Lasting Impressions and Offbeat Observations: Euroscience 2008
New stimuli alter perspective, which is why traveling enlivens the brain and refreshes the spirit. Here are some facts, experiences and random observations from Euroscience 2008 that scored high on both scales.
Pondering Consciousness: Euroscience is always notable for the time and space devoted to public outreach activities and exhibits. This year in Barcelona was no exception. One of the most intriguing centered on studies about consciousness, which involved short videos of patients discussing various forms of neurological and psychological distress caused by an altered or hyper level of self-awareness. Inside each booth was an artist’s representation of the patient’s experience. This fusion of art and science, accompanied by highly literate text about the nature and purpose of consciousness, was a conference highlight. UCSF science could benefit from closer ties to the art community.
Thoughtful Fact: The human brain contains 2 percent of the body’s mass, but uses 15 percent of our cardiac output and consumes 20 percent of our oxygen need.
Add to My List: Read Biology of Freedom by François Ansermet and Pierre Magistretti to better understand the “autobiographical self” that keeps the brain active when technically “offline.”
Amusing Reflection: Hearing Ben Goldacre, the Guardian’s “Bad Science” columnist, describe the bizarre beliefs of 19th and 20th century health food faddists and hucksters, all of whom were Americans. Certainly there were similar crazies in other countries too, weren’t there? Well, maybe not on the same scale; for a case in point, read about Hadacol.
Great Ideas: Spanish sugar packets come equipped with a plastic stir stick for your espresso. Many of the buses in Barcelona also run on natural gas.
Energy Trouble: There are now 180 million new customers for energy each year, thanks mainly to population growth in India and China. Whatever happens, we will need to improve the transfer of alternative power, so that it becomes less place-based and more storage-based. Energy must travel intact to where it is most needed. And there’s a Nobel Prize waiting for whoever can figure out how to devise a positive environmental use for carbon.
Notes to Myself: Check to see if my sunscreen and shampoo contain nanoparticles, which are 80,000 times thinner than a human hair, or about one-billionth of a meter. Good example of nanotechnology now in use: home pregnancy tests. Questionable use: Do I want my clothing to be “intelligent”?
Ancient News: The oldest known prostheses was a wooden-and-copper leg fashioned in 4th century BC Rome. I say “was” since it was destroyed during World War II.
Good News: Spain has the highest ratio of organ donors to population in the world.
Unbelievable News: Is it true that a research group is working on an artificial hippocampus? How is that possible? Anyone at UCSF care to comment?
Interesting Quote (but what does it tell me?): “Life is the totality of those functions which resist death.”
More Interesting Quote (from Abraham Lincoln): “Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.”
Point to Remember: When it comes to issues of human health, you can separate hazard from risk, assuming the latter is minimized by inviolable controls. Questions from the Euroscience audience were a reminder that nanotechnologists must be willing to research and reveal the potential hazards of applied nanoscience to maintain public confidence in the controls.
Scientoons: Science cartoons are a big hit in India, where 22 different languages are spoken. That’s because, as scientoon creator Manoj Patairiya of the Indian Journal of Science Communication explains, “Scientists do not know the language of the common man, and the public does not know the language of science.” Humor is the bridge between them.
New Word You Will Be Hearing More About: “Glocal.” Used in particular reference to podcasting, whereby a local story, placed on the Internet as an audio file, is repeatedly posted and shared, thereby producing an immediate global impact.
Something to Watch for: The Arab Science News Agency, which is taking shape with assistance from the National Association of Science Writers.
Something to Watch for Also: A new publication, Science Journalism in Europe, has just debuted. It is a product of Germany’s Dortmund University in collaboration with the German Science Journalists’ Association. The lead story is entitled “Who’s Fooling Whom?” and centers on the value of engaging with the public about science. It is a must-read for anyone at UCSF interested in a different perspective on how the public understanding of science should proceed.
This closes the book on Euroscience 2008. UCSF Science Café podcasts resume Friday, August 1. Next up: molecular biologist Joe DeRisi, PhD. Watch as well for new content on our sister website, sciencecafeworld.com.