May 2007 - Posts
Today was a watershed moment in the nascent history of the Human Genome Project as it was
reported that the entire genome of Dr. James Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA, had been sequenced. The event portends the day when all patients will have the option of cheaply and efficiently sequencing their individual genomes and consequently learning of the intricacies of their genetic code; specifically all the mutations and corresponding diseases for which each of us is predisposed to. In being the first individual to publicly make available his entire genome, Dr. Watson as the article points out is putting himself and bloodline relatives at considerable personal risk for public disclosure of genetic diseases all for the sake of advancing scientific research. Dr. Watson though, already mindful of this, chose only to release his entire genome for study with the exception of
apolipoprotein E gene which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. It is only fitting that the individual who first identified the code of life should be the first to have his own code undeciphered. The future of biotechnology has taken an important step forward.
Anybody who knows me knows that I am quite particular, nay religious, about the nutritional value of the foods that I consume. I maintain a strict limitation on foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat and sugar; I avoid eggs, cheese and soda beverages. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, and do not intend to be because these diets are insufficient in providing essential amino acids, fats and vitamins. Not to mention they unequivocally reduce one's quality of life. So when I read of the recent
death of a baby boy who had been fed a vegan diet, my viewpoint was reaffirmed though I was no doubt sickened by the negligence on the part of Crown Shakur's parents. Crown weighed only 3.5 pounds when he died at 6.5 weeks after being kept on a diet largely on soy milk and apple juice. His parents were recently convicted of life in prison for their part in their son's murder but the debate here centers more around the essence of a proper diet than the responsibility of guardians of minors. Today's NY Times
op-ed, written by a respected nutritionist, reiterates the fact that vegan diets are inherently lacking in key components of a diet for newborns requiring large quantities of protein, calcium and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is vital for eye and nerve development. We need more than just plants to live a healthy, nourishing life.
I recently watched a witty, educational and often times hilarious
talk by
James Howard Kunstler at TED 2004 on the demise of the public realm in contemporary America. For those who are not aware, TED (for Technology Entertainment & Design) is an annual meeting of the world's leading thinkers & intellectuals with talks given by prominent attendees on a whole range of issues. Kunstler's talk was based on the tragedy of suburbia which he boldly calls the "greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world". His main thesis centers on the degradation of civic life and over consumption of resources in the development of suburbia which occurred in the aftermath of World War II, with strong emphasis on the former. Inactive public places that are devoid of civic activity are places not worth caring about and consequently not worth defending, argues Kunstler, in blunt reference to the many wars that the United States engages in. Moreover, moribund public spaces adversely affect the social fabric of civic life. "The public realm", says Kunster, "informs us of who we are as a culture and where we came from and where we're going". The intertwining of the physical and the social is an interesting point that becomes manifest whenever one leaves the city for suburbia. How to define space and give it meaning are central tenets of architecture that, Kunstler argues, have been resolutely shunned in the design of the suburban landspace (he points to the artificial use of trees & nature as an obvious example). After several illustrations of poorly designed public spaces in America (including Boston's own atrocious city hall designed by the famous I.M. Pei), Kunstler juxtaposes examples of vibrant, "permeable", public spaces teeming with human activity, physical places that are able to draw people without the need for a "craft fair". He concludes the talk by speculating that the advent of expensive oil will mean the end of such lifestyles and inevitably force humans to once again live in close proximity. I certainly hope his prediction comes to bear in reality.