Daily Read 5: Essay Aeon | 100 RCs for Practice - CAT PDF Download

Essay 1

Essay Name: No pain, no game
By: Michael Thomsen (Edited by Lizzie Kirkwood) 

The history of sport is full of suffering. In 1973, the boxer Muhammad Ali fought with a broken jaw for at least four rounds during his first historic bout with Ken Norton.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/sport-without-pain-is-no-fun-suffering-is-intrinsic-to-play

Summary and Theme

The article delves into the intrinsic role of pain and suffering in sports, suggesting that enduring pain is central to the athletic experience. It highlights the higher pain tolerance of athletes and the psychological and physical conditioning that allows them to push through pain. The piece reflects on the idea that pain is not just an incidental part of sports but is deeply embedded in the ethos of athletic discipline, as seen in practices like the Japanese concept of taibatsu. The discussion extends to the symbolic representation of pain in competitive play, such as board and video games, and the complex relationship between pain, our biological responses, and the cultural narratives that glorify overcoming it. The article posits that sports and games offer a unique perspective on pain, where athletes and players engage with pain in a way that both acknowledges its reality and transcends it to achieve greatness.

Difficult Words

• Taibatsu: A Japanese term that roughly translates to 'corporal punishment' and is associated with rigorous discipline.
• Nociceptors: Sensory receptors that send signals that cause the perception of pain in response to a potentially damaging stimulus.
• Pain hypersymbolia: A condition where a person cannot discriminate between threatening and non-threatening stimuli, often assessing all stimuli as potentially dangerous.
• Pain asymbolia: A condition where a person can identify pain but does not attach appropriate emotional significance to it, often not triggering defense mechanisms.
• Analgesia: An inability to feel pain while still conscious.

Essay 2

Essay Name: The search for alien tech
By: Corey S Powell (Edited by Pam Weintraub) 

Are we alone in the Universe? And if not, should we be excited – or afraid? These questions are as immediate as the latest Netflix hit and as primal as the ancient myths that associated the planets with spirits and gods.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/technosignatures-are-a-sea-change-in-the-search-for-alien-life

Summary and Theme

The article explores the evolution of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, shifting from traditional radio signal detection to the pursuit of 'technosignatures'—evidence of alien technology that could be detected through its impact on the environment. It traces the history of this quest from early speculative ideas to the recent NASA-funded research into technosignatures. The theme revolves around the broader implications of detecting alien life, the technological means to do so, and the philosophical and practical questions that arise from such a discovery. The discussion includes the potential for solar panels or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on other planets as signs of alien life, and the broader impact of finding such technosignatures, including the ethical considerations of making our presence known to the universe.

Difficult Words

• Technosignatures: Indicators of technology used by extraterrestrial civilizations that might alter their environment in detectable ways.
• Biosignatures: Chemical evidence that suggests biological activity on another world.
• Exoplanets: Planets that orbit a star outside the solar system.
• Photovoltaic: Relating to the production of electric current at the junction of two substances exposed to light.
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Chemical compounds used in industry, such as refrigerants and aerosols, that can damage the ozone layer.
• Spectroscopic: Relating to the measurement of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation as a function of wavelength or frequency.

Essay 3

Essay Name: Honey, I sold the kids
By: Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore (Edited by Marina Benjamin) 

When it’s dark outside, and the lights are on, I can see straight into my neighbour’s house.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/why-arent-children-protected-from-their-parents-monetising-them

Summary and Theme

The article delves into the ethical concerns surrounding 'momfluencers' who monetize their children's lives on social media. It discusses the history of child labor and the evolution of childhood as a protected phase, contrasting it with the current trend where children's privacy is compromised for online fame and profit. The theme focuses on the psychological impact on children who are featured in social media campaigns, the legal loopholes that allow parents to exploit their children’s images for commercial gain, and the societal implications of commodifying childhood.

Difficult Words

• Momfluencers: Mothers who use social media platforms to influence and often monetize their lifestyle and parenting choices.
• Apotheosised: Elevated to, or as if to, the rank of a god; idolized.
• Aspirational: Desiring or aspiring to be something in the future, often associated with higher social status or quality of life.
• Sacrosanct: Regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.
• Adamite sin: A reference to the original sin associated with Adam in the Bible, implying inherent human sinfulness.
• Parodic: Characteristic of parody; imitating the style of something or someone in a humorous way.
• Fetishised: Excessively or irrationally devoted to something.
• Coogan Law: A law in California designed to protect the earnings of child actors and ensure they are educated.
• Predation: The preying of one animal on others; in this context, it refers to the potential for exploitation or harm to children by adults.