Prasad 1

How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?

Api.news, 2022, content.api.news/v3/images/bin/29b43037ee7535160c68e06aaaf9232a?width=1024. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

My first object is the 1964 Porsche 911 vs 2017 Porsche 911. Despite being decades

apart and more technologically advanced, this car is the same model. The 911 has seen a

significant amount of change, yet its distinctive appearance and shape have been around for

many years. However, what advantages did a Porsche 911 customer in 1964 have over a 911

buyer in 2017?

The original air-cooled flat-six engine from 1964 could reach 100 km/h and had a top

speed of 210 km/h. Today's 911 has a 3.0-litre displacement, water cooling, two turbos, and a top

speed of almost 300 km/h. People today have a choice of 20 different 911s, compared to just one

in 1964. The 911's length and width have also increased over the past years. The standard car kit

for the new Porsche 911 has also been changed to reflect recent tastes and trends. Some of the
 Prasad 2

latest technology innovations in the Porsche 911 include Apple CarPlay, touchscreen, wireless

internet, online navigation, reverse camera, and adaptive cruise control.

These are just a few of the improvements made to the Porsche 911, and it is immediately

clear how these improvements have developed from prior understanding of the Porsche 911 from

1964. This object relates to the prompt because the 2017 Porsche 911's development would not

have been possible without the knowledge gained from the 1964 Porsche 911.

Evidence is the TOK concept that relates to my object and prompt. Every action taken by

a human is supported by evidence gleaned from experiments or observations. Porsche has

created a superior version of the car by observation and testing using the prior understanding of

the 1964 911. "Like no other vehicle, it combines apparent opposites such as sportiness and

everyday usability, tradition and innovation, exclusivity and social acceptance, design and

functionality." (Porsche)
 Prasad 3

McDowell, Sandy. “Cancer Research Insights from the Latest Decade, 2010 to 2020.” Cancer.org, American Cancer Society, 30 Dec.

2019, www.cancer.org/latest-news/cancer-research-insights-from-the-latest-decade-2010-to-2020.html. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

My 2nd object is a cancer research study from 2010 - 2020. The total death rate from

cancer has decreased over the past decade. Major strides have been achieved by researchers in

the US and around the globe in understanding the complexities of cancer prevention, diagnosis,

treatment, and survival. With the use of precision medicine, doctors can now select cancer

treatments that are most likely to successfully treat a patient's cancer based on the exact genetics

of that patient's particular cancer rather than using a one-size-fits-all strategy. Additionally, two

new methods of immunotherapy were created. Researchers also learned more about the impact of

the microbiome on cancer.

 Prasad 4

This demonstrates how knowledge is always expanding and that there is really no limit to

it. The collection of data will continue to expand as researchers and medical professionals

develop new methods. Every lesson and error they pick up from prior knowledge is applied to

the present knowledge. Our current knowledge is founded on past events, but it has been

interpreted in a variety of ways by a wide range of individuals according to their beliefs, cultural

backgrounds, and personal experiences, but in this case, it is interpreted through observation,

data, experiments and clinical trials.

The TOK concept appropriate for this object and prompt is evidence and certainty.

Evidence is essential for this cancer research because without the accurate evidence of the

discovery, it can’t be used. Certainty is an equally important factor when it comes to this object

as researchers need to be certain about their research before they publish it worldwide for the

world to see.

ACS has taken steps to prepare for the next decade of cancer research including

developing a blueprint to improve cancer control in the US, increasing the ability for some of the

best cancer experts to work together, collecting blood and tissue samples from volunteers in the

ACS Cancer Prevention Studies-3 (CPS-3) that will allow for more research, and starting new

partnerships that can help promote more cancer research, such as with St. Baldrick’s Foundation

for children’s cancers and the Melanoma Research Alliance. (American Cancer Society)
 Prasad 5

Works cited

Icurry. “1964 Porsche 911 vs 2017 Porsche 911: How Times Have Changed.” Couriermail,

The Courier Mail, 19 May 2017,

www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sunshine-coast/1964-porsche-911-vs-201

7-porsche-911-how-times-have-changed/news-story/de8e63a137beb83dd23bfcc0c9

bacd17. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

McDowell, Sandy. “Cancer Research Insights from the Latest Decade, 2010 to 2020.”

Cancer.org, American Cancer Society, 30 Dec. 2019,

www.cancer.org/latest-news/cancer-research-insights-from-the-latest-decade-2010-t

o-2020.html. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.