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Future Problem Solving 2007-2008
Updated 11/11/07
We will finish our Future Problem Solving unit in December. Students have an opportunity to
compete as teams. I have received notes from 11 students to compete.
I will also enter the top five scenarios that will be written by all my Challenge students.
Updated 8/7/07
Here are the topics for this year. I have not yet decided which one we will tackle. I will wait
until I get the research guide. For theose competing for the State Bowl the topic is Debt in
Developing Countries. The International Bowl topic is Child Labor.
Body Enhancement – Tattooing is an ancient cultural and spiritual rite of passage for
Polynesians and Melanesians; body piercing has been used for millennia; plastic surgery
originally developed to assist soldiers and airmen badly burnt and wounded during war. Today,
plastic surgery has become more and more of a cosmetic procedure with people choosing to enhance
and change many parts of their bodies. People are flying to third world countries for cheap
cosmetic surgery treatments and ending up with lifelong medical problems as a result. In some
cultures tattooing and excessive body piercing are seen as anti-establishment, while in others,
indigenous peoples are reverting to these ancient practices as a statement of their cultural
belonging and pride. Where might this seeming need to enhance the body by cosmetic and other
body enhancements end?
Simulation Technology – As computer technology improves, photos can be “corrected” to show
perfection. Video of any individual can be altered to show whatever the programmer chooses. This
could be a wonderful opportunity for actors to vacation while movies that include them are made.
It might also allow someone who is overweight to see what they might look like as a thin person
or for parents to see what their new baby will look like as a child or an adult. Images can be
manipulated to show almost anything. What implications could this have in court evidence? Could
it impact employment? What other amazing things could be accomplished with this technology?
Neurotechnology – Neurotechnology is technology that makes it possible to manipulate the brain.
Already one young patient has had a chip embedded in his brain, which allows him to control a
computer using his thoughts. Instruments and techniques used in developing neurotechnology
include brain imaging systems (MRI, PET, EEG), biochips (DNA microarrays, protein chips, RNA
chips), genetic engineering techniques, cellular implantation, and electronic stimulation.
Neurotechnology offers hope to sufferers of brain disorders and spinal cord injuries to lead a
normal life again. It also has the potential to enhance brain functions in normal people. What
are the ethical implications of neurotechnology? Should it only be used for recovery from
illness and injury or is the use of it for augmentation also a possibility?
Debt in Developing Countries – For many years, the world's poorest countries have been forced to
take out loans in order to afford essential goods and services for their people, such as
national security, healthcare, public safety, and education. In the short term, deficit spending
can create jobs and fulfill basic needs. But it also leads to higher interest rates that stifle
economies, and imposes obligations on future generations to repay the debt. Many activists and
world leaders now argue that the debts of third world countries, which are largely owed to
wealthier foreign governments and multinational corporations, amount to a substantial obstacle
to sustainable development, security, and stability in those countries. Pleas to forgive the
debt of poor nations have evoked much sympathy in recent years, but opinions remain divided over
how best to remedy the situation.
Child Labor – Child labor is a pervasive problem throughout the world, especially in developing
countries. Africa and Asia together account for over 90 percent of total child employment.
Children often work because of poverty, particularly in areas where the capacity to enforce
minimum age requirements for schooling and work is lacking. Children are major contributors to
family income in developing countries. Traditional cultural and social factors increase child
labor. Child laborers are often subjected to extreme exploitation leading to deprived
lifestyles. There is no international agreement defining child labor, making it hard to isolate
cases of abuse, let alone abolish them.
Here is the timeline for our Future Problem Solving Study.
FPS TIMELINE
August/September - Review creative thinking processes
Future Studies - look at future trends
October/November - Do research on the topic and begin review of the steps
December - Solve the problem using the FPS 6 step program
January - Sign up for a competitive team and do research
Review research and process during after-school session
Jan/Feb - School level competition - Do qualifying problem -
submit to State two top teams in 4th & 5th
Feb - Bowl invitations - announce State teams
March - Do research and review research and process after-school
March - STATE BOWL at Unv. of GA
For more information on the program visit the website:
www.fpsp.org or gafpsp.org
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