Solution to killer superbug found in Norway

“It’s a very sad situation that in some places so many are dying from this, because we have shown here inNorway that Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be controlled, and with not too much effort,” said Jan Hendrik-Binder, Oslo’s MRSA medical adviser. “But you have to take it seriously, you have to give it attention, and you must not give up.”

The World Health Organization says antibiotic resistance is one of the leading public health threats on the planet. A six-month investigation by The Associated Press found overuse and misuse of medicines has led to mutations in once curable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, making them harder and in some cases impossible to treat.

Now, in Norway’s simple solution, there’s a glimmer of hope.

[full article here]

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Question:

Advances in Science and Technology only open the door to abuse. To what extent do you agree?

Heroes of the environment

In 2007, TIME shone the spotlight on the Earth’s four key groups of environmental heroes: leaders and visionaries, activists, scientists and innovators, and moguls and entrepreneurs.

This topic was revisited in 2008 and 2009, and appears set to be an annual feature in TIME.

Question:

Without scientists and innovators, our environment is doomed. Discuss.

Science, or discrimination?

Some blame it on discrimination – that whenever statistics show men earning more than women, holding higher-paying jobs or dominating certain industries (for instance, banking), this is evidence of discrimination in the workplace.

However, perhaps it’s not discrimination. Perhaps these results can be explained by hormones. In other words, that Science is to blame.

But are we merely shifting the blame to Science, so that we can guiltlessly continue discriminating against women? Or to justify employment decisions? Or perhaps to fuel societal stereotypes?

New technologies exonerate convicts, including some on death row

According to the Innocence Project, DNA has already exonerated 218 U.S. convicts. Sixteen of them had been sent to death row. The evidence of their innocence was under our noses all along. We just didn’t see it or use it.

- William Saletan, Live and Learn, 2008

[full article here]

Which raises the question: in light of the possibility of mistakes in convictions, should the death penalty continue to be used?

Are we born racist?

Do we really live in a “post-racial” society? Studies show that our prejudices have deep psychological roots; they may be wired into our brains. But research has also identified strategies for reducing and even overcoming prejudice. This issue of Greater Good explores how we can put this research into practice.

- Greater Good

Sex, Race and IQ: Off Limits?

Granted, the study of racial and sex differences in intelligence has not exactly covered itself in glory. There was that unfortunate incident in the mid-20th century, when British psychologist Cyril Burt apparently made up data to “prove” that genes make blacks and the poor innately less intelligent than whites and the wealthy. Later studies reaching similar conclusions were based on statistics that would have done Mark Twain (“lies, damned lies …”) proud. But does this sorry record warrant the scientific equivalent of the death penalty for such research?

- Begley (2009)

[full article here]

Questions:

Is it prejudiced to research into sex, race and IQ? Why?

If society perceives that race/sex/IQ studies reflect a prejudice, will that significantly affect the advancement of Science? Why?

Climate change is shrinking sheep

“But it’s too early to say if, in 100 years, we will have chihuahuas herding pocket-sized sheep.”

- Professor Tim Coulson

I’ve now got that image in my head, and find it most amusing.

(skills tip: humour/use of amusing imagery in essays helps!)

On a more serious note, the full story (and the more relevant details) can be found here.

 

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Background information:

The study of Soay sheep in St Kilda is an excellent example of a highly detailed scientific study. Basically, the team of scientists have been able to study pretty much everything about the factors affecting the population dynamics of these sheep (and they’ve got fancy mathematical models and tonnes and tonnes of data to support their work). And they’ve been studying these sheep for a long time (since 1985, to be specific).

So how is this useful/relevant?

The study of  Soay sheep on St Kilda is a great example of a highly detailed, data-heavy, long-term scientific study (arguments against the conclusions of some scientific studies, particularly those that seek to study complex patterns that change over time,  include that they are often short-term and that there’s no follow-up).

So this (in my opinion) provides a solid example to support ideas associated with this study (including the continual addition to scientific knowledge, usefulness of long-term studies, the possibility of effectively studying difficult areas (e.g. climate change)).

Of course, it’s possible I’m biased – the key scientist involved in this study was my university lecturer, so I know a lot more about the study (and am more convinced about the greatness of it) than someone who has only a casual understanding and knowledge of this study.

But even then, I still maintain that it’s a great example – at least, in this case, one of the better climate change conclusions I’ve come across, in terms of providing tangible, hard evidence of the effects of climate change on organisms.