England-2011-lily

Lily's Journal

Greenland Review

I enjoyed the production of Greenland and found it to be an interesting medium to present such an issue. While miy first inclination is to find it odd to see a “political issue” presented with such a slant and sponsored by the national theatre the more I think about it climate change really should not be a political issue, or rather it is not a political issue—its an issue of science and facts. What has made it a political issue is the spread of misinformation by the media and other not so scientifically affiliated individuals and politicians. I digress…back to Greenland—I felt that it presented a nice intro to climate change with many facts being integrated in a way that was entertaining and palatable for us not so science-y individuals. Overall I felt that I pretty much knew most of the information that was presented in the play (from classes, news articles, readings, etc.) but it provided a nice refresher course on climate change in a new and engaging format.

Atmosphere I

I really enjoyed the Atmosphere exhibit at the National Science Museum but found the sheer amount of information to be a bit overwhelming and felt over-stimulated by the amount of lights and engaging kiosks. The exhibit seemed to offer a pretty all-encompassing overview to climate change both covering its history, current events, and possible solutions. I thought it was interesting to find out how ancient ice cores are analyzed to figure out the carbon dioxide and temperatures at the time of their presence. The most engaging kiosk that I found was the climate modeling game in which you worked as a climate modeler and were promoted to new levels based on how realistic and applicable your model was. I liked this kiosk and found it engaging because I felt interested in learning what made an accurate climate model for the future and was engaged because of the simulation style game it presented the information in. My least favorite kiosk was the one that was like a book that you flipped through and more information would appear on the computer screen in front of it. This was my least favorite kiosk because I found it to be very text heavy and not very engaging. I feel like the science and technology element was very present in the kiosks and throughout the exhibit both looking at the science behind climate change and the technological innovations scientists are looking towards as solutions for its affects.

First question

I think the three most important challenges facing society in the near term are access to lifesaving medical treatment, alternative energy sources, and accessibility/availability of clean water. Access to medical treatment is growing increasingly important as the medical problems facing society grow more and more complex. Currently drug companies have few incentives to research and create low cost medication and treatment for diseases affecting much of the developing world such as malaria, AIDS, etc. As for profit companies they are less interested in providing medication to those that can least afford it and more interested in creating new drugs marketable to the already prescription heavy industrialized north. The future demands that drug companies and researchers look for solutions to help those most in need not just those with the deepest pockets. The global reliance on the finite resource of petroleum urges us to find alternative energy sources to fuel the future. There is simply not enough oil in the world to sustain our consumption. Like oil water is also a finite resource which is already not accessible to some parts of the world where it is most needed. Finding new sources of clean water is essential as we move into the future. In addition to clean water sources it is also critical that we develop solutions to make sure everyone has access to some source of clean water, whether this is coming up with cheaper more effective water-purifying technologies or more efficient ways to build wells in rural areas, something must be done.

As far as medical treatment science can provide research about key medical issues such as cancer and the causes surrounding it whereas technology could use this research to create new more efficient medications to treat disease and other medical problems. Technology can be further applied by looking at better ways to distribute medication to those most in need, i.e. by producing generic AIDS medications in countries most affected by the disease you can be quicker in getting the drugs to those most in need. Science can be used when seeking out alternative energy sources by researching new forms of energy and technology could be used by converting this energy into a usable form that is accessible by consumers. Technology can also compare new forms of energy against old forms to determine which is most efficient for the differing needs of the globe and least detrimental to the environment. Science can be used to research how much clean water is left on the planet and where it is located and technology could be used to actually seek out these water sources and distribute them to those most in need. Technology can also be used to innovate new ways to purify water and make it suitable for drinking.