Norman Borlaug

Norman Borlaug, University of Minnesota alum, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner, plant geneticist who developed a high-yield, disease resistant wheat strain, died on Saturday.

His work made wheat a staple food in developing countries. He was not without his critics though. They claiming plant gene altering was unnatural and that Borlaug’s work was facilitating the creation of monocultures reliant on wheat only. He often remarked of his critics that they had never felt the pain of hunger in their bellies and should go live that life before criticizing his work.

The question is, no matter how noble your intentions are, you have no idea what your research will be used for in the future as a scientist. Is the scientist ultimately responsible? Who is the scientist responsible for and who is he/she accountable to?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

Memes and Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are a marine animal with an internal shell (cuttlebone) and are considered the most intelligent invertebrate. They shift color, shape, and texture in the presence of a predator. They hunt mollusks, crabs, shrimp, etc. and they have a unique mating routine.

Consider this. Once males and females mate and lay eggs, both parents die before the offspring hatch. Yet, the new offspring know (learn) which animals are predators, how to hide from them, what to eat and where to find it, and how to mate. Average lifespan is ~1.5 years before mating and dying.

This would be a good place to start studying memes (if you prescribe to evolution), because knowledge (or ideas) appears to intrinsically pass on without environmental (parents mainly) influence. Yet I haven’t found any research here yet.

Time Magazine Article on Consciousness

By Steven Pinker. I am largely unfamiliar with his work other than to say he refutes Noam Chomsky's universal theory of grammar. Has any of you read his works?

This article is provocative and we should discuss it. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580394-7,00.html