Three Things.

A car accident. A photo board of individuals who are suffering from the effects of spinal cord injury. A ticking clock. These are the things that have recently made me stop in my tracks.

Though seemingly unconnected, all of these things have made me stop and consider the fleeting nature of time and life. When I saw the car accident, I was speeding down the Merritt Parkway South, heading home for winter break. When I looked to my left and saw that car wrapped around a tree, I thought about how in my rush to get home just a few minutes earlier, that car could have easily been mine. I saw the photo board during a graduate school tour. “She was a gymnast,” said my tour guide, pointing to one of the photos. “When she broke her neck, she came immediately here.” He then explained that the photos were there to remind the scientists at the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience why their work is important, to inspire their work and creativity, and to accelerate their productivity. Spinal cord injury is a traumatic and sudden event that permanently changes the life of the person who suffered the injury, as well as the lives of his or her friends and family. In an instant, nothing can ever be the same. It was amazing to see how close to heart the researchers at the Keck Center took their mission—to improve the lives of individuals with spinal cord injury—and how much they valued the lives of the people they were trying to help. I noticed the steady tick-tick-tick of the clock on the wall in my friend’s apartment. It was the first time it had been quiet enough for me to hear it. I stared at the clock for a whole minute, watching the second hand touch each hash mark as it went from 12 to 12 again. I was struck by how long a minute seems.

As I stared at that clock, I couldn’t help but think of the other two events. How many car accidents occurred during that minute? How many people suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury? So much can happen in a minute. Yet, how is it that time flies by so quickly? I think the reason these events struck such a chord with me is because I am graduating in the spring, and I can remember my first day of college so vividly. I’m looking with excitement towards the future, but still wish it would come just a little slower. How is it that time is so fleeting when a minute in silence seems like forever?

State of the Union.

Like every other speech President Obama has given, his State of the Union address on Tuesday night was nothing short of good, poetic even, and filled with the patriotic rhetoric that would help Americans look hopefully toward the future. All in all, President Obama is an outstanding speaker.

But how much of his words will translate into action? In his address, he outlines an innovative policy agenda, wrought with the hope and promise of a bright future. He outlines a plan to become the America that is within our reach. It was hopeful to hear that America has managed to create over 3 million jobs. As a graduating senior with student debt, I support his initiatives to make higher education more affordable and to reduce the burden of student loans. I was also encouraged by the removal of our troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

However, I was not persuaded by President Obama’s agenda to help small businesses succeed. Earlier in his presidency, President Obama proposed a healthcare bill that required businesses, including small businesses, to provide health insurance to their employees or to pay a fine. My aunt and uncle, who own a pizza place, feared that the added expenses would put them out of business. I suppose, though, additional tax relief for small business owners who are creating jobs is a step in the right direction.

The purpose of President Obama’s agenda is clear and in many ways promising, but will he be able to put it into action this year? And are his solutions to all of America’s problems really the best answers? I’m not sure, but I was inspired by the improving State of the Union, as President Obama described it, and I hope that his efforts are successful.

Bioethics: Laboratory-Engineered Bird Flu Strain Raises Bioterror Fears

In trying to determine the mutations that allow the bird flu to be passed to humans, researchers in the Netherlands and at the University of Wisconsin engineered a potentially more deadly form of the disease that was easily passed among ferrets, the mammal model used in flu vaccine research most closely related to humans.

The laboratory-engineered strain has raised concerns that the virus could escape the lab and infect millions of people or wind up in the hands of terrorists. Furthermore, questions were raised about whether the research should be published and whether it should be conducted in the first place. The New York Times published an article stating that the research was halted for 60 days to address these concerns.

The potential dangers associated with this research are evident. The benefits, however, need to be made clear. The research has the potential to determine the factors that allow viruses to be spread from animals to humans, become transmissible, and cause pandemics. Publication of such research could accelerate the rate of flu vaccination research. But, should we really publish a blueprint for creating a deadly virus? This is one of the few times in history that publication of biomedical research has been delayed. In this case, however, such a delay is necessary. Scientists must be aware of and consider the potential consequences of their work.

In my opinion, the research should be conducted in a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory [rather than a BSL3 lab where it is currently carried out], with greater security and oversight, and the potential risks need to be addressed immediately. That is, can the vaccine infect human cells? Furthermore, publication of the research methods should be limited. The two most prominent scientific journals, Science and Nature, are already taking these steps.

Is flu vaccine research necessary? Yes. Are there vital concerns which must be addressed? Absolutely. Is there need for complete public panic? Not yet. At what point is it it unethical to continue dangerous research? As of right now, it remains to be determined.

What do you think?

Julian Baggini: Is there a real you?

In this short lecture, Julian Baggini raises several interesting questions regarding "What makes you, you?" He challenges the commonly held belief that there is a central core, an essence to you that remains true and unchanging throughout your life. Instead, he suggests that YOU are simply the sum of your parts--the summation of all your life experiences, thoughts, desires, beliefs, values, sensations, etc--that are intertwined and interpreted by the brain in such a way that gives you a self.

I believe that in many ways Mr. Baggini is correct. For me, it is difficult to imagine that there is a central essence to each individual person completely unconnected from the body [though sometimes it seems equally difficult to imagine there isn't one]. We are constantly molded and changed by our life experiences, and the thought that we can direct our personal development, in some ways, is, indeed, liberating, as Mr. Baggini says.

However, Mr. Baggini also says that you cannot be anything that you want to be, that in some ways you are limited in what you can and cannot do. As some individuals in the comments suggested, perhaps these limitations are the "real YOU." Your core, your essence, the real YOU is the starting material, including all the limitations, that is shaped over time by experience. Scientists might argue that the starting material is simply our genes, the expression of which can be modulated by experience over time to make us what we are. But that, I'm sure, is another debate.

A Note on Blogs.

(Assignment 1.3)

I’ve only recently begun to explore the world of blogs, but here are a few that I have found particularly interesting.

High Existence http://www.highexistence.com/blog/

Created by Jordan Lejuwaan, this site has a number of contributors that share advice, thoughts, experiences—anything and everything—to help themselves and their readers build a better life, explore the human condition, and promote the general spread of happiness. Furthermore, the site includes a discussion section where members can discuss openly about their ideas and experiences.

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/

For some reason, I have always been interested in personal development, and I enjoy reading blogs like this one that give really good advice on how to make real changes in your life. This site is full of engaging articles that offer suggestions to help you get the most out of your life and be the best that you can be. Furthermore, the design of the site is as appealing as the content.

You, Me, & Charlie. http://youmeandcharlie.com/

To be honest, the only reason I checked this site out was because it was started by Dianna Agron, a cast member on one of my favorite TV shows, Glee. However, I continue to go back to it every once in a while because I love its mission. The goal of the site is to find beauty in yourself and the world around you, inspire beauty in others, and express it in creative and artistic ways. The site is based on reader contribution, and so, I am not even sure if it is technically a blog. Still, it is wonderful to look through and see the love and beauty others all over the world have been inspired to share.

In a general, a simple blog layout is more appealing to me than a cluttered one. I like to be able to see the most recent post when I open the page. I prefer brighter, lighter colors to darker ones, and images can break up the monotony of text. In my own blog, I would like to incorporate video clips, images, news articles, and other elements to compliment my posts. I also really like when readers can easily participate. The “re-blogging” feature on Tumblr makes this simple. Other blogs encouraged reader participation simply by asking for it. When readers were asked to share their thoughts, videos, pictures, and experiences, they generally seemed more likely to do so. The discussion feature on the site High Existence is another good way to start and continue reader participation.

I generally prefer blogs with some over-arching focus or theme. It makes it possible to search for blogs relating to specific topics. For me, a good blog has an appealing layout, well-written posts, and a general purpose. The purpose of my own blog is to explore different issues relating to politics, religion, science—the human condition, in general—and begin to develop my own opinions on them. As a biology major, I may focus on issues relating to science, medicine, bioethics, and research, but I hope to explore a variety of topics. Through my blog, I want to develop my voice and express my thoughts and opinions clearly to a general audience.

Lions for Lambs.

(Assignment 1.2)

Lions for Lambs is a provocative and inspiring movie. Occurring in a little over an hour and running in real-time, it follows three independent, yet interconnected, stories. A powerful Republican senator meets with a reporter to discuss a new initiative in the War on Terror, with the hope of improving public opinion on the war. The journalist struggles to write the story she is given. At the same time in a California university, a professor of political science meets with his bright, but burnt-out, pupil. He tells the story of two of his former students, who had the potential to make real change in the world. They were men of action, and acting on their beliefs they enlisted in the army rather than enrolling at top graduate institutions. During this time in Iraq, the new initiative in the Middle East is launched, and the two former students are at the front line, separated from their unit and facing imminent attack from the enemy. The major question in each of these stories is the same--The choices and mistakes we have made up to this point have defined us in ways we may or may not have realized, but where do we go from here?

In each situation in the movie, the central characters have reached a point where their past decisions and mistakes have brought them, and they are faced with an uncertain future. The choice to move forward, and how to move forward is theirs alone. The movie was as convicting as it was enjoyable. While watching, I asked myself the same questions the college professor was asking his student. Am I doing all that I can do? Am I capable of making any real change in the world? Am I willing to do what it takes to bring about change? While watching I was forced to look at my life, where I have been and where I want to go. Still, I was inspired because the choices I make from here on out are mine alone, and in some way I have the power to control how I am defined in the future. It is a thought that is both terrifying and empowering, captured in the face of the young pupil who must choose what new direction his academic career, and his life, will take.

A Quick Hello.

I've started this blog as a requirement for my class, Writing With Public Purpose, and I hope to use it to do exactly as it's titled--raise my voice. Up to this point, I regret to admit that I've been mostly apathetic when it comes to politics, though a few political science classes in high school and college ensured that I was never completely uninformed. I am a senior in college, and now, more than ever, I feel like "the issues"affect me directly. I want to educate myself on current issues, affairs, concerns, and policies and develop well-founded opinions on them. Moreover, I want to be able to clearly communicate my views to others and defend them when challenged. I hope that this course and this blog will help me to do that, and I hope that others my age and in my position can do the same.

In addition to completing my class assignments, my goal is to post about a wide range of topics. I am a biology major, however, and many of my posts may be related to science, medicine, research, and bioethics. Still, I hope you enjoy reading, and I greatly appreciate any comments you care to leave.