Call for Action - Free The Tripoli Six!

Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor have been wrongfully charged and are awaiting execution by firing squad in Libya for allegedly infecting children with HIV. They were tortured and forced to sign "confessions" written in Arabic they did not understand. In fact, the poor hygiene and bad practices in the hospital are to blame.

You can get more information in Nature (free access) editorial and news report and even more detail in an official report (pdf) and a letter (pdf) to Qaddafi.

What can you do?

First, ask your congresscritters what are they going to do about this - are they going to put international pressure on Libya to release the prisoners?

Second, e-mail your story to friends and, if you have a blog, write a post about this. Make sure that you have the words "Tripoli Six" in your post so that it gets picked up by Connotea, Technorati and Google blogsearch engines. Update: For Google (and Google News) you can also use "Benghazi Six" as well as "Tripoli Six".

You can also see what my SciBlings have written about it so far.

More information and commentary:

Saratoga Spirit
Declan Butler
Pharyngula
Method
Thoughts In A Haystack
Gene Expression
Stranger Fruit
Effect Measure
Deltoid
Adventures in Ethics and Science
Dr. Joan Bushwell's Chimpanzee Refuge
Pure Pedantry
Respectful Insolence
Aetiology
Uncertain Principles
The Questionable Authority (the best source of action/contact information)
Science Ripsaw
Firedoglake
LeftWorld
DailyKos
The World's Fair
Majikthise
Terra Sigillata
Open Reading Frame
Maya's Corner
Maya's Corner
Maya's Corner
Tinkerty Tonk
Thoughts From Kansas
Ovidio
Cyberspace Rendezvous
Effect Measure
Lingual Tremors
Crooked Timber
Cosmic Variance
BlinkBits
Nascent
Malaysian Medical Resources
Serialdeviant
Paeonia
Bouphonia
Alternet PEEK

Update: Revere and Lindsay now report that the Tripoli Six story has spread from science blogosphere to both Left and Right political blogs, ranging from DailyKos to Instapundit (gosh, even Free Republic!). This is certainly not just a science/medicine issue, and is certainly not a partisan issue - it is a matter of saving innocent lives!

Declan Butler, who has been on top of this, has already collected 82 blog links on Connotea and is working on the next step - getting the MSM to place this story on front pages. Can you help? Blogswarm this story by blogging about this, or blogging about this again, and again. Urge your readers to peruse this list of contact information and ask the congrescritters to pay attention and do something. If you know anyone in the MSM, hound them to write about this. This is not about the self-congratulatory pat-on-the-back about the "power of the blogosphere" - it is about righting a wrong and saving innocent lives.

Scientists are such wet blankets

Thought this was a nice, evenhanded take on the latest propa--I  mean, um news from the administration on the 100 Billion dollar missle defense boondogg--I mean program.

Daily Kos: National Missile Defense: The Myth of Succcess (again)

From the Union of Concerned Scientists report on the program:

First, the test conditions have not been varied: The test geometries and closing speed and angle have been nearly identical. The tests have occurred at the same time of day, even though the infrared signal of an object in space depends strongly on whether it is in sunlight or in shadow. And in each test the target cluster included the same or similar objects.

Second, the system's ability to discriminate the warhead from other elements in the target cluster has not been realistically tested: The mock warhead and balloons have had very different radar and infrared signatures.

More important, the defense was provided with detailed a priori information about the characteristics and expected appearance of all the objects in the test. The radars that will be part of the Block 2004 system will not be able to discriminate warheads from other objects (decoys or debris), so discrimination will rely on the kill vehicle alone. Yet no tests in which the kill vehicle relies on its sensor to discriminate the warhead have been conducted, and none are planned through 2007.

The basic goal of these intercept tests has, according to the MDA, been to demonstrate hit to kill. But hit to kill was first demonstrated more than 20 years ago; the goal here should be to demonstrate hit to kill under conditions relevant to intercepting long-range missiles.

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Rationalism is Overrated

New Stem Cell Method Avoids Destroying Embryos - New York Times

Biologists have developed a technique for establishing colonies of human embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos, a method that, if confirmed in other laboratories, would seem to remove the principal objection to stem cell research.

“There is no rational reason left to oppose this research,” said Dr. Robert Lanza, vice president of Advanced Cell Technology and leader of a team that reported the new method in an article published online by the journal Nature.

I think the key word here is rational. And this is the problem. There never has really been a rational reason to argue against the use of embryonic stem cells. This is not to dismiss irrational arguments in the least. I don't mean the word in a pejorative sense. There have been moral, emotional, and religious arguments against the technique. But purely rationally, I have never read, or heard, a really solid case against.

We do lots of things for moral reasons. I do. You do. I think we all live by one code or another in some way. But we aren't always rational.

So if he thinks this is going to settle things, he's dead wrong.

Science bloggers join SEED

Holy Moly! Scienceblogs just expanded a whole bunch, including a number of the gang that originally joined the Ring here at Science Assessment.

Congratulations are in order!

I had at one point contemplated the move myself, being contacted prior to the original opening by a representative from SEED, but was hesitant. Do I regret that decision? Sure, sorta - the traffic going through there is tremendous, compared to the 50-100 hits/day I'm used to on A Concerned Scientist. But I'm happy to have the chance to change my focus a bit towards my professional field (cell and molecular biology) over at Migrations, and follow my muse instead of feel obligated to continue rants on topics that I'm more of a layperson on.

Perhaps I'll reconsider when I finish my PhD in 2-3 months, when I can explore the possibility of joining the next round of expansion on Scienceblogs.

Till then, keep up the good blogging!

Migrations: Cells, birds, etc.

Admittedly, I've been out of touch on Science Assessment, and this is some shameless self-promotion, but it is science related:

A few weeks ago, I started out a new blog, Migrations, where I plan to blog on cell migration, signal transduction, and other bits of cell biology, as well as the occaisional birdwatching story (relating that to migration in general).

The purpose - to provide a forum for me to review and present interesting research papers (as a journal club, if you will), and to communicated the science that I study in my "day job" to interested members of the general public.

Thanks.

Global Warning: The Inconvenient Truth

From my Responsible Nanotechnology blog:

Get a group of scientists together to discuss issues of worldwide consequence, and one topic -- human-caused climate change -- is likely to emerge as the most prominent.

Last week, I participated in a symposium on "Nanotechnology Governance: Environmental Management from a Global Perspective" at Vanderbilt University. Between speakers, a common point of discussion was the dire need for solutions to counteract global warming; a common conclusion was that the only technology that may offer more than stopgap measures is advanced generation nanotechnology -- especially molecular manufacturing.

More here, and here.

Tags: Ideas Politics Reviews Science Society

Prix Ars Electronica!

I'm very pleased to report that CRN's Responsible Nanotechnology blog has been nominated for Prix Ars Electronica, the annual "International Competition for CyberArts."

Since 1987, the Prix Ars Electronica has served as an interdisciplinary platform for everyone who uses the computer as a universal medium for implementing and designing their creative projects at the interface of art, technology and society. The competition is organized by the Ars Electronica Center and ORF’s Upper Austria Regional Studio, and the prizes are awarded during the Ars Electronica Festival each year. The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most important awards for creativity and pioneering spirit in the field of digital media.

We will be competing in the "Digital Communities" category, which covers:

Political, social, and cultural projects, initiatives, groups, and scenes from all over the world utilizing digital technology to better society and assume social responsibility.

Just to be nominated is quite an honor, and it is both gratifying and humbling. Next week, juries made up of "experts from around the world" will convene in Linz, Austria, to evaluate the entries and select the winners.

Wish us luck!

Mike Treder

Tags: nanotechnology nanotech nano science technology ethics weblog blog

Sciency stuff is cool!

President Bush, April 18, 2006:

"Science is not only cool, it's really important for the future of this country."

Oh, puh-leazze!!!!

Tags: Politics Quotes Science

On Science Blogging

What is science blogging? How is it evolving? Where is it going?

Would you ever blog your hypotheses or even your unpublished data?

Any thoughts? Comment on this post, over on my digs.

New Nanotechnology Analysis: Tiny Tech Brings Huge Changes

Center for Responsible Nanotechnology engages leading experts to discuss nanotech's impact.

NEW YORK, NY – March 27, 2006 – The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) today announced its first series of new research papers in which industry experts predict profound impacts of nanotechnology on society. Eleven original essays by members of CRN's Global Task Force appear in the latest issue of the journal Nanotechnology Perceptions, published today. From military and security issues to human enhancement, artificial intelligence, and more, these papers give readers a peek under the lid of Pandora's box to see what the future might hold.

Ray Kurzweil, renowned inventor, entrepreneur, and best-selling author, explained, "As the pace of technological advancement rapidly accelerates, it becomes increasingly important to promote knowledgeable and insightful discussion of both promise and peril. I'm very pleased to take part in this effort by including my own essay, and by hosting discussion of these essays on the 'MindX' discussion board at KurzweilAI.net."

Nanotechnology Perceptions is a peer-reviewed academic journal of the Collegium Basilea in Basel, Switzerland. "We jumped at the chance to publish the CRN Task Force essays," said Jeremy Ramsden, editor-in-chief of the journal. "To us, these papers represent world-class thinking about some of the most important challenges that human society will ever face."

In August 2005, the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, a non-profit research and advocacy organization, formed its Global Task Force to study the societal implications of molecular manufacturing, an advanced form of nanotechnology. Bringing together a diverse group of world-class experts from multiple disciplines, CRN is spearheading an historic, collaborative effort to develop comprehensive recommendations for the safe and responsible use of this rapidly emerging technology.

"Our plan from the beginning was to concentrate first on defining the challenges posed by nanotechnology," said Mike Treder, executive director of CRN. "What risks do we really face? How do they relate to each other? What is most important to know in order to cope wisely and effectively with molecular manufacturing?"

Like electricity or computers before it, nanotechnology will bring greatly improved efficiency and productivity in many areas of human endeavor. In its mature form, known as molecular manufacturing, it will have significant impact on almost all industries and all parts of society. Personal nanofactories may offer better built, longer lasting, cleaner, safer, and smarter products for the home, for communications, for medicine, for transportation, for agriculture, and for industry in general.

However, as a general-purpose technology, molecular manufacturing will be dual-use, meaning that in addition to its civilian applications, it will have military uses as well—making far more powerful weapons and tools of surveillance. Thus, it represents not only wonderful benefits for humanity, but also grave risks.

"Progress toward developing the technical requirements for desktop molecular manufacturing is advancing rapidly," said Chris Phoenix, CRN's director of research. "These new essays examine many of the radical changes that molecular manufacturing will bring to society. We hope our readers will decide to get involved in the vital work of raising awareness and finding effective solutions to the challenges presented to the world by advanced nanotechnology."

The CRN Task Force essays also will be posted online at KurzweilAI.net and Wise-Nano.org. A second collection of essays exploring additional concerns will form the next issue of Nanotechnology Perceptions. Both series are available for publishing or reprint under Gnu Free Documentation License (GFDL). The first group of essays are:

1. "Nanotechnology Dangers and Defenses" - Ray Kurzweil

2. "Molecular Manufacturing: Too Dangerous to Allow?" - Robert A. Freitas Jr.*

3. "Nano-Guns, Nano-Germs, and Nano-Steel" - Mike Treder

4. "Molecular Manufacturing and 21st Century Policing" - Tom Cowper

5. "The Need For Limits" - Chris Phoenix

6. "Globalization and Open Source Nano Economy" - Giulio Prisco

7. "Cultural Dominants and Differential MNT Uptake" - Damien Broderick

8. "Nanoethics and Human Enhancement" - Patrick Lin & Fritz Allhoff

9. "Strategic Sustainable Brain" - Natasha Vita-More

10. "Is AI Near a Takeoff Point?" - J. Storrs Hall

11. "Singularities and Nightmares: The Range of Our Futures" - David Brin

* This essay is (c) Robert A. Freitas Jr., and is not released under GFDL.

LINKS:

• Press Release
  
• List of Essays
  
• CRN Task Force Members

About the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology

The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (http://CRNano.org), a non-profit think tank concerned with the major societal and environmental implications of advanced nanotechnology, is headquartered in New York. CRN is an affiliate of World Care, an international, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. The opinions expressed in the essays described in this press release are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, nor of its parent organization, World Care.

Tags: Future Ideas Science Society