WORLDbytes - The School of Citizen TV » Science & Progress

Life off Earth: are the aliens out there?

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:00 +0000

What is the likelihood of intelligent life existing elsewhere in the universe? These questions have returned to the centre of attention since the launch of NASA’s Kepler mission. Already, hundreds of so-called exoplanets have been discovered and the first potentially habitable planets are being identified. In this illuminating debate, filmed at the Battle of Ideas a panel of experts consider the possibilities and implications of sentient life being detected elsewhere in the galaxy and how this affects our perception of what it means to be human. Speakers include: Dr John Elliott, Post Detection Task Force member; writer and teacher Richard Swan; author Mark Vernon and the Chair is Sandy Starr from the Progress Educational Trust.

Recommended links:

Battle of Ideas Debate
In-debate Newsletter

Is there a ghost in the machine?

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:54:05 +0000

The spirit or personality – the concept of a soul, self or mind distinct from our physical shell – has long been a cornerstone of our understanding of what it means to be human. Increasingly, however, scientific fields like neuroscience, genetics and psychology provide intricate explanations for human functioning, rooted in the tangible and the biological. Can we establish an empirically sound view of ourselves, without detracting from the importance of morality, responsibility, solidarity and freedom? Filmed at the Battle of Ideas, the speakers in this contentious debate are Dr Stuart Derbyshire, reader in psychology, University of Birmingham; Martha Robinson, neuroscience PhD student; Richard Swinburne, emeritus professor, philosophy of religion, University of Oxford; Professor Raymond Tallis, fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences.

Recommended links:

Article by Martha Robinson, Independent blog, Surely by now we’ve outgrown the soul?
Article by Sandy Starr, Surely by now we’ve outgrown the body?

The View On The Streets: Should a price be put on life?

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:37:18 +0000

Innovations in clinical practice, drugs and other technologies can improve the quality and extent of patients’ lives – but they are often expensive. With budget cuts looming, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been charged with helping the government to decide which treatments are sufficiently cost effective to be made available on the NHS. But for those facing life threatening illnesses, can a price be put on life? We ask the public whether medicine should be rationed due to its price and denied according to your lifestyle. For many, this is an affront to the value of human life and most argue that medicine should not be rationed even it only gives us a few more weeks life. Lifestyle however is a different ball game and sadly the idea that healthcare should be rationed for smokers, drinkers and the obese is gaining ground.

Recommended links:

WORLDbytes report: Rationing and medicine: what price life?
Article by Basham and Luik, Healthcare for all! Unless you’re fat

Sex in the brain: do men and women think differently?

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:23:17 +0000

Few today believe women are less intelligent, but some scientists say it’s time to accept male and female brains are differently wired. With the world still divided according to gender, however, critics argue the development of the brain is always influenced by cultural assumptions. In this extraordinary debate filmed at the Battle of Ideas, the issue gets heated with ‘scientism’ turning the clocks back and insisting male and female capabilities are fixed. Speakers include Dr Ellie Lee, reader in social policy, University of Kent, Canterbury; Dr Maurizio Meloni, research fellow, Institute for Science and Society, University of Nottingham; Dr Anne Moir, neuropsychologist; author, Brain Sex: the real difference between men and women & Dick Swaab, professor of neurobiology, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam. The chair is journalist and writer Timandra Harkness. This debate formed part of the Battle for our Brains strand at the Battle of Ideas, supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Recommended links:

Article by Madeleine Bunting, Guardian, The truth about sex difference is that men are from Mars, so are women
Article by Ray Herbert, Association for Psychological Science, The Brain Is Not an Explanation

The IPCC: Can we trust the evidence?

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:16:31 +0000

The accusations in late 2009 that the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia had been manipulating or hiding data struck a blow to confidence in the IPCC, with whom the CRU is closely associated. While the researchers were largely absolved, more scandals followed from ‘Climategate’ – IPCC claims about the retreat of glaciers and increased tolls from natural disasters were also questioned. When science and politics become so deeply entwined, can we trust the evidence? Speakers include Tony Gilland, science and society director, Institute of Ideas; director, Debating Matters Competition; Oliver Morton, energy and environment editor, The Economist; author Eating the Sun: how plants power the planet, and Fred Pearce, freelance journalist; environment consultant, New Scientist; author, The Climate Files: the battle for the truth about global warming and Peoplequake. This debate was filmed at the Battle of Ideas at the end of 2010.

Recommended links:

The Independent blog by Craig Fairnington, Can we trust the IPCC’s evidence?
Article by Roddy Campbell, Prospect Magazine, Too hot to handle

Don’t Shout at the Telly: Pain & Animal Experimentation

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:44:33 +0000

This special Don’t Shout at the Telly forms the first programme in our new series on bio-medical science, supported by the Wellcome Trust. Dr Stuart Derbyshire, director of Pain Imaging at the University of Birmingham, introduces the issue by experimenting on volunteers. He then argues that as animals have no psychological self and are not conscious they cannot experience pain, as pain is not merely a response to physical stimuli. Discussants grapple with the complexity of the arguments and whether when experimenting on animals their capacity to feel pain even matters if it helps mankind.

Recommended links:

WORLDbytes edited video of the Battle of Ideas debate, Should apes have right?
Article by Tim Black, Man is more than an overdeveloped monkey
Article by Stuart Derbyshire, Humans are more important than animals

After Fukushima: The Fear Factor

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:22:35 +0000

The ‘apocalyptic’ media frenzy post Fukushima which displaced the real disaster story and horrific loss of life wrought by the earthquake & tsunami, sickened Japanese born Mari Shibata. Along with WORLDbytes volunteers she investigates the fear factor. Why did a nuclear incident affecting only a small area fuel global meltdown stories? In an interview with the Director of the Science Media Centre we learn of news values shaped by a concern to terrify people, journalists removed from stories for being too measured and scientists accused of lying. Granted unique access to Oldbury, the oldest nuclear power station in the world we learn how seriously safety is taken and due to fears of terrorism post 9/11 its tragic shut down to visitors. Through talking to relatives in Japan we learn of the progress being made to clear up the real mess made by a natural disaster, a story neglected by the Western media.

Recommended links:

Fiona Fox’s blog, On Science and the Media
Article by Sophie Knight, Tokyo: a long way from Chernobyl
Mari Shibata’s blog article, The Fear after Fukushima

The View On The Streets: Nuclear Power

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:33:30 +0000

WORLDbytes reporters hit the streets to investigate what the British public think about nuclear power after media scares of a Fukushima meltdown in Japan. Their findings are salutary and a lesson in never underestimating the public or treating their views with contempt. Savvy citizens may worry about waste but few have completely swallowed the nuclear doom mongering now evident in Germany. Eloquent insights on the press preoccupation with Fukushima where no one died, versus the horrific death and destruction caused by the Tsunami abound. For some, fear of climate catastrophe is pitted against nuclear catastrophe and nuclear power has become the ‘lesser evil.’ Perhaps a bigger problem is the idea we should settle for less energy in general.

Recommended links:

Article by Sophie Knight, Tokyo: a long way from Chernobyl
Article by Frank Furedi, Nuclear vs climate change: the clash of the alarmists

Going nowhere? Staying local in a global village

admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:01:37 +0000

The newest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary includes the word, ‘staycation’, a vacation taken in your home country. David Cameron took one in Cornwall last summer and has urged Britons to follow his lead. Should we give up on the gains of a more global world and do likewise? Panelists don’t agree in this vital debate filmed at the Battle of Ideas. The speakers are: Philippe Legrain, author, Immigrants: your country needs them; John Adams, emeritus professor of geography, University College London; Michelle Di Leo, director, FlyingMatters, Dr Peter Heller, technology consultant, Innovationszentrum Niedersachsen GmbH, Germany. The chair is Peter Smith, director of tourism, St. Mary’s University College, London.

Recommended links:

Article by James Woudhuysen: Don’t let the miserablists clip humanity’s wings
Article by Michael Hanlon: We’ve only got ourselves to blame for the indestructible Indian superbug

Should apes have rights?

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:31:52 +0000

In 2008, Spain became the first country to commit to the Great Apes Project, an initiative from scientists and philosophers who believe that the great apes – gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans – should be granted basic rights. But what would extending rights to apes actually mean? Does extending the concept of human rights to great apes make any sense from a moral philosophical point of view? Are rights, like the capacity to make moral judgements about whether or not to protect other species, something only humans can appreciate? An absorbing Battle of Ideas debate.

Recommended links:

Book by Dr Helene Guldberg: Just another ape?
Article by Peter Singer & Kenan Malik: Should we breach the species barrier and grant rights to the apes?

Policy-based evidence?

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:24:07 +0000

MP David Willetts conceded that it is impossible to make policy solely on the basis of scientific evidence. Yet despite this, politicians today rarely make policy statements without citing ‘the evidence’. Whether it’s behavioural economics and social psychology, or neuroscience guiding government intervention, politicians seem keener than ever to cite experts’ findings. Is democracy well-served by an ‘evidence-based’ approach to decision making? Frequently ‘facts’ and ‘evidence’ are deployed to trump ethics or indeed politics. Might this reflect a lack of political conviction or moral authority? Can science and politics collaborate without damaging both? Experts hammer out the issues in this debate filmed at the Battle of Ideas.

Recommended links:

Article by Chris Tyler, The Times: Evidence as a political broker
Article by Timandra Harkness: Science, politics and the public

What science can and cannot tell us

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:13:47 +0000

Traditionally, priests served as the arbiters of right and wrong, advising and passing judgement on moral issues. Scientists, on the other hand, were supposed to divest themselves of their moral stance in order to observe and record the world in an objective manner. Science operates on the philosophical principle that the world is understandable by humans, and that it is a worthwhile endeavour for us to do so. There is disagreement about where the limits of scientific enquiry lie, however. Can science solve once and for all our moral conundrums and remove the need for political disagreements? Filmed at the Battle of Ideas a line up of leading experts share their views.

Recommended links:

Article by Julian Baggini, Independent: If science has not actually killed God, it has rendered Him unrecognisable
Article by Sue Blackmore, Guardian: Science explains, not describes

Patient centred healthcare: the right to choose?

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:05:57 +0000

Health experts don’t agree on the medicine in this timely debate filmed at the Battle of Ideas. All of the three main parties agree that healthcare should be more personalised, that the experience of patients should take precedence over ‘one size fits all’ provision. Increasing information available to patients about the quality of service may seem unobjectionable, but some do question just what it means to ‘empower’ patients. Just who is it that should be driving priorities in health care delivery: patients, doctors, GP consortia or government policy?

Recommended links:

The Economist: Reforming the NHS, once more into the ring
The Health Foundation: The patient will see you now
NICE, The challenge of co-production

Ageing and medicine: quality versus quantity?

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:56:42 +0000

Filmed at the Battle of Ideas, panelists iron out the wrinkles in the ageing debate. We are living longer, but what about the quality of our extended lives? Average life expectancy has extended by as much as 30 years in developed countries during the 20th century. While this statistic might be seen as cause for celebration, society seems ambivalent. Our doubts are not simply caused by headline scaremongering about massed ranks of the elderly being a drain on pension funds and the NHS. What constitutes ‘quality of life’? When poet Jenny Joseph wrote, ‘When I am an old woman I shall wear purple…spend my pension on brandy,’ she captured the pleasurable prospect of growing old disgracefully. Is this irresponsible?

Recommended links:

Article by Zoe Williams, Guardian: Abortion and euthanasia: was Virgina Ironsid right?
Book by Irma Kurtz, (John Murray): About time: Growing Old Disgracefully

Rationing and medicine: what price life?

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:47:27 +0000

Innovations in clinical practice, drugs and other technologies can improve the quality and extent of patients’ lives – but they are expensive. Established in 1999, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been at the centre of numerous controversies over its recommendations about which new treatments are sufficiently cost effective to be made available on the NHS. But for those facing debilitating or life threatening illness, can a price be put on life? Should we be prepared to pay as much as necessary to save lives? Is NICE the answer, or part of the problem? Filmed at the Battle of Ideas, debate gets heated among top experts.

Recommended links:

Article by Robert Watts and Jamie McGinnes, The Sunday Times: NHS drug quango on spending spree
Article by Kate Delvinm, The Daily Telegraph: Terminally ill patients ‘being penalised by Nice for having rare conditions’

Engineering the future: cautionary tale or utopia?

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 01:46:34 +0000

The idea that we might seek actively to determine – to engineer – our future might seem more 19th than 21st century. Today, popular visions of large-scale engineering are often overshadowed by negative views of the man-made world, from climate change to unsustainable growth to the unforeseen side effects of technology. Yet, countries like China and India appear to have a more positive attitude, with ambitious road and rail projects that reshape vast landscapes. Can we make a compelling case for engineering the future?

Recommended links:

Article by Bill Durodie: The West still needs to think big
Article by Clive Hamilton, The Guardian: The powerful coalition that wants to engineer the world’s climate
Chinese super-buses glide over traffic

The energy challenge: can we keep the lights on?

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 01:39:01 +0000

As an energy crunch looms large and existing sources of energy such as ageing nuclear power stations go off stream there is still little investment in future energy resources. Some argue for more nuclear power, some for massive investment in renewables, some have even welcomed the recent recession as a curb on our consumption. Have we got enough energy? Is it imperative for energy policy to be dictated by concern about carbon emissions, or is there an argument for energy for its own sake, whatever the weather?

Recommended links:

Article in The Economist: Engine trouble – A rise in the cost of extracting energy will hit productivity
Book by James Woudhuysen & Joe Kaplinsky: Energ!se: A future for energy innovation

Don’t Shout at the Telly: Ferraris for All

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:44:59 +0000

Leading this refreshing on the sofa discussion Daniel Ben Ami author of ‘Ferraris for All’, explains ‘growth scepticism’. Young volunteers grappling with growth raise a wide range of questions from consuming less in the West to bankers, child labour, corruption and war. Daniel is clear: our having less will not make the poor rich; child labour is product of poverty not prosperity; corruption does not cause poverty it’s a symptom of it; bombing a country is unlikely to increase its prospects and political autonomy is key. A positive approach to economic growth he argues, not holding back and accepting ‘limits’ is key to increasing abundance for all globally.

Recommened links:

Daniel Ben-Ami blog

A Taste of the Battle of Ideas

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:59:44 +0000

WORLDbytes volunteers report from the last Battle of Ideas festival giving us a flavour of the range of debates and insights of attendees. Judging by the programme for 2010, already available on line, the event at the end of October this year promises even more exciting stuff. For Citizen TV makers and viewers it’s a must. Tickets for this year’s event are available now; just visit the Battle of ideas website. To join the WORLDbytes crew in filming many of the debates, to access subsidised tickets for volunteers and free preparatory film training in the run up, please email us.

Recommended links:

Battle of Ideas: website

The Fight over Flight: what’s the problem with air travel?

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:43:30 +0000

The now scrapped plans for a third runway at Heathrow sparked fierce debate about air travel. Anti-flying groups opposing the plans, mostly cited environmental concerns. While many are concerned about the impact airport expansion will have, others worry that restricting our freedom of movement is a backward step. Regular air travel has only recently become affordable for most people, and critics argue there is a heavy dose of snobbery in the dismissal of cheap flights. So is there more to the fight over flight than concerns about carbon emissions? Is the freedom of flight now a necessity to be defended, or a luxury we should sacrifice for the good of the planet? This Battle of Ideas debate filmed by WORLDbytes volunteers is revealing.

Recommended links:

Battle of Ideas Debate website
Dr Mayer Hillman website
Timandra Harkness website

Alternative Medicine is Quackery

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:02:52 +0000

Filmed in India during the Debating Matters India finals, this gripping debate never fails to engage. Practitioners of modern medicine demystify and challenge alternative medicine in defence of scientific rigour, testing and the reproducibility of treatments. Advocates of alternative medicine claim a holistic approach which is person specific that can not be validated using established methods. The debate gets heated as professor Simon Wessely points out that he is a practitioner of modern medicine by day but like many parents resorts to homeopathy when he goes home. When one of his children comes home with a bruised knee from the playground he kisses it better, but he says, “this is not medicine.”

Recommended links:

Institute of Ideas Debating Matters Competition: website
Department of AYUSH India website

Made by Migrants: Brunel

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:07:27 +0000

Rows over immigration which blame migrants for everything from lack of services to housing shortages fail to consider the role that migrants have played in fighting for more for everyone and creating great cities. Lesser – known migrant, but brilliant engineer Marc Isambard Brunel invented the Tunnelling Shield which paved the way for the underground system and the channel tunnel. This is the first of a series investigating the role of migration in the development of civilization.

Recommended links:

Brunel Museum
Letter from Sir Marc Isambard Brunel
Engineering Timelines: The Thames Tunnel
London’s oldest underwater tunnel Slideshow
Book by Harold Bagust: The Greater Genius?

Battle for Politics: Evidence based policy

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:01:58 +0000

In this ‘in conversation’ debate at the Institute of Ideas’ Battle for Politics Pre-election summit Tony Gilland, Science and Society Director, Institute of Ideas, asks panel speakers if politicians are evading responsibility by hiding behind science? Too often the phrase ‘the science shows…’ is used to close down any possibility of debate and facts are used to trump morality and politics. Is this indicative of a new respect for science, or rather a lack of political principle? Panel speakers include: Dr Evan Harris, science spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, Jeremy Webb, Editor-in-chief New Scientist, Nick Dusic, Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering and Robin Walsh Editorial assistant for a medical publishing company.

Recommended links:

Article by Brendan O’Neill: The ‘revolt of the experts’ is revolting
Article by David Nutt: Government should get real on drugs
Article by Frank Furedi: Turning peer review into modern-day holy scripture

Reproduction strand: Frankenstein’s daughters

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:53:07 +0000

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and screening allow couples to avoid having children with life-threatening conditions, but also imply the possibility of ‘screening out’ certain disabilities, raising the prospect of a generation of ‘designer babies’. Can biomedical breakthroughs shape what is to be human? Where does science fact meet science fiction and how can we distinguish between the two? This glimpse of a debate at the Battle of Ideas festival, supported by the Wellcome Trust and bpas delves deeper.

Recommended links:

Article by Mark Henderson: A step forward for genetic embryo-screening
Article by Michael Annisimov: The Great Designer Baby Controversy of ’09
Article by Sandy Starr: Should we stamp out designer deafness?
Article by Jonathan Weber: Mapping morality: the ethics of technology

Energy: A new nuclear age?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:52:12 +0000

Nuclear energy is championed by some as the best way to meet rising power needs while protecting the environment, but others are anxious about the risks. Could nuclear power create a more resilient energy system and bring energy to the developing world, or is it a disaster waiting to happen? The panel of speakers at this Battle of Ideas debate includes: journalist Paul Brown; physics professor Sandra Chapman; science author and researcher Joe Kaplinsky and life sciences research fellow Dr Alexandra Penn.

Recommended links:

Article by Joe Kaplinsky, Times Online: The world needs more energy
Article by James Kanter, The New York Times: In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble
Article by Rob Johnston, Spiked-Online: Ten myths about nuclear power
Article by Louise Gray, Telegraph: Environmentalists change minds over nuclear

Don’t shout at the telly: Progress & Sustainable Development

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:47:05 +0000

On this Don’t Shout at the Telly young volunteers grapple with sustainable development. Is it the best way forward or the enemy of progress? Should we replace material development with living simpler, more ‘sustainable’ lives? Austin Williams, director of the Future Cities Project and author of The Enemies of Progress leads this on the sofa discussion and argues that sustainable development is parochial, patronising and a waste of human potential. But what do you think?

Recommended links:

Book by Austin Williams: The Enemies of Progress
Website: Future Cities Project
Article by Brendan O’Neill: Has China had a green ‘Damascene conversion’?
Article by Ronald Bailey: Billions Served: Norman Borlaug
Article by Austin Williams: The Pessimists: Putting the brakes on Indian and China

Three’s a crowd? The battle over population and reproduction

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:45:30 +0000

Where does ‘family planning’ stop being about individuals and couples making their own reproductive decisions and become a moral imperative that people should make the ‘right choices’? Are fears about population growth a new form of an old panic, or is the expanding carbon footprint a problem we need to address by limiting population growth? This debate at the Battle of Ideas, supported by bpas and the Wellcome Trust, features Dr Austen Ivereigh, Catholic commentator and West London Citizens organiser; Dr Ellie Lee, University of Kent lecturer and co-ordinator of Pro-Choice Forum; Adrian Stott, Optimum Population Trust trustee and Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust.

Recommended links:

Article by Jenny Bristow: Population reduction: a war on women’s bodies
Article by Steve Connor: Is Britain going to be able to support an ever-expanding population?
Article by Juliette Jowit: Three’s a crowd

Why is energy a battlefield today?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:43:11 +0000

From environmental to security concerns, everything seems to boil down to energy – how much, where from and what type? It’s clear that we need more, as energy is essential for everything; from nightlife, to running computers and homes, to industry and transport. There are still millions of people worldwide without electricity and new fears of ‘black outs’ in the West. But will producing more make for a better life or accelerate the destruction of the planet? In this fiery debate filmed at the Battle of ideas, the speakers don’t hold back on whether we should consume less or produce more.

Recommended links:

Book by Joe Kaplinsky & James Woudhuysen: Energ!se
Article by Andrew Porter: Britain facing blackouts for first time since 1970s
Article by James Woudhuysen: New Labour’s power vacuum

Reproduction: Whose right to choose?

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:36:12 +0000

Should decisions about abortion, IVF treatment and sex selection be a matter for parents and ultimately the women involved or is there more to it? This glimpse of a debate at the Battle of Ideas festival, supported by the Welcome Trust and bpas is revealing. The speakers are: Professor Peter Braude, head of department, Women’s Health, King’s College London; director, Centre for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital; Ann Furedi, chief executive, bpas; Professor Sally Sheldon professor of law, University of Kent; co-author, Fragmenting Fatherhood: a socio-legal study. The chair is Tony Gilland, science and society director, Institute of Ideas.

Recommended links:

Article by Ellie Lee: The Demoralisation of a woman’s right to choose
Article by Ann Furedi: Making Choice Easier
Article by Stephanie Saul: Grievous Choice on Risky Path to Parenthood
Article by Jennie Bristow: One family’s tragedy, not a political indicator

Assisted Dying Yes or No: Debating Matters UK final

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:28:23 +0000

On the streets of London the public provide more than ‘sound-bites’ on assisted suicide and sixth form students at the 2009 Debating Matters UK final do battle over this difficult issue. Expert judges take the students to task and Dr Michael Fitzpatrick suggests the state stepping in should be a cause for concern too. Durham Johnston School take the final prize.

Recommended links:

Big Issue article with Brendan O’Neill & Debbie Purdy: Should we all have the right to die?
Debating Matters topic guide: Physician assisted suicide should remain illegal
The Times article by Matthew Parris: Why I’m opposed to legalising assisted suicide

Chill out about designer babies

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:27:02 +0000

Scientist Joe Kaplinsky takes a critical look at IVF and overblown fears that a new generation of ‘designer babies’ may be on the cards. Kaplinsky shows that these procedures, far from creating a society that will discriminate against the disabled or girls, will allow couples to avoid having children with life-threatening conditions and save others. Kaplinsky suggests we should chill out about ‘designer babies’ and leave decisions to the parents.

Recommended links:

Article by Juliet Tizzard: My sister’s keeper: stranger than reality
Article by Sally Sheldon: ‘Saviour Siblings’: Hashmi and Whitaker. An Unjustifiable and Misguided Distinction
Article by Cheryl Hudson: In vitro fertilisation: the miracle of life
BBC Panorama: A History of IVF

Chill out about DDT

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:18:35 +0000

Scientist Joe Kaplinsky takes a sober look at the controversial chemical DDT, noting that it is one of the most effective pesticides ever developed and great at combating malaria. He also employs a critical approach to the intellectual legacy of Rachel Carson, author of the famous 1962 book “The Silent Spring”. Kaplinsky takes on the anti-scientific prejudices of Carson and her followers and suggests DDT could be and should be widely used today to save lives.

Recommended links:

Article by Ceri Dingle: The Great malarial bed-net swindle
Article by Paul Dreissen: It’s time for all-out war on malaria
Article by James Woodhuysen: Did Rachel Carson really kill more people than Stalin?
Article by Yasiin Mugerwa: Uganda: Malaria – 320 die daily
Article by Lisa Makson: Rachel Carson’s ecological genocide
Article by Steven Milloy: Rethinking DDT

The Great Debate on water

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:10:03 +0000

Following the North East premiere of the documentary Flush it, in this short report students reflect on water and sanitation provisions across the globe. The featured discussion was filmed by young people taking part in a day of workshops on the media, sustainability and the environment arranged by the Great Debate and WORLDwrite. Learning camera and reporting skills ‘on the job’ they consider key issues in the process.

Recommended links:

The Great Debate website: features discussion and events in the North east
The Flush it website: features background material on the film featured here

Chill out about deforestation

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:07:16 +0000

Science activist Joe Kaplinsky looks at deforestation in its historic and developmental context. Launching a broadside against anti-development prejudice starting with Prince Charles, his noble ancestors and eco-warriors of today, sage commentator Kaplinsky gives a sober assessment of the real impact of current levels of deforestation. We are reminded that deforestation has been key to the growth of civilisation. Virgin forest was slowly transformed from mere hunting grounds for the nobility into bustling cities, industrial areas, transport and leisure amenities, modern agriculture and living spaces. On a world scale, subservient attitudes towards nature are rejected for the nobler aim of taking real control over nature and managing the land for all our benefit.

Recommended links:

BBC News article: ‘Boom and bust’ of deforestation
Encyclopedia Britannica : Deforestation

Debating Matters India: Clinical trials & India’s poor

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:47:26 +0000

Debating Matters gets numerous schools involved in debating key issues of the day. Privileging content over presentational style, school students get stuck in and never fail to impress. In this edited debate on clinical trials. Aspirant 16 year olds battle it out and show that the debate is not so clear cut. After all, will stopping clinical trials help India’s poor access the medicine they need? Expert judges, Dr Jack Watters, Vice President External Medical Affairs, Pfizer, Professor Simon Best OBE, UK India Business Council and Dr Vinod Raina, Head of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, add challenging questions and insights.

Recommended Links:

Drug regulatory requirements in India: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization
Health and pharmaceuticals research organization: Research Triangle Institute
FAQs on clinical trials: CenterWatch
Asia Times Online: India’s Clinical Trials and Tribulations

Debating Matters UK: Presumed Consent

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:46:39 +0000

School students participating in the Debating Matters East Regional finals in Cambridge take up the issues surrounding what’s known as ‘presumed consent’ for organ donation. Feisty 16 year-old debaters consider whether the idea can be justified if it saves lives or whether this would let the government off the hook for failing to campaign effectively for organ donors in the face of shortages. To set the scene volunteers check out public opinion on the streets of London.

Recommended Links:

Debating Matters topic guide: Organ donation
BioMed Central Medical Ethics: What is presumed when we presume consent?
BBC Online: PM backs automatic organ donation
Nursing Times: Are we ready for presumed consent for organ donation?

Chill out about Animal Experimentation

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:45:49 +0000

Scientist Joe Kaplinsky aims to calm our nerves on the emotive subject of animal experimentation. To deny its usefulness, he says, “shows a complete lack of understanding of the whole history of biology.” Genetic engineering he tells us, allows us to learn much more from animals, like the glowing monkeys in Japan. On animal suffering, Joe points out that although it’s easy to project human emotions onto animals, they do not feel pain as we do and he argues, humans have a moral worth that animals do not.

Recommended Links:

Article by Stuart Derbyshire a senior lecturer in psychology: Humans are more important than animals
Pro-test supporter James Panton writes: Time to stop monkeying around
Discussion between Kenan Malik and Richard Ryder You won’t find chimps having this debate
New Statesman: Animal Rights

Early to bed-net

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:45:03 +0000

The report criticises campaigners’ fixation with bed nets. As African volunteer Helder Da Costa says: “It’s the west’s ban on DDT that has killed people and is killing people. Telling the truth would be a start and boat loads of DDT not bed nets would make a huge impact.” Ben Hoyte explains further: “When I was a kid in Barbados I had to go to bed early under a net until they started spraying, now I don’t have to spend half my life in bed and I don’t see why anyone else should have to either.”

Recommended Links:

The video entitled “The story of a Bed Net” on The Tony Blair Faith Foundation website made volunteers angry and want to respond – watch the video here
Article by Ceri Dingle: The great malarial bed-net swindle

Abortion: A Civilised Debate

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:39:29 +0000

This debate at the Battle of Ideas festival in London, takes us beyond the usual emotive and tired arguments. Anne Furedi and Professor John Wyatt help us understand a humanist perspective on abortion and discuss choice, autonomy and our attitude to life itself. If sex is to remain fun and not just for procreation, Anne Furedi argues, we need abortion as a backup and we need the freedom to make these decisions ourselves.

Recommended Links:

BBC: Call to end Doctor abortion power
Abortion: Behind the Headlines by Anne Furedi
Abortion: A solution to a problem from the Abortion Review website
John Wyatt Professor of Ethics & Perinatology

Chill out desk: Nuclear fusion & fission

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:36:12 +0000

Nuclear energy can provide the world with much of its electricity needs but many people are worried about it. Scientist Joe Kaplinsky explains what nuclear energy is and answers the four major objections to it: radioactive waste; nuclear accidents; nuclear weapons and the high expense. He concludes that we should chill out about the risks of nuclear energy and enjoy the benefits of cheap electricity.

Recommended Links:

Standing up for Science by James Heartfield
Frequently asked questions about nuclear energy by John McCarthy
Expanding supply or managing demand: The world needs more energy by Joe Kaplinsky