Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
16
C.P. Snow,
The
Search
(New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1959).
17
The principal source for this discussion is B. Cooper, J. Hayes, and S. LeRoy, “Science Fiction or
Science Fact? The Grizzly Biology behind Parks Canada Management Models,”
Frasier
Institute
Critical
Issues
Bulletin
(Vancouver, BC: 2002).
18
Articles included S.A. Karl and B.W. Bowen, “Evolutionary Significant Units
versus
Geopolitical
Taxonomy: Molecular Systematics of an Endangered Sea Turtle (genus
Chelonia
),”
Conservation
Biology
13 (1999): 990-9; P.C.H. Pritchard, “Comments on Evolutionary Significant Units
versus
Geopolitical Taxonomy,”
Conservation
Biology
13 (1999): 1000-3; J.M. Grady and J.M. Quattro,
“Using Character Concordance to Define Taxonomic and Conservation Units,”
Conservation
Biology
13 (1999): 1004-7; K. Shrader-Frechette and E.D. McCoy, “Molecular Systematics, Ethics, and
Biological Decision Making under Uncertainty,”
Conservation
Biology
13, no. 5 (1999): 1008-10;
and B.W. Bowen and S.A. Karl, “In War, Truth Is the First Casualty,”
Conservation
Biology
13,
no. 5 (1999): 1013-16.
19
Bowen and Karl, 1015.
20
Shrader-Frechette and McCoy, 1012.
21
At the end of the movie, these words are sung by Napoleon's older brother, Kip (played by Aaron
Ruell), to his new bride, Lafawnduh (Shondrella Avery), after they are pronounced husband and wife.
Another memorable conversation occurs between Kip and his technologically illiterate Uncle Rico
(Jon Gries):
Rico: Kip, I reckon you know a lot about cyberspace? You ever come across anything like
time travel?
Kip: Easy, I've already looked into it for myself.
Rico: Right on right on.
22
This moniker is in sharp contrast to that of economists, who have been called the dismal scientists.
Some of this is due to the difference in outlooks for the future. For example, many economists
(and ecologists, for that matter) hold to the convictions of Malthusian economics, best characterized
as the law of diminishing returns. While engineers know quite well the laws of thermodynamics,
especially that matter and energy exist in balances and that neither is created nor destroyed, we
also know that many limits that now exist can be mollified or eliminated with proper design. As
such, many technological breakthroughs, like agricultural technologies, improved strains of crops
and better farming implements, were unforeseen by the doomsayers and dismal scientists who saw
“overpopulation” to begin when the world hit 1 billion people (we are now well over 6 billion and
many of the problems have nothing to do with total amount of food, but in the fairness of its delivery
to people in need). On the other hand, our optimism can be overdrawn, so we must not assume that
new technologies will completely “solve” such problems as global warming or unsustainable energy
demands. Technology will be part of the solution, but must be coupled with wise stewardship of the
resources made available to humankind and balanced with ecological well-being, as expressed by
biodiversity, productivity, and sustainable development.
23
See B. Jennett,
The
Vegetative
State:
Medical
Facts,
Ethical
and
Legal
Dilemmas
(New York: CUP,
2002); B. Jennett and F. Plum, Persistent vegetative state after brain damage. A syndrome in search
of a name.
Lancet
no. 7753 (1972): 734-7; and Multi-Society Task Force on PVS, Medical aspects
of the persistent vegetative state.
New
England
Journal
of
Medicine
no. 330 (1994): 1499-508.
