When I initially signed up to take this class I was very unfamiliar with Global Information Systems (GIS), and the role that it plays in the world past and present. Even before the computer age crude forms of GIS imagery were used to solve pertinent problems in society. I was able to gain exposure to many different cultures around the world both past and present. This has been an extremely useful class and provided a better understanding of several significant world issues for myself.
A current significant world issue is terrorism; specifically Islamic based Terrorism. Early in the semester the class was exposed to the Muslim culture and Islamic religion. Growing up in small rural area where there are no Muslim’s, I knew nothing about the culture or religion of Islam. I was unaware of the role that the Islamic religion plays in the motivation behind these acts of terror. Islam follows the holy book of the Quran and its strict set of rules known as Sharia law. Since the Quran was written by the prophet Mohammed over the course of his life there are many contradictions due to his changing life views. During his early life he had a peaceful outlook on life that changed into a much more violent outlook. According to Sharia Law if there is a contradiction a faithful Muslim is supposed to follow the more recent addendum to the Quran. Since the later chapters in the Quran call for Jihad and to expand the Islamic religion over the entirety of the world this explains the rise of Islamic terrorism.
Since the Quran states that Islam is the only true religion, it calls for the entire world to be governed under Sharia Law. This has led to the migration of Muslims from the Middle East to many other parts of the world. GIS imagery can be used to map the current migration of Muslims from the Middle East to the United States and Europe. Based on the current trends the number of Muslims will increase drastically over the next 50 years in the United States and Europe. There are already many issues associated with this in Europe; specifically England and France.
The use of GIS imagery and software is not solely limited to demographics. Currently the United States and five other countries are in negotiations with Iran over nuclear sanctions on the country. This is another significant issue that I was able to apply GIS technology in order to better understand. Since Iran is an Islamic country is not a friendly country to the United States one can only assume that they have the wrong motivations for developing a nuclear program. Using GIS programs I was able to look at and research the underground Iranian nuclear development site. This not only allowed me to better understand the Iranian nuclear program but gave me a better overall understanding of the many underground bunkers and structures around the world. The United States alone has many secure underground sites currently in use or that are left over from the Cold War. GIS technology allowed me to get a very in depth look at these sites and the role they play in our society today.
One may be under the impression that this class focused mainly on Islam and this is not the case. The Islam research is what I feel was most pertinent to society today and where I learned the most. One of the earliest and most useful applications of GIS was in Dr. John Snow’s research of the Cholera epidemic of London during the 1800’s. Cholera was responsible for many deaths in London. Dr. Snow used crude maps showing the locations of deaths due to cholera. These crude maps were early forms of GIS imagery. By mapping out the deaths and comparing it locations of drinking water sources Dr. Snow was able prove that bad drinking water was spreading Cholera. This resulted in a significant reduction in deaths associated with Cholera.
This class has been one of the more useful classes that I have taken while a cadet at VMI. I felt that the topics that we covered are all very pertinent in today’s society. In addition gaining awareness of the world around me, I had the opportunity to learn and use several different computer programs dealing with GIS. These programs have a variety of uses and I feel will make me more marketable as a soon to be graduate seeking employment. As a first classmen this class has been very valuable and useful as I am currently less than a month from graduation. It has provided me with insight to several cultures and allowed a somewhat hands on understanding as to their importance in the world. Throughout this class I have become familiar with GIS software and its applications in the real world.