5 Things to Ltitl(}\,\j

8/14/2019 5 Things to Ltitl(}\,\j

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L:rFcr., '?;F.?&"$i w Eia#..-., m ffiffiffiTHT LIGHTBULB. PENICIl-THE SIEAM ENGINE. TtlEDEAD DOLLY. FRANl(ENFO

l(ILLtR R0B0TS.wnaT Do Ar.r

#.$ffiffi &ilLIN. ATBERT EINSIEIN,PRINTING PRESS. POORODS. TTOl\lING HITLER.

THEST HAVI IN ((}MM()N?

They are all clich6s that featrre time and trmeagain in General Paper essays all overSiogapore.

It's nol that thcsc examples of sc;ence areirrelevant or unworthy of ntention.It's just that they reflect a prolrensity tostereotlpe Science. Many students are eitherstuck in the imaginary good old days ofgenllcmnn scicnlisls ur drir\rr r,,,i"lnl,i rrrvisions of a llture minedbykiller viruses, evilclones and Terminators.

!i ii i.fi. lr l1!,\,"i ilR,\ tli, ;;i: .., iLrll i "TUday s Srience r. shapeJ by politicians.prcphets and profit-minded shareholders and

- iike everl.thing eise it is inevitably shapedb1' thc forces ofpolitical, ecoromic and culturalglobalisation.

scientists and historians of science dse theterm "Big Science" to descdbe how science has, hanged inlo r rrsll) di(erent cr.slurc.inceworld war'I\vo.

BIU S{lt}i\*til[il!-[AJtiiIIAliYi ! i'!\l:ri,Big budgets that have led governrrents

to bc the nain patrons of scierce.Big staff where many scjentists have

to work togcther on one ploject as opposcdto oDe scienlist flying solo oD hrs pelproje, r. this lcads lo Jitli, ultt rrascertaiDing credit or responsiblilityfor scientific cliscoveries loday.

Bi8 machincs rnd Big l borat'rricsthat have become the mainstay ol basicscientific research like the sequeDcersused duling the lluman GenoneProject. These {actors forcc scientificresearch to be more ceDtraliscd forcost effectiveness sake and thus becor'ne

less accessible to independentresearch

scientists.

Today's Science can l)e intensely competitive,remarkably powerful, ter bly clitist and notalualo a. objcctire:rs ue vrorrld beliere.

Delnand a Broader Perspe


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TECHNOLOGIESFOR THE

H()T

2IST CENTURYby JOSEL|N BAU

A hiqhla er?crienceJ feld ntarshall'JoseLitl pfluotda th nki ihe E thehottest thing in lhe 21st GtlturA'

02 BR0ADIR PIRSPIOIVES the science & tech issue


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#INUCLEAR

ENERGY

Nuclear energy isa good guy again.

And this is despitc the power politics of nuclearweaponry practiced by Iran and North Korea.Governments and citizens, NGOS and evei certainGreen groups are rethinking the political and economicbenefits ofnuclear cnergr. The impefus lbr this renewedintercst in nuclear power is a combiDation of concemslike the rising cost ofdwindling fossil fuels, a volatileenergy supply and the impact ofglobal warming. Assuch, many third generation nuclear reacLors are beingbuilt in countries likc China, India, Japan, Eg)'pt andTurkey. Bitain and America have also cut downregulatory barrieN to building nuclear plants and offer'interested companies economic incentives. Expect tosee nuclear encrgy issues continue to manifestthemselves in the fllLure as expressions of nationalindependence and belligerence. It

#2MODERN

NEUROSCIENTE

WhoAm I?'l'hc perenDial question posed by French philosophersand angsty teenagers is now more sur-prisingly beingasked by scientists in white coats. Modernneuroscience's urore recent intdguing resealch turnson not just how the brain wolks brlt on morephilosophical issues like free will and humancoDsciousness. Since the invention of the IMRI(functional magnetic-resonance ilnaging) in 199o, iLhas been possible for scientists to finally watch brainactivity, not just anatomy, in actioD. BeinI! able torecord which areas ofthe brain function duing certaintasks, behavrour and thoughts is raising questions ofwhat it means to be human. Cuffent research rangesfrom how ernotion affects reasonilg and petsonality,

how humans mate memory and for $4rat purpose, howhumans ideitifywith one anothcr (deterDriDin!, socialrelations) and our sense of self- I!


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5 THINGS T0 l(N0W 5 HoTTrrHNoloctts FoRTHt 2lsItrNTURy

-f--ttJ-JJ--/---

--J-fJ::

#4OTECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY

D,uLu=GE.AALG'--r-.rEr rrr,r*ar-rlt

===\=IIIIIII*nnn

#3NAN

Think less of self-replicatingevil nanobots that willtake over the world

... and instead, more broad applications like solar cellpaint, the tailored delivery of rnedicine and morepowerful computer chips. Nanotechnology isn't just

about making things snallerbut exploiting the novelproperties that manifest at the nanoscale. For example,silver has antimicrcbial prcperties as a nanoparticle.Re.crr(h into thesc qualilics will dllur .rientisls locome up with better ways of improving currentapplicatioDs and making new materials and devices.Proponents argue nanotechnology's exciting futuredevelopments jnclude clean and more efficient use of"nergJ. dcto\iF.in'l agents, manulaclLlring pro.esstssthat produce less waste, and sensors that car! identilyand detect iiny amounts of infection ald even biologicalrveapons. (l

Ready or not, this millemumwill be the age of biotechnology

Research and applications are increasing in its thdivisions: rcd (medical), gleen [agricultural) and $'hite(industrial). we may in our lifetirnes reap the benefitsof cures for diseases, more nutritious food, and darewe even say, better humaDs? Biotechnology may reaiise

most of hllmankind's hopes for a bettet life and yetraises heated and troubled ethical debates. Stem cellresearch rnay lead to scientists being able to repair'damaged tissue, grow organs and tl-eat life threateninggenetic diseases but can also clone animals and maybehumans even Hitler would be proud of. Biotechnologycan produce biodegradable plastics or tansfonn PLLntsand animals into producing vaccines and medicine butcan also lead to an ecological or humaD health disaster'While these debates may play out in etrcmes for now,make no mlslake, uncomfortable decisions will haveto be made sooner or later. lt

04 BR0ADIR PIRSPIOIVIS the st:ience & tech issue


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lulu 1S45 - ong rnonth [efsre lasatn was hrnusftt E$ fterfinees hythc desttuction ol llirssftima an$ liaSasa&i.The norrnally nlacid sfties ouer filarnugordo, l{ewItlexico was rinrcd asunder by a massiue lilestorm 0fa[ocaly0tic [ro[ollions, "as if tns radianee 0l atn0usans suns lurst at 0ncc into thG slty".The world's firsl nucleat ex[losiolt ffind talen [laee.

tarIding amongst theawestruck witnesses at themilitary test site wasAmedcan physicist, J RobefiOppenheimer, scientificdirector of the ManhattanProject that built the bomb.

The Manhattan Project was ajointefforl betweel world War II a]lies- the United States. the UnitedKingdom and Canada to developnuclear weaponry. The allies fearedthat their Nazi German counterpartswere developing nuclear weaponsrftheir own-

In his memoirs, Oppenheimerrecalled, "we knew the world wouldnot be the same. A few peoplelaughed, a few people cried, mostpeople were silent.

I rememberedthe line fromthe Hindu scripture,thc Bhagavad-Gita.Now, I arn becorneL)eath, the ciestroyerof lvorlds."

Oppenheimer was prophetic. Theworld would indeed be changedforever for the success of theManhattan Project itself marked thebeginning of"Big Science": a termused by scientific historians inreference to how the biggerquestions in today's Science require

bigger staff, bigger machines andbiggerlaboratoies in other words,bigger budgets beyond the meansof most individual scientists andsmall organisations.

Before World War II, aside fromagricultural and medical studies,almost no public money wasavailable in the United States forscientific research. only afterrecognising that technologicaladvantage could make or brcak thewar effort did governments beginto contra ct research anddevelopmeDt services fromuniversity scientists and privateindustry. Beyond nuclear teseatch,tlre first flush of public tunding alsowent into the development of rudarand sonar, the perfection ofsulphur-

based drugs and penicillin, theinvention of insecticides such asDDT etc.

Thrcughout history, the systems ofeconomic support for scientists havebeen impotant determinants ofthecharacter and pace of scientificresearch. From the Middle Ages tillthe r8tl century, scientific researclwas smaller in scale. It was possiblefor scientists to finance their

research independeDtly viainheited wealth or other forms ofsalaried work. Today, witi budgetsrunning easily into the millionsor billions, the average scientistwould Iind it almost impossible toindependently sustain his ownresearch. While profits made ftompatents are significant, mostscientists must draw ftom a varietyof affluent sources: governmentbodies, multinational corpomtions,private philanthropists and evenreligious organisations.

T'his marriage of BigScicnce and BigMnney is necessatTbut disturbing4 on:*anv levels,

shido yin teaches af schoc'l of Thouqht. She fearc Big Bad Scietrce bLIt loues her Big Bad Gs Apple desktop.


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I"il$,I il iii llilIiI!-i:WllO'S AFRAID OF BIG BAD STIENTE?

Fir$ti1'" ial a gl*rbaliserl Eq',;rtil."scierltisis I :rr:e: incrt:i*,; i :i gl 1heat*:rl alld e",'erl tin d r: i" il '.uI


10/35

.\um's particular obsession was with the secret worksof eccent c electromagnetic genius Nikola Teslaespecially the much talked about "deatll ray", the"superweapon that would put an end to all war"

Also consider: Brigifte Boisselier - chief scientistand biqhop ol lhe Rirplian cull as \4cll as rnanc8ingdirector of lhc \^ orld's only htrrnan ,loning companl,clonaid.

Jevoted to Rael, the FrencI race car driver turned NewAge prophet, Boisselier believes that humans aredescended from aliens and the key to etetnal life iscloning. Right now, many dismiss Boisselier and the

RaeliaDs as fairly harmless conmen because nobodybelieves the Raelians have actually succeeded at humancloning- However, should their claims prove to be true,the implications would be shattering.

Look at Di. Jeff:ey Wigand, Science's Drost famouswhistle blower- once the head of research anddevelopment for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp.

(B&W), America's thi.d-largest tobacco companyWigand broke the vow of secreey amongst manyscientists recruited by tobacco companies to misleadconsumers about the highly addictive nature of nicotine.B & W even suppressed rcsearch that chernical additivesused to improve flavor in cigareLtes causecl cancer.

wigand and scientists like him bring media attentionand public action against companies usuallytobaccoor petroleum corporations who would fund scientificresearch work as long as the results were skewed topresent the effects oftheir by products (e.g. secondhald smoke, environmental pollution) more favourably.Boisselier, Murai alcl Hwang may be the most dramaticand ertreme examples that alefi us to the problems ofBig Science. But Wigand shows us that therc arescientists who stdve to preserve lhc integrity of theirprcfession and will not hesitate to blow the whistle onmanipulative patrons or poor scientific practice.

English arlthor an{t thinkerSir Thomzrs Brort ne sitid."No one shoukl appr'{}achthe temple of sciencc lviththe soul of a money changer."

To forge ahead with research undelened, scientistsmust maintain the continued tlust ofthe people andfirmly oppose the commercialisation and conuptionof Science. l!


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Wb

Not anymore. cone arc the dayswhere Ne$'ton could while away ir his gerden,observe the falling of an apple and oontemplatethe int cate mechanics of gravitr_ in relaiionto our univetsc. 'llhoulih still possessing lhiltsarne curiosity in understanding, our tuliletseand dcsirc to advance the progress ol mankind,scientisLs today find themselves rlired in au.eb of corporate agendas and polilicalinterests,

Ever since the Industtial Revolution, sPeedyscientilic discovery has become irtinratcllrlinked with succcssful industr) and prolil.Scientists find then,lsc-lves lacing to hcb theirrpon\oring rrn i\ crsilie. or coIl'Urrrtiorrs Batnfirst movea advantage. Sadly, should scienlists

to ad indepcndently, lblloh the ideals

ey could find themselves stranded o!t on a

I

d rcject the commercialisation of scieDce,

limb without the funding or expensrvciDfrastruclure necessary for any kind ofIesearch today.

Companies like Human GenoDe Scicnces andlncytc have inveslcd extensiveiy in gcneresearch, but arc also notorious for trying toconer the m arket by patenl ing as memy humangenes as possiblc, attemPtiDg Lo make profitfrom what is given to all man. Pfizer andClaxoSmithKline have similarly bccnresearching a cure for Aids but paradoxicallyare also accused of monopolizing thedistribution of Aids mediurtiol for the sake ofprofit. l'his is a noral dilcmma many mr-rdcrn

scientists lacc, that doing rcsearch these daysnecessarily means that scieDtjsts have to acceptthc commercialisation of their work in orderlo ststain its funding.It

Ever sinee {rre lndusfii*! Revoluticn"5p*eCy si:if; r-ilifi,l:rj!9i::{:}!'*iyhss bec*,"}*

intirn sf *iy iin ke*'.rr ii'. :jirr: i:* -qsf iJ I ind ustry e:ft d prnf i*.

T

T

IIII


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0N 2ND THOUGHT RETHTNK sctENtt

wesrern"Wffi

Ir)

Probably. Eve,sincethe Tn dustrial Revolution.Westem powers have enjoyeddominaDce in the area of

science and technologyespecially the United states oIAmerica, the United KingcloDrand Germany. The west stiilstands shoulders ahead of thecompetition in the mostsignificant areas of spacetechDology, material science,telecommunicalions,biotechnology and artificialintelligence, witl t]le exception

of Japan as the only Asiancontender. Yet, Asia's foray intobiotechnology, recent trcndsof rising labour cost andrestrictive legislation on cloningand stem ceJl engineeringengendered by the religiousright in the West have made

nited States and Europeanpowers can retain theirtechnological advantage forlong. Alrcady, China, SiDgaporeand South Korea are gainingground in the technologicalrace and pose new sizeabletl eats to Westerr technological

developmCnl any question whetheI the

Ceriainly, very supportiYe statelcgislation and coDsequent!!overnment funding, cheaplabour and a lack of culturalresistalce to biotechnology allbode well for these dsian states.Yet, deeper analysis revealsmorc sobering revelations. Asiacontinues to lack comrection toestablished research netlvorksand has a shortage ol p vatefunding due to weak investorconfiderlce in Asia's pastscienti{ic track record.Unfocused research andsometimes bizarre researchobjectives as well as neinternatioDal pressure toadhere to existing restrictionson research may also becomeAsia's undoing. Havini enjoyedover a cen Lury of technologicaldominance, both Europe andAmcrica will certainly find walsaround their cunent struggleswith conflicting ethics andu tlfavo u rabl e marketconditions. Their overallheadstart may be too huge anadlantage {or Asian competitorsto overcome. (!

will ulwoys hedominoled by

Hafdly. one ofthe most fascinating entertainment genresof our time is science fiction. Popular- movies likeThe Mcrtr*, Terninator and Steven SpeilbeB's ,4'f have delightedaudiences the world over, leaving us to question whether thescenados depicted should ever be taken seriously. When JulesVernes first publisbe d Around the world in 80 dals in a872' itwas quickly labeled as 'boys' literature' a fli8ht of fancy that waspossible but hardly probable. Yet, Vernes was inspired bytrendsof a growing possibility of inter continental travel via newlyconnected railways.

e Fidionfonlusy!

f.len(-i'b3l

BR0ADIR PERSPEfiI\/IS the science & teclt


14/35

Scientific reseorch is boringqnd too difficult for

PreciselY" studeDls anal theavcngc lalnren oflen shY auay fromhl,ing lo uncl(rI staDd Lhc conplelitiesof modcn s(:icnce as theY fiDd thcr-esearcir and ensuing debateso letinrcs intirniclating and nost of'rc time inco]l]prchensiblc. Yet, the

rear to en!,age scit:nce has led to aclistLlrbing apathl' .lnd ignoran


15/35

HOWTO

PRESENT

14 BR0ADIR PERSPIOIVIS th.,s.ilr.r & r.r'i ?sl;rr.


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'ii: i'.:-iil, I : r

i,: tl;t &fiAfi{*{?tr'tIfTHE FIRST TWO PARAGRAPHS OF THUNXIJ'S TSSAY LOOI(EDLIl(E THIS! CAN YOU SPOT HIS MISTAI(ES BEFORE YOU

READ THE TEAM'S ANALYSIS?

.;,ir'',.

.'Aie you optimistic about recent#developmen[sin science and

technology?4i;i:,.,

'itra has been appallingly obvious that our techrology has excceded ourfilmanity'a quote by Albert Einstein.Indeed as human beings progressed

ifi(im the Industrial Revolution into the Information Revolution, humans-har"e witness*J how powerlul science and te, hnologl ' an bc. \4 ilh morefadvan, emcnl in


17/35

HOW TO PRESTNT YOUR IDIAS IIIARIY

"lt has bcen appallingly obvious that orrl' technology has exceeded our humanity" a quote by Albert EinsteiD.

Indecd as hurnan beings progressed from the IDdustdal RevohltioD ilto the InformatioD RevolutioD, humans

Lh"u"*it'.""."d@withmoteadvancementinscienceandtechnology'

hlmans are being exposed to more unprecedented chaDges that would iDevilably chane,e their lives.

'lhrolghott the corrse of history, humans have managed to come to ter--nls with these chaDges. ut, there are still

some ethical issues that to considel belore humans can embrace science ar1d techno]ogywith open arms.

Truly, humans have tried to adapL Lo lhese cha ovrevcr, by accepting these technological brcakthrougl

there is al\\,ays a price to pay. Global warming has become increasingly evident, with more erraticweather pattenr,

rising temperatures, r'apidly melting glaciers and many others. With the aid ofscience and technology, global

i,varming is further exacerbated by man's ihi$t tor a better quality of life. Gases released by tralsportation,

burniDg o{ gasoliDe for heat aird electricity arc flelling the elfects of global warming. Although measures are

being taken to combat such problerns, they are still not ellicicnt enough iD tlle long

t6

e effects of global

ncements rn s(ien(:e a--e .ant to tackle gJobal warmirrg'

BR0A0[R PERSPECTIVTS fhe scien(\. & t.al7issue


18/35

Ihunxu's problem il shored by many students. l.here is o heiiei thut lhe tea:ott why essoys {oii

is becouse of weol eonlent. 5o sludenls s(rumble l0 pock fteir esserys with quoles, nunrbers ond

(urrenf 0ffgirs. !n pcit ihis shouid lielp. Bul only a bil. \rVhot is m0re !mF0rl0nl ihon tonlent is

lhe preseniolion cl tonlenl. The reoder of any piete o{ writing needs l0 be led. No one likes

recding 0n nrlirle wilhoul direclion betouse it lusl feels like a b;g mish'mosh oi words ond

numben. Sc we ,:ire goino lo help (hunxu be a LEADER I0 il15 READERi.

tstartirrg olf uitlr en irtonlpleteerltcnre qive\ r fuol tr rst

impression. Th is incompletepresentation ofquotcs is a commonmistake that strrdcnts make.

t Vague statemenl. )ike ihis hrve norcaL nleiruLu iin(l Llu nol lrel0 \oLrrreacler u ncl eistan d tl,e sigDificanceof what you are trying to say.

3 A sinrjlar case L'i rlut eicborrtingon wnat \ull \rint to s:r\ rndtr-usting that vague statements aresufficient.'fhis ambiBuily confuses'our readcrs ,

/l Uf Lo tiis puint. nu realcollnection' tuthequestion ha'been made Tbereader is probably lost or bored bynow as he has no ditection orargument to follow.

5ThestanLl. in this introducturv

paragrapn rs unclear Jno rner-eroredir-ection of the essay rernainsuncertain. Nothing has been saidso far in this introduction lhataddresses the question. Is ChunxLloptirnistic or Ilot?

/f This oncning sentence is agxinv,',rclea. an,l thc re.rdcr m:r! not hcsure what 'changes' the writcr isleferlini to. This problen is ofcourse compounded by Chunxu's\,ague introduction-

7 This whole secti,,n ,loes not followt irom the introahction. It is theretorehard to pinpoint what is the exactpoint Chunxu is trying to make.That is why the content, althoughrelevaDt, does not always add tomeaning. This is a very commonploblem for students who havecontent but get feedback that whatthey write is irrelevant.

SMostof the.paragraph laints a

pessrmrstrc prfture Drouglrt aDoutby science and technologr and thelast sentence is probably an attemptto balance the content delivered.lI so, it has more of a confusingcllect as it seems like an ineflectualconclrrding statement. Theparagraph dlso nakes no link to thestrnd made in tle introdrrction.

f;fi tr oNE LrKrs READTNG AN ARTTTLE\,VIIHOUT DIREITION BECAUSI

IIJUST FEELS LIl(E A BIG MISH MASH TOFWORD5ANDNUMBIRS #


19/35

ili{ir;J\,{JI|{['JuIiI HowTo PRISINIYOUR IDEAS CIEARLY

&FTH ffi fddqfr{ E:t + di; H{;

Thl fr TffiAP-4'S lat$A$"Y5$ 5

i:ftul\lXU'5 tiili,v Ai'{ilil!1Pi{l1ii}i'}1i{.llfiI{A{,|{5

ous that our technologr has exceeded our

Indeed as human beings prcgressed from the Industrial Revolution into Lhe Inform'tion Revolutit

we have witnessed on several occasions h3

owerful technology brought self-serving and rnalicious harm upon

with nore advancements in science and technology, humans are now beilg exposed

unprecedented changes that will add to our potential to cause ha.m to oDrselvPs Tt is

aging to note that tlroughout the cou$e of history, humans have maDaged to ultimately circumvent

nfortunately

or even curb the negative effects of these chang

Take for instance how global wanning, ided by industrialization, has been further exacerbated by man's thi$t5

Recent developments in science and technology give us reason

to be pessimistic but optimism is not unwarranted as long as we keep tEry {ilg!

for a better life. cases rcleased by transpofiation and the buming ofgasoline for heat and electricity are fuellilrg

[o"gilco;on"[^"d;otitlcat -e^sures

have been taken to combat such problems,

they have proven to be inefficient and unsustainable as the signs ofglobal warming have become increasilslY

evident, with more eratic weather patterns, dsing temperat[r'esand rapidly melting glaciers.

H"rlre-v;)r' ""*ptt"gth". chnological

breakthroughs we also realise tlat there is a price to pay. Despite this rcality, the effects of global walming can

be alleviated if new advancements in science and like cleaner fuel sources and recycling technologl

"* ta th"*f.t"-ptt-tt" in many scientificcircles that new environnertal technologies can

help us recover from the mistakes we made in the past

the effects of global walrning.

al ays tded to adapt to make our expanding economies work.

BR0ADtR PIRSPKTIVIS rhe science & teci issue

Humans have

l8


20/35

THT TEAM'5 fili',4M[NTs

I This is a nlore clegcn I prescnlalion f Notice the reanargement olconlenlI ta quote. Thc ideas in lhe re"l ol t in lhis paragraph The lasl lcryour paragraph must link to the sentences were brought fotuard in

quote thorgh. tt would otherwise ordertobe in line wit]l the stand webe meaningless to use it. had established in the introduction

t compare tlib witb Chunxu s initial'writing. Thjb xlteration helPs us

connect to the quote mentionedfora more meaningfui flow o{ ideas.

t Thc use of connectors likec...nrortunalety ) cven more allo"howevcr" all help the logicalprogression of the introductioninstead of the disjointed seDtences.reviously presented.

established an argument thatalthough developments in scienceare a cause for worty we canhowever overcome obstacles andshould stay optimistic. paragraphsthat follow from here should enforcethis line ofargument.

We start off with discussing howscience is a cause for wolly asbenefits almost always come withrcsultant probl(]ms.

,!. After using the studenl's examlles

I and elaboiation \,!e rounal up bisillustrations with a clear topicsentence. This topic sentence ls analtemtion of what was previouslywritteD but made clearer so as tolead the reader better.

8lT.:::",',1 #Ji;:,iii""TJ.lsentence of each paragraph. Usingsynonyms ofthe key words in thequestion help keep it interestingbut still meet the requircments ofthe question.

Wl.lAT IS MORE IMPORTANTTHAN (ONTENT IS

TI.II PRESTNTATION

OF(0NTTN'"

s

t This \4a. thc inlormation lhe wriler4 A clear stand llra I addrerse\ the I tried to end his previour paragraph

'queslion.Donl

bealrridtousethe $ith. We"laboraledon il tomakekey words in the question to draw it clearer and then ended with aa more explicit lirk. We have more suitable concluding statement.


21/35

tlOW Ii] PRISINT YOUl{ ID[As ILEARLY

:

Tl{}5CI!'i',ift ir;riliif,;i;

You necd lo kno$ thc stand you lvilllt toalgue for bclole Yotr \\'tjtc lllthing.

Whcn I'ou have clcci{led, cxprcss yolu standclearll. in

-vour-intrcx1Lrctiort u'ith a blief

r',r'i.,r.'1,,,i rrlrr rort l' ",1- trri..tltrr-1.

'lhe flow ol informatjolr in )oLlr next 1c1'/paragraphs should follorv votrr'ljne ofar'!!Loncnt.

?0 9ROADFR Pil{5P[[TiV[5 ilr.',., n'rrr:,'& tr:rlt isstrr

Deviati[g lron l]ris lirte of argruDerlI tooearl]' can contirse r'orlr rcadcr.

Rcnembcr-: It is N()'l hou'tluch vou write(nrorc meaninglcss irlfbllrraLion does Dot

help), it is irorv tlearll you plcsert it(inake info rmal io n trreaninglui byr urrrr,, tirrS il t,-r r ortr ,

'te rttt,.ttll.


22/35

TlttAMISHIIDIR

THtiORPORATESCIENTIST

WHAT WOULD 2 PEOPLE WITH(OMPLETELY OPPOSING VIEWS OF TECHNOLOGY

THINK OF SCIENCE'S CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY?

AB0UT A MAillli{lit?il.liiit'l In sinsapore, we have adiversity of views about issues but the range oflocalviews will not be as wide as thc range of global viewsavailable. BarriDg our ability to convince a Wisconsinsoccer mom or firndamentalist anti irbortionisl to writelor us. \^e Lhought Ure npxl bpqt lhinC $ a\ io get ralentedwrlter. to mtsthod \rrile - similar lu method actingactors who do lesearch to gel illto chamcter for a film.

RUtt #l: []0 Ll0l tARl{ATtiRt our w tels were askedto frame their answers in a way that reflected thebackground, content and belief system oftleir adoptedpersona as fairly as possible.

RUI[#?] iliI r,lli'1l''liJi'i iXAldFl"l' writers had to choosefrom a pool ofcommon examples chosen by our teamto demorstrale that the same exarnples can be used byindividuals to form rather dilfcrent percpectives. Theseexarnples are highlighted throughouL Lhe afticles.


23/35

A MATTER OF OPINIOhI THE AMISH ELDER vs. THE TORPORATI SIIENTISI

I.IA5 SCIENCE ALWAYSBEEN BENEFICIALFOR MAN?

".. . I,i'rr*-,f ir:iaries of,-i:: r, ii.i li nedir:al advernccs:: :r) 1r:r'iirittg ctluipmcnt,' lr !,,ir::-:1: q:;tr:nltt dcllt'ttrc

.

',,ilt:r'eli:ling ltIl1:;

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li' .'li: iiit ililrt'i ii.lirIt l,i'i

Yet I must continue to warn of the dangers ofdivefiiDg our attentions to a pursuit of powerand luxur'1 lhat lhe enSinet ol consutn*ri'm

promote. As sell interest is valucd over theintetests ofthe commurity in the desire to getahcad or satisly personal wants, morality isconlpromised and faith in the Lord wavers.

'fhe temptations of using science to satis{your vainglodous natules are evemore apparenttoday. Science's ability to propel an individualto instant fame is seen in the exampie ofKorean scientist Hwang Woo Suk, whor\rs

' L,n\iderctl one of lhepiorreering experts in

the field ofstem cell research after claiming tolrarn.ucr"eded in crpalinA human etrtbnonicstom cclls by cloning.

22 BR0ADtR PtRSPECIIVIS lfte science & t.r(ih issue


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newdiseases

livelihood

familytraditio

God's ethics

His infamous act o{ falsifying hisrcsearch results to gain rccognitionexposes the temptation to forgomoaal pdnciples in the lace to be atthe forefront of scienlific discovery.As the use of modem gene thempypromises great relief lbr ailingAmish children suffering from raregeneiic disorders, the continualprogress in Science is uplifting rmdwelcone in our community. Butwhen metlical research is for fameand rlot in the best interests oftheick. the efforts of scientists like

Hwang become selfish andabhorrent.

Thecoruption that Science bringsabout extends beyond the use of

deception, to harming others forincreased profits. fhis was seen inhotmone maker Monsantodeliberately concealing thenegative side-effects of theBovine Growth florrnone(BGH), a bioengineered hormonedesi8ned to cause cows to producemore milk. The terrible results ofsuch perversions were rising levelsof milk contaminated with pus,

antibiotics residues and a canceraccelemti.rg hormone called IGF r.As people who live off the goodnessofthe land, we are greatly distressedby the exploitative use of Science,turning a simple and enrichingproduct fiom the land into a tool forcallous industrial gain.

ltre dangers ofScience also includethe steady poisoning ofthe mind asfalse teachings change the worshjpof cod into an admimtion of Man'scapabilities. The Raelian cult isole such perversion ol Scripture.Their claims of extra-terrestrialhuman beings having created the

human race are depJorable. Theirappeals to the superiority ot humanintellect ard logic are cunninglysuccessful in this day and age,resulting in the corlversion ofbedazzled people led to believe intales not unlike those in sciencefiction stodes. The consequences ofsuch a movement are dire, as morepeople arc led away from God by thcinsidious doctrin e tied totechnology.

The effects of scientilic growth havehad consequences both positive andotherwise. The benefits of alleviatingthe suffering ofthe sick as well assustaining our source of suwival areundeniable, yet many dangerc stillexist. Thus, the increasedresponsibilities of unprecedentedchorce made possible throughScience must be accounted for andundertaken by each individual. Forthe Anish, we have chosen to liveapart from temptation, renouncingamenities that connect us ao theoutside world, building bolds oftrust and firm faith among ourpeopie.

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WhiLe she wos waiting Jor her 'A'lel)el resutts. Cui Wen proudla set oed uCH hee ice cre(in at Ben and Jerry's.


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A MATTER OF OPINION IHI AMI5H ILDER vs.IHE (ORPORAIE SIIINTI5T

HAS SCIENCE ALWAYSBEEN BENEFICIALFOR MAN?

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Modern science is so exciting now that even religiousgroups want in. Observe the rise of religions such aScientolog,y and cult ofRael, which are based on thebelief tlat they a.e intelligent beings {Tom outer space.Raelian doctrine states thal we should support

genetically modified food because it is the only meansof tackling world hunger, and clone humaD beings,because that would be fulfilling, our true destinies. wesaw the emergence of Clonaid, a Raelian linkedcornpany, deciaring that theyhad successfully clonedseveral children. Whether Clonaid's claims are trueremains to be seen, but the amount of attenLion thishas garnered only proves the prevailing view thatscientific progress has become so developed thatanlthing is probable, marketable and profitable.

Such progress has not been without its controversies'fake for example, Monsanto, a conpany whichdevelops GM food products and which once boasted

.l :i:

Suddenly the unfathomable as envisioned by sciencefiction has materinlised; the impossiblc is made probableLhrough grorndbreaking experimentation andconstruction, high powered machines and computersand ofcourse, bigger budgets. 1he futule ofhumanprogress has never looked so promising.

24 BROADIR PTRSPIITIVIS rhc science & tech i.ssrze


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ethics

scientific inquiry

a Chernistry Nobel Prize winner inits ranks. lt raised enough ire fromthe p blic to lead to a banning of itsproduct, Posilac, a bovine groMhhormone which produces more milkin cows, because ofhealth concerns.wlrere does the scientist, thepersonresponsible for producing such a

breakthrough, stand in all this?Many of you have railed agaiDst theunethical natule and narketing ofLhe research which res lted in thishonnone, but before you stone thescientist, I urge you to consider ouraosition. We scientists work in latlge,mtltinationals which dictate andown the ki nd of research that we do.Otlt work is the company's work.

Our profession is in many ways likeany other profession we workbecause rve are good at what we doand we waDt to be paid for it.Clearly, the effects ofcommerce onscience gcnerate plenty of ethicalimplications brt we cannotbe heldsolely responsible every singleconseqrrence.

Ifl my opinion, what the scientist isaccountablc to the public for is themethods of his expe mentation

alld research.

Recently, biotechnologist llwang\Voo-Suk crcated a scandal in thescientific community and the worldby proclaiming the unprecedentedcreation of 11 patieDt stem cell lines,only to be found a fraud in the end.

This blighted the image of scienceand oul system of peer-r'cvie . llyand larye, the scientific com.nunitymaintains the integdty of researchby iDstituting their own checks andbalances through inquiry andcritique. Hwang's own exploitat;oof the system, Iin sure, is in partprompted by the plessures of apolitical agerda to raise SouthKorea's profile in tbe inclustry.Scandals like that should not fazeanyone about the integrity ofresearch industries, particularly iDcounties with more establisheclscientific communities and rcsearchregulations such as the U.K. andthe U.S.

The public should be more rcalisticabout their expectations of

scientists. Scicnce is mosltimes

justlike any other prolession somepeople do it because they have a

passion lbr it, other-s do it for themoney.

ll a scientist worked iD a lDiversity,he would have to be concernedabout funding, which wouldinevitably direct the focus of hisrescarch. Working fol a company

sometimes entails withholdinginformation or placing your nameon research which others mightobject to morally.

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As long as there are enoughregulations to ensure certainstandalds of scientific research,there's a margio lor negotiatingbetween the demands ofcompanies,governments and thc public, andthe necessary and evcr inrportantprogless of sciertific inqui4'. It

MaU Le teeches hnguage AlLs et e locol Junior Collegc


27/35

ls Singgpo[e Reody forthe Technology Roce?Singaporeans have been forewarned by their government: Localeconomic growth in the zrst century will no l.rrrge. come frornassembly-line manufacturing or the electronics sector as long asthe rest of Asia holds the trump card of lower lalrour costs. ihefuture is in knowledge creation and intellectual capital.

: fSingapore

builds up its-, rcputation as a key Research: and Developnent [R & D),' hub in the world, the payoff: to key industries Iike: biomedicine,electronics,

chcmicals and infoconms -will be substantial.

To secure as many patenls aspossible, Singapore has beengoing all out to lure the 1\'orld'stop scientists wiLh attractivesalaries, cutting-edgelaboratories,reliable infrastructure, a stableEnglish speaking environmeutand fairly liberal attitudes tocontroversial fields like stem cellresearch. Costing an inp.essiveUSD$3oo million in investmeDts.Singapore's Biopolis is ahigh techcomplex dedicated to providingspace for biomedical R&Dactivities and promoting peer

review and collaborationamong the private and publicscientific community. It remainsthe clearest signal of Singapor.e'sdogged desire to stay at the headof the technological pack.

So far., Singapore hasmanaged to attract a steadystream of some of modernScience's super'"gtars. 1'he hope

is that these internationalscientific giaDts will transfer theirknowledge, skills and experienceto oulbrightest locals - the samestrategy that worked for the localmanufacturing sector in the 197os.

In addition, Singapore is outto build its human capital -the local Agency for Science,

Technology and Research[A*STAR) aims to produce t,oooPHD holderc by 2o1o through

various science scholarships.Singapore is more than willing totap off-shore academic talent aswell - at least 15% of A*STARscholarships go to naturalizedcitizens mther than native borncitizens.

Thcre havc been rnufteringsboth a1 lrome and abroadabout whether Singapore canachieve its technologicaldtearns.

Aiter all, Singapore faces uniquecultuml constraints:

Can a nation raised on top-dounmanagenent s|lrle achieue aspontdneous combustion oJcreotiuitu o\erntght? WiIlSingaporeans tisk thinkingindependently and go beyon


28/35

S$eq Withotrl a rnajorffiF paradigm slrift.

the alreadvcopious arnountsof money andforeign talentpoured intei

Singapore's nobleR&Darnhitions a,,,tr,will be fbr r.raught. u?' -,1'

Arc Sinqapore's leoder.-s ondrnlrn.I(/r.s /heDtselues r1)illinat tosiili their mindsers ro a//.Jr;/brel[ thal to hepp(.n?

WiihoLrl x n];1n1p3, rrligLll shift,th. alreadr cuniuLr5

arnnu,rts utnonel'ancl foreign talent polD.l](lrnto Singapore,s Doblc R&Dambitions $,ill be lbr naug,lrt. 6l

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29/35

L0mL GL0BAL I srNGApoRE RTADY FoR THE TI(HNoIoGY RAcE?

5 World-Renown Scienlisls inond whol they ore currenlly reseorching

Singu pore

ALAN COLEMANThe British geneticist who in 1996 was on theteam that delivered Dolly the sheep, theworld'sfirst cloned mammal. He has been working forSingapore's ES Cell International (ESl),a stem cell research and production companysince 2oo2.

Cr.rrreutly researching

a cure for diabetesby engineer:ing stem cells to secrete insulin

director of the US National Cancer Institute'sIlivisiorl of Clinical Sciences. has headed theGenome Instit[te of Singapore since 2oo1

Currently researchingcancer genornics ald a cure for brcast cancer

The renowned cancer geneticist husband-and-wife team has been working for Singapore'slnstilrte ol Molerular and Cell liiology since2OO5.

Currently researchinghow to use the nouse genome to studyimmunity, fe ility, learning, memory andhuman diseases like cancer.

EAL COPEL+ sINANTY IENR. JUDITH SWAIN

One of the world's leading molecularcardiologists, has come to Singapore to run thecountry's new Singapore lnstitute for ClinicalSciences.

Currently researchinga cure for stomach cancer and the genetic basisof cardiovascular development anddisease.


30/35

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rn*vi* ;'TiIE PRE$T:GTPaIt scjcnce lictio , paft th ller, this srPerb movieis principally about a battle oi cgos bctlveen t1'{oambitious stage maliicians plaled by Hugh lactman(Woh'crine in Xmen) and Christian Bale (Bd'nrdn/tegins). Both mirke inoreasingly despcHte and dark

dccisions to o tclo erch olhcr'. troviding a backch'c)pto lhis llctitious battlc is tLrr: rcal iife rvar for publicapproval bctlveen r-i!|l scierrtists Nikolai Tesla and'lhonas Eclison.l'hc disl rrrbing hvist in The 'i) (]s'iqe

provirles sone une;.1lccted colllnlcntary on a clrrTelrt

cortnrversial tcchnoloPl. f I

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mcngo + cnln:e r'F[J tL IviETAl" f"N,*l-lEMISTThis popLrlar manga series centrcs around twoaclolcscenl brothers rvho are scientifically giftedbcyond their age. Surprisingly dark, the mangaexplores the hcllish consequences ofthc brothers'tragic clecision to r-aise their mothcrfrom the dead'Although it is abort thc pseudo science o{ alchemy,

A/clre]]rist highl;e,hts Ihe leal-life dangers of theilmoral pur-s(rit ol scientific knollledge as wellas the lack of accountltrility for thc actionsof both rogue scientists and state-sponsoredmilitarv scientists. It

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lit-.r. =1ffiqi!L"i, ...,f [*\Jir*r's / APP[E'S iPHONEApple Computel is legendary for its ability tojunrpstart whole industries with onc clever;nnovatioD 1984 saw lhe pel-soniil cotnputer, 2oo1saw the iPod and now zooT will see Lhe iPhone-Its revolutiorary touch-screen user interface alonewill rvin ovcr anyone. ttest of all, it doubles up asa new gcneratioD, wialescreen iPod Wish you hada lighter, sexier, web-enabled phone free fromclumsy keyboards and stylus? Wish you had desltop

class email ancl *eb browsinS,on thc go? It's all itr

voru hands in:ooB. I!

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clcssic llsoii ,'BRAVH NHW W0ftl"iiA tluotc fiom Shakespeale's Tie ?'etnpe-sl "llowbeauteous rrrankind isl O brave new wcirkl, thal hassuch people in'l1" ;nspired Aldous Hu\]ey to penhis most famors novcl. written in 1932. Hlulelrsnovel pr-edicted that the 26th ccntury would be

bealthy and pernanenlly happy thanks todevelopmerlts in reptoductive cloning, !,cneticengiDccring aDd hypnotic dNgs. honically, thisutopia is aD].thing but one: hedonistic, self-centredand deprivecl of all things truly jovful - culturaldiversity, art, religioD and iarnily. ['

.,r'ioin i CAMERA PHONES'lirenagers use it to create home-made porD or"happy slapping" moments. Peeping TonN havediscovered the joys of "upskirting" using cameraphones to shoot up women's skirts on escalatoNand public transport. Self-righteous vigilantesuploacl images of peoplc who park like idiots ontothe Internet in order to publicly shame them.Now with the video of Saddam Husscin's uglyexccution, the camela phone has clearly shown

us tbat the be:rst lies within m all. It

Hmffiw %,$%- ffi,ffi&tffiT.Y

movie /GATTACAThis 1997 cuit hit presents a disturbing portr:1it ofwhat happens wheD genetic ellginccring splitssocictyinto tlvo canDsr the "Valids ' who are createdgenel;cally pcrfect from birth and the 'In Valids"who are conceived by traditional means- Gr1ttdco

ceDtres on howVinccnt,an

llr-valid,defies societal

discrimination and assurlres lhe idcntit-v ofJcrcnlc,a Valid, in order to prove that hunran spiril andwillpoh'cr can tlump lienetic imperfection. It


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MUffi ADO ABOUT IECHTechnology underlines all that we do - a Macintosh G5 was used to create this magazine, adelivery truck was used to bring the same magazine to your doorstep, contact lenses maybe enabling you to read this page right now as it is. Technologr can change our lives in manyways - from the subtle to tlle dramatic.

WHAT DO YOU TllINK?

#1 IXAMINTWllAT TEIHNOI-OGY IAN YOU NOT DO

WITHOUT? WHY?

#2 ANALYSE

HAS TIIHNOI-OOY MADI YOU MORE OR

LtSS PHYSIIATIY AfiIVI?

MENTALTY AfiIVI?

TMOII ONAttY AVAI tAB TI?

VISIT A NEW WIBSITTWWW.BOINGBOING.NET

Listed as one ofTIME magazine's bo coolest websites of2oo5, :BOINCBOINC is)ourone-slop direclorJ of w onder{ul things ard .curator ofall things weird, witty and fabulous. The world is more iodd, amusing and entertaining than you think! :) at l

32 BR0ADER PIRSPIIT|VES rfir: sr:ience & tech Lssue


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Ihis page nay be rcp@dLced for non cannercial classrcoh use, in paftar h whate and lry anyn,eanswithaut charge ortunherpetnissian ftan Schaataf fhaught Leaming Centrc

DO YOU AGREE WITH THESE SUOTES?

Of coulpse, modern science iras changedsharply since the days ofA-ristotle or evenof Ga,]i]eo... the aJnorrrlt of knowledge has

been constantly increasing...

But a,lthough humaJrs have discovered agreat dea,l about the environment, there are

stil1 no answers to the most significaJrtquestions.For lt trrns out that the most

difficult knowledge for humans to acqulreis knoYrledge of themselves.

V.A. Sadovnichiy,2006 Opening Address to Russian Philosophy Congress

HAS TI(HNOIOGY HtLPtD YOU

UNDERSTAND YOURSI[I A1'lY BEIIER?

Science vdthout religlon ls lame,religion without science is blhd.

Albeft Einslein, US (German born) physicisb1941 "Science, Philosophy ard Religion: a S1'mposium

LEARN A NEW WORDPLACEBO I phrh-see-boh ] figurative use: a measuredesigned to merely placate and appease instead ofactnally solvingaD).thing.

GM .foods retnain but nere pldcebos to the daurtinq lroblemsfaced bu the hungry and poor ofthe uorkl.


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