Science & technology
Discovery, digital life and the questions raised by new knowledge.
Preserving Wilderness Despite Economic Development
An evidence-based argument for making wilderness preservation the legal default, while allowing carefully justified exceptions for significant public needs.
How Should Organizations Evaluate an AI Tool Before Using It?
A developed explanatory essay argues that organizations should evaluate AI tools against defined purposes and affected users, test them in realistic conditions, and manage risk throughout deployment rather than treating a successful demonstration as proof of safety.
Should Research Prioritize the Greatest Number?
An argument that broad public benefit should guide research priorities, but not operate as a rule that excludes urgent minority needs, uncertain long-term value, or independent inquiry.
Does Technology Reduce or Improve Human Connection?
An argumentative essay takes the position that technology can both weaken and strengthen human connection, depending on whether people use it to replace attention and in-person engagement or to support meaningful communication and action.
GRE Argument: Should Governments Fund Scientific Research with Unclear Consequences?
An argumentative essay assessing when governments should fund research whose consequences are uncertain, using the historical examples of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 defense policy and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 warning about the military-industrial complex.
Should Teenagers Have More Control Over Their Online Data?
An argument for giving teenagers meaningful, age-appropriate control over their online data while preserving parental involvement and recognizing the limits of current U.S. protections.
Has Social Media Done More Harm Than Good? Evaluate Its Effects on Society
A qualified argument that social media’s benefits are meaningful, but that its harms to well-being can outweigh them when they interfere with sleep, productivity, and supportive relationships.
Online Reviews: Useful Evidence or Easily Manipulated Signals?
Online reviews can inform consumer decisions, but a star average is only a starting point. Compare sources, timing, detail, reviewer histories, and possible incentives, while remembering that suspicious patterns do not prove deception.
Jimmy Santiago Baca’s Claim About Possessions and Personal Stories
An argumentative essay that finds Baca’s claim substantially valid while recognizing that possessions and media can preserve, communicate, and enrich human stories.
Can AI Help Students Learn Without Doing Their Thinking for Them?
An evidence-based argument that AI can support learning when students remain responsible for reasoning, verification, and final decisions—and that schools must set clear boundaries for privacy and appropriate use.
AI Companions and Teenagers: What Should Adults Pay Attention To?
An evidence-based essay on teen chatbot use, trust, privacy, and why adults should not confuse conversational fluency with human judgment.
Should Social Platforms Do More to Protect Young Users' Privacy?
An argument for stronger privacy-by-design protections for young users, paired with age-appropriate rules and safeguards for teenagers' autonomy.