Saturday, November 08, 2008

Remembering those that gave


This weekend, the UK marks “Remembrance Sunday”.


On November 11th 1918 at 11am, the first world war came to an end. To honour those that gave their lives not just in that war, but every conflict that has followed, Ceremonies are held all over the country on the Sunday closest to 11th November. Wreaths are laid at the foot of war memorials in every city and town. Two minutes silence are observed at 11am (GMT) which is a pause for reflection on those that gave so much for future generations.


Very often, out of military necessity, comes mankind’s biggest breakthroughs that enable it to continue its journey of discovery. Every major conflict sees some advances in technology that allow us all to lead better and more fulfilled lives. World War I saw Aeroplane technology advanced in leaps and bounds. It was the first war to extensively use aircraft as both a defensive and offensive tool. The biggest and probably most profound breakthroughs however, came in World War II. Two technologies that have since changed the world came to public notice and both were deployed as weapons of mass destruction. The development (and deployment) of the Atomic Bomb is an infamous example. Not so widely known though, is the development of the V2 Rocket by German Scientists led by Werner Von Braun. The V2 was the first ballistic missile and was used by the Nazis during World War II to destroy many cities, principally London. It flew at Mach 5, the first manmade object to do so. It had a very advanced guidance system that accurately (by the days standards) guided the payload to its eventual destination. It could be argued the Von Braun and his team developed the modern discipline of Aerodynamics. Because the V2 flew so fast, its shape became an important factor in the range and effectiveness of the weapon. The V2 had a brand new propulsion system that made it many times more powerful than conventional rocket propulsion systems.


Sadly, the V2 was developed for destruction, but after the war, Werner Von Braun assisted the US (and some of his colleagues assisted the USSR), in developing advanced rocket technology. Although much of this was further used for destruction (enhancing the range of Inter-continental ballistic missiles for example), Some went on to further more worthwhile causes. The technology used in the rockets first developed by Von Brown had the potential to produce enough thrust to provide the 11m/s^2 acceleration required to escape the Earth’s gravity and send men to the Moon. This directly led to the Saturn V rocket. This technology allowed us to put artificial satellites in orbit to provide communication and information. We can collect data on climate change. Perhaps map the lifespan and activity of the Sun, and the presence of threats from Comets and Asteroids and Gamma Ray sources. GPS satellites (also developed for military use) guide emergency medical staff and fire crews to where they are needed.


Often, a human life is measured in the contribution it makes to those that follow. Though we shouldn’t applaud Von Braun on his ethics, we can applaud him for the groundbreaking technology that he developed. Although used to take many lives during World War II, paradoxically, the loss of those lives have given mankind its greatest possible chance of survival. So this remembrance Sunday, Not only remember those that fought and gave their lives so that others may live. Remember those that died from the technology developed to destroy, that may one day be the salvation of Mankind.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Arrival of a Gattaca styled world.

The brilliant film "Gattaca" which was released in 1997 foretold a time when Genetic profiling will divide the human race into "Valids" and "invalids" at birth. This division is accomplished by analysing your genetic makeup and from the information gained, deciding on your eventual future and what "opportunities" will be open to you. It's a pretty scary vision of the near future and the sad thing is, it is actually happening before our eyes. People are being written off before they have the chance to prove themselves as a combination of not only what their genetic profile says about them, but also as a product of their upbringing and drive. You cannot separate these two variables. In fact, whenever someone suggests we "go to far" by using the term "Eugenics" to, say, only allow blonde haired, blue eyed offspring, there is a massive outcry. The study of heredity and it's use in selective breeding is condemned around the world as indeed it should be.

But wait.  We select "Valids" everyday (BBC News). The "Invalids" line the incinerator rooms of hospitals. Those that have been deemed to not be worthy of our love and affection and terminated just because they will need extra care or they don't conform to what "Society" suggests is acceptable. They won't make a massive contribution to our future. They will drain resources from an already overstretched social system.

Society has double standards. I've always suggested that Parents should have the right to choose to terminate if they think that their unborn child will need the love and attention that they are incapable of providing. But those parents spend more time deliberating what it will mean for their lives rather then what it will mean for the child's life in most cases. My life would not be complete without my Daughter who has Downs Syndrome. She gives me a reason to get up in the mornings and if the tests had been performed and the Doctors had been listened to before she was born, I would not have had the opportunity to know how much she enriches our society and how fulfilling her presence in my life would be.

So what gives parents the right to chose one area of Eugenics (because that is what testing a baby invitro is really about), is acceptable and another area is not. Maybe this is why Society sucks so much at caring for those that really need their help. What is the "Invalids" value to society? They drain resources and add nothing to the development of the human race after all, right? They'll never discover a cure for cancer or the common cold. They will never walk on another planet or formulate a theorem about extra dimensions or the existence of life on other planets.

What they do is to show us our humanity and sadly, the vast majority of us come up lacking.