Two Thesis Ideas

I just wanted to get these two ideas out quickly. They’re still in a “meta” stage, so there’s really not a specific research objective or deliverable yet.

1. Media Ecology - This refers to the study of media environments. While this is a very broad definition, it can be narrowed to focus on how shifts in delivery methods effect the information that is conveyed. For example, if we put our college textbooks on the iPad, how will that affect college students? Will the information they obtain be the same as with a physical book, or, to paraphrase Marshall McLuhan, will the medium change the message?

2. Healthy Living for Individuals with Random/Recurring Symptoms - For individuals who have diseases or disabilities with recurring symptoms that are unpredictable, fitness is very difficult…yet essential. Suppose you have a disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis, and you’re trying to follow a fitness routine. If you plan on exercising in the afternoon on weekdays, you might find that your RA spikes three afternoons out of the five thereby preventing you from following your workout plan. This would be extremely discouraging and might convince you to neglect exercising entirely. My question is: “How could we use technology to enable individuals in these situations to maintain a healthy lifestyle that takes into account the random nature of their illnesses?”