The Year 2008 -- A Recap

The Choice is Yours

biweekly column by Gregor Wolbring

December 30th 2008

http://politicsofhealth.org/wol/2008-12-30.htm

My first column in 2006 started with the sentence “To choose a topic for ones first installment of ones column on innovation is a daunting task. Scientific news of today becomes yesterday's news, fast replaced by even more astonishing news. One field of science is chased by another in ever increasing speed.”

In the 2007 year end column I wrote that “the biggest challenge I face in writing my columns is to decide what topic to write about. So much is happening so rapidly that such decisions are difficult. And when I say happening, that entails not only advances in science and technology, but also events that alter the societal and cultural landscape, and the way in which these two factors influence each other.”

This sentiment has not changed. We see science and technologies advancing in a rapid pace with new ones showing up all the time.

This year I wrote the following columns:

I have spent some time reflecting on the columns I wrote this year. “NBICS and Geo-engineering” (the Dec 15 column) introduces a science and technology field that seems to be posed to move into the headlines much more in 2009. The “Telehealth” column highlighted a coming paradigm shift in care deliverance. These may be the most fascinating ones I wrote this year. The two columns that cover areas that are most removed from general awareness were “Anti-Aging, Longevity and Immortality Technology” (the March 15 column) and the “Molecular Manufacturing” (August 15) column. Nevertheless both columns highlight the fact that serious research is being undertaken in these two areas, and that some believe that these fields will take on more importance in the future.

The “International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition 2008” column for the first time covered an area in which my students did some work. I leave it up to the reader to asses the value of my student's work. They definitively generated some interesting findings.

“Synbio 4.0” was a representation of a stagnant ethical, economic, environmental, legal and social implications (E3LSI) area. The discourse seemed not to have moved far beyond the one from last year. The “Environmental Nanotechnology/Nano EH&S (Environment, Health and Safety)” bibliography (April 30) column might have been the most useful column to readers, as it provided many references to the relevant topics. The “Nanosolar” (May 15) column was interesting to write as it highlighted the fact that many solar projects state that they have reached a point of cost effectiveness similar to electricity generation by coal, whereby in the public discourse, including the statements made during the USA presidential debates, it is maintained that solar energy is still far away to being competitive with coal. The question is, has this information not yet reached the powers that be, or are the statements of cost efficiency exaggerated?

With regard to societal structures, “The Power of Language” (July 30) , was  the most fascinating one to write. The BIAS FREE Framework--  Building an Integrative Analytical System For Recognizing and Eliminating InEquities -- is a practical tool for identifying and eliminating social biases in all kind of documents and research. From a legal point of view the “Ableism and anti-environmentalism: Rights for Nature?!” Column was the most interesting one as it highlighted a whole new line of legal thought. I look forward to monitoring where this approach will go.

The “NBICS and Other Convergences: The Paralympics, the Olympics, Human Enhancement Technology -- The situation after the Pistorius ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sports” (May 30) followed up on the 2007 “NBICS and Other Convergences: The Paralympics, the Olympics, Human Enhancement Technology and the Doping Discourse” column. The column on the Pistorius decision showed that the public discourse misses the real point generated by the Pistorius story.

I am fortunate that two groups are still publishing my columns. I want to express my appreciation here again to David Forrest and Jay Edson who give me a platform to write these columns. Innovationwatch.com and David Forrest gave me the first platform for the columns. Since June 30 2007 the Politics of Health project of the HealthWright.org group and innovationwatch.com alternate in publishing my columns.

The Choice is Yours:

I enjoyed writing every column, and I am sure I will continue to enjoy writing them. I hope the columns are of use to you, the reader, and that they encourage you to learn more and to speak up on these topics. I would be interested in receiving more feedback so I can gain a better sense about the usefulness of the columns and how I could improve them. All the topics I cover impact everyone globally and everyone globally should involve themselves in the topics. The consequences of poor decisions are too severe to leave dialog to just a few.

Please contact the author for any information desired at gwolbrin@ucalgary.ca

© Gregor Wolbring, All Rights Reserved, 2008. Please contact the author for permission to reprint. More columns can be found at innovationwatch.

Gregor Wolbring is a biochemist, bioethicist, disability/vari-ability/ability studies scholar, and health policy and science and technology governance researcher at the University of Calgary. He is a member of the Center for Nanotechnology and Society at Arizona State University; Part Time Professor at Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Canada; Member CAC/ISO - Canadian Advisory Committees for the International Organization for Standardization section TC229 Nanotechnologies; Member of the editorial team for the Nanotechnology for Development portal of the Development Gateway Foundation; Chair of the Bioethics Taskforce of Disabled People's International; and former Member of the Executive of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (2003-2007 maximum terms served). He publishes the Bioethics, Culture and Disability website and authors a web blog on NBICS and its social implications and a web blog on the Ethics and Governance of Ableism