Robot Sophia is a robot that seems almost smarter than humans. Some people think that robots will be able to think and experience things in their own way in the future. This is exactly what the term ‘artificial intelligence’ means. Robots do not only become smarter, they are also becoming more and more important in our society. This is why some people think that robots need rights. In this text the statement “Should robots get rights?” is presented to you.

On the one hand, robots have rights to have rights. It is possible that at some point robots will be able to think for themselves, without being fully programmed. Alan Turing did an experiment, which is called the Turing test. He uses the imitation game, a game that shows that computers can think for themselves, without always being fully programmed.  If robots can think and feel things, they have just as much right for rights as humans do.
Secondly, the rights are necessary to protect others. There is evil in all creatures. Robots need to be tamed, which can only happen when robots have to obey rules. It is also legally more convenient. When a robot causes an accident, it is useful to have general rules so that it is clear what decision can be made.

On the other hand, there are people who think that robots do not need rights. John Searle did a thought experiment in which he showed that computers cannot think like humans. This experiment is called ‘The Chinese Room’. He came to the conclusion that only a processor cannot perform a certain task, but with the right input and the right program it can. When robots cannot think for themselves, they cannot be held responsible for the actions they perform.
Moreover, even if robots are artificially intelligent, receiving rights goes too far. A robot is not a human being. Robots are not meant to take over the world. More rights means more rules, but also more freedom. Giving robots rights could cause that things get out of hand and that, before you know it, people are outnumbered.

So , when you look at the statement: Robots should get rights, it is important to first determine if robots are artificially intelligent. I think we as humans are not sufficiently aware of the fact that this could be so. I do not think that we should give robots rights immediately, but at least we’ll have to think about it more in the future.

On conclusion: On the one hand robots can become artificial intelligent and that is why proponents believe that rights are necessary to protect the robots themselves, but also the surroundings. Opponents think that artificial intelligence can never be true and that,  even if there is artificial intelligence, robots become dangerous when they are given so much freedom. Rights or not, robots are becoming even more important. At least Sophia will have a lot of smart friends.

Day 1: Berlin here we come! We left at 8 o’clock in the morning, so everyone was pretty tired. We made a few stops, among other things at the previous border between the DDR and West-Germany. We arrived at the hotel in the evening, ate our diner and took a short walk. This evening we went to bed early, because we’d still have some busy days ahead of us.

Day 2: After a good night’s sleep we ate a delicious breakfast in the hotel and went to a previous Stasi Jail. We got a tour and saw interesting things. I realized that, when I think about the history of Germany, I always think about the Second World War, but when I saw this jail, I realized that this period was awful too. It really opened my eyes. When we got back into the bus, we got a tour around Berlin with a guide. We saw almost everything in Berlin, from the Berlin Wall to Potsdamer Platz. In the late afternoon, we got some free time before we went to eat at Andy’s Burgers.

Day 3: This morning we went to Das Naturkunde Museum. I’ve learned a lot about the evolution theory and really liked the taximary, but I’m just, to be perfectly honest, not so interested in Physics and Biology. When we’d seen everything, we took the subway to the city. I ate together with Vera, Liv, Evie and Marlou the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had (disadvantage: the restaurant let me pay almost $5 for a coke!). When our stomach was filled, whe strolled through Berlin and bought some souvenirs. In the evening we went to the bowling alley and ate our diner there.

Day 4: So this morning we had to stand up way to early to go to concentration centre Sachsenhausen. It was very impressive and interesting and I would recommend this place to others, because you can really see how people are tortured in these camps. In the afternoon we had long free time, so Vera and I decided to go to a vintage shop and to Das Neues Museum. It wasn’t mandatory, but Vera and I (nerd-alert!) went voluntarily and I have to say that I really enjoyed it! After a delicious pizza, we packed our bags and went back to bed.  

Day 5: The last day… We got in the bus very early and drove all day. This trip wasn’t really how I expected it to be. I thought we were going to do boring stuff and that the teachers were going to be very strict, but everything was so chill! I would defenitely recommend going to Berlin, because it is a beautiful city with a great history. I would also recommend buying a day ticket for the public transport. See you next time, Berlin!

She’s a television presenter, an actress, a producer, an entrepreneur and most of all, a very strong woman. Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration for many (black) people. With her motivational speeches, she reaches the whole world.

Oprah or actually Orpah Gail Winfrey is born in Mississippi on the 29th of January. She was raised by her grandmother and lived in a lot of poverty. At the age of 13 Oprah ran away from home. She became pregnant at 14 and gave birth to a son, but he died after the birth. As you can hear: Oprah had had an awful youth. She went to different schools and got eventually a scholarship to Tennessee State University, where she studied communication. She was hired by a local black radio station to do the news and after she finished school, she was asked for some local shows.

Her breakthrough was presenting AM Chicago and Oprah became famous. She was asked to have her own show: The Oprah Winfrey show. She did lots of interviews with famous and non-famous people in her show. As if Oprah wasn’t doing enough, she was (and is) also a great actress.
In 2013, Oprah received the presidential medal of freedom from Obama.

The Oprah Winfrey show is no longer on the tube, but Oprah is still very busy with her networks, clubs, life classes and with giving speeches.

I choose Oprah because I think she is very inspirational. Her saying: turn your wounds into wisdom, hit me hard. She is also an example of a hard working woman, which is really great.

My dream holiday….

Well, my dream holiday used to be going to Italy. I have always wanted to explore Tuscany and Rome. Last year we went to Italy and it was amazing! So I had to think about a new destination. That wasn’t hard at all when I saw pictures of South-Africa one day. I’ve never been to Africa before, so I hope that it will open my eyes. My goal is to go to South-Africa with my sisters, when I am like 20 years old. The best season to go is in the autumn, because it’s not to cold, so you can lay on the beach, but it’s also not to warm, so you can still explore cities.

From Amsterdam schiphol, we’re flying to Cape Town, stated as the most beautiful city in  South-Africa. I really like the city, but the nature and beaches in Cape Town are also magnificent. In Cape Town, we will definitely visit the Cape of Good Hope and lay on the beach. A good book + your sisters + the beach = actually everything you need, right?!

I know that the plane is bad for the environment, so we take the train when we go to the next city: Johannesburg. When I went to Italy, we also took the plane and the train and I think it’s a nice way to travel. Johannesburg is an evolved city with a beautiful skyline. We will definitively wander around in the city and shop. The nightlife in Johannesburg is booming, so we’re going out to party! In the end, I want explore the nature of Africa and go to the biggest natural park of South-Africa: the Kruger Park.

So that’s the end of my trip of two weeks. I hope that dreams can come true and that I can go there. Only the funding is a little bit hard. My sisters and I all have got good jobs, where we earn lots of money, but by the time we’re 20 or older, we’re all poor students. Maybe I just have to find a rich boyfriend… =)

A political satire written by Jerzy Kozinsky

This book is about a gardener named Chance, who actually doesn’t know anything about himself, accept that his name is Chance. He’s not educated at all and has never been outside the garden of the villa where he lives, watches TV and works. When he is forced to leave the villa because of the death of his employer. He gets an accident, Chance is taken by Benjamin Rand, an important financier who is old and sick, and his wife E.E..
He stays at their house, not as a helper, but as a resident. Chance becomes a celebrity after his simple statements about a garden, which are taken as metaphors for the financial situation of the garden. He stays a lot in his room watching TV, but sometimes he goes to meetings or interviews.When no one can find information about him, not everyone trusts him as much as before. The story takes place around 1960-1970. That is why it is a bit old fashioned.

I did like the book. Why? Because I think it was very well written. I actually got a little frustrated, thinking: Just listen to him and open your eyes! I think this is exactly what Kosinsky wants to approach. (Mis)communication is very important in this book and in the whole society and I’m very interested in that subject. I like to read a lot and I like to read thic books, so that’s why I thought the story was a bit too short. But over all, it was a pleasure to read it.

I do recommend this book because I think everyone can read it. It is a short book so if you don’t like to read a lot, this book is a good alternative. Eventually it’s all about the content and I think the writer did a great job. This book made me think: ‘Am I actually a listener?’ This book really learns you a lesson and I think that’s why you have to read it.