https://www.npr.org/2011/05/12/135598390/mind-reading-technology-turns-thought-into-action&sc=nl&cc=nh-20110512

It seems counterintuitive that a person with no ability to provide their input, is able to be put through an invasive surgery so that we may attempt to read their mind. Through the use of ECoG (electrocorticography), which, “detects signals coming from the brain itself,” we are able to, essentially, read peoples minds. For example, John Doe was in a car accident and is now paralyzed permanently; however, his brain is still transmitting electronic signals. Therefore, Mr. Doe is deemed alive, even in such a vegetative state. Now, in order to implement the ECoG into the brain, surgery in required where a large section of the skull is removed, and a grid of electrodes are then placed onto the surface of the brain. In recent studies the ECoG was utilized to translate brain waves into a word that someone, such as Mr. Doe, was imagining. This could be the first step, of many, into realizing the capabilities the human brain possesses (such as Artificial Intelligence capabilities). More research to come.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

(this article contained several grammatical errors so the authenticity and credibility I question)

It seems counterintuitive that you would give heroin to a heroin addict. In a town of Vancouver known as Downtown Eastside heroin addiction is rampant. Through the program Insite, addicts can shoot up under the watchful eye of a nurse without the repercussions brought on by the illegal (and deadly) drug. Doctors describe this as treatment, and only 26 people are entered into this program. Patients within Insite are only the worst, of the worst, addicts who cannot live without heroin. It is considered harm reduction. Instead of being menaces to society and stealing or committing crimes for their next fix, they are safely being given, what is considered, the best dope on the planet in a safe location. However, many consider it a form of blackmail for these addicts. The doctors believe that these people are definitively heroin addicts and that there is no hope of a return. Therefore, these doctors believe in prescribing the safest heroin in a safe, supervised location. It was noted that, “It’s a very odd, very odd moral line to walk.”

Opposition Notes: They are killing addicts with kindness. That we might as well put a bullet in their head because we are still killing them anyway.

It seems counterintuitive that people can synthesize happiness, or, in other words, create happiness. However, it is quite possible. More often than not as a matter of fact. Whether you obtain wealth, power and prestige and then lose it, spend an eternity in prison, or simply make someone else (instead of yourself) very wealthy failure cannot lead to unhappiness. While there is synthesized happiness, there is also natural happiness through, simply put, getting what we wanted. Whereas, synthetic happiness is what we choose to make of our situations when we don’t get what we wanted. Through numerous case studies, it is proven that freedom is the enemy of synthetic happiness. We can choose what we want and what we don’t want (preferences); therefore synthetic happiness is dependent and enemies of freedom. There are most certainly some things that are better than others but when we overrate failures we lose sight of our future. When our preferences, ambition, and fears are blown out of proportion we are unhappy. When we take our preferences, ambition and fears equally we receive then receive happiness. Therefore, we have the ability to create our own happiness that we are so desperate to achieve.

(This was quite difficult to summarize but I did the best that I think I could. Please critique this one a bit more harshly (if you have viewed the video that is))