Explore how media coverage of celebrities influences young Singaporeans, from fleeting fandom to shaping realistic ambitions and career aspirations
Author Archives: The GP Rebel
The most important aim of a scientist is to satisfy human curiosity about the world. Evaluate this view.
There is a difference between satisfying curiosity and delivering understanding. While an entertainer could fulfil the former, it is the job of the scientist to fulfil the latter.
Assess the view that only well-known works of art can be considered great.
It is easy to conflate fame and popularity in the form of eyeballs, awards and a massive price tag with an artwork’s greatness. But metrics alone do not make an artwork great. Art simply needs to exist — from nothing to something — therein lies the greatness of a piece of art.
“No country should sacrifice its economic development in favour of preserving the environment.” Discuss.
Saving the environment sounds like a bitter economic pill. Yet, the state of our planet forces us to rethink global consumer-driven economics, which has served us well… until now. Reshaping our economies for sustainability is a less painful but necessary approach, and could even prove more lucrative in the long-run.
How far can prosperity and uncontrolled population growth go hand in hand?
The mice in the experiment proved that uncontrolled population expansion was a disaster. Let’s hope human expansion on a planet will fare better.
‘In a free society, there should be no restrictions on freedom of speech.’ Discuss.
Freedom of speech depends on our audience size. The larger the audience, the more we need to regulate. If not, they’ll regulate us. It’s a free society.
‘An appreciation of music is vital for a fully rounded education.’ How true is this of your society?
Music is an important aspect of life, but determining how much music to include in the school curriculum that purports to provide a fully rounded education is quite an issue.
Is modern technology a benefit or a threat to democracy?
Democracy has historically benefited from technology, but in today’s Information Age, we are seeing an increasing misuse of modern technology that could potentially disrupt the function of political Democracy as we know it.
Should politicians pursue the popular viewpoint or their own convictions, if they conflict?
Popular opinion gets a politician more votes, but Democracy isn’t a shop and the customer isn’t always right. In balancing differing people’s differing needs and wants how does decision-making get done in a Democracy?
Given greater levels of international cooperation, how necessary is it for countries to engage in the arms trade?
Global cooperation has increased, true, but not to the point that nations can trust one another enough to finally put the arms trade out of business. We still have too many insecurities, too much paranoia for that to happen.