Antibiotics: Are we running out?

Since the discovery of penicillin, antibiotics have changed the world of medicine.  However, it is time to
re-evaluate our dependency on them.  We often take for granted our "triumph of science over bacteria," but there are more and more infections that are unaffected by antibiotics.  Already, there are 100,000 deaths in the U.S. per year due to antibiotic-resistant infections.  We have overused antibiotics, allowing more strains of bacteria to pass on resistant traits.  By using them in animal feed, on diseases they can't cure, and not finishing antibiotic treatments (many patients stop taking antibiotics when they feel better, leaving resistant bacteria to multiply), we "handicap" ourselves.

Not many new antibiotics have been discovered recently.  We cannot rely on new antibiotics to fight resistant infections.  We must find new ways to fight them off.  $94 million has been spent on research for rare, bioterrorism agents like anthrax and plague, while only $16 million has been spent on developing new medications for drug-resistant pathogens.  We must think about antibiotics in the same terms as other nonrenewable resources- conservation and sustainable use.  This will mark a paradigm shift.  Currently, it is estimated that 50% of all antibiotic use is unnecessary.  Doctors prescribe them as a precaution or to ward of infections that have not yet occurred.  We cannot allow that to happen any longer.  If we act now, it is still possible for antibiotics to be effective.

A Case for Video Games

According to the New York Times, by the age of 21, the typical American has spent 10,000 hours playing computer games.  The constant question has been "Why are so many people wasting their time?  However,  now some experts are asking other questions, such as "Why are these games so much more absorbing than the real world?  How can problem-solving skills used for these games be beneficial?"  In the past, puzzles and games were considered instructional tools.  The emperor Charlemagne charged a young scholar with the task of compiling "Problems to Sharpen the Young."  Once puzzles and gaming "went digital," and became more popular, it was called "escapism" or "addiction."

One thing many players enjoy about online gaming is the fact that they overcome obstacles in pursuit of a goal.  They get instantaneous feedback and positive encouragement from the computer and other players when they do overcome an obstacle.  They are rewarded as the game goes on, and even when they fail over and over, they continue on until they complete the challenge.

The home screen for ChoreWars

Some games could prove to have a positive impact.  For example, in Cruel 2 B Kind, a game developed by Dr. McGonigal, players advance by being nice to strangers in public places.  Families are also fans of ChoreWars, an online game in which children earn real rewards, like choosing music for the next care ride, by doing chores.  One important thing that can be taken away from games is that you can turn the sense of "failing" to "haven't succeeded yet."  If that concept can be applied to real life, there might be a case for video games.

A character in the ChoreWars game

Cyber Bullying

I recently read an article in the New York Times about cyber bullying.  In regard to people posting mean comments on Facebook pictures, the writer said, "This is a dark, vicious side of adolescence, enabled and magnified by technology."  Does technology magnify bullying?  It definitely offers a whole new way to bully, and online, bullying is a lot more secretive and behind the back.  Many children, while they may understand technology, lack the maturity to comprehend its consequences.  More and more parents are using software programs that can block web sites, send alerts when the child searches for them, monitor cellphones and track G.P.S. locations.  All this can be done without the child knowing.

One case in the article was about a girl that had been playing sexualized Truth or Dare games online.  Her mother, Christine, found out and cut off the girl's Internet access for months.  When the girl earned the privileges back,  Christine used programs that limited computer time and blocked sites as well as a keystroke logger that records everything written or seen on their home computer.  She also had her daughter's Facebook password in order to read the girl's private messages.  That is how she found out about many sexual messages between her young daughter and older boys at school.

I understand why parents would use this type of software to try and protect their children.  However, children need to learn how to make good decisions, and learning from the consequences is a good way.  If parents go to extreme measures to restrict their children's Internet use and protect them from the "real world", those children might not truly understand what to do in the "real world" when they grow up.  These types of software and restrictions should not be used in place of good parenting.  Instead of placing restrictions, parents should try to make their kids understand the consequences of technology.  Children should learn to practice good habits, not just respond to parental restrictions.

Bionic Implants

Technology has allowed us to make great leaps in the field of medicine.  Bionic implants, a revolutionary new field is becoming more realistic.  Three blind patients in Europe had their sight restored by using artificial light sensors and microchips in their retinas.  We can use synthetic body parts for many things, such as replacing damaged tissue, limbs and organs.  Obviously, this technology could be essential to saving someone's life via synthetic organs or skin grafts for burn victims. However, it is also used to improve the quality of life.

Scientists believe that a prosthetic brain is possible.  Dr Theodore Berger from the University of Southern California is working on developing a device that could help victims of Alzheimer's disease with memory function.  Surgeons plan on being able to implant a fully artificial heart that could totally replace the natural heart by 2011.  Research is also being done on bionic muscles and tendons, and some scientists are even working on synthetic skin that gives robots a sense of touch.

This is amazing technology.  It could easily save or better the lives of many people.  However, we must consider where to draw the line for improving quality of life.  Helping Alzheimer's patients sounds great, but what about engineering a prosthetic brain chip that could be used to increase intelligence.  More ethical issues begin to arise.  Bionic implants are the way of the future.  It will be interesting to see how far we as a society let them develop.

Obesity Surgery: The best option?

Obesity is a disease that affects 34% of the American adult population.  Statistics show that obesity has steadily increased since 1960, resulting in more and more health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.  While it has a strong genetic component, it is irresponsible to only blame your family for passing on bad genes.  Your environment is a huge contributor to weight.  Diet and exercise are the deciding factors in many cases of obesity, and unfortunately, physical activity isn't required to function in our society.

Obesity surgery, especially gastric bypass and gastric banding, have become more and more common as the number of overweight citizens increase.  Obviously, in many situations, surgery might be the best option to save someone's life or to prevent health problems.  However, the availability of these surgeries devalues the benefits of a good diet and exercise.  A recent article in the New York Times discussed how the FDA is considering lowering how obese someone must be to qualify for the Lap-Band device, which restricts intake to the stomach.  If the FDA approves this change, the number of Americans eligible for the Lap-Band operation could easily double.   These surgeries give people more opportunities to take the "easy way out."  Long-term weight reduction is hard to maintain after the surgery because many Americans do not eat healthy or exercise.  They expect the surgery to take care of their weight problems.  I am not discrediting obesity surgery as a legitimate way to help people, but the focus should be more on educating Americans about healthy lifestyle choices instead of making surgery more available.

WikiLeaks: Good or Bad?

The big buzz in news has been all about WikiLeaks and the documents it recently leaked to the public.  On November 22, 2010, WikiLeaks declared that the next release would be "7x the size of the Iraq War Logs."  True to their word, 250,000 State Department documents are available for viewing around the world.  Hillary Clinton said, "This disclosure is not just an attack on America's foreign policy interests, it is an attack on the international community- the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations, that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity."  Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called them "the Sept. 11 of world diplomacy."

The documents show:

• U.S. diplomats were instructed to collect personal data on other United Nations officials
• The U.S. bartered with other countries to try to convince them to take terrorism suspects in Guantanamo Bay prison and rehabilitate them.
• Many countries are concerned about Iran's nuclear program.

So the question is... did these leaks serve the public?  Or just endanger diplomats and jeopardize international relations?  In some cases in history (i.e. the Pentagon Papers), leaks of government documents are good for the public by revealing government misconduct.  However, in this situation, the leaks just harm our national image.  As Aaron David Miller said, "They make us look weak.  [They] reveal problems without solutions."  This leak is not an act to serve the public good.  This could be very damaging to our foreign relations and our war on terror.

Are we losing the art of handwriting?

The death of cursive writing began back in the 1920s when educators decided that children learned to read by looking at printed manuscripts rather than cursive, and they should learn to write the same way.  Manuscript, or print writing, was in standard use across the U.S. by WWII.  Now, students are taught print in kindergarten and cursive in third grade.  However, after third grade, there are no more lessons on penmanship.

Writing used to be considered an art, with elaborate characters that took time and skill to write.  Someone’s handwriting, especially cursive, was unique and hard to imitate.  Now, it has been simplified to practical print that will get the point across as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Teachers do not place emphasis on cursive writing because it is not necessary anymore.  In third grade, I was taught the basics of cursive and never used it again in school.  The only thing I use it for now is my signature, which is sloppy and resembles the work of a ten year-old child.  Technology is one of the causes of the death of handwriting.  I don’t even remember the last time I had to submit a hand-written assignment; most of the schoolwork I have is either online or a typed paper.  Rosemary Sassoon, a handwriting specialist said, “Today’s hands are not as useful as they were in the past.  Our age of technology does not require human hands to perform many of its duties.  However, when children do need the use of their hands, their lack of practice makes a job a lot more difficult.”  We often take the easy way out and just resort to typing.  Now, if cursive is taught in schools, it is just so that the children will be able to read it, not necessarily use it themselves.

In today’s society, it is important that kids learn how to write effectively and quickly.  If that means learning how to write in print and use computers, then so be it.  However, it is also important that we don’t let cursive go the way of Latin and die.

With recent advances in technology, including international teleconferencing, we live in an increasingly globalized society.  Proficiency in one or more foreign languages is becoming a more and more valuable skill.  The New School in New York offers education courses in 17 different languages, including Arabic, German, Portuguese and Tibetan.  According to Ms. Florence Leclerc-Dickler, chairwoman of the foreign language department at the New School, French is the most popular, followed by Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.  

The New School, New York

The school offers classes that meet once a week for 50 minutes over the course of 13 weeks, as well as an immersion course that lasts 14 hours over the course of the weekend.  Online courses have also become more popular.  The University of California, Los Angeles offers online classes that include video lectures, readings and assignments that the instructors can correct and return to the student via email.  Chatrooms are available where students can practice with each other, and instructors and students can even talk on the phone to work on pronunciation.  This UCLA Extension program caters to the needs of surrounding communities.  Los Angeles has a large Korean population, and many court officials have utilized the program to help them communicate with offenders.

The military is also starting to use online software to train enhance soldiers' language skills.  Rosetta Stone recently released six new "mission-critical"(1) language programs for Dari, Pashto, Urdu, Arabic, Swahili and Bahasa Indonesia, which are languages "critical to global security efforts."(1)  The Armed Forces plan to use this technology to teach soldiers specific words and phrases related to modes of transportation, weapons and directions.  The software actually constructs a storyline with realistic situations that test communication skills.

Rosetta Stone and other language programs are used by organizations such as the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, the Australian Defense Forces, and the Colombian Military, and many claim that it has been an invaluable tool.  It seems that online language classes and software could cause a paradigm shift in the way we learn a foreign language.

1- www.marketwatch.com, Rosetta Stone Delivers Six New Mission-Critical Language Editions to Strengthen Military, Government Efforts, August 18, 2010