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Why, Science, Why?

26 Jan

January 26, 2011

To a new world of gods and monsters! – Bride of Frankenstein

Home? I have no home. Hunted, despised, Living like an animal! The jungle is my home. But I will show the world that I can be its master! I will perfect my own race of people. A race of atomic supermen which will conquer the world! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! – Bride of the Monster

OK, one puts it a little more eloquently than the other but they make the same point.

Humanity has a long history of tampering with nature and playing God in the name of science, and it never ends well. Even my favorite novel, Flowers for Algernon, ends heartbreakingly sadly.

Beware, because life imitates art.

That’s real. That fathead ant is real. And that’s what science is working on RIGHT NOW!

Have we learned nothing from Star Trek II? Remember the Genesis device?

McCoy: Dear Lord. You think we’re intelligent enough to… suppose… what if this thing were used where life already exists
Spock: It would destroy such life in favor of its new matrix.
McCoy: Its “new matrix”? Do you have any idea what you’re saying?
Spock: I was not attempting to evaluate its moral implications, Doctor. As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create.
McCoy: Not anymore; now we can do both at the same time! According to myth, the Earth was created in six days. Now, watch out! Here comes Genesis! We’ll do it for you in six minutes!
Spock: Really, Dr. McCoy. You must learn to govern your passions; they will be your undoing. Logic suggests…
McCoy: Logic? My God, the man’s talking about logic; we’re talking about universal Armageddon! You green-blooded, inhuman…

And now supersoldier ants. The big-headed Captain Americas of the ant world!

How long until someone starts splicing these genes into people?

What kind of life do you think this guy has? He’ll never end up with that girl.

There is more than a fine line between “we can do something” and “we should do something.” Seriously, we can make huge-headed ants. OK, what for? Other than research there is no reason to do it. And I am not anti-research, far from it, but you know that while the scientists may start out with noble intentions like curing cancer, this will soon turn into “what if we inject super-ant hormone into army recruits when they get inoculated for TB?” Don’t laugh; America has done crap like that before.

Caribbean crazy ants  are bad enough. Now imagine them the size of Michael Vick and capable of driving cross-country to your town.

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Imponderable #31: Niagara Falls Canada

13 Jan

January 13, 2012

And you thought nonsense like this only happened on the American side of the border.

To recap:

  • 80 year-old woman slips and falls in a hospital lobby
  • Staff cannot help her unless she calls an ambulance
  • Emergency room is only 50 yards away
  • Ambulance from another hospital arrives 30 minutes later
  • Security guard wraps her head in a dirty blanket
  • Canada’s Health Minister calls incident “disappointing.”

On the other hand, this was a triumph for the legal profession. Who makes those stupid laws? The lawyers. Much as I despise the nurses who did not help the woman despite rushing to her aid, what would have happened if that woman died while under their care? They’d be up on charges. Why? Because they did not follow the rules.

There is nothing new or shocking about this story. By now we are used to incidents like this. Even the tone of the article isn’t outrage or anger, it is mild bemusement.

What is wrong with society when incidents like this are subjects of humor, not outrage? How can a hospital administrator call an 80-year old woman bleeding on a hospital floor “a communication problem”? How can a government official only be “disappointed”?

Why do we put up with this?

The question is Imponderable.

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