Author: Alexis Burcham

Hi there! My name is Alexis Burcham, and this is my blog, Afterthoughts. I first started this for a school project when I was in 5th grade, but my dad encouraged me to keep it up. I am enjoying writing my articles, and I can't wait to see what the next years entail! - Alexis Burcham, Author
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AI: Should We Trust It?

Origin story

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) has been around for some time now, but we’ve never done a deep-dive on this channel about it. In this article, we’ll be delving into A.I., how we use it, and just how much the next generation relies on it.

a machine that can think?

Originally created in 1956, Alan Turing, and later, John McCarthy, both computer scientists, found a way to make a computer that could simulate the human’s way of thinking, their cognitive process, break language barriers by translating, and do the hard, time-consuming projects like sorting digital mail. The two men were driven by a passion to learn more about humankind. But what started out as a small project turned into something that would progress the evolution of mankind.

human brain 2.0

After the 1956 explosion of computer science, Alan Turing wrote an article titled “Computer Machinery and Intelligence”, which gave the world some inspiration and insight as to what this new “Artificial Intelligence” was. While he was a pioneer in computer science, he said “A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive the human into believing it (the computer) was human.” But just a few decades later, in 2014, an A.I. program passed the Turing Test, a test designed by the late Alan Turing himself to see how humane these progressing robots could act and think.

Houston, we have a problem

With A.I. getting more intelligent every day, and websites like Google AI and ChatGPT being used every day, are we becoming too reliant on artificial intelligence instead of creativity? There are some A.I. videos on the Internet that are fooling millions, and it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish the difference between the real and fake. While A.I. can be used for work and school projects, and it proves useful, we, as a species, are relying too much on technology instead of enjoying the world for what it is. Some people are aware that A.I. might be the problem, but no-one is taking action and looking away from there screens. This is a problem, and it can become an even bigger one the more we just keep doing what we’re doing and not breaking away from our screen addiction.

So what?

In this article, we’ve learned about A.I.’s origin story, how it exploded around the globe, and if we are relying on technology too much. Now, whether or not we can trust it is entirely up to you, but in the words of the late Stephen Hawking; “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race… I fear A.I. may replace humans altogether.” But I’ll leave it to you to decide. I hope this article gave you some insight into A.I., and feel free to share this article!

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Your Ideas

What’s something you feel like we should talk about on Afterthoughts? What’s something you feel like we could improve on?

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2026 Update

Hi, everyone. I know that I haven’t posted in a while, so let me catch you up to speed. In this article, I’ll tell you all about what’s happened in the last 6 months.

New School, New Me…. Right?

After some consideration, my parents decided to enroll me into a new school named ArtSpace. With me going into middle school, I thought it would be difficult, but I had no idea how hard it was going to get. School started on August 20, and from the get-go, I knew that I wasn’t going to be popular. Instead, I found a group of people ( they’re names will be kept anonymous ) that I could get along with. They weren’t ideal, but they were good friends. I eventually decided that I didn’t want to be friends with them anymore ( I just couldn’t tolerate them anymore ) and cut them off. I haven’t found new friends, but I already have so many more.

My Ninja Life

At my martial-arts studio, however, things are looking up and I have gotten more oppurtunities. I started volunteering to help out with kids who go to the martial arts studio after school. I’ve also been sparring (controlled fighting ) more so I can get better at defending myself in real time.

Me

In my personal life, I’ve found a new love and understanding for painting, sketching, reading, and bracelet-making. I’ve also found a new love for puzzles. My favorite thing to paint is sunsets on a beach, and I love to sketch eyes. I’m also making Bible-themed bracelets and reading the Tuttle Twins book series that I got for Christmas. My birthday also came up on December 6th. I turned 12.

6 months Later

Now you know what’s happened in the last 6 months. I hope to continue reading, drawing, bracelet-making, painting, and helping other kids. Anyways, that’s all for this article. Merry Late Christmas, Happy Late New Year, and feel free to share or read more!

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High Tides & Good Vibes

Way down we go

Have you ever been on the beach, and it hits you that this is the coast of America? In this article, we’ll dive deep into my trip to Florida, and the things I learned about while I was there. Without further ado, let’s sail into this true story!

Baby, you’re a firework

On July 4th, my parents drove down from North Carolina to Florida, where we were greeted by my grandparents, my brother, my sister in-law, and my nephew. Along the way, I tried a new drink called ‘Alani’. It was SUPER SWEET, but it was delicious. When we got there, the fireworks started to come on, and I got to watch them with my sister in-law and my nephew. Even though we didn’t have a clear view, it was worth it to spend time with my family. The next day was much busier, though.

the ancient city

After sleeping for what felt like forever, I woke up and prepared for the day. We would be going to a place called ‘Mojo’s’, then we would walk around St. Augustine, which is known as the ‘Ancient City’. Around 10:00, I and my family drove to ‘Mojo’s’. It was a taco restaurant, and the food was SO good. I was glad I came along. Then, we went to downtown St. Augustine, which was packed wit small businesses. I got a bag for $26, which was very useful to hold my essentials. After walking some more, we realized we needed a refreshment, so we got ice cream. I got a flavor called ‘The Tonight Dough’ which was chocolate, cookie dough, and peanut butter. It was a delicious day, I will say that.

Sesame Street

After getting back to the house, my parents sat me down and we went over some rules. And since my bank account is now nonexistent from buying the bag, they gave me $20. Early the next morning, they went back to Florida, while I was about to have so much fun at my grandparents’ house. They don’t know what they missed out on. When I woke up, me and my grandparents watched some tennis. Then, I and my grandma got ready to go out and about. One day, we went to the Asian market and got some sesame balls, carioca, mochi, and milk tea. The second day we did this we went to the Avenues mall, where I got some very cute pink nails. Another night, me and my grandparents went to play ‘Bingo!’. My grandpa jokingly said that I was bad luck when it came to ‘Bingo!’, even though I was SUPER close multiple times.

surf’s up, dude!

Thursday, July 10, 2025. I wake up after days of fun and being busy, and I get ready to spend time with my nephew, my sisters, and my brother. They pick me up around 1:00, and we go to their house first. My brother arrives not long after, and we decide to go swimming. It takes 20-30 minutes to get there, but it was worth it. When we got there, my brother gets the kayak for a small pool, because he’s funny like that. I tried it, and I’m actually very good at it for a beginner. It started to rain, though, after 30 minutes. But we would have a lot more fun for the remainder of the day, and the next day. I spent the night, and the day, we went to the beach. We went to a splash pad first, then we walked on the hot sand to the coast of America. That’s when it hit me that I was on the border of a country. After that, we went back to their house and hung out. Later that evening, we went to a Thai restaurant called “The Green Papaya”, and I got sushi. I was taken back to my grandparents house, and I packed up to leave the next morning.

Just keep swimming

In this article, I talked about my trip to Florida, and in my last two articles, I talked about traveling. I hope that these articles help inspire you, or give you something to think about.

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Hey, Hey, U.S.A.!

nashville

When we started on our three-day trip to Nebraska, my family stopped in Nashville, Tennessee first. After driving for 5 hours 23 minutes, my dad decided that we should get out of the car and explore Nashville. We were originally planning to go to the Parthenon, which is an exact replica to a Greek temple without the flight. Unfortunately, it was closed due to a power outage. We still experienced a LOT in Nashville. First, we went to a soda shop called Swig, where they mix flavors, fruits, and sodas to make DELICIOUS combos. I got the Shark Attack. Next, we went to a place called called the Loveless Cafe, where we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one meal! I enjoyed going to Nashville, even if we didn’t get to go to the Parthenon.

Pattie’s inn

After our stop in Nashville, we headed to Kentucky to rest for the night. We came across Pattie’s Inn, which was founded in 1800’s, yet looks modern. There, the staff was incredible. They were SO kind to us. My sister and I finished our leftovers from the Loveless Cafe while watching “Super Mario Bros.” We slept well, and woke up to find out that there was a free-for-all breakfast downstairs. They even had a “Make- Your- Own- Pancakes” machine! Overall, it was a 5 star for me.

Kleinschmitts & Missouri

After a well deserved rest at Pattie’s, we went through Illinois, though we made a stop at roadside Kleinschmitt’s. It’s a mid-west apparel store, and it’s extremely authentic. I picked out a pair of boots with sunflowers on them. That was my big gift, since I’ve always wanted cowboy boots. They were $200! Then we stopped in Kansas City, Missouri, and we got to see the Gateway Arch. The Arch was made as a monument for Thomas Jefferson, who helped bring America together. I took SO many photos! When that was all over, we stopped at my Great-Aunt Kyla’s house. Apparently, I have a LOT of second cousins, but I don’t mind.

Nebraska

After meeting family, an amazing meal, and a comfy bed, we headed to Nebraska. My parents got a two story Airbnb. We went through 8-10 traffic circles just GETTING there! We unpacked there, and slept soundly. The next day, we went to a country club, where my grandparents held their birthday party. I met family and close friends, and I’m glad I went. The next day, I tried runzas for the first time. It was so good! That same day, we saw where my mom used to live, and went to my Great-Aunt Susan’s Airbnb. It was so quaint, and it felt very welcoming. We slept, and the next day, we picked up MORE runzas for a get together at my grandparent’s house. Their house was two story in a quit neighborhood, and each house had a GOLF CART! It was awesome, and they had really cool pieces of art that were music based. We saw the Strawberry Moon that night. The final day, we went to The Cheesecake Factory, where they incorporated flavors into cheesecake. I got the Tie-Dye cheesecake. The next day, we met up with my Great-Aunt Missy. She was so fun, and like most moms, had quite a few funny stories to tell.

Overall

This trip took 16 1/2 hours, but every bit of it was worth it. I saw so many new places, and met people I really enjoyed talking to. I would go back, with the adventure too!

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Where in the World?

Summer Vacation!

Schools almost out, birds are chirping, and you want to go overseas on vacation! But where? In this article, we’ll be talking about the best places to be on vacation if you’re going overseas. Let’s unpack this information!

Let’s look at a map

Because there’s 7 continents, there’s a lot of famous landmarks you can visit, especially in Europe. For example, if you like art, you can visit the Louvre in Paris, France. If you are Christian, you can visit the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, South America. But let’s explore Paris and Italy first. Some examples of the most famous landmarks in Paris are:
– The Eiffel Tower
– The Louvre
– The Notre-Dame
– The Arc de Triomphe
– The Palace of Versailles
and many more! Paris is SO famous that it has 2,185 landmarks, which makes it the most landmarked country in the world! Italy, on the other hand, has landmarks like:
– The Colosseum
– The Leaning Tower of Pisa
– Pompeii
– Palazzo Vechio
-Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 2
and more landmarks to see! Though Italy doesn’t have as many landmarks as France, it still has 60 landmarks! But let’s look at some other continents and THEIR landmarks.

Hola and molo

In continents like South America and Africa, there aren’t as many landmarks. Africa, which is known for savannas and lions, doesn’t have any major landmarks, but there are a few, like:
– Victoria Falls
– Hassan 2 Mosque
– Valley of the Kings
– The Giza Pyramids
– Abu Simbel Temples
and only a few others. Africa, though it has Egypt, only has 144. Given that Africa held a once-great nation, you’d think there would be more landmarks, but at least it beats Italy. South America is super famous for Rio de Janeiro, which has landmarks such as:
– Machu Picchu
– Iguazu Falls
– Christ the Redeemer
– Uyuni Salt Flat
– Atacama Desert
and more to come. South America actually has just over 70, so Italy is off the podium. It’s amazing to think that Italy, Africa, and South America have low numbers, because they held some of the greatest nations.

Start packing

Though we could just stay where we are, going out and exploring continents helps us understand them and their history better. How? Though landmarks. So in this article, we learned that there is SO much TO explore, so we need to start packing, and go seize the day/world ( NOT world domination, just travel)! And feel free to share this link with people you know! 😀

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Spring’s Here! Now What?

What do i do now?!

If you’re like me, when spring starts, you just want to do anything and everything! The schedule looks something like this:

1: Wake up every day REALLY early so I can get started!
2: Start cooking my own breakfast!
3: Spring Cleaning!
4: Read a good book!
5: Go play outside, it’s a beautiful day!
6: More cleaning!
7: Connect with friends, family, and neighbors!

And etc, etc. In an ideal world, everybody would follow a very STRICT and ORDERLY daily to-do list. But, we’re not perfect, are we? When spring comes, the animals come out, but we like to sleep in and do absolutely NOTHING. A perfect day for imperfect humans looks like this:

1: Sleep as much as we want
2: Eat
3: Do what we want
4: Go back to sleep

See what I mean? So if we want to get up and do something, how can we change that “I don’t want to do anything” mood to an ” I’m ready to go do something” mood? Find out in the next paragraph.

How’s that possible?

If we want to tidy up the house SO we can do “me-time”, it needs to start with GETTING UP. I, personally, have a HUGE problem with that, but that’s beside the point. We can do that by setting an alarm that’s not too early, but not too late either. So a reasonable time would be around 6:00-8:00. But if you can’t get up that early, try going to bed sooner the night before. This would definitely help with getting up. Next, start a hobby! If you try something new, you might enjoy it, and if you enjoy it, CONTINUE IT! It might be cooking, learning an instrument, playing a sport, whatever it may be, there’s ALWAYS something out there. And for the Gen-Z and Gen Alpha, actually CONNECT with the people around you! ” We, the People” need to get off our screens, and go out and LIVE LIFE! If we become hermits in our own houses, we’ll never understand our true potential in the world. And those are just 3 of the MANY ways we can improve not just for spring, but year-round.

blue skies and sunshine

From this article, you saw a few ways we can improve, but that doesn’t mean everything will go smoothly. There will be “off-days”, and days you just don’t feel like it, but we need to keep a positive attitude, because other people will notice. And when they notice, they’ll start to do it too. So, in a way, it helps everybody. I hope you got something out of this article, and feel free to share Afterthoughts with someone you know! And if you have any questions, please leave them in the Comment section. ; )

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The Blood Moon: Why It Occurs

What’s that red thing?

What is a blood moon? Well, scientifically, it’s called a “lunar eclipse”. It’s known for it’s temporary red-orange to crimson color. Unfortunately, this beautiful red only lasts for about 3 hours. Even though a blood moon is common than a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses are still a natural phenomena, and are very rare. In fact, the last lunar eclipse happened on November 8, 2022! That’s a long period of time, but not too long. But the NEXT total blood moon will actually be in March, 2026. That’s in about a year, so we won’t have to wait TOO long. But wait! WHY does a blood moon occur? Is it sorcery? Is it a sign from the aliens? Is the moon on fire? Check out the next paragraph to find out.

it’s not on fire?!

To put it simply, no, it’s not sorcery, aliens, or fire. We are not in danger, because this has always happened every few years. It’s actually because the Sun, Earth, and Moon align. It looks something like this:

So, the Moon is just in the Earth’s shadow, with some of the Sun’s light reaching it, which creates a reddish effect called an “umbra” (see the picture above). The reason this occurs every so often is because it’s never completely aligned. Shocked? Actually, the first known lunar eclipse was discovered 1137 BC. I don’t even KNOW how long it’s been since then, it’s just been quite a while!

A sight to see

THAT is the definition of “information overload”! Thing is…. there’s more than this article could ever produce. If you want to research more about any of my articles, knock yourself out. I hope you continue to read my articles, and feel free to share this link! 😀

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The Field Trip: A True Story

Guajiros

Yesterday, on March 7, 2025, I knew I had a dental appointment. I also knew that my mom had a surprise for me after the dental appointment. I was not expecting this “surprise” to have three parts. For the first part, we went to a new Cuban food truck called “Guajiros”. We got a Cuban sandwich, plantains, and a guava and cream cheese pastry. The Cuban was really good, with a lot of meat and cheese and pickles, it was awesome. The plantains were really good, and it tasted very authentic. The pastry did have a lot of bread, and I couldn’t taste the filling at first, but when I did, it was a match made in heaven. Overall, it was 5/5 and I would love to go there again.

Target

After we finished eating, my mom took me to Target. Now, I thought this was a little random, but I got some sour gummy worms and an energy drink. I had no clue why my mom would let me choose a candy bag and an energy drink ( I have enough energy WITHOUT the drink), and afterward, she said that we were going to see a movie. I was ecstatic when I heard this, and it was a movie I had been wanting to see for a while. Fortunately, it was not even a mile away. So I hurried to make sure I had everything and was ready, then I really wanted to run to the car, but I had bags in my hands, so I didn’t. But I was not ready for how that movie would inspire me.

rule breakers

Turns out, we were watching a new movie called “Rule Breakers”. From the ads to the trailer, I knew I wanted to watch it. The movie was a true story about a group of girls from Afghanistan who wanted to learn about computers and robots, but only men could. They decided that they were going to push their limits, and they succeeded. After the movie was over, all the gears in my head were turning. I was thinking “This is my way to being an astronaut, engineering is how I will get into space.” So I talked to my parents about it, and they said we would take it one step at a time, but they were going to try this out. Even though the gears are still turning in my head, and even though we haven’t got a chance to make progress, it’s only been a day.

all in all

Overall, this was the best field trip so far, and I am so glad I got spend time with my mom. I hope we can do this again, and feel free to share this link! I will be posting every Saturday at 1:30.


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Mondays: WHY?!

Why are Mondays so bad?

Who here hates Mondays? I do! For the kids out there, It’s because it’s the first day of prison – I mean school that week (you didn’t hear or see that…), and for adults, it’s another day with more infuriating coworkers. Overall, we just feel like it’s a bad day. But what if I told you that it didn’t have to be that way? What if I told you that you didn’t have to think of Mondays that way? You’d probably say, “You’re lying, aren’t you?” or, “Is this a joke?”, but it’s not. In my opinion, Mondays are just the day after Sunday, and the second day of the week. They might not be as bad as you think. Like frogs (look at my last post about frogs).

But how? And why?

Now, if you are intrigued, please keep reading. If not, please keep reading (same outcome). Therefore; how do we make Mondays better, and why should we? Well, we should try to make Mondays better because if Sundays are the start of the week, we should carry that joy all throughout the week and restart that joy on Sundays. In short, if you are happy on Sunday, you should be happy on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The only question is, “How?” In that case, there’s a few ways we can do this. If you would like to make notes, you can make a checklist for each week. You can do a happiness checklist. If you don’t, you can just realize your emotions and make sure they’re in check. In other words, if you feel yourself getting angry, think of the reason why, and try to turn that emotion against itself.

Conclusion

So, what have we learned in this article that we control whether or not we are happy, and some ways to help control those emotions. I hope you enjoyed this blog ( and maybe learned a little, too), and feel free to share this website and/or this article!😄