The World Without Us

The readings by Weisman give a startling description of what the world will be like whenhumans no longer exist. My first thought after reading was that I never want to live in New York City. Although the events described in the reading will most likely happen all over the world, the specific details about New York City make it that much more real in that specific location. I can actually visualize these horrifying events happening in New York. Every time I walk through Central Park or ride on the subway, I will think of the terrible things that will eventually occur once humans are have left this earth.

Humans control the world we live in. Humans made this world the way it is, and we need to work to keep it that way. There are many different locations in New York that are completely controlled by humans. For example, humans need to control pumps to remove water from the subway stations daily. If one pump breaks in the subway station, water could gather in the subway station stopping trains and causing major problems. The frightful part is that the sewer system is located above the train station. This means that pumps need to pump water upwards (against the force of gravity) which makes the situation even more terrifying.

People can look at this chapter in many different ways. One viewpoint is that we hate ourselves for taking over the earth and changing nature's path. Another is that we are afraid of the capabilities of nature. I am terrified of the situations presented in this reading and I hope that I am not alive to see these events pan out.

Twitter

I've used twitter before mostly to read other people's tweets, so I was aware of its capabilities. Although I didn't know how many organizations actually do tweet. It is a great source of information, and it's extremely easy. All you have to do is sign in, and all the information is right there in front of you. Twitter does the searching for you, so all you need to do is read the interesting links that are provided. It's a very useful and efficient tool to use in order to update yourself on current events. The only problem is that it's a different method than methods that people have used in the past, and many people don't like to change the way they do things.

The Advancement of the Robot Surgeon

I learned from the article "The Slow Rise of Robot Surgeon" by Emily Singer that doctors are not satisfied with the evolution of robots used for surgery. The main issue is that only one company makes the robot (called the da Vinci robot) so there is no competition from other companies. This allows the company to price the robot very high since they're the only company producing the robots. It costs hospitals $2.5 million to buy this robot in order to make their procedures less invasive. The robot also allows for less surgery and recovery time. The point is that doctors are not happy that this is the only robot out there. They want other companies to start building cheaper and better robots.

It's amazing to me that a robot that can do surgery on human beings is not advanced enough. That sounds extremely advanced to me. In the medical world, technology changes very quickly (every 3-4 years) so when it doesn't change doctors are surprised. They expect there to be new medicines and products available to them. Robot surgeons seem to be one area when the biomedical engineers are lacking on

"The Checklist"-Gawande

Thankfully I don't visit the hospital very often, and I've never been to an Intensive Care Unit. The reading by Gawande gives the reader a peek inside what goes on in an ICU. I can only imagine how busy and stressful it must be for doctors and nurses. It's not had to understand how doctors could forget one specific part of a procedure when they need to work so quickly. It has always amazed me how doctors know so much information. They not only know the names of thousands of sicknesses but also names of the medical instruments and procedures. They also know what all these names mean and what to do in order to treat the problems. And all this information is in their heads because, in the ICU, if doctors took the time to look something up their patient may very have died in those few moments. So clearly it's not difficult to see how something could slip their mind.

I think checklists even for medical procedures is a great idea. I make lists all the time for tasks I need to get done, and it allows me to make sure I don't forget anything since everyone does forget things including doctors. Years and years of medical school cannot make someone's memory better; forgetfulness is just human nature.

The story about the little girl that fell into the ice cold pond and recovered due to the doctors' impeccable work is truly amazing. I was shocked that the human body could actually revive itself with the help of medical technology. It's fitting that the reader finds out that a checklist was used in this specific situation at the end of the reading. Gawande is trying to show that this little girl survived because of the checklist which may or may not be the case. Although, the statistics Gawande gives throughout are very convincing in that they show that less mistakes are being make and therefore more lives are being saved thanks to the checklists.

I don't think the doctors themselves should have to worry about the checklists because they are the ones actually performing the surgeries, but a nurse or some other qualified person should be watching the doctors making sure they execute every step on the checklist. If the doctors miss a step then the nurses need to let it be known immediately. This may take some getting used to, but if the checklist really has such a large effect as the stats show, then this needs to be implemented into all ICUs. Perhaps in the future, there will be a specific position designated to the checklist. There will be doctors, nurses, and "checkers" in the ICU surgery rooms.

Infertility

My 1000 word essay is about infertility and new technologies that will hopefully allow infertile couples to conceive a child. One of my articles took on the question of whether or not these services should be publicly funded. I personally don't think they should be publicly paid for because it's only a small percentage of people that actually need these services. There aren't enough people in need of this service to make it publicly funded. Although I do hope that these services will become less expensive in the years ahead. Most new technologies are very expensive, but then over time their value drops making them less expensive. It is very sad to think that some middle and lower class couples may not have to opportunity to have a child due to the cost of assisted human reproduction technologies, but this is the way our world works unfortunately.

Another article is about the new human reproductive technologies causing major birth defects in the babies. Although the percentages are low, there still is a difference between naturally conceived newborns and newborns created with the help of this technology. But I question the amount of data collected and whether enough research has been done on this subject to make it true. I always tend to question scientists and researchers because their findings are incorrect so frequently. This research is important because it could be the deciding factor in a couple's decision to use human reproductive technologies in order to conceive or not. If a couple knew the chance was high that their child could have a major defect, then they may opt out of using that service. This shows how important scientific research can be to ordinary people.

Plastic Causes Cardiovascular Disease

An article published by ScienceNews by Rachel Ehrengerg deals with the concept that bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastics, is connected to cardiovascular disease. Bisphenol A is part of polycarbonate plastics and is also found in "the epoxy lining of canned food." Some research has also found that bisphenol A can exist in household dust and also in carbonless cash register receipts. The short name for it, BPA, interferes with the development of different tissues in the body. A study done in 2008 involving this same issue found that BPA "suppresses a hormone that protects people from heart attacks and type 2 diabetes." What's strange about BPA is that it can affect hormones when there's a large amount of BPA in the body but also when there's a small amount of it in the body. Nevertheless, it's affecting people, and although it's still early on in the research, we need to put a stop to bisphenol A before it becomes even more serious.

This article instantly reminded me of the reading "Polymers are Forever" about plastic in the environment. Bisphenol A is a chemical in plastic, and now it has been found that it can cause cardiovascular disease. Not only is it bad for the environment, but it's also bad for humans. We need to find a way to remove plastics because it's hurting us more than it's helping us. Although it'd be extremely difficult to live without plastic, I believe we can find a safer product to replace it.

"Polymers Are Forever" Response

According to this reading, polymers or plastics are indeed forever. It's true that most of the time humans don't even realize when they're littering. One example from the reading that I found very interesting was about exfoliants: tiny spheres that are in many face and body washes. What many people don't know is that these tiny balls actually consist of plastics which do not break down in the environment. Some companies do use other materials such as "jojoba seeds and walnut shells" which are natural and therefore safe for the environment. I would never think to consider exfoliants as contributers to pollution in the world. They seem so small and harmless, but when millions and billions of them end up in the ocean they do add up and become part of the problem. This makes me wonder what other daily rituals we do that contributes to the destruction of the earth. Can you think of any?

Genetic Testing

An article from Technology Review entitled "New Test Screens Prospective Parents for 100-Plus Diseases" by Emily Singer talks about a new genetic test developed by the company Counsyl. This specific device tests potential parents' genes for any diseases that they could pass on to their children. There have been many other genetic tests available, but this one is different because it tests for 100 different diseases while only costing $349. This same amount was equivalent to the cost of one cystic fibrosis test in the 1990s. Although this technology doesn't test for any new disease, it does test for many at the same time which is a great advancement.

You may ask why it's necessary to test for rare diseases in parents. The answer is that many people carry one copy of the mutation for a specific disease in their DNA, but this does not affect them in any way because humans need two copies in order to develop the disease. So if two people trying to conceive each have one single copy, then their child would have a twenty-five percent chance of receiving those genes and ultimately developing the disease.

The way this device works is that a probe catches small, specific pieces of DNA from the parents and examines them with great accuracy. Counsyl is hoping to start using a new technology called gene sequencing technology. This will actually allow the device to read every single letter of the specific genes in the DNA for a disease which will create even greater accuracy.

The topic of genetic testing is controversial because some people believe whatever child they create is the child they were supposed to have. They think that by using genetic testing, it's almost like cheating; it's as if you're creating the "perfect child". But I believe these technologies are great as they can assure a newborn's health. It can cost thousands of millions of dollars to take care of a sick child or even worse have your child die at a young age. I think that if we can prevent sickness then we should definitely use every tool we have to do so.

I also think that it's important to get the news out that there are new technologies developing all the time which are more and more useful to everyday people. For example, years ago only a wealthy person could purchase a genetic test, but since the cost has dropped so much, it's available to more and more people. This will make our world a healthier place, and hopefully one day we'll be able to eliminate these terrible diseases all together.

Crain's "Twilight of the Books"

The main idea of Crain’s “Twilight of the Books” was that less and less people are reading today. This wasn’t new or surprising information to me because I am part of the problem. When I was younger I remember reading twelve books per summer. Reading was one of my favorite activities to do in the summer, but now, I find myself watching TV when I have nothing better to do instead of picking up a book like I used to.

One statement in the reading that I found interesting was when it said that readers and viewers think differently. I believe this means that when someone is reading a book they are able to imagine the characters and the locations for themselves. Books make your brain work even when you don’t realize it. When watching TV everything is given to you; there’s no room for imagination. Therefore a viewer is lazier than a reader.

One line that I thought contradicted the above idea was a comment Wolf made about reading. Wolf said, “When reading goes well it feels effortless, like drifting down a river rather than rowing up. It makes you smarter because it leaves more of your brain alone.” I found this strange because I thought when you use more of your brain you become smarter. For example when you’re reading about a topic that you are unfamiliar with, it may be difficult because you may not understand everything, but it is making you smarter due to the fact that you’re learning new things. I’m not sure if this idea that Wolf brought up is true, but because it's contrary to my belief it caught my attention very quickly.

The notation system was difficult for me to use because it was different than what I am used to. For the past five years I’ve been underlining and using different brackets to symbolize important passages. I do think this is a good system, but it’s a method I would have to get more familiar with. It was especially hard to use with this first reading because I didn’t know what each number symbolized, so I would have to go back and look it up in the middle of the reading which staggered my flow of reading.

Born an Engineer

I have heard the word “engineer” my entire life, but the meaning of it has changed for me over time. At three years old I thought my parents were “silver” engineers. I had no idea what this meant, but I knew that’s what they called themselves. I later came to learn that I had mistaken the word “civil” for “silver”. On Saturday mornings, we would travel five minutes down the road and arrive at their office. Not knowing or caring what went on there, I simply used the office as a place to run around and play. A few years later, I finally learned what it was that they did everyday on a weekend trip to a few of their jobsites. They were given a set of plans from the state and from these plans built roads, bridges, and landfills. From small $500,000 sitework jobs to $36 million road projects, their job is to improve society. I’ve come to learn that this is the overall purpose for engineers-to help the public whether it be by inventing new technologies or by demolishing a faulty bridge and building a new one.

I’ve always wanted to be an engineer. This was partly due to my parents telling me nothing else was worthwhile. I’ve seen this firsthand as my sister has decided to study history, and now with three months left in her college career has no idea what she wants to do with her life. My parents just sit back and shake their heads. Luckily for me, math and science were the subjects I excelled in and enjoyed the most. But the only field of engineering I knew of was civil and I did indeed know it well. After working for my parents the past four summers, I have learned the ins and outs of civil engineering. From surveying a landfill to estimating how much each item on a bid will cost, I have been involved in it all. And the question is: Could I see myself doing this for the rest of my life? Absolutely not. The company is there with open arms waiting for me to take it over. I’ll be set for life, but I don’t want it. Perhaps I just want to do something different than my parents, set my own path, but I know I don’t I have civil engineering in my blood as my parents once thought I did. I knew I wanted to be an engineer, so I needed to find another field that caught my interest.

Biology was one subject in high school that really interested me especially when it came to studying the human body. From growing hair to healing wounds, the human body is amazing. But I know I don’t want to be a doctor, so I’ve decided to try biomedical engineering. Perhaps I’ll be able to create new devices that will help doctors do their job in a more efficient and safe manner. I really don’t know too much about biomedical engineering and all that it entails, but I think my calling lies somewhere within it.