Apple’s Face-Palm Bug

It is counterintuitive to find security in something that boasts the best security when it ended up being incredibly unsecure using a bug that was way too easy to exploit. Only tapping maybe 3 more times, you could listen to whoever you were calling before they answered the call. With Apple claiming to reward people who find bugs and its entire operating system built around the fact that it is unique and difficult to breach, a fatal mistake still ended up slipping through the entire team of developers. Not only did it pass the developers, but it was discovered by a 14-year-old boy. To add, the bug was not acknowledged until a week after it was first discovered due to employees not caring to pass the information on. Instead they told the customer to create a developer account to post about the bug, someone who may not have been as versed in technology as the employees themselves.

Is This Photo Ethical?

It is counterintuitive to publish a picture of a dead child (you could end that sentence there honestly) and her father carrying her when you realize that behind the camera is a person. In January of 2010, a picture of a 15-year-old Haitian girl who had been recently shot by the police was published to the Guardian with an article that spoke of how she was in life. Though the image was meant to convey the tragedy of a recent earthquake and poverty in the country, it sparked controversy. Why would someone take a picture like this? It brought questions like “Is this disrespectful? Is it right to take this picture? Does its context in the article justify taking the picture?”. Rather than the article being a sentimental piece meant for promoting help for Haiti, it is known for its ethical questions.

Why Are We Happy?

It seems counterintuitive to think that a person who is paraplegic is as happy as one who has won the lottery. However, research shows this tends to be the case. It is called “synthetic happiness”. This is explained as the brain trying to make the best of whatever world it finds itself in, or our psychological immune system. Three examples were given of men who had faced tragedy but ended up saying the experience was good, in fact, glorious. Natural happiness comes from getting what you want, synthetic happiness come from not getting what you want. The synthesis of happiness is most effective when we are unable to change the situation in our favor. We end up getting what we chase out of most situations regardless of the outcome if it is out of our control to affect it.