The Swine Influenza and Science Fiction

You would have to be living on another planet if you have not heard of the current outbreak of Swine Influenza. According to the World Health Organization we are currently in a phase 4 pandemic alert. I have been following one of my favorite blogs written by a physician in Mexico (who is also an avid cyclist!) There are updates and relevant info regarding the situation on the blog Living Strong and Healthy Blogger.
As you know, I love science fiction and biology in science fiction is not an unusual topic. There is a great blog devoted to Biology in Science Fiction.
This outbreak has brought to mind some interesting diseases that have been introduced throughout the years such as 28 Days Later with that crazy virus "Rage." This is more a monster chasing thriller type movie vs. science fiction. "Survivors" is a re-imaged sci fi series about a genetically engineered influenza virus that wipes out most of the human race. Now we are moving into conspiracy theories and believe me there are some out there who feel this current swine influenza is the next step towards the New World Order.
Another interesting viral attack was on Star Trek:DS9 the episode Babel, where a genetically created virus was spreading through the replicated food and caused aphasia at first but mutated and became airborne which then caused fever and eventually death. The original virus was to be used against the enemy as a form of bio-terrorism.
Science fiction has not been shy about the use of bio-organisms as topics set in either warfare or post-apocalyptic settings basically setting a scenario for us that humans have the ability to self-destruct weather by physical elements, new weapons, or even biological means.
Some science fiction can be very dark and examine the shadowy side of human nature but it can also be very positive and see the potential we have as human beings.
One message I really appreciate in science fiction, is that a disease does not discriminate and requires scientific minds to find appropriate treatment and you cannot stigmatize a specific group of people because they become afflicted with a disease. It is wrong to think that certain groups of people deserve to get sick, no one does, but unfortunately we may become a host or carrier and that is the nature of disease and its method for transmission.

What would you do if you met yourself?

Image via Wikipedia

Inspired by an episode of Dr. Who the other day, I was wondering, If you could travel back to an earlier time in your life and give yourself advice about specific decisions or events that are to happen, would you do so? I can look back at certain points in my life in which I made decisions that significantly altered the direction my life took. The University I selected to attend affected the relationships I formed as well as my career direction and from there on my work positions changed based on who I met and the interest I had in a specific line of work.
Now, musing on those chain of events, I need to add to everything my personality. If I were to give myself advice would I take it? Would I take advice from someone who "claims" to know the future? If I did listen, would it not change myself in the here and now and if I changed one decision it could impact other decisions or possibly eliminate situations all together?
Up until now I have only pondered decisions of which I was in control and what about events I have had no control over? Would I warn myself about negative events and in turn warn loved ones about terrible things that may happen to them? It could go on and on, I would be stuck in the past trying to prevent tragedies.
Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to eliminate horrible events or actions but I am resolved to time traveling through science fiction and letting my heroes deal with events in the past and as for myself, trying to understand the past and use that info today to the best of my ability.

My Dear Stephen Hawking

Dear Prof. Hawking,

Last night I was reading about Venus, the Moon, and the interaction they will have on the 22nd of April. I had decided to read online what is going on in the night sky this week inspired by your book "George's Secret Key to the Universe." I am, however, reading it in Spanish and the title is "La Clave Secreto Del Universo." I know the book is more for children and young adults so I chose to read it in Spanish and I am loving every minute of it. Especially the desire to learn and teach which is why I still love learning to this day and taught mathematics for over 10 years. There is so much to learn in this world and I love your passion for science and the mysteries of the universe.
I also love your playful side and the part you played in Star Trek:TNG in which you were participating in a game of poker with Lt. Commander Data, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein in the holodeck. I believe you won the hand but then Data was called away on a red alert and he suspended the program. That was a short scene but very fun and memorable.
That makes it all the more sad for me today to learn that you are very ill and in the hospital. You have been so strong all these years despite having ALS. Your courage is an example to us all that regardless of physical ability, we do have great potential and to try our best every day to fulfill it. Thank you for so much that you have given to us in the form of your knowledge, example, and humor. I wish you well and hope you can recover from your chest infection. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Sincerely,
Mish

The Internet is a Powerful Force

I remember watching and reading science fiction in the 1970s, the 1980s on through present day, and being amazed at the inventions or advancements portrayed. Today I, at times, cannot believe the technology we actually have and have grown to depend upon. When cable television came out that was a huge thing and very exciting to have if you could afford it and don't forget about the Touch Tone phone that was so cool vs. the "old" rotary phone. Now I regularly use my cellular phone and I love caller ID. I heard a comedian once note that we used to get excited to answer the phone when it rang and someone in the house would yell "I'll get it" and go running to answer the call and find out who it was and why they were calling. Now we look at the caller ID and say " What are they calling for?"
I have mentioned the computer before and how it was amazing I got through college without one but now how I love social networks and especially Twitter and Youtube. In fact they are so important these days that large international companies dedicate personnel to monitor discussions or videos that appear and discuss the company in a negative light. I am surprised (and I am not sure why) that employees of Domino's would make a video of themselves doing disgusting things to the food they are preparing for consumption by customers. They posted the video on Youtube and Domino's had an instant nightmare on their hands. Today if someone has a grudge against a company can really destroy that company's reputation with a quick video or tweet on Twitter. We really have moved into a global age with a very powerful force in the form of the Internet. In the past, word of mouth would have been the mode in which to bad mouth a business which is slow and limited in scope, later, a news story, but that could be more controlled, and now, the Internet can really spread info at a phenomenal rate. This tool then can be used for good or bad but I am glad it is available at all because I want to know all types of information and then use my own judgement as to what to do with it.
I always hope for the most positive outcome from new technology, something that will benefit us and help learn more about ourselves and the world. In most cases, I believe we do have great benefits from new technology but there are small percentages of people who like to create computer viruses and create harmful videos but I think the good outweighs the bad.
Here is an article on the Domino's incident.

Margaret Atwood in the New York Times

Margaret Atwood (via last.fm)

I read a most interesting interview with Margaret Atwood in The New York Times that is discussing a variety of things but focusing on her latest work "Payback:Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth."

From the interview:

"The publication of “Payback” in October coincided with the worsening of the global economic crisis, an issue that piqued the audience’s interest in Hong Kong, which has always been more of a financial city than a literary one.“It made people think I had a crystal ball and I’d tell them what stocks they should invest in,” she said, drawing laughter during one of her four talks here.For her, the story of debt — and the way society has mishandled it — is the story of humankind. It’s a theme that runs deep through her literature."

The times we are living in provide rich material for a dystopian society of which Atwood is so good at writing about.
I like what she has to say here:

"Now, she said, debt has become “bit-ified,” with, for example, people taking mortgages and breaking them into bits, then selling them to other people. “And when it all fell apart, and they tried to figure out who, exactly, owned the mortgage on a house, they couldn’t.” Meanwhile, she added, “governments hurl taxpayers’ dollars into a bottomless pit.”

Isn't that the truth, though? Our lives in general have become more compartmentalized in terms of the type of work we do, the particular kind of sport we enjoy, the way we communicate, etc because there is so much information these days we need to break everything down into smaller parts.

It is easy to think very negatively in tough times about the future of humanity, but I like that Atwood digs deep into the meanings behind human behavior and points out certain flaws we contain in good times and bad as a society. Maybe by writing this kind of story it can make people more aware of how our actions as individuals have real consequences in our own lives and to society as well. I still think we have a long ways to go before achieving a peaceful productive life here on Earth in which all people can work together, but everything is possible.

Anyway, I thought the article was very interesting and you can read it here.
Enjoy your day!

Star Trek:Phase II

I was looking around the net for the opening date of the new Star Trek Movie set to open in May and I found that it opens in the US and in Mexico on the 8th of May. I try to stay away from reviews before I even see the movie because I want to make up my own mind about the quality of the movie. As I was searching about, I discovered an online series called Star Trek:PhaseII. It takes place in the same time frame as The Original Series but uses different actors playing the original characters, and tries to keep in line with the aliens that have been encountered at that time.
You need to download the episodes but they are free and I have begun to watch a few. They are interesting if you are a super die hard Trek fan and you can have fun looking at the older ship designs, sound effects and music.The acting is sub-par but I like the risks they take and if they have time and energy to create this series, then more power to them.
In the mean time, I am getting very excited to see the latest Star Trek Movie and I hope one day they decide to bring back a Star Trek series to mainstream television.
Here is a link to the website for Star Trek : Phase II.

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What is the Universal Language?

I was reading a great journal entry the other day by a French woman who writes science fiction in English. She was discussing the different aspects of writing in her second language English that are most challenging. Along with grammar she describes usage as a difficult point. I can relate to this because I live in a country in which Spanish is spoken and is my second language and English my first. It is important to understand how certain phrases are used and in what context. I have even purchased some science fiction that has been translated from English to Spanish, and if the translation was done in Spain, the phrases can be very different from those in Mexico. I can tell right away when a book was written or translated in Spain vs. Mexico. Seeing that in one language there can be differences in usage, translating from one language into another can be difficult and inevitably, a little(only a little if it is a good translation) is lost in the translation because sometimes what is said has a cultural and historical root meaning.
When I watch science fiction shows where everyone is speaking in English it makes me laugh. If we have trouble here on good ol' Earth, how could we suddenly understand people from other worlds? The question of culture, language, and history would all be a factor in understanding each other. Or better yet, I really laugh when worlds are presented to us that have one single language, way of life etc. The better written science fiction novels present us with complicated worlds that have diverse languages and cultures.
Star Trek has the universal translator that seems to be ever present but I imagine it is better to have a human translator ( or alien as the case may be) and everyone should become as advanced in foreign language as they appear to be in science and technology. I understand that we are watching a show or movie in English and it would be very tedious to create new languages, but I like pondering the idea of alien vocabularies and for that matter I wish I could speak more Earth languages than I do!
Anyway, I like the journal entry and you can read it here.

Real Live Battle in Space

Image via Wikipedia

I guess it is a sign of the times when the cosmonauts in the International Space Station (ISS) are fighting over who can or cannot use the toilet and the exercise bike. Money is getting to be a scare commodity and this is even affecting those in space.
Both the BBC and Space.com are reporting on the complaints by the Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka about the conditions on the ISS.

"A Russian cosmonaut has complained he is no longer allowed to use a US toilet as well as a US exercise bike."

OMG! I hope, then, there is more than one toilet on the station and that should eliminate another battle over who cleans the toilet.

"What is going on has an adverse effect on our work," said Mr Padalka, 50, a veteran of two space missions who is to be the station's next commander."

That sure would affect my work if I had to run clear across a station to use the bathroom!

"Worse still, the regulations now required US and Russian cosmonauts to eat their own rations, he added."They also recommend us to only use national toilets," the newspaper quoted him as saying."Cosmonauts are above the ongoing squabble, no matter what officials decide," he told the newspaper. "It's politicians and bureaucrats who can't reach agreement, not us."The situation may be exacerbated by an increase in the number of astronauts living on the ISS."

I hope they can work all this out now because if money is going to be tight, then I don't see how a shared venture can work now or in the future.

Here is the complete article on BBC and Space.

It feels like an episode of Stargate SG1 when the Russians and the Americans disagreed over gate use and technology rights! When I hear stories like these I tend to think we are headed more towards a dystopian future (if not already there) than a more harmonious one.
It seems that the more things change the more they stay the same.