In Autopilot

          Imagine driving to work or school. You want to catch up on some emails or homework, but you can't because you have to drive. But wait; you can. You press a green button on the steering wheel, and your car is now in autopilot; it drives itself. In 2010, Google announced their research on self-driving cars; by giving people extra time in the car they may search the web, therefore boosting Google's profits. The video to the left below shows Google's very first user, Steve Mahan, a blind man, "driving".
           This subject has sparked debate with many pros and cons as discussed in recent issues of The Economist. On the positive side, insurance brokers say driving in autopilot can reduce people's rates because they can monitor the car's actions more with technology and car accidents will likely be reduced. There would also be no such thing as texting and driving anymore; no more distractions. People will have that extra time to do things they just could not get done at home. Can we assume that these cars would be a safe way of transportation? In this case many What if... questions could arise such as: What if something in the car has a failure? How could self-driving cars potentially effect America's future?
          This topic also reminded me of my recent, good 'ole Junior Theme on why is corn such a ubiquitous crop in America? I concluded my paper talking about what corn could become. You are probably thinking, how could corn possibly connect to these cars? Well, the book I read, The Omnivore's Dilemma, discussed the oncoming prevalence of processed foods in our lifestyle. Our modern American lifestyle and tastes have contributed to the ubiquitous quantity of corn production and refining. With our very busy schedules, buying processed foods becomes a time saver. Also, more people eat out, especially at fast food restaurants: "these days 19 percent of American meals are eaten in the car." And coincidentally, that is shown in the video above!