<p>I'm still a freshman in high school... okay, nearly a freshman (a recent graduate of middle school), but I'm an early starter. I decided to give the SAT a go, and recently completed a (timed) practice test, along with an essay prompt... Having written an essay, and not knowing what to do with it, I decided to come here and see what others think of it. Thoughts, comments, and suggestions welcome :) The grading goes without saying.</p>
<p>Prompt:</p>
<p>We would like to think that progress causes problems to be solved completely, and sometimes that happens. For example, some diseases that once posed a serious threat are no longer a problem, thanks to modern medicine. Some problems can be solved, and they go away. Bust as often as not, problems exist in a chain of cause and effect: for each problem solved, a new one develops.
Adapted from Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse</p>
<p>Assignment:</p>
<pre><code>Does progress reduce the number of problems in the world, or does solving old problems just need to new ones?
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<p>Essay:</p>
<pre><code> Perfection is an ideal. In a perfect world, everything is problem-free; a state that seems impossibly far from the current situation. Even as mankind endeavors to find solutions to the multitude of problems it is plagued with, more erupt, sometimes caused by the so-called solutions to other problems. This concept has been explored by a variety of authors writing about so-called perfect worlds, or utopian societies.
A well-known example emerges from the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry. In the world depicted by the book, nobody is crippled, infirm, or indecisive. This situation is brought about by the practice of predetermining ones career, partner, and eventual death. A supreme committee makes all the decisions for everyone, and imperfect members of the society are euthanized- a euphemism being used to mask the nature of the action. While the benefits of this system cant be disputed, the losses are significant. People dont suffer, but at the same time, they dont experience real happiness or joy. In solving problems, new ones were created. The progress that led to this utopian society led to loss of true meaning in life.
A current instance in which this paradox comes into play is the 3D printer: a highly controversial device with the capability to construct various items by printing them in layers with plastics, metals, or other assorted substances. As with any other new technology, this invention has huge potential. Already, it has made headlines when it was used to print a custom-made body part to save the life of an otherwise doomed baby. Many experts in the field predict that working organs will also be produced in the near future, allowing transplant patients to obtain brand-new organs without worry of rejection by their own cells. At the same time, however, a wave of concern spread following an incident in which a citizen managed to obtain a machine and print a working handgun. Although the matter was resolved by federal forces, questions were raised regarding the dangers of unregulated, cheaply-produced weapons.
Oftentimes, one finds that new opportunities brought about by progress lead to just as many problems as solutions. All that can be done about this is to ensure that the problems created are less severe than those solved, so as to slowly but surely improve the status of our world, little by little.
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