Book Look: The Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery

This informative narrative of a naturalist's "dive" into the world of octopuses - their physiology, behaviour, and intelligence - was a diverting read. As a life science teacher, I was coming to this with a fair amount of background knowledge, so didn't necessarily acquire any new insights or understandings. But the book works as a well-rounded summary of what we knew about the genus at the time it was written (2016 - I mention this because so much new info has emerged since then), and Montgomery knows how to tell a good story, weaving references to extant research with personal anecdotes (her interactions with various octopuses, her quixotic attempts to master the art of scuba diving) and the larger goings-on at the New England Aquarium, a complex establishment supported by a passionate supporting cast of scientists, naturalists, and volunteers.

I appreciated the balance the author (mostly) maintains between drawing attention to the apparent human-like behaviours and intelligence of octopuses while simultaneously acknowledging the limits of judging their intelligence using the same measures that we apply to mammals. As she rightly notes, mammals and cephalopods represent entirely different branches of the tree of life, having diverged so long ago that almost everything that we would appear to have in common - eyes, brains, endocrine systems - emerged via separate, potentially dissimilar processes. Measuring octopus intelligence using the same scales we employ for mammals (tool use, empathy) would be like trying to understand seashells using the same criteria (hardness, luster, fracture patterns) we've developed to characterize rocks.

As this book emphasizes, we are only just beginning to realize how ill-equipped we are to understand non-human intelligence. Montgomery's most useful contribution here, I believe, is making the case that we need to set aside preconceived biases and start considering the reality that evolution has not been a single, unidirectional march from primitive --> human, but a series of parallel processes, leading off in any number of as yet unsuspected and unimagined directions.

Book Look: Skeptic, by Michael Shermer

Shermer spent time as the author of a regular feature on "scientific skepticism" in the magazine Scientific American, which he's spun into a career as "That Skeptic Guy." This is a collection of his Scientific American essays (each ~2 pgs long, designed for quick reading), which he's divided into the following themes:

* Science - Essays that explore the strengths and corruptions of scientific method

* Skepticism - Essays about the challenges of pseudoscience and the art of skepticism

* Pseudoscience/quackery - Essays about why people believe weird things

* Paranormal/supernatural - Essays debunking ESP, Atlantis, spiritualism, and more

* Aliens/UFOs - Essays debunking UFOs and claims of extraterrestrial intelligence

* Alternative medicines - Essays debunking a range of health fads and trends

* Psychology & the brain - Essays debunking pop psychology and exploring the science behind intuition, luck, bias, and more

* Human nature - Essays exploring misconceptions about human nature

* Evolution and creationism - Essays exploring evolution denialism

* Science, religion, miracles and God - Essays endeavoring to define the space in which religion and science can coexist

One important thing to know before picking this up is that these essays are getting long in tooth. The book was published in 2016, which means the essays are even older. Many of the things that were high profile back in the late 1900s/early 2000s (ESP, cryonics) hit as dated now, while many of today's most controversial topics - climate change, vaccine denial, election denial - are unaddressed. Nor are they very "deep," but not sure that's his fault - how deep can you get in 1000 words or less?

Another issue I had was growing skepticism that Shermer isn't always as skeptical as he likes to represent. Couldn't help but note a tendency to give things the *he* believes in - nutritional supplements, favorite colleagues/authors - a bit of a pass.

The good news is that you don't need a lot of scientific background to access these essays, many of which are as entertaining as they are information.

In the main, would characterize this as a worthwhile read, and a timeless reminder of the many ways in which culture, cognitive bias, rhetoric, and misrepresentation can circumvent critical thinking.

Book Look: Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro

This is my third book by this author, and I haven't been disappointed yet. Don't let the deceptively simple storytelling of this novel (plain prose, accessible characters) fool you - this is a subtle and devastating exploration of what happens when humans normalize dehumanization. No matter how many justifications we offer, no matter how institutionalized the process, the price we inevitably pay is our souls.

For those who have strong opinions about dystopian fiction, be aware that Ishiguro barely mentions society, law, politics, or science in this tale, instead focusing on the paradoxes that define humanity: our intellect, our creativity, our compassion - but also our ability to rationalize selfishness and cruelty.

Have heard people criticize the initial chapters, devoted to the adolescent affairs of three students attending Halesham Academy, a seemingly idyllic British boarding school, as simplistic and slow. Overlooking the important character development that is occurring, the sheer ordinariness of these chapters is critical to Ishiguro's purpose. In a world where clones are seen as commodities, it's critical for Ishiguro to establish that these characters are fully-realized adolescents suffering all the familiar milestones of adolescence: insecurity, bullying, young love. It's also necessary for him to regularize his readers to a world in which organ harvesting from clones isn't just permitted, but unchallenged.

In many ways this book reminded me of the author's Remains of the Day. Both books feature protagonists who have accepted, without questioning, the societal/cultural expectations foisted upon them, whose inability to communicate jeopardizes their hope of personal happiness, and who come to appreciate, too late, the price they have paid for their compliance. Questions this novel poses: To what extent do the needs of the many offset the rights of the few? To what extent is it realistic to expect socially and psychologically marginalized populations to assert agency over their fates? Can palliative thoughtfulness offset the guilt of prescribed cruelty? I'm reminded of "humane cattle chutes" - does concealing the killing machines from cows until the last minute somehow absolve us of blame for turning them into hamburgers?

A heads up for anyone who hasn't yet read the book: this is a story told not through hyperbole or hit-you-over-the-head-irony, but through micro-expressions and peripheral vision. If you want to appreciate the subtlety of Ishiguro's craft, don't let yourself be so distracted by what's going on the foreground that you lose track of what's happening in the background. And be sure to leave some time after you're done to let the implications of this "deceptively simple" fable sink in.

40+ Earth Day Activities for Middle Schoolers

Earth Day (April 22) is a great opportunity to introduce kids to the idea of environmental stewardship.  And there are, in fact, a number of environmental stewardship projects that lend themselves to school-wide initiatives. I haven't bothered to add a lot of detail to this list of project ideas, because I'm sensitive to the fact that every school will have unique social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors that will impact how projects can realistically be implemented. Never fear: you'll find any missing information out there on the web, waiting to be useful. 

So, why even bother to compile yet another list of Earth Day projects?  Because while good ideas are out there, too many of the lists I kept finding during my teaching career were what you might call "stewardship-adjacent." While they might teach kids about nature or science, or involve generating non-specific "Save the World" messages, they're not designed to actually help the Earth (or teach the kids how to help the Earth) in any authentic way.  To the extent possible, I've tried to keep this list focused on realistic, actionable initiatives.  

Hope there's something here that you'll find helpful! 

Planting Things. (Keep in mind that gardens don't have to be dug into the ground; rooftops, raised beds, and containers can all facilitate planting projects.) 

1. Challenge students to identify keystone plant species in their community and use the information to plan and participate in planting projects (ex: re-introducing native species into areas that have experienced a loss of biodiversity)
2. Have students plant native fruits, vegetables, and/or spices to reduce the quantity of goods that must be trucked across long distances. (Bonus: implement a plan for growing the foodstuffs organically)
3. Have students make and deploy seed bombs (utilizing seeds from native species, of course)
4. Have students raise native plant seedlings and give them away. 

Helping Animals.

1. Arrange for students to build and install bird or bat houses
2. Arrange for students to build bee or bug hotels (ex: dead wood habitats)
3. Have students plant a pollinator garden to support the health of local pollinators (bees, moths/butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, etc.) 
4. Challenge students to create mini-ecosystems to restore/promote biodiversity (ex: dead wood habitat, water garden habitat) in their community 
5. Have students create wildlife feeding stations (birdseed, peanuts, salt)
6. Arrange for students to raise and release native ladybugs or butterflies
7. Arrange for students to raise and distribute worms for people who would like to use them for composting
8. Challenge students to select a specific endangered species, conduct research to become familiar with the factors that are threatening them, and then brainstorm actions that they can take to help address those threats 

Helping the Earth

1. Help students organizes and participate in a watershed or roadway cleanup
2. Have students protect and/or repair an area that is experiencing erosion. (Most campuses have areas of grass loss due to high traffic - the perfect place to start)
3. Arrange for students to label local storm drains with "anti-dumping" reminders
4. Help students educate themselves about invasive species and then provide an opportunity for them to remove them
5. Have students research local community environmental issues (ex: erosion, water/air/soil/noise/light pollution, overuse of fertilizers, destruction of habitats, flood plain destruction, sustainable development) and then write letters to their local legislators advocating for realistic solutions
6. Arrange for students to participate in a citizen science initiative, gathering data that will inform environmental stewardship initiatives
7. With storms expected to increase in severity, challenge students to identify potential local flooding issues and brainstorm solutions 
8. Encourage students to identify an environmental cause that they feel passionate about and organize a fundraiser to support their chosen activity.   

Educating Themselves & Others

1. Challenge students to create an activity that will educate members of their community (school or beyond) about an environmental issues and what needs to be done to address the issue
2. Have students research local community environmental issues and brainstorm actions that could address the issues presented (or, better yet, identify actions that they can personally take to address problem)
3. Arrange for students to research a specific environmental issue (ideally something an issue that is nuanced, with multiple stakeholders, such as infrastructure development) and then organize a class-wide or school-wide debate 
4. Encourage students to calculate their family's carbon footprint and, based on the results, brainstorm ways to reduce their family's greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Encourage students to calculate their family's water footprint and, based on the results, brainstorm ways to reduce their family's water usage. 
6. Organize a school-wide book club focusing on books with environmental themes. Challenge students to brainstorm actions that could address the issues presented. 
7. Host a school-wide watch party of an environmental documentary then, afterwards, challenge students to brainstorm actions that could address the issues presented. 
8. Arrange to have a speaker talk to your class or school about an environmental issue that requires addressing, then challenge your students to brainstorm actions that need to be taken to address the issues

Living a More Sustainable Life

1. Have students research stewardship ideas, choose one, and sign a pledge committing to implementing the practice in their personal lives
2. Have students create reusable bags that they can use for shopping 
3. Arrange for students to build composting bins and/or implement a compositing program at school or home
4. Arrange for students to upcycle items that would otherwise be destined for a landfill
5. Challenge students to make a plan for sustainable buying. (Ex: have kids list everything they're planning to buy in the coming month and then brainstorm sustainable sources or alternatives)
6. Challenge students to keep track of all the trash they generate in a day and then brainstorm changes they can make to generate less trash in future. 
7. Challenge students to brainstorm ways to reduce food waste at home or school
8. Arrange for students to research vegetarian recipes and/or create a collaborative vegetarian cookbook
9. Challenge students to create a plan to reduce energy use in the classroom or at home 
10. Challenge students to create a plan to reduce water usage in school or at home
11. Organize a "bike or bus to school" day with the object of limiting individual car trips
12. Have students sponsor an "e-waste collection" event and appropriately dispose of the waste they collect

Book Look: The Overstory, by Richard Powers

 This is a gorgeously written, important book. It’s emotionally complex, morally challenging, and intellectually fecund - all of which makes it an eminently worthwhile read, though I’m not entirely sure I found it to be a particularly satisfying read.

The novel leads off with eight extremely long vignettes that introduce the characters (or sets of characters) that the story will trace over the course of the next 500 pages: a biologist who specializes in plant communications, a troubled young woman who experiences a life-altering rebirth, a solitary artist whose muse is nature, a socially awkward lad who grows up to be a psychologist fascinated by why people engage in futile behaviours, a modest intellectual property attorney & his sensation-seeking wife, a rough-around-the-edges-but-heart-of-gold Vietnam vet, the daughter of a Chinese emigree father who becomes an engineer, the son of an Indian emigree father who becomes a coding genius.

The thematic link between these backstories is that each tale references trees – sometimes in a direct way (there’s a lovely bit about a chestnut tree in the vignette about the artist), sometimes in more symbolic ways (trees as metaphors for family, memory, time, nature, hope, creativity, growth & rebirth, wisdom, salvation, etc.). Honestly, a part of me wonders if Powers didn’t lift large portions of this from short stories that he’d written earlier and separately … which isn’t meant as a critique, but would explain why so much of this section, while absorbing, doesn’t end up having much relevance to the subsequent tale.

From these seeds germinates the rest of the novel, in which the author’s protagonists separately and collectively embark upon journeys that will culminate in an understanding of the profound ecological significance of the largely unappreciated kingdom plantae. Worth recognizing Power's effort to incorporate cutting-edge botanical and ecological science into this part of the narrative. These pages hammer home, again and again, the message that earth is a single, interconnected biosphere, that healthy ecosystems perform ecological services that are key to sustaining Earth’s habitability, that ecosystems are sentient in ways we are only just beginning to understand, that preserving biodiversity is essential to preserving functioning ecosystems, and that - in our capacious and thoughtless appetite for resources - humans are likely to end up driving all life (including themselves) to extinction.

Powers’ other, equally important message: that forests serve a profoundly important aesthetic and spiritual purpose, reminding us that the true art of living isn’t about the resources we acquire, but about the connections that we make during our lives and the legacy that we leave in our wake – the nutrients that nature recycles to create new life, the enduring ideas and memories that humans recycle to create understanding.

A frequent issue I have with novels is that the characters neither reflect nor grow, so it feels strange to be dinging Overstory for the opposite problem! The time Powers spends tracing the complex inner journeys of each character comes (I felt) at the expense of creating a consistent and engaging external journey. Some of the characters do end up dabbling in activism, but this aspect of the novel never develops in any sort of important way. By the end of the novel, you understand that the consciousness of each character has been altered in profound ways, but they’ve largely failed to translate those weighty new understandings into any sort of useful action. Which is clearly enough to win you a Pulitzer Prize, but not particularly gratifying if, as a reader, you’re itching for a bit of inspiration or hope.

FYI, I recommend that this be read within easy reach of internet access, and that readers take the time necessary to look up the individual species that Powers references throughout. The background knowledge I brought to this as a biology/environmental science educator substantially heightened my ability to appreciate that wonders that Powers describes throughout –the spiraling bark of the bristlecone pines, the swollen bellies of baobob trees, the mesmerizing way that mimosa leaves furl at the slightest touch. At the very least, do a quick image search on “unusual trees” and take the time to appreciate the truly remarkable diversity and evolutionary cunning of these ancient and indispensable organisms.

60+ Environmental Stewardship Project Ideas for Students

As a life science teacher, I am perhaps even more freaked out than "normal people" about the various environmental dooms overtaking us even as I type this: climate change, sustainability, water availability, mass extinction. Never has it been more important for our youngest generation to understand the role they can and must play in acting as responsible stewards of Earth and Earth's resources. 

Towards this end, I require my students (10-14yrs old) to perform four acts of environmental stewardship per year (one per quarter). You'd think this would be met by groans and complaints, but the truth is that most students are full of passion and idealism - they *want* to save the world, they're just not sure how! Which is why I've pulled together this continually-updated list of projects that are student friendly but that directly map to challenges that are facing our Earth today. 

Please - if you have any suggestions of activities that I might add to the list, leave me a comment below. I'm hoping this blog post will prove genuinely useful to other teachers hoping to implement or grow the emphasis on environmental stewardship in their own classrooms. 

Planting & Growing

1. Build a bird or bat house
2. Create a vertical garden
3. Create a container garden
4. Create an indoor window garden
5. Plant a butterfly, bee, or bat garden
6. Plant a vegetable, flower, spice, or medicine garden
7. Build a small greenhouse so that you can continue to grow your own vegetables throughout the winter
8. Plant a tree or bush (just make sure you pick an indigenous species!) 
9. Install a rain barrel
10. Build/create a composting program
11. Start composting
12. Use tree/plant identification guides to positively identify 10+ plants in your yard or neighborhood. Then figure out which ones are native vs. non-native to Virginia
13. Collect  & remove invasive species
14. Implement new landscaping techniques that will reduce either erosion, fertilizer use, or invasive species in your lawn
15. Create seed balls (native seeds only!) and disperse them around your community
16. Raise ladybugs (indigenous species) and set them lose in the community to eat bugs
17. Raise chickens
18. Raise bees 
19. Learn to identify local birds, and participate in a sponsored bird count project.

Water Quality & Conservation

1. Create a rain garden
2. Find an area where soil is eroding and entering the local watershed and implement a solution (erect a barrier, plant grass, etc.)
3. Pick up litter so that it doesn't wash into the local watershed
4. Begin taking 3-minute showers
5. Calculate your family’s water footprint. (There are many water footprint calculators online that you can use.) 
6. Mark local storm drains with stickers that remind people not to use them as chemical dumps
7. Acquire a lead water test kit and check the water at local public areas (libraries, schools, etc.) to make sure it is safe
8. Monitor water quality in a local watershed (pond, stream, or lake)

Sustainability

1. Reduce the amount of packaging that you accumulate when shopping by
1. Buying products that are sold in recycleable containers
2. Buying products that come in reusable packinging
3. Using reusable shopping bags (including bags for produce) 
4. Refusing straws, lids and excess plastic packaging
2. Brainstorm and implement strategies for reducing the amount of trash that your family produces
3. Identify a common single-use plastic pollutant and take an action that will help reduce the production/use of that plastic
4. Upcycle something that you would ordinarily throw in the trash
5. Donate/freecycle reusable items instead of throwing them away
6. Educate your community about what items are not recycleable
7. Purchase previously owned goods vs. buying new
8. Learn how to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive at home, and share this information with the community using a website, a brochure, or a newsletter.
9. Come up with a plan to reduce food waste in your house (or at your school)

Putting the Breaks on Climate Change 

1. Conduct an energy audit of your school or classroom
2. Eat more vegetarian meals
3. Eat more locally grown produce
4. Calculate your family’s carbon footprint
5. Reduce your family’s car trips
6. Reduce your family’s electricity use
7. Figure out the cost of switching your house to solar (you don’t have to switch to solar! Just research it)
8. Compare and contrast normal cars vs. hybrid cars vs. electric cars and figure out which one would make the most sense for your family.
9. Switch something in your house to an alternative energy source that doesn’t create Co2 pollution
10. Encourage members of your community to use natural vs. man-made fertilizers. (The production of man-made fertilizers is a major source of the greenhouse gas NO2.)

General Stewardship & Activism

1. Join a local club or organization dedicated to making your community more environmentally friendly
1. Organizations that plant trees and/or protect natural areas
2. Organizations that promote green architecture & development
2. Volunteer to help support an environmental stewardship project at a local park or nature center
3. Attend an event that showcases local environmental initiatives
4. Create flyers, posters or infographics to hang in your school, educating students about an environmental issues that concerns them
   
5. Initiate a project that will make your school greener. For example:  
1. eliminate plastic bottles by installing water fountains that refill reusable water bottles
2. Create a program that increases the number of students who bike to school (rather than getting dropped off by cars)
3. Advocate to install solar energy at your school
4. Clean up trash around your school
5. Plant trees on school property
6. Sponsor an athletic shoe recycling drive
6. Write your Congressman and tell them how you want them to vote on environmental issues impacting your neighborhood, town, or state
7. Become a citizen scientist - many websites offer opportunities for students to support ongoing scientific research by participating in bird counts, monitoring local water quality, logging local species, or other age-appropriate activities. 
8. Participate in a protest 
9. Conduct a fundraiser to raise money for an environmental issue that you are passionate about

20 Things We Should Be Worried About But We Aren't (Yet) ...

One thing this decade seems to have plenty of: stuff to worry about. Political disruptions. Climate change. Pandemics. North Korean nukes. Trade wars. Terrorism.  Opioids.  Immigration.  Genocides. Refugee crises. Gun violence.  Russian hacking.  Sexual harassment. #BlackLivesMatter. Healthcare. The national deficit. Bitcoin bubbles. Privacy. Trash gyres. Rainforest destruction. GMOs. Beehive Colony Collapse Disorder. The approaching Singularity.

Just in case you were beginning to worry that you weren’t worrying enough, I’ve compiled a list of concerns that aren’t dramatic enough for the front page, but that will do perfectly well if you’ve been getting too much healthy sleep and need something to keep you up at night.  (And if 20 nightmare scenarios aren't enough, I recommend the above book, What Should We Be Worried About, a collection of essays in which really smart people talk about what keeps them up at night.  Guaranteed to make you lose sleep.)

1. AN UNFAIR AND UNEQUAL EDUCATION. Is it a coincidence that political corruption is most rampant in states that have the lowest test scores?  I worry that state funding of education creates a system that incentivizes corrupt politicians to deliberately undermine schools.  After all, who’s more likely to continue to elect corrupt politicians – a well-educated citizenry or a bunch of kids who never developed critical thinking skills and who, therefore, are stupid enough to believe the election commercials? Unlike many teachers, I was a big fan of No Child Left Behind because it required at least some accountability for educating students.  But ever since the Supreme Court began ruling that anything that isn't explicitly stated in the Constitution isn't protected, we're a decision away from states deciding to eliminate mandatory public schooling entirely. One of the few sacrifices of a well-functioning democracy is that it requires an educated citizenry capable of making considered decisions. We need to stop forgetting that.
2. REALITY DENIAL, aka “Just a moment while I interrupt your evidence-based reality with my unsubstantiated opinions.” I worry that in their rush to ensure “fair representation,” media outlets are creating the impression that opinions deserve as much weight as reality.  There’s a famous quote by Asimov: “There is a cult of ignorance […] measured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as [valid] as your knowledge.” Every time media organizations allow newsmakers to express "alternative facts" without calling them out (or, even worse, treat these alternative facts as legitimate) they reinforce the fallacy that opinion is somehow equivalent to truth.  In a world where technology makes it all too easy for people to bypass legitimate forms of news in favor of self-validating and self-reinforcing "alternative realities," I worry that we are at risk of forgetting what "truth" is, and why it matters. 
3. KIDS THAT CAN’T PASS THE MARSHMALLOW TEST.  You’ve heard of the marshmallow test, right? You put a child and a marshmallow in the same room, then promise the child that if they don’t touch the marshmallow until you return, you’ll let them have two.  In other words, twice the marshmallow.  100% more marshmallow. And yet an alarming number of the kids, lacking the tiny amount of self-control required to resist the urge, consume the marshmallow at once. I worry that in a world where video games now incorporate “mini-games” so you don’t have to wait until the end to win something, where mature adults whine when websites take more than an instant to upload, where drivers explode into road-rage when intersections are slow to clear, and where one-day delivery still isn’t quick enough – in other words, in a world where  instant gratification has become an expectation rather than the exception – what hope is there that future generations will possess the patience and willingness to embrace near-term sacrifice in order to ensure longer-term gain?
4. GENERATIONAL HOMOGENIZATION.  I worry that current and future generations are losing their unique identities.  It’s hard to witness my little nieces and nephews watch Disney movies (some of them over 70yrs old at this point), to listen to my sons stream Spotify’s “I Love the ‘80S!” radio station as they do homework, to watch my students cycling through every unfortunate fashion trend from the past 50 years – and not worry about generational homogenization. Back when I was a kid I remember attending ‘60s parties (everyone wore poodle skirts), ‘70s parties (everyone wore hippie finery), ‘80s parties (think big hair and disco).  Then came the millennia and suddenly – thanks to DVD players, internet, and streaming sites like Hulu – teens aren’t inventing their own culture so much as appropriating all the cultures that came before them. When I’m not worrying about what the hell I’m going to wear if – God help me - I ever get invited to a ‘00s party, I worry about the lasting social and cultural impact of generations with no unique, original identity to call their own
5. Speaking of which: CULTURAL HOMOGINIZATION.  I worry that the same forces that are hastening globalization – internet, multinational corporations – are hastening the homogenization of international cultural identities. Remember when American cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Nashville used to have their own unique personalities? Now, with the exception of a few districts, these cities are practically indistinguishable, overtaken by identical chain restaurants, big box stores, and cars.  How long before every country has its own Hollywood/Bollywood, its own food courts featuring a variety of faux-ethnic cuisine, roads overrun by identical cars, store windows filled with identical fashions, radios playing identical playlists?  I weep to imagine a world in which globalization robs us of cultural diversity and identity.
6. IS IT LIVE OR IS IT MEMOREX?  I worry that we aren’t ready for the onslaught of virtual reality about to descend upon us.  Keep in mind that our brains are so susceptible to intense emotion that grief has been known to trigger heart attacks, childhood trauma to trigger life-long mental illness, and intense fear/horror to trigger PTSD.  And then there’s the flipside: brains so giddy on opioids that their owners will literally self-destruct rather than do without.  In other words, we humans are pretty fragile vessels when it comes to handling intense emotion. So what happens when super-intense virtual reality experiences inadvertently trigger these responses; or, perhaps even worse, when our species begins developing a tolerance for them? What happens when natural beauty fails to enchant as completely as virtual beauty; when actual violence fails to appall when compared to the excesses of virtual violence; when the burdens of actual life pale in comparison with the non-stop entertainment of virtual life?
7. Speaking of which: AUTONOMOUS WARFARE.  I worry that anything that reduces the social or emotion costs of war, runs the risk of perpetuating war.  There’s a reason the minds of soldiers are so easily scarred by warfare: it’s a traumatic, grotesque, and wholly unnatural act to slay a fellow human. That makes the very best disincentive for waging war, war itself.  By gradually transitioning to a system of remote warfare, where soulless drones, submarines, and long-range missile systems deliver armaments to GPS coordinates rather than human settlements, however, we have created a more politically palatable system of killing.  People are still dying horrific deaths, it’s just that we don’t have to be there watching as they suffer and die.  Whoever developed PTSD from watching a blip on a screen? By placing violence at an arm’s distance, I worry that we’re making war socially, emotionally, and politically palatable, allowing us to cling to the pretense of “civilization” even as we continue to commit barbaric acts of violence.
8. VIRAL VIRUSES.  I worry that viruses (the microscopic type, not the digital type – though they can be lethal too) are going to take us out.  In case you’ve forgotten everything you learned about viruses in 7^th grade, let me remind you that these are scary dudes. From the standpoint of evolution, they were here before us and they've used that lead time to figure out how outlive pretty much everything else.  They laughed off the last five mass extinctions as if they were hiccups. Unlike bacteria, viruses hide inside your cells so your immune system has difficulty finding them. They mutate rapidly, making them a moving target, they can't be killed by antibiotics because they're not living organisms, and they're wicked contagious because the only way they can propagate is to constantly infect new hosts ... all of which enables them to sweep through populations like tsunamis - sudden, violent, unstoppable (see: flu, HIV, ebola). I worry that in our natural state of hubris, we humans aren't taking viruses seriously, at our peril. 
9. Speaking of which: LONGEVITY.  I worry that people are living too long.  Sure, immortality sounds great, and it would solve that nagging problem of how to explore space when the shortest trip to a habitable planet takes longer than the average human lifespan – but in practical terms, immortality would be a disaster in almost every conceivable way.  How can we possibly control Earth’s growing population if new babies continue to be born but no one dies? How do we find jobs, homes, food, water for all those extra people?  More abstractly, how do we grow socially, creatively or intellectually as a race unless we keep innovating – which process which requires a steady turnover of new brains entering a given field?  (See also: Cultural Homogenization.) How does natural selection continue to improve the survivability of our species if our birthrate slows to a crawl?  How do we find the money to research the diseases of youth if most of the Earth is ruled by elders who have the power/money to divert medical research to their own needs?  How do we meet the health and social needs of aging populations without burdening their children – essentially robbing them of their chance to live independently because, from the age of ~40 on, they’re tethered to the needs of elderly relatives? How do we fill all that extra time in a meaningful way, so that everyone doesn’t go bonkers from boredom?  Plus, in the immortal words of Queen, who wants to live forever when love must die?
10. SPACE JUNK. I worry that if we keep launching stuff into space, it’s going to become impossible to ensure the safety of the satellites and other objects up there that we rely on to do important stuff like facilitate satellite communications, track major weather events, and make GPS work.  I get that space is vast, and the chances of collision are small.  However, I’m also betting our satellite systems don’t have a lot of built in redundancy, especially since nearly all of them were built by the lowest bidder.
11. Speaking of which: GPS HACKING.  Has anyone been paying attention to just how much we’ve come to rely on GPS? It helps guide airplanes to airports, fishermen to where the fish are, and weapons to where the enemies are; it sets our clocks; it supports accurate mapping of weather phenomenon; and it keeps us from getting lost when our doctors relocate to new office buildings.  And yet, the system is so antiquated and vulnerable to hacking that even the U.S. military is urging its branches to develop their own backup systems. Think about all the money we’re spending on “smart weapons” that require GPS guidance; now consider that all those weapons could be rendered unusable by $20 worth of electrical components available from Amazon
12. THE IMPENDING MAGNETIC SHIFT.  I worry about what happens when Earth’s magnetic poles decide to swap – as in, the north pole becomes the south pole and visa versa.   This has happened periodically throughout Earth’s history and, geologically speaking, we’re overdue for next shift.  In fact, there’s ample evidence that a switch is coming: the magnetic north pole has been shifting up to 5miles per year, a traditional sign that polar shift is imminent.  This is a much (much) bigger deal than just having to recalibrate all the compasses in the world. Earth’s magnetic “shield” is all that’s preventing deadly subatomic particles from pelting all life on earth to extinction. And while the shield doesn’t actually disappear during polar shifts, it does becomes significantly weaker, meaning some stuff is going to slip through.  I’m not sure tinfoil hats are going to be enough.
13. Speaking of which: ANTICS IN ANTARCTICA.  I promised myself I wouldn’t mention climate change here, since everyone’s worried about climate change. What bothers me is that I don’t hear anyone talking about what happens when Antarctica melts.  Is anyone paying attention to what’s underneath all that ice? Copper, iron, oil, coal, silver, gold, platinum and … wait for it … stores of unexploited rare earth minerals, the ones that facilitate our advanced electronics. At various times countries as diverse as Argentina, France, Australia, Chile, Norway and the U.K. have claimed ownership of bits and pieces of the continent, before they all buried the hatchet and signed The Antarctic Treaty in 1959 agreeing that no one would make any more territorial claims. How long do you think everyone’s going to keep holding hands and humming It’s A Small World once those gold deposits defrost? A hint of things to come: Russia is already fortifying their "research stations" with troops. 
14. TOO MUCH CONNECTIVITY.  I worry about what happens when we connect all our important systems to a single grid and then the grid goes down. While the whole Y2K thing was much ado about nothing, I worry that we’ve too quickly forgotten the reason we were worried – that as our communications systems (satellites and internet), banking systems (encrypted trading systems running over wireless), navigation/weapons systems (GPS) and social systems (smart phones) become increasingly interconnected, the collapse of any one of these systems might bring them all down. Forget North Korean nukes – I fear we’re one well-aimed computer virus away from the collapse of civilization as we know it.
15. Speaking of which: WHO’S BACKING THIS ?#$ UP?  I worry about what happens to all that lovely digital data if the electricity goes out.  Recently I was at a presentation by one of Nook’s designers, who happened to mention, in passing, that individual servers in server farms have a three year life span. Think about that. Servers have to be replaced every THREE years.  Which means one year of inadequate electrical supply could wipe out one third of all our bits and bytes; two years might put paid to up to two thirds of our cumulative digital wisdom, and a third year could wipe it all out entirely.  If young adult authors are to be believed, three years sans electricity isn’t even reaching when it comes to potential dystopian futures.  Just in case, I’m hoarding books and printing out my photos.
16. Speaking of which: WHO CONTROLS OUR DIGITAL CONTENT?  Even supposing our data survives a digital apocalypse, we’re still not out of the woods. I’m not talking about digital hacking, which is on everyone’s radar and thus fails to qualify for this list. I’m talking about the more nefarious forms of digital alteration, perhaps introduced under the guise of profit (“I bet we’d sell more copies of literature classics if we omit the boring chapters!”), political correctness (“Rather than risk causing any emotional distress, let’s just remove ALL the scenes that might trigger people”), or patriotism (“If we release those statistics about civilian deaths, popular support for this war might wane).  The problem with digital information is that it’s so easily modified, that modifications are so incredibly difficult to detect, and that excuses for engaging in digital modification may present as innocent, possibly even logical.  I worry that as our society moves towards digitizing every form of communication – from journals to journalism, from interpersonal communications to entertainment, from commerce to conversations – “digital alteration” may gain the power not just to alter our perception of reality, but reality itself.
17. SCIENCE FICTION: NOT JUST FOR NERDS.  I worry that we’re not paying enough attention to science fiction writers. These guys think about the future for a living, and if past experience is any guide, they often do a scarily good job of projecting potential outcomes of current technology trends.  Take Isaac Asimov, who back in the 1940s invented the 3 Laws of Robotics that still guide robotic engineering today.  (Seriously: look them up.)  Take Ray Bradbury’s short story, The Sound of Thunder, from which the Butterfly Effect derives – a precept that has come to shape the way we think about time travel into the past.  Take 1984 and compare its use of surveillance and news jargon to what exists in the world today (“alternate facts!”).  More importantly, look at predictions that have been made by these guys that haven’t yet come true but that should serve as precautionary tales if we let them: Arthur C. Clarke’s Dial F for Frankenstein, in which a telephone network gains consciousness and gradually takes over the world’s financial, transportation, and communication systems; the implicit warning of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park against the hubris of assuming we can control nature (or, substitute the implicit warning in his Prey against the hubris of assuming we can control nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and AI); or what Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 has to say about the dangers of eliminating texts that make us feel “uncomfortable” (think trigger warnings). Science fiction isn’t just a genre, it’s a think tank of great minds devoted to predicting possible future.  That’s why smart people read it, and why more of us should probably heed it.
18. Speaking of which: ROBOT SHORTAGES. While everyone else seems to be worried about too many robots, I’m worried we won’t have nearly enough – at least not enough of the sort capable of doing the work that actually needs doing.  Every time I turn on NPR, someone’s talking about how U.S. jobs are being replaced by robotics. Don’t worry about closing the immigration tap: those unfilled jobs will replaced by robots. Don’t worry about the U.S.’s unsustainable productivity figures: robots will take over when humans can’t keep up. My question is: who’s making all these robots? Moreover, who’s making them cheaply enough that it’s going to be affordable to put them to work landscaping, doing construction, and working at McDonalds?  It’s far more likely that robots will be taking over skilled jobs, the ones that pay the good money, leaving it to us humans to perform all those manual labor jobs.
19. A MORE PERFECT UNION? I worry that in our patriotism-fueled enthusiasm to spread Democracy throughout the world, we give up looking for other forms of government that might be better.  Consider: in a democratic system, every time a majority party wins an election, there’s a whole minority party in the background feeling royally resentful. If recent politics have taught us nothing else, we’ve learned just how resentful (and destructive) those minorities can be. European countries have tried dealing with this by implementing coalition systems, but is a compromise where no one gets what they want any better than at least some people getting the government they wanted? There’s got to be a better way, and I’d like to believe someone’s still looking for it.
20. THE DEATH OF CONTEMPLATION. Finally, I worry about the death of contemplation.  The problem isn’t that we’re working longer hours; the problem is that we now have an enormous choice of entertainments with which to waste away our remaining spare hours. Remember back in the “olden days,” when people with time on their hands engaged in such past-times as strolling, gardening, reading, playing music, writing letters, doing needlework, sitting by the fire getting warm?   All these occupations had one thing in common: they left time for thinking.  For letting the mind wander where it will. For musing, examining, questioning, conjecturing, imagining, evaluating, reasoning, reflecting.  Time for allowing ideas not just to stash themselves away for later retrieval, but to wander around a bit before arriving at their ultimate destination, allowing for the creation of fanciful juxtapositions and the discovery of curious connections.  The kind of reflection that leads not just to life-long learning, but to the development of wisdom.  I worry that in our rash to gain and share knowledge, we are forgetting the importance of giving ourselves to reflect upon what we’ve learned and thereby gaining wisdom.

50+ Ethical Questions Associated with Recent Scientific Discoveries

Was recently discussing with science teacher colleagues the extent to which we have a responsibility to teach not just science, but the ethics of science.  

It's easy to agree that we all have a moral obligation not to let bias intrude upon our presentation of facts.  On the other hand, how do we talk about climate change while pretending not to editorialize about mankind's responsibility to preserve the earth for future generations? How do we talk about genetic engineering without awkwardly skirting the potential risks of interfering with the gene pool? How do we talk about stem cell research funding without stumbling into a discussion of which diseases/disorders are "highest priority"? See what I mean?

Naturally, the first thing I had to do was rush off and compile a list of ethical issues that my curriculum brushes by on its way from September to June. The following 50+ issues don't even scratch the surface, which gives you an idea of the vastness of the potential issue.  Time for us to consider mandating a course in ethics as part of the high school curriculum?

1.      Thanks to CRISPR, we can now grow "designer babies" with whatever traits we want. Should we?

2.      A scientist uses CRISPR to modify a gene that can be used to implant a desirable trait: for instance, a resistance to heart disease. They want to patent the gene and sell it like a medication. Should they be allowed to do this?

3.      Thanks to cloning, we may soon be able to clone human beings. Should we?

4.      Some parents are having babies in hopes of finding organ or marrow donors for siblings with cancer or other diseases. Should parents be able to “force” these babies to donate organs or marrow to their siblings?

5.      Using "biologicals" to cure cancer may soon become a possibility - but the technology is sure to be super-expensive. Health insurance companies would go bankrupt if they had to cover these procedures for everyone. So, who should have access?

6.      Genetic testing now makes it possible to know if a baby is going to be born with a high risk factor for a particular disease. Under what circumstances, if any, do we use this information to decide whether a baby should be “allowed” to be born?

7.      Should we allow organisms to go extinct? Under what circumstances?

8.     We have reached the point where we can use DNA to bring back to life organisms that have gone extinct. Should we?

9.      We have reached the point where we can genetically engineer new organisms - organisms that have not been tested by Darwinian forces.  Should we allow them lose upon the earth?

10.  Should health care be an essential human right?

11.   Given that there are limited research dollars to spend on research, should we spend the money on saving lives or improving quality of life?

12.  Drug companies spend millions of dollars on researching drugs that never prove marketable. Should they be allowed to “recoup” this money by charging more for drugs that do prove marketable?

13.  To what extent should we require drug companies to develop therapies for diseases that are so low-incidence (maybe only 100 cases per year), knowing that they will never be able to sell enough to make back the money they spent on research?

14.  While we've gotten better at stockpiling antidotes for major toxins, there's rarely enough for everyone. If the U.S. is hit by a plague or biological attack, who should get the antidotes? Who shouldn't?

15.   Some drugs for fatal conditions (like cancer) work so well in preliminary animal tests, patients dying of these diseases would like to be able to use them before they have a chance to be tested for safety in humans. Should we allow this?

16.  Thanks to fitbit and other medical devices, health insurance companies now have the ability to monitor your personal habits. To what extent should they be allowed to determine coverage based on decisions you make about maintaining (or not maintaining) your health?

17.   Should health companies be able to determine the rates people pay for health insurance based on their genetic probability of developing expensive health issues?

18.  We are coming close to the day when we might be able to indefinitely postpone death. Should we?

19.  Thanks to genetic engineering, it may soon become possible to "enhance" the athletic ability of athletes - for example, equip them with blood cells that hold more oxygen. Should this be allowed? Should these athletes then be allowed to compete professionally?

20. In the interests of learning more about how viruses work, scientists have the technology to create "superviruses" - strains that are immune to all known antibiotics or antidotes. Should scientists be allowed to develop these strains of superviruses and, if so, under what conditions?

21.  What responsibility (if any) do we have to preserve the earth for future generations?

22. Technologies to mitigate the impacts of climate change - such as seawalls and desalination plants - are sure to be expensive. What do we take funding away from to fund these projects?

23. Science has proven that nuclear energy is a relatively "clean" power source, in that it emits no CO2. However, it does create spent nuclear rods, which are a huge environmental danger. Also, there's always the risk that an unforeseen event will trigger a massive radiation leak. Do you switch your country from gas to nuclear?

24. Thanks to the impacts of climate change, crop and water shortages may soon drive up the cost of essential resources - food, water. How do we decide who gets what?

25.  Some island countries will disappear when sea level rise due to climate change inundates low-lying landmasses.  What happens to the citizenship and rights of the citizens of these countries?

26. Cutting a major forest will provide enough jobs and money to make a community self sustaining; however, habitat destruction will result in the extinction of several species. How do you weigh the needs of the people against the potential risks of extinction?

27.  In the Potomac River, an invasive fish (Snakehead) population is destroying the community of organisms native to the river. Scientists discover another species that feeds only on Snakeheads, and propose that we add this species to the Potomac River so they can fix the problem. Is this a good idea?

28. Large cities produce lots of light pollution. This light pollution interrupts natural sleep cycles and makes it difficult to see the stars. Should we fix light pollution? 

29. If climate change-related disasters lead to the disappearance or destruction of entire countries, then what will happen to citizens of those countries? What rights should they be granted (or not granted)?   

30. Models show that eventually Earth will reach its carrying capacity with respect to the number of humans the planet can sustain. Do we try to prevent this from happening? If so, how do we go about it?

31.  One day soon we may be able to land humans on planets where life already exists. Do we have the right to take over other worlds? Under what circumstances, if any, might we not have that right?

32. 3D virtual reality games "feel" just like the real thing. Knowing this, should we allow people to create and market super-violent video games? What about super-intoxicating pleasant experiences?

33. Scientists discover a "violence gene" - a gene that, when dominant, can trigger violent rages.  Do we put such people in jail before they commit a crime? Do we allow them to use this as a mitigating circumstance (like mental illness) in a court trial?

34. We are close to the point where we can incorporate "truth-sensing" technologies into everyday devices such as Google glasses. Should we do so?

35.  Research is continuing to reveal that animals possess more intelligence and emotional depth than we ever imagined. Should we continue to use animals in drug testing? Should we continue using them as food?

36. We're very close to "synchronicity" - the moment at which robots become sentient. When they do, should they be granted the same rights as humans enjoy?

37.  Three countries still have samples of "smallpox." Should smallpox ever be weaponized?

38. We've created nuclear weapons with the capacity to kill millions of people at once. Should we use them?

39. The day when everyone has access to self-driving cars is approaching. If someone dies in a collision, whose fault is it? How many "accidental deaths" are we willing to accept in exchange for the convenience of this technology? 

40. Hackers have figured out how to hack into medical equipment. To what extent is it justifiable, during a war, to disable the medical equipment (pacemakers, etc.) of the enemy? 

41.  Science has played a role in creating a number of non-lethal weapons systems, to include laser missiles, blinding weapons, pain rays, heat rays, disabling malodorants, etc.  Some of these may cause lasting health consequences. To what extent should we deploy these weapons in war?  

42. Sending robots (drones) into battle means sparing humans the ordeal of having to kill others with their own hands. Is this a good idea?

43. We now have medications that may be able to "soften" the horrible memories that trigger conditions like PTSD. Should we use them?

44. You're working on an amazing new technology that might cure cancer. Unfortunately, the results of your first trials have not been unambiguously positive. For this reason, your sponsors want to withdraw your funding. You're SURE your solution will work given more research. Do you "fudge" your results to keep your funding?

45.   A person of average intelligence is asked if they want to participate in a highly complicated clinical trial. The explanation of what's going to be done to them is far too scientific for them to completely understand either the benefits or risks. Do you allow them to give consent?

46. An island nation is slowly dying of starvation. You develop a technology that will allow them to survive on algae from the surrounding ocean; however, you also know that in a few years, when the algae runs out, not only will the people die, but all the organisms that relied on algae for food or dissolved oxygen will die as well. Do you implement the technology?

47.  NASA has proposed a manned mission to Mars.  Should we allow any citizens who colonize the planet to have children? If so, what nationality would they be, and what rights would they have?  

48. Soon we may be able to travel back in time. Should we try to fix mistakes that we've made in the past (like allowing the Nazis to come to power), or should we leave things the way they are/were?

49. We have recently invented particle colliders capable of creating anti-matter. Should we do this?

50. Thanks to the undoing of net neutrality, service providers can now "throttle" the bandwidth of specific websites - to include websites that compete with them, or even websites that endorse political opinions with which they disagree. To what extent should this be allowed (or controlled)?

51.  Bandwidth and spectrum are not unlimited. How do we decide who does (and doesn't) get to access these resources?

52.  Improvements in surveillance systems like Google Earth may soon make it possible to track people's movements. Should this be allowed? If so, under what circumstances?