamental to the current automotive industry: a rise of consumer environmental concern has led to decreased sales in the gas-powered automotive market. My findings address the problem by evaluating and analyzing the current state of the Hybrid & Electric Vehicles market, along with the barriers for our entrance into it. By diversifying into the industry, we can capture the lost consumers that are opting to buy more environmentally-friendly options, as well as solidify our market share on the existing gas-powered market.

Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Chart—New Industry:

Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Chart—Automotive Manufacturing Industry:

References:

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends. (n.d.). Afdc.energy.gov. https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity-infrastructure-trends ‌

Carlier, M. (2022, July 21). U.S. car market: by vehicle type 2019 | Statista. Statista; Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/276506/change-in-us-car-demand-by-vehicle-type/

Carter, T. (2024, May 11). Hybrid sales are booming — here’s why drivers are buying them over EVs. Business Insider; Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrids-sales-booming-why-drivers-are-buying-them-over-evs-2024-5 ‌

Tesla loses U.S. market dominance as EV makers catch up | Energy News Network. (2024, July 10). Energy News Network; ENN. https://energynews.us/newsletter/tesla-loses-u-s-market-dominance-as-ev-makers-catch-up/ ‌

Garsten, E. (n.d.). Study Reveals Automakers Not Using Sustainability To Competitive Advantage. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/edgarsten/2021/04/13/study-reveals-automakers-not-using-sustainability-to-competitive-advantage/ ‌

IBIS World. (2024). Automobile Engine & Parts Manufacturing in the US. Retrieved from https://www.ibisworld.com/

IBIS World 2. (2024). Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Manufacturing in the US. Retrieved from https://my.ibisworld.com/us/en/industry-specialized/OD4516/products-and-markets

IEA. (2024). Trends in electric cars. IEA. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/trends-in-electric-cars ‌

Martins, A. (2024, March 28). Most consumers want sustainable products and packaging. Business News Daily. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15087-consumers-want-sustainable-products.html ‌

Number of new cars sold, by type. (2024). Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/car-sales ‌

ONiO. (2024, February 15). The Rise of the Eco-Conscious Consumer | ONiO. Www.onio.com. https://www.onio.com/article/rise-of-eco-conscious-consumer.html

Soomo Learning. (2020). Critical business skills for success. https://www.webtexts.com

ENG-190 Project

Shanon Beck 

Southern New Hampshire University 

Research and Persuasion 

Professor Foster 

June 18th, 2024 

ENG 190 Project 7-1

Project Part One: Collection of Sources

The purpose of my research is to investigate the benefits of an arts education for students and how it impacts one’s intellectual and emotional development. I am highly interested in this topic because I feel that an education in the humanities is vital for the development of one’s emotional intelligence, as well as reinforcing the critical thinking skills required in other more-academic topics. This research will allow me to find a balanced and well-versed answer to a common argument about whether we should fund the arts in public schools, or not.

My research question for this project is “How can a well-funded arts education program affect intellectual growth and creativity in education?”, there are many potential answers to this question, but my potential answer to this question is as follows. Based on my research, provided a well-funded arts education to students is important because it allows them to develop emotional and social intelligence, as well as refine their critical thinking skills to do better in other courses, ultimately developing them into a more refined and well-rounded adult.

During this research process, I will use a variety of sources, including sources from art teachers and academic institutions which will undoubtedly have biases of their own, due to pre-existing opinions on the matter; but these institutions are also some of the most respected institutions when it comes to education and the intellectual development of students. Additionally, I would like to use sources that reflect on the opposing arguments against arts education and public funding for it, in order to better understand the conversation as a whole. These diverse perspectives will allow me to not only answer my research question, but also have a wide range of understanding of the topic at-hand and related topics. Additionally, examining a diverse range of perspectives will also allow me to understand how this argument is seen by other cultures and countries than my own.

Source #1

I chose “The Benefits of Arts Education for K-12 Students” because of its focus on the academic benefits of an arts education, especially in its section titled “Bolster Academic Achievement” where it explains the scientifically shown academic achievement achieved by students who’ve received an education in the humanities, as well as the cognitive benefits that impact a developing mind. I believe this source is credible because it backs its data up with peer-review studies and reliable research, as well as experts from the field.

Warner, A. (2022, August 22). The Benefits of Arts Education for K-12 Students [Review of The Benefits of Arts Education for K-12 Students]. US News. https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/the-benefits-of-arts-education-for-k-12-students

Source #2

I chose this source “The Relationship of Art and Music Education with Adolescents’ Humor Styles and Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills” because it represents an academic perspective of the benefits of an education in the humanities; highlighting a distinct connection between a suitable arts education and a child developing a positive sense of humor, and well-developed social skills, as well as more refined problem-solving skills. The only concern I have with this source is that it uses a relatively small sample-size, which could indicate selection biases.

Didin, E., & Koksal Akyol, A. (2017). The Relationship of Art and Music Education with Adolescents’ Humor Styles and Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1232386

Source #3

I chose the source “Delineating the Benefits of Arts Education for Children’s Socioemotional Development”; because it overviews the many benefits of an arts education on a child’s development. I believe this article provides immense support for my research question because it goes through the benefits in a thorough manner. I believe it is credible because it was released through a credible scientific journal.

Holochwost, S. J., Goldstein, T. R., & Wolf, D. P. (2021, May 12). Delineating the Benefits of Arts Education for Children’s Socioemotional Development [Review of Delineating the Benefits of Arts Education for Children’s Socioemotional Development]. Frontiers; Front. Psychol. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624712/full

Source #4

I chose “Back to School with Arts Education” because it’s a highly credible sources presented by the National Endowment for the Arts, discussing the importance and benefits of an arts education, but more importantly… It’s a large source of information related to the arts and funding efforts made by the U.S government and can be incredibly important for my research to answer my research question.

Back to School with Arts Education. (n.d.). Www.arts.gov. https://www.arts.gov/back-school-arts-education

7-1 Project Part Two: Persuasive Essay With Research

The importance of an arts education has been a debate for generations; with the arguments in-favor of it being expansive; including that students who received an education in the arts show a higher level of critical thinking skills, a more positive social relationship with others and much more healthy ways to express their emotions and creativity. To address the issue of an arts education; the Unted States government must ensure that enough public funding is available to ensure that schools have the means necessary to implement a well-rounded arts-based programs. I am arguing that public funding for arts education should be increased due to the academic, social and emotional benefits it brings to a child’s development. From refining a student’s critical thinking skills, to expanding their creativity, and giving student’s healthy outlets for their emotional well-being.

Increased Academic Performance & Creativity

An education in the humanities will lead to increased performance in other academic subjects and a more expansive sense of creativity. According to Andrew Warner it is imperative that we consider the academic benefits of an arts education if we wish to ensure the healthy and balanced development of students. (Warner, 2022) Some may say that an education in the arts will reduce the focus on academic subjects like Algebra or Natural Science, reducing overall academic achievement. But the opposite has been shown to be true, a 2005 study on the impact of a comprehensive arts education in Columbus, Ohio public schools revealed that students who received an education in the arts actually scored better on statewide math, science and citizenship tests. (Warner, 2022). Additionally, it has been shown that an arts education improves the overall critical thinking skills and sharpness of students.

Healthier Social Relationships

It’s a common argument in today’s world that young people do not socialize enough or get enough time away from the internet and technology. Which isn’t entirely relevant but at the same time it is, education in the humanities introduces students to a wide range of creative outlets and activities. According to Elifcan Didin and Aysel Koksal Akyol, an education in the arts has been shown to create more distinctive and healthy social relationships between peers. (Didin, & Koksal, 2017) Which some may argue that social interaction and relationships aren’t as important as academia and studies, but healthy relationships are the cornerstone of emotional well-being and development. It is imperative that we secure good and well funding for education in the arts to ensure that students have a well-rounded academic and social development.

Healthier Emotional Outlets

Having access to art, music, dance and other all forms of art can be both a freeing and lively form of emotional outlet. Providing students with the tools to allow them to express themselves emotionally in a healthy way can lead to improved academic performance and social interaction. (Holochwost, Goldstein, & Wolf, 2021) An emotionally healthy way to express one’s emotions and thoughts can lead to less stress and improved focus on one’s academic work. If we hope to raise up a healthy and academically successful generation, than we must ensure that the United States government properly funds art-education in the public school system.

In conclusion, it is pretty clear to anyone that the right thing to do is provide funding for a well-rounded arts-based program in the public school system. The United States government must ensure enough funding is allocated to allow for proper funding of an arts education program to reap the benefits of the humanities. To ensure that students do well academically, form strong social relationships and have a healthy emotional outlet.

References

Warner, A. (2022, August 22). The Benefits of Arts Education for K-12 Students [Review of The Benefits of Arts Education for K-12 Students]. US News. https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/the-benefits-of-arts-education-for-k-12-students Didin, E., & Koksal Akyol, A. (2017). The Relationship of Art and Music Education with Adolescents’ Humor Styles and Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1232386 Holochwost, S. J., Goldstein, T. R., & Wolf, D. P. (2021, May 12). Delineating the Benefits of Arts Education for Children’s Socioemotional Development [Review of Delineating the Benefits of Arts Education for Children’s Socioemotional Development]. Frontiers; Front. Psychol. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624712/full Back to School with Arts Education. (n.d.). Www.arts.gov. https://www.arts.gov/back-school-arts-education University of Florida. (2020, January 28). The importance of art education in the classroom. MA in Art Education Program Online at UF. https://arteducationmasters.arts.ufl.edu/articles/importance-of-art-education/

7-1 Project: Analysis of a Cultural Work

Shanon Beck
Southern New Hampshire University
Perspectives in the Humanities
Professor Akil
June 18th, 2024
7-1 Project: Analysis of a Cultural Work

1. Describe the work in detail. Consider the following:

a. Where did you see the work?
The Johnstown Flood National Memorial is located just outside the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, approved by the United States Congress on August 31’st 1964, and signed into law by President B. Johnson on September 2nd, 1964. The memorial consists of a number of restored and fully original buildings, as well as natural landmarks left in their preserved state.

b. What elements or characteristics stand out to you?
There are several elements that stand out to me, especially as someone highly interested in cultural history and background. The Lake View House is one of particular interest to me… which is an original house from the 1880’s built by Colonel Elias J. Unger to serve as his personal house. I find this remnant of the past to be an interesting glimpse into the life of Johnstown citizens from before the flood destroyed it all. Additionally the preserved remains of the South Fork Dam are of particular interest to me, both because they were designed with the intent of usability originally, and only became a piece of this cultural landmark after the memorial was signed into law.

2. Describe the purpose of the work. Consider the following:

a. What do you think the creator intended to express?
I believe the creators of this memorial intended to express the memories of those that we’ve lost, in order to ensure that they were never forgotten, as well as to commemorate the highly successful rebuilding process that the city of Johnstown saw as people came together in unity and solidarity.

b. Were they successful?
They were most definitely successful; the memorial sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and continues to be a culturally significant monument to those of us who live in the area and the state of Pennsylvania as a whole.

3. Use the work to explore how acts of creative expression impact and are impacted by the people and situations that surround them. Consider the following:

a. What contributions does the work selected make to continuing a dialogue about that culture and the importance of its works?
The memorial offers a lot of cultural importance and significance, especially for the local communities. The work offers historical preservation of times long past; allowing for visitors to revisit the town before it saw disaster.

4. State questions you have after thinking deeply about this work. What more do you want to know regarding the following?
How has the memorial inspired other cultural works?
What kind of human experiences can be seen in this cultural work?

b. The relationship between culture and expression: What is the relationship between the possible intent of the creator and your own interpretation of its meaning?
I believe the original intent of the Johnstown National Memorial and my own interpretation is extremely similar; in that the Memorial was created in order to remember the lives lost. Compared to my interpretation that the memorial exists to remember lost lives, as well as the city of Johnstown before it was destroyed.

c. Explain how your values have shaped and are shaped by your expression and that of others.
My values are shaped dramatically by expression, that of mine and of others. For example, cultural expression by authors and artists can and have molded my beliefs and viewpoints on a number of topics. Additionally, I feel that the interpretation of others also influences my own interpretation of the Johnstown National Memorial; given social-learning is a key-aspect of how we view things.

5. Explain how you would approach answering these questions:

a. What would you study about this work that might address the questions you stated?
I would read the document relevant to the creation of the Memorial; as well as the historical site created by the managers of the memorial. Additionally, I feel that the best way to answer questions about this memorial would be to go and visit the site and see it for yourself; physical interaction with a cultural work can add a lot of insight you otherwise wouldn’t know.

b. Where would you find information to address the questions?
Next, draw conclusions about how the work you selected relates to the humanities:
The biggest source of information to answer the questions I have would be the national website that represents the Johnstown National Flood Memorial, which goes in-depth about the history and meaning behind each segment of the cultural work. Additionally, I feel going back in-time and reading the founding documents of the memorial would give strong historically knowledge about the original creation of the monument.

6. Explain why you believe humans have a need to express themselves through created works of cultural and historical significance.

a. Describe a culture shift or event related to the work you selected. This could be a cultural shift that influenced the creation of the work, or it could be a cultural shift that came about because of it.

7. The work itself was inspired by a major cultural shift which was the whole point of creating the monument to begin with, and that was the Johnstown flood, which saw the entire city and surrounding areas get destroyed, which left the citizens of Johnstown feeling helpless and alone, not knowing how to rebuild their lives. This event was not just a cultural shift for the region, it was a shift in society as a whole as thousands of people funneled in to provide aid and help the rebuilding effort.

a. Explain how a concept or resource you encountered in this course has informed your explanation. Be sure to cite any sources used.
Creative expression has been a critical concept introduced to me in this course; I feel that being able to express oneself in creative and unique ways is one of the cornerstones of what makes us human. Being able to express myself through my hobbies like writing or artistic expression allows me to unwind and get some of the day’s stress off my back. Creative expression is one of the things that makes life worth living to me.

8. Explain how you think the act of human creative expression impacts and is impacted by the culture in which it was created.

a. Explain the relationship between human creative expression and the culture in which the work you selected was created using the insights you gained from studying it.
I feel the relationship between human creative expression and the cultural work of my choice is wonderful in that human creative expression went into the creation of each and every-part of the monument, even the remnants of the destroyed dam that caused the disaster to begin with.

b. Explain how a concept or resource you encountered in this course has informed your explanation. Be sure to cite any sources used.

9. Explain how you believe human creative expression can impact issues we deal with in the present day (contemporary to your coursework, not the future scenario posed above). Be sure to be specific about the issues you are addressing.
I believe that human creative expression impacts every issue an decision that we face; for example; creative expression is used when making the most mundane decisions like “What should I do today?”. Additionally, it also impacts big decisions and events, human creative expression can and does impact the arguments we face today, like the argument surrounding whether or not to fund an education in the arts in the public schooling system. I believe that the unified human-response to the Johnstown flood that saw the city rebuild and thrive again within years is a testament to how human expression and free-will can impact an event in amazing ways, even recently we seen this same thing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

Johnstown Flood National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service). (2017). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/jofl/index.htm

Johnstown flood | flood, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States [1889] | Britannica. (2020). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Johnstown-flood

Rijksmuseum. (2016). The Night Watch, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642 - Rijksmuseum. Rijksmuseum. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-C-5

bsd-admin. (2024, February 1). Johnstown Flood Museum. Visit Johnstown. https://www.visitjohnstownpa.com/partner/johnstown-flood-museum

ECO 202 Project

SCI-100 Final Project

 SCI-100 Final Project

Shanon Beck

Perspectives in Natural Science

SCI-100-J7100

Professor Billiot

April 19^th, 2024

Perspectives in Natural Science: 7-1 Final Project

Part 1: Natural Science Topic Exploration

The main idea of my chosen news story is that bumblebees are social creatures that can display complex, socially interactive behaviors with the capability of social learning and replication. Which not only opens up a lot of opportunities for us to better understand bumblebees, but also other insects of similar intelligence, even being able to better understand the social relationships of humans and society.

Previously I did not have much knowledge when it came to the natural behaviors and interactions of bumblebees or other similar insects, or how important understanding them could be to ensure future scientific advancements. The research experiment was conducted by Dr. Alice Bridges and Professor Lars Chittka through the use of a multi-step puzzle that required the bumblebees to utilize social behavior and replication in order to reach the award.

Part 2: Fundamental Questions About the Natural World

There are a number of questions I can ask in order to gain more information about this topic, and expand the scientific understanding we have of it: these questions include, “Are bumblebee’s able to reproduce the learned behaviors without an incentive?”, “Do other Apidae show the ability to learn and replicate behaviors at a social level?” and “Have bumblebee’s shown the ability to learn and replicate behaviors socially outside of the laboratory in their nature environment?”… That being said, my final research question is: “Are bumblebee’s able to perform complex behaviors through social learning in their natural environment?”

During this research I have to be extremely ware of my personal beliefs and biases, as it could have impacted my research questions and understanding of the topic significantly. For example, I personally believe that we can learn a lot about both human behavior and instinct by studying more rudimentary social behaviors exhibited by bumblebees, as well as better understand the world. That gives me a pre-existing bias that impacts the way I see the topic.

Major Developments in the Natural Sciences

A major development that has occurred at the University Of Konstanz that dramatically effects the research topic I chose is… the development and revolutionization of machine learning and computer vision processes that have allowed scientists the ability to more-finely track the behaviors and subtle changes in an animal. This allows a scientists to get a more thorough understanding of an animals behaviors and allows them to predict their behavior in a more meaningful way. For example, through the ability to track an animals gaze in order track what their looking at.

Albeit, it is to be said, major ethical concerns can and have occurred in past research involving animals and could very well pose an issue for future advancements in my chosen research topic. Particularly concerns about animal abuse and exploitation can be a major limiting factor leading to a loss of funding and support due to lobbying by animal-protection groups. Additionally, the idea it could be exploitation to research an animal and take them out of their natural environment can lead to a negative public-relation and viewpoint, leading to public outcry.

The Value of Studying the Natural Sciences

I try to look at things scientifically as often as I can; and prefer to apply logic and reason to any events that I may come across. For example; not too long ago I made the conscious decision to re-evaluate my financial situation in order to better live within my means, similar to the concept discussed in “The Earth is Full” when Paul Gilding talks to us about how Earth is being abused by humanity because we are living far above our means of production and sustainability.(Gilding, 2012) I believe we all can play a crucial role in managing and decreasing the harmful effects we have on the economy.

-          Explain the value of being a scientifically informed citizen within your community.

Being a scientifically informed citizen can result in significant improvement to your local community, as well as the nation and world as a whole. Literacy in scientific principles and the scientific lens can and will result in one being able to evaluate and determine the best possible choice to make for the community, especially in-regards to decisions that would improve the community, for example … understanding the damage and strain that you can cause on the system by using and wasting excessive amounts of fresh water.

-          Discuss the obligation of citizens to be scientifically literate and how that could affect global contemporary issues.

Everyone has an obligation to be scientifically literate to the best of their ability, as well as to ensure that the next generation grows up to be literate in science, as well as the other lenses like the humanities. If we are to continue to be successful and prosperous as a species, we must put reason and logic at the forefront to continue scientific advancements and to ensure that we don’t destroy ourselves in the process.

References

Bee-2-Bee influencing: Bees master complex tasks through social interaction. (n.d.). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240306150557.htm

‌Konstanz, U. of. (n.d.). Machine learning and computer vision allow study of animal behavior without markers. Phys.org. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://phys.org/news/2023-07-machine-vision-animal-behavior-markers.html

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ECO-201 Module 8 Project