Richard J. Ward's Blog

My Book Quotes in Images

As you may have known, I'm an author of children's books. Just recently, I found a blog post from a fellow LitFire author that showcased his quotes that were uploaded on the publisher's Pinterest page.

So, I headed over to the page and found a board dedicated to me as well.

To show my gratitude to LitFire, I'll show you some of the wonderful images that they have created for my book quotes. Enjoy!

The Hermit and the Time Machine







The Bully and the Leprechaun





And that's a wrap! There are actually more images on LitFire's Pinterest page. To view them, visit the page here: https://www.pinterest.com/litfirepub/

The Vikings

Ah, the Vikings. They conjure images of scruffy red-bearded men, the Norse god Thor, medieval life and Hagar the Horrible. They were warriors of Scandinavia and explorers of the sea. They probably plundered kingdoms and pillaged villages, but they were also heroic warriors who fought to defend their land, rode majestic longships and slayed fire-breathing dragons. Okay, maybe the last part isn’t true, but our culture has been obsessed with these feisty voyagers for centuries because their stories are the stuff of legends, books and movies.

Who were the Vikings?

The Vikings were seafarers who lived in Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) from the 8th to the 11th century – an era known as the Viking Age. They thrived off of trading, which was enabled by their seafaring skills, as evidenced by the ships they created and designed for exploring, commerce and warfare.

It’s believed that Vikings were very good at their trading jobs that their explorations and mercantile activities extended to as far as North Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Pop culture portrays the Vikings as wild-haired barbaric men, but there is a basis for this popular belief because the Vikings lived during a time when demographic expansion was an important part of survival. That explains why kingdoms and villages waged war against each other.

Inhabitants of medieval Scandinavia are also known as Norse or Nordic.

A Viking’s Life

Our perception of the Vikings are mostly based on archaeological finds, recorded history, visual representations and the Norse sagas that are big with fantasy fans and enthusiasts. Their traditions and customs allowed free Norsemen to publicly carry weapons. Vikings with the highest social status sported a complete ensemble: a helmet, shield, mail and a large sword.

The Norsement’s affinity for brawn and bravery were inspired by their religious sagas, such as the heroic struggles of thunder god Thor and the noble virtues of Odin. One Norse mythological story even tells of brave men who die in battle moving on to a place called Valhalla in the afterlife – a story that could have very well been a religious belief for them.

Expert Explorers and Looters

The Vikings were experts of the sea. They lived in Northern Europe – one of the coldest parts of the world, so for sustenance, seafaring was more than a means for exploration; it was a means for survival. Their ships, called “longships”, were peculiarly long and had dragon heads on both ends, for they believed these carvings were able to ward off evil. In 1948, a sun compass was discovered in Greenland and led to the conclusion that these ancient Norsement could even navigate the seas after sunset.

It wasn’t until the 8th century when Vikings started traveling to other countries to expand their physical commodity trading. The scarcity of trade opportunities in their homeland and their discovery of the wealth of goods abroad led to many Vikings pursuing plunder.

Agriculture was the main economic engine of their time, so they were farmers at home but pirates and raiders at sea.

Sources:

http://kinooze.com/2014/11/21/who-were-the-vikings/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/628781/Viking

Photo Credits:

Photo By Gord Webster via StockPholio.com

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Beyond the Robes: The Story of Monks and How They Began

Rain or shine, we see them covered with long robes while walking down the streets. They are people from different walks of life who vowed to become a follower of their master or leader’s teachings. And they often share those values and teachings to everyone who is willing to listen. These people are called monks. But who are they really? And how did they come to exist? If you’re interested, let’s get to know the people behind the robes.

Monk: Etymology

The word “monk” came from the Greek word monachos or monachus, as spelled in Latin – it means solitary and single. In Greek, the term monk can be used by both men and women. But in modern English, it is used mainly for men while the word “nun” is used as its female counterpart. Moreover, if the word “monk” is being used in the generic sense, it shouldn’t be interchanged with terms like friar, hesychast, or a hermit.

So, what is a monk?

A monk is a person who has decided to enter a sacred way of life called Monasticism or monkhood. He   made a vow to follow the lifestyle of his monkhood order. He lives either alone or together with a number of his fellow monks. Moreover, he is dedicating his life to serving all other beings as he lives in meditation and prayer. The idea behind them might be ancient but it’s being practiced by many religions and in philosophy in our world today.

How did they come to be?

Before 600 BC, Hinduism was probably one of the first to get involved in a form of monasticism as it is the one of the earliest religions in the world. Hindus have voluntarily rejected worldly goods and desires, which is the main concept being of their religion. There are also evidences where hermits following Hinduism have lived in clusters and groups called ashramas. However, they seem to have no communal rule, unlike the formal community of monks we know now.

As time passed by, Jainism has formed their system of monkhood during the 6th century BC. The followers of Mahavira are organized in strict orders of monks and nuns who devote themselves to reducing the spiritual burden of karma. Moreover, during this time, Buddhists monks have also been developed. Buddha has led his followers and formed different communities, however they do not follow the extreme asceticism of the Jains as part of their divine truth.

From these traditions, different groups have formed within the Christian community. According to research, it is possible that the Essenes, as inspired by the godly hermits Elijah and Elisha, was the first order of monk that was guided by Judaism. As the 3rd century AD came, the traditional Christian monasticism begins with St. Paul of Thebes. He stayed in a cave in the Egyptian desert to avoid his persecution as ordered by Decius. This is also the same reason why St. Cyprian has stayed in hiding at the other end of the North African coast.

The Life of a Monk

It’s never easy to be a monk. Since most of them pledged to give up the riches of the world, they have to find their own means to survive. They have to focus on meditation and prayer all their life. And sometimes, some of them may never see their family or go back to their life before saying the sacred oath of being a monk.

Do you see yourself making the same vows? Can you make the ultimate sacrifice of saying no to worldly riches?

Sources:

http://www.historyworld.net/timesearch/default.asp?conid=static_timeline&timelineid=730&page=1&keywords=Monasticism+timeline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monk

http://www.slideshare.net/pcuadra/monasticism-144810

 

Photo credit: Monks – Pixabay Image via Pixabay.com

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The Beast of Bodmin Moor: Fact or Exaggeration

 

The animals from the woods are frantically fleeing in another direction. The birds have quit singing their songs. An eerie silence enveloped the whole place. And then, something slowly moved in a corner like a predator stalking a prey. It’s time for the kill and when the morning comes, all that will be seen is what’s left of a farm animal attacked by the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

To see is to believe.

We humans have lived on this philosophy for a very long time. But why is it that people in Bodmin Moor fear a certain beast even though its existence is yet to be proven? For years, several farm animals are said to be a victim of this phantom beast called the Beast of Bodmin Moor. So, why don’t we take a closer look and try to assess whether a real beast inhabits the region or it’s just a normal wild animal exaggerated by imagination?

Let’s Meet the Beast

The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a phantom “black panther” wild cat that roams around Cornwall, England. Since its first reported sighting in 1983, there were at least 60 recorded sightings of the big black cat. There were also reported cases of mutilated livestock that seems to be connected with the story of the creature.

Based on different theories, the beast is a puma or a dark leopard. However, there are also others who think it was a panther. But no matter what its breed is, the beast has become the talk of the town for a long time now. And it became a feared creature in folklores told by dozens of people.

What do experts say?

The Beast of Bodmin Moor remained a mystery and a threat to everyone whose livelihood rely on raising livestock. Until the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conducted an official investigation in 1995. They found that there was no “verifiable evidence” of exotic cats stalking the lands in the UK, according to Dailymail.co.uk.

Allegedly, the mauled farm animals were attacked by common indigenous species and not likely by a beast. But where did this predator come from? The authorities said that the creature might have been illegally imported into the region. It might have escaped from its cages in the zoo or was set free by a private collector of exotic animals.

However, a new study may just shed some light about the phantom cat. After spending £84,000 on photo and video examination as well as staging reconstructions, experts have concluded that the Beast of Bodmin Moor is just a 12-inch black cat. The researchers haven’t proven that indeed big cats are “not present” in the area but they have disproved the idea that a beastly wild animal inhabits the Bodmin Moor.

Mike Thomas, a wild cat expert and zoo curator of Newquay Zoo has another say on the matter. He said that videos of the big black cat should be enough as a proof that these exotic felines do exist and it should be considered as the “best evidence yet” of their existence. Moreover, he believes that this creature could be a species of a wild cat that was supposed to be extinct more than a century ago.

Reported “Evidences” of the Beast as Disproved by Experts

A skull with large fangs was found by a teenage boy near the moor in the River Fowey. The skull measured about 4 inches long and 7 inches wide; it lacked its lower jaw but it has two sharp, prominent canines. As the story hit the papers, people thought it belonged to the beast but The Natural History Museum in London verified that it was a skull of a young male leopard.

In 2012, John Robertson and his wife, Pauline was walking along a path in Cullen, Morayshire, when they were horrified at the gruesome remains of a terrifying beast near a popular Scottish spot. They were walking two dogs on a Monday morning but when they saw dead birds scattered everywhere, they became curious.

Robertson said, “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I have never seen so many dead birds in one area. They were completely mauled, they had their guts totally ripped out of them lying on the ground. Then a little further on we came across a horrible rotting smell which was this big cat. It looks like it’s feasted on the seagulls and maybe it has fallen down the cliff nearby, injured itself and just lay there till it died.

After reading different accounts concerning the beast, what do you think? Is the Beast of Bodmin Moor a real wild creature stalking the lands of Cornwall? Or it’s just one of the common animal species that was created to become a beast by the imagination of the people?

Before you answer, look around you – the big black beastly cat might just be around.

 

Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/on-the-trail-of-the-beast-of-bodmin-moor-1574378.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/beast-bodmin-moor-mystery-solved-4812877

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_Bodmin

http://www.beastofbodmin.co.uk/

http://www.paranormality.com/beast_of_bodmin.shtml

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/mammals/beast-of-bodmin-moor/bm_12.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2874033/Not-big-beast-Newly-discovered-Government-files-reveal-six-month-investigation-prove-monster-stalked-moors-near-Bodmin-actually-just-cat.html


Photo credits: The Beast of Bodmin Moor via BodminMoor.info

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Haunted Abbeys

Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, England

 

Do you know what an abbey is? Well folks, an abbey is a monastery or convent under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who happens to serve as the spiritual father or mother of the community. Over the centuries, some of these monasteries have long ceased to function as abbeys and are now abandoned or are in ruins. Which brings us to our subject for the day. Ever been to a haunted abbey?

Haunted abbeys are quite common especially around Europe. There are always legends attached to these massive foreboding structures found throughout the globe, and more often than not, these stories involve ghosts.

One classic example is Westminster Abbey in London, where over 3000 people and 17 monarchs are buried. There are supposedly two ghosts that haunt the Abbey, the ghost of monk Father Benedictus as well as an infantry soldier from the First World War.

Here are some other abbeys that are said to be haunted as well:

Whitby Abbey, an abbey in North Yorkshire, England, is allegedly haunted by St Hilda’s ghost, and it is said that she has been seen frequently in one of the Abbey’s highest windows. The story of the apparition even made it into Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula.

 

In France, Mortemer Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery in the Forest of Lyons, is said to be haunted by Matilda of England. There are also a number of other legends surrounding the abbey, thus giving it the nickname “most haunted abbey in France.”

 

Rufford Abbey, a Cistercian monastery turned country house in Nottinghamshire, England, is said to be one of the most haunted places in England, especially inside the still-intact abbey chapel. Many of the ghost stories even involve children.

 

In Scotland, Melrose Abbey is allegedly haunted by the ghosts of monks that still wander around their former home. In addition, the so called black magician, Michael Scott is also said to haunt his own grave.

 

Several abbeys in Essex, England, are also said to be haunted. Tilty Abbey, is supposedly haunted by a headless monk. Coggeshall Abbey, by the ghostly apparition of a wrinkled monk. And Beeleigh Abbey, by a hooded figure that stands in the corner of a room.

There are hundreds of haunted abbeys scattered all over the globe. In the UK alone there seems to be dozens. Because of their age, these ancient monasteries will always have legends attached to them, and the older they get, the more the stories would grow.

 

Sources:

http://www.ghost-story.co.uk/index.php/haunted-churches/369-westminster-abbey-london-england

http://www.londonparanormal.com/landmarks/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortemer_Abbey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey

http://travelogged.com/2010/04/08/rufford-abbey-haunted/

http://hubpages.com/hub/Scotlands-Haunted-Abbeys

http://eerieplace.com/3-haunted-abbeys-in-essex/

 

Photo Credits

Photo By Archangel12 via StockPholio.com

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Storytelling for Bully Prevention

Bullying can begin as early as preschool and it intensifies as the child gets older. To help children fight this, Sue Black, an Olweus certified bullying prevention trainer, developed an interesting method to help people gain better awareness on the many aspects of bullying. She uses storytelling!

Besides raising awareness, her program also aims to help children develop bullying prevention strategies, and it also encourages those who witness bully behavior to act against it. Furthermore, it informs bullies that this type of behavior should not be allowed and should be stopped or there will be consequences to their actions.

Sue’s methods are quite creative. She uses stories to highlight the behaviors of the bully, the bullied, and the bystander, while rewriting these familiar stories from another point of view to help children develop empathy. This way observers get to talk about the concepts through the experiences of story characters rather than real people. This storytelling method also helps children concentrate on the subject at hand. And since the stories are quite memorable children can easily recall the stories and their meanings.

Here is an actual sample of a story Sue changed to fit the point she wanted to convey:

That wolf in the forest was just picking up the candy wrappers Little Red was leaving behind as she walked to Granny’s. She’s the one who started calling him names and acting all snooty. By the time they got to Granny’s, Little Red started making false accusations. No self-respecting wolf would ever eat a girl, but the crazy kid started screaming and that’s when the lumberjack came in. By the time it was over it was the wolf who left with a bad reputation while Little Red lived happily ever after.

You may have noticed that Sue changed the point of view character of the story from Red Riding Hood to the wolf. This way the observers actually get to see the wolf’s side of things and learn to show empathy to others. She actually tell stories that have less to do with the bully and a lot more to do with standing up for what’s right. In this case, the wolf could have voiced out that Little Red was making false accusations, but instead he stayed silent and suffered for it.

Sue teaches bystanders to react to bullies because they actually have the power to make these bullies stop. Here’s an interesting fact I read: When bystanders speak up, stand with, or walk away with the bullied student, they actually stop the bully behavior 50% of the time, and often in the first 10 seconds.

What I have shared here is just a short overview of this unique bullying prevention technique. For more information on Sue Black’s method, check out this link.

 

Sources

http://www.sue-black.com/pdfs/StoryForBullyPrevention.pdf

http://www.youandme-bullyfree.com/about.html

http://blog.storynet.org/just-one-piece-of-the-puzzle-storytelling-for-bullying-prevention

http://www.wisdomtales.com/bullyprogram.html

Photo Credits

Photo By Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig via StockPholio.com

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Beating Bullies

How do you beat a bully? No, I’m not saying that you should go learn karate and beat up a bully physically. What I’m saying is, how do you stop a bully from bullying you? How do you make him think that you are not worth all the trouble? Here are some ways in how to deal with bullies.

 

Avoid the bully

The first thing you should be doing is avoid the bully as much as possible. Of course, you should not try to sprint away after the both of you make eye contact. Trying to run away would only make things worse as the bully would chase you and hurt you, or you could even get into an accident while you are running in reckless abandon. What you should be doing is to subtly avoid your bully. Don’t let him know that you are avoiding him on purpose, or he will go out of his way to find you. Just try to avoid places were your bully hangs out.

 

Act normally when the bully is confronting you

Don’t show the bully you are afraid of him or that he is annoying you. If you have to, joke around and catch the bully off guard. By showing agitation you are letting the bully know that he is succeeding in causing you pain and that would make him/her bully you more. Just walk away and pretend nothing happened, or better yet act like the bully isn’t even there.

 

Tell someone

If you are bullied you should talk to someone about it. You shouldn’t bottle up your feelings inside. Telling someone actually makes you feel less alone, and they can also help you make a plan on how to stop the bullying.

You can also tell an adult you can trust. You can talk to the school administrators for example. They can find a way to make the bullying stop as soon as possible either by punishing the bully or setting up a mediation to resolve the issue.

 

Be in a group

You should think about joining a group who shares the same interests as you. This reasoning is simple. Bullies tend to look for easy targets, so if you are walking alone you may as well paint a target on your back. Avoid isolating yourself. Be with friends.

With the rise of social networking websites and forums, cyberbullying has become quite common too. You should never respond to cyberbullying attacks. These internet “trolls” spend their time antagonizing people behind their keyboards, and they get quite satisfied whenever they can provoke a reaction from their victims. Let them say bad things about you, they can’t see you face to face anyway. Better yet, report them to service providers.

Remember never to think that no one likes you, keep your chin up and show confidence in yourself. Do not engage a bully in a fight and keep yourself safe. Whatever you do never stoop to their level. If they try to provoke you into a fight, avoid escalating the situation and simply walk away.

 

Sources

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Bullying

http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/bullying/64-stamp-out-bullying.gs

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Being-Bullied

http://www.stopbullying.gov/kids/what-you-can-do/

Photo Credit

Photo By Eddie~S via StockPholio.com

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Bullying and its effects on young children

Bullying is quite common nowadays. Contrary to popular belief, bullies don’t have to be male, nor do they have to be bigger or stronger. Anyone can be a bully, even the scrawny kid typing on his keyboard, or that little girl with the sweet smile. Everywhere there is human interaction, there is also bullying. It can happen in schools, in the neighborhood, on the internet, or even at home. Right now, we are going to talk about bullying and its effect on young children.

Bullying can impact a wide range of people. The victim of the bullying is not the only one affected here. It also affects those who witness the bullying, and the bullies themselves.

The Bullied

Children who were bullied often suffer from long-term physical, school, and mental problems like headaches, depression, even suicidal thoughts, and that is just naming a few. These issues may even persist into adulthood. Bullied children are also more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school. Did you know that in 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied? That means that some of the victims might retaliate violently.

The Bully

Bullies often develop antisocial behaviors that will continue into adulthood. They are more likely to drop out of school, get into fights, drink alcohol, smoke, try drugs, and be abusive towards others. Research also shows that these students are at increased risk to commit crimes later in life. It should be noted that not all bullies have an obvious behavior problem. Some are quite good socially and get along well with adults. This is true of some boys who bully but is perhaps even more common among the girls. This is why it is very difficult for adults to discover who the bullies are.

The Bystander

Students who are witnesses to bullying also may feel that they are in an unsafe environment. They will sometimes skip school, feel powerless and guilty for not helping, have mental health problems, and have an increased risk of substance abuse. These bystanders may also be drawn into the bullying themselves and feel bad about it afterwards.

 

Schools Need to Act Now

Schools need to take action to try and stop bullying. If bullying continues the entire school climate and culture can be negatively affected. Students would think that teachers and staff have little control over the student body and don’t care about them, and this will have an impact on student learning and engagement.

Bullying is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed swiftly.

 

Sources:

http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/index.html

http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying_effects.page

http://www.gomasa.org/news/what-effect-does-bullying-have-students-and-schools

Photo sources: 

Photo By Pimkie via StockPholio.com

Photo By Pimkie via StockPholio.com

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The myth of leprechauns

Guess who is clad in green, no taller than a child, loves shoes, and enjoys tricking people? No, it’s not the girl next door. It’s the Leprechaun. This Irish legend has a pot of gold hidden somewhere, and you get to own it if you can catch him. However, catching him is not as easy as it sounds. This devious creature would try just about anything to escape capture, and he has a load of tricks up his sleeves. So, ever wonder how the legend started? Let’s take a journey into the past.

 

Uncovering the myth

The origins of leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology. They were said to be a cobblers who hide their pots of gold at the end of a rainbow. Some researchers suggest that the name “leprechaun” actually comes from the Irish term “leath bhrogan”, which means shoemaker.

According to others, the origins of the word “leprechaun” can be traced back to the 8th century tales of water spirits called “luchorpán”, which means small bodies. The earliest known story about these spirits was in the medieval tale known as the Echtra Fergus mac Léti (Adventure of Fergus son of Léti). In this tale, Fergus mac Léti, the King of Ulster, fell asleep on the beach and woke up to find that he had been dragged into the sea by three luchorpán. He managed to capture the creatures, and he was granted three wishes in exchange for their release.

 

 

Interesting facts

Did you know that leprechauns originally wore red, not green? That is because solitary fairies like leprechauns wore red, while trooping fairies wore green.


Like most fairies, leprechauns have a distinctive sound associated with them. These creatures are said to make a certain tapping sound, that of a tiny cobbler hammer driving nails into shoes, whenever one of them is near.


It seems quite ironic that leprechauns are often associated with wealth, particularly gold coins, when they are actually cobblers by trade.


Leprechauns seem to be entirely male and solitary. There is actually no record of any female leprechauns existing.


It is said that people lucky enough to capture a leprechaun can barter his freedom for three wishes.


Leprechauns are a morality tale figure. It actually warns against greed and the folly of trying to get rich quick.

 

From these stories, the leprechaun legend eventually evolved into the mischievous fairy we know today. Haunting cellars and drinking heavily, while playing tricks on the unwary.

Here is a fun fact. Did you know that leprechauns are actually protected under European Union law? Surprised? This is thanks to a group of lobbyists from Carlingford, Co. Louth, who managed to convince the EU that the Carlingford’s Sliabh Foy Loop trail, which is apparently the home of 236 Leprechauns, should be protected.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

http://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/myth-of-the-leprechaun.aspx

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/-top-ten-facts-about-leprechauns-and-where-the-legends-really-came-from-212728761-237598771.html

Photo Sources

Photo By Clyde Robinson via StockPholio.com

Photo By sunshinecity via StockPholio.com

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Artificial Intelligence Imitating Child Cognitive Development

The programs used in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are extremely complicated and highly specialized. They are being used in industries for many various things which include but are not limited to: flying planes, or assembling cars. However recently, an AI program was designed by a group of researchers from the University of Gothenburg that imitates a child’s cognitive development which allows it to solve problems in many different areas.

Traditional AI programs lack the versatility of human intelligence, but a new field, artificial general intelligence (AGI) has risen where scientists try to create programs with a general intelligence.

This new research has developed a program that can learn “basic arithmetic, logic, and grammar without any pre-existing knowledge,” says Claes Strannegård, a member of the research team together with Abdul Rahim Nizamani and Ulf Persson.

The program starts with a set of simple and broad definitions, and from there builds new knowledge based on previous knowledge, and eventually comes up with new conclusions about rules and identifies new patterns.

Children also develop in a similar manner, making the human brain the best example of general intelligence. Children are able to learn many things and from this knowledge build new ones. This was the strategy on which the research was built upon – to imitate, at its most basic level, the manner how children develop intelligence.

For example, a child can deduce that if 2 x 0 = 0 and 3 X 0 = 0, then 4 X 0 = 0. The same kind of intuition can be carried across a different area like grammar, where it can identify rules for verb conjugations like run becoming ran and sing becoming sang in the past tense.

The system, which is called O*, follows the principle of Occam’s razor, wherein you should favor short and simple explanations over the long and complex kind. It identifies patterns on its own and combines them with previous knowledge to make newer ones and to solve problems.

Strannegård hopes that this program will become useful in different practical applications, like in the development of a versatile household robot that can be taught how to do chores and solve simple to complicated household problems. But the scientists have also admitted that the current technology is not there yet.

In my book, The Hermit and the Time Machine, the future the human race looked bleak as the world was overrun by robots that self-replicated. Our current technology may be on the running towards that kind of future, but it all depends upon us humans whether we use our technology for good or otherwise.

 

Sources:

http://www.paneuropeannetworks.com/science-technology/ai-program-imitates-childrens-learning/

http://www.chalmers.se/en/news/Pages/Artificial-intelligence-that-imitates-childrens-learning.aspx

http://www.gizmag.com/artificial-intelligence-program-imitates-child-cognitive-development/33972/

http://agi-conf.org/2014/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/strannegard-general-agi14.pdf

 

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