Maailman muuttaminen aseena

Olemme siirtyneet holoseenista antroposeeniin, koska ihminen on nyt Maapallon olojen tärkein muokkaaja.

Jamais Cascio: Geoengineering as weapon - Ajatellaan maailman muuttamista aseena, jonka laukaisu saattaa kestää kymmeniä vuosia.

Even if there is broad consensus that geoengineering is too risky, research into environmental modification will happen simply out of self-preservation—nobody wants to fall behind. Moreover, it’s not hard to imagine some international actors seeing geoengineering as something other than solely a way of avoiding environmental disaster. It wouldn’t be the first time states looked at the environment as a weapon. -- But although the idea of a geoengineering arms race may superficially parallel this line of thinking, it’s actually a very different concept. Unlike “weather warfare,” geoengineering would be subtle and long term, more a strategic project than a tactical weapon; moreover, unlike weather control, we know it can work, since we’ve been unintentionally changing the climate for decades.

Lisäksi jälleen pari juttua, joissa kerrotaan miksi keinotekoisten ihmisten syrjintä on väärin ja tulisi lopettaa.

Should We Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports? One argument in favor.

There was an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education last month about university professors taking stimulants like Adderall to increase their academic productivity. Oddly, the article quoted several professors who considered this "cheating" at academics. I have to confess, I don’t understand this way of thinking. Academics is the search for truth and knowledge. If a drug can make that search more productive with few side effects, why in the world wouldn’t you want to take it?

The Pharmacy of the Future and You

Turn the question around: are people who choose to use Viagra, cosmetic surgery, hair-coloring, propranolol to overcome stage fright, fakes? A strong case can be made that people who take advantage modern technologies are seeking to become more authentically who they believe themselves to be. Demands for authenticity turn out to be just a way for other people to impose their views of your proper social status on you.

One Pill Makes You Autistic -- And One Pill Changes You Back