Technology Innovations

My Insights: Here are four challenges and great themes in the 21st century.

• Integration of out international perspectives


• Translating research into technological innovation


• Create partnerships and alliances across industries


• Demonstrate value and wealth through entrepreneurial ideas.

My initial thoughts to these four challenges is that they are redundant and simplistic but unfortunately these themes are still not a reality. It's easier said than done to envision a world who already follows all four of these ideals. We, as the United States are not yet integrating our technological advances, knowledge, resources and wealth with those in the developing nations (as we are a capitalistic nation) but we must integrate with each other. We must continue to translate new emerging ideas into technological advances. Yesterday, I read about the realization of providing HIV tests to those in the ER, in Los Angeles County, and providing test results to patients in a one hour turn-around time. The problem stated was that many people do not know they are carrying the HIV virus and for up to 10 years on average, it goes undiagnosed (according to NPR). Those who do take the HIV tests, have a tendency to not return after the two-week wait period and show up for the in-person deliverance of results. In other words, the waiting period is lengthy and the results are only given when patients show up in person, which is rather daunting to most (according to wsj.com). Anyways, translating the idea of awareness of HIV into technology is such as amazing idea for two reasons:

1. Public health officials hope of improving health care delivered to those with HIV because an earlier diagnoses can help in delivering accurate treatment of HIV patients who are accessing basic and other services, and


2. Reducing the number of incidence cases appearing because the assumption is that when people know they are HIV positive, they will take precautions to reduce the spread through sexually protected scenarios.

Graphical References: With rapid increases in biomedical sciences, millions of people living in developing countries are in situations of dire poverty with limited access to clean water sources, food, safety, homes and even basic health care. Why cannot the developed countries devote more resources with the potential for science and technology to merge to improve living conditions, control disease and improve lives.

Inspirational Quotes: "Discovery is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought." - Albert Szent-Gyorgi

Environment, Sustainability and Health

My Insights: From the reading, I learned about the unique relationship between... environmental pitfalls and poverty. I never really considered povery a link to environmental problems, but after the reading I do see a connection.

"Many environmental problems stem from poverty—often contributing to a downward spiral in which poverty exacerbates environmental degradation and environmental degradation exacerbates poverty. In poor rural areas, for example, there are close links among high infant mortality, high fertility, high population growth and extensive deforestation, as peasants fell tropical forests for firewood and new farmland..." - United Nations Development Programme (2003). Chapter 6 - Public Policies to Ensure Environmental Sustainability. Human Development Report 2003. Oxford University Press.

Graphical Image: Global warming is causing deserts to become drier which causes drought and famine (called desertification - like the Sahara in Africa); and ocean temperatures to raise and become warmer which will cause violent weather patterns like flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes (as in the Atlantic Ocean) .

Two Contrasting Unique Quotes on global warming that unfortunately have divided the people of United States:
"Two thousand scientists, in a hundred countries, engaged in the most elaborate, well organized scientific collaboration in the history of humankind, have produced long-since a consensus that we will face a string of terrible catastrophes unless we act to prepare ourselves and deal with the underlying causes of global warming."
AL GORE, speech at National Sierra Club Convention, Sept. 9, 2005

“...we have an environmental movement that is run by people who want to fight, not to win.”
Dr Patrick Moore, founder member of Greenpeace,writing in the Mail on Sunday, May 2000

Mind, Behavior and Global Health

My Insights: In lecture 6, 2.16.07, we talked about mind and spirituality. I think the most memorable part of the lecture was when we talked about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. This is such a simplistic was to look at emotional and mental needs but I do agree that it is a great overview. It is cheifly suggesting that each individual has a set of needs, and with each step up the pyramid the individual is able to attain more superficial needs. For example the bottom-up approach is...

1. Physiological - eat, breathe, water and sex
2. Safety - security and health
3. Loving/Belonging - family, relationships, intimacy
4. Esteem - self esteem
5. Self-Actualization - morality, creativity, spontaneity

Great Quote: it made me think of how powerful the mind is in relation to one's own reality.
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." - Middle Eastern quote