Science-y Goodness!
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Stebbins
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© 2009 Created by Kirsten Sanford on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
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I found an old Washington Post article from the "Going Out With Gurus" by Stephanie Merry about an exhibit, "The Art of Recycling", in the National Building Museum's Great Hall. There is a picture of what I am guessing may be a work of yours.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus/2008/08/a_breath_of_fresh_cold_air.html
"In "They're Coming to Take Me Away," Michael Stebbins peeled back the exterior layer of the fridge with a blowtorch and mounted old toys found at a yard sale to look like they were busting out the front door, as if they were escaping from prison."
Could you expand on the connection between creating a work of art and working on a science project. I know both require imagination.
Ex-President Clinton's crew had the reputation as party animals. They apparently had a big "blowout" when they left Washington. I remember reading how upset the Bush team was at the "mess" the Clinton people left.
I picture the Bush team as being more somber, well boring. Under "Inquiring minds want to know" have you guys found any panties or underwear in the furniture or desks?
I don't have much confidence that without strict controls, and enforcing them as best we can, society will attempt to use pre-screening of embryos to create the "perfect" babies, a "super race". The idea is just too tempting. Think of all the money a person could make by selling this to the public. If someone said for $10,000 I could pick the perfect baby to start my family I can't say I would turn them down.
I also agree it is the scientific community that usually is first to recognize how a technology could be mis-used, because they understand it better. I have no more confidence in scientist, regarding the mis-use of technology, than in any other group of people.
I understand that once this technology is perfected we can't put the genie back in the bottle. A also agree that it is a great breakthrough that will lead, and has already, to significantly reducing the risk of that our children will be born with a genetic predisposition to a debilitating disease. It could lead to eliminating some of these diseases. The benefits do out way the risk.
I do share your enthusiasm for the benefits pre-screening of embryos will result in. I still am uncomfortable that society will not institute adequate controls over the process and this could lead, in the long run, to having a negative impact on how we humans reproduce and evolve.
You do have to learn how to not hold back. Page 1 "The US is a nation of very stupid people." :)
I seem to agree with you on all the issues, I know how boring :), but on a few not as strongly as you do. In particular pre-screening of embryos for genetic defects and ultimately, traits.
At some point in the future I have no doubt that some countries, of groups, will attempt to use pre-screening of embryos to create a super race, or at least their ideal of what that is. I don't see this as a good thing, although I would guess it may even not be possible. We don't just need laws that attempt to restrict pre-screening of embryos for traits like blue eyes, or big boobs or whatever, we also need to spend the money to provide adequate monitoring for compliance. I are pretty good a creating laws and suck at enforcing them.
I am not adequately knowledgeable about genetics and evolution, but I see random mutation as essential to this process. My concern is that any attempt to screen out "mutations" could lead our species to an evolutionary dead end.
Ed Dyer