THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIESFOUNDATION COURSEFD12A: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES FOUNDATION COURSE FD12A SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY


MODULE I - UNIT 1INTRODUCTION TO SOME ISSUES OF CURRENT INTEREST: MODULE I - UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO SOME ISSUES OF CURRENT INTEREST Presenter: Dr. Pat Stephens Department of Physics, UWImona patrick.stephens@uwimona.edu.jm patstep1@cwjamaica.com Course Text: Prescribed Manual pages 5 - 16


OBJECTIVES: OBJECTIVES Help you to understand why science and technology are important to the Caribbean Stimulate your interest in matters scientific Prompt you to spot in the media, science related stories/events of immediate interest to you and your wider community Encourage you to attempt to make connections between scientific developments and their likely social and economic consequences


Exam considerations: Exam considerations October 19, 2006; 4:00- 6:00 pm Unit I’s contribution to overall exam 10 Multiple choice questions (compulsory) 1 essay type question Overall Module I exam Students will have 1 hour to answer 50 MCQ and 1 hour to answer one of five essay questions, based on the course material covered in the manual and lectures.


Slide5: WHY IS SCIENCE IMPORTANT ?


Why Science is important: Why Science is important Because the output of scientific activity has the potential to affect the life of every single individual human being on this planet.


Stephens’ Top 10 Science and Technology Events since WWII*: Stephens’ Top 10 Science and Technology Events since WWII* 1945 – A-Bomb 1948 – The Transistor 1952 – Polio vaccine 1953 – Structure of DNA 1957 - Sputnik, 1st man made satellite 1967 – First heart transplant 1975 – First PC 1984 – AIDS virus identified 1986 – Chernobyl 2000 - Human genome mapped


Recent important “science-based” news stories: Recent important “science-based” news stories The fight against AIDS The containment of the SARS epidemic The sequencing of the human genome Cloning Climate change Mad cow and foot and mouth disease Stem cell research Genetically modified foods


Contents: Contents Introduction – whetting your appetites The story of Global Warming Resource security The story of unleaded gas The “Mad Cow” story A treat - A Jamaican scientific detective story---Snails, rats, worms and Dr John Lindo


Global Warming: Global Warming Definition of Global Warming Evidence of global warming Some possible consequences of global warming How does it happen? (Greenhouse gases) Society’s response


Global warming: Global warming GLOBAL WARMING IS AN EXCESSIVE INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE AND OCEANS


Global Warming: The Evidence*: Global Warming: The Evidence* Record of average global temperatures over the last century [Mote, Philip, The evidence for climate change; Senate Workshop on Climate change 1999} approx 15C (59F) -->


Global Warming: The Evidence: Global Warming: The Evidence Record of average global temperatures over the last century [This image shows the instrumental record of global average temperatures as compiled by the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia and the Hadley Centre of the UK Meteorological Office. 2001". Journal of Climate, 16, 206-223.]


Global Warming: The Evidence(from Wikepedia the free Encyclopaedia): Global Warming: The Evidence (from Wikepedia the free Encyclopaedia)


Global warming: the evidence (contd.)*: Global warming: the evidence (contd.)* More frequent extreme weather Disappearing glaciers Melting polar sea ice Melting Greenland ice sheet Tropical diseases spreading Bleaching of coral


Global warming: The evidence(contd.): Global warming: The evidence(contd.) More frequent extreme weather


Global warming: The evidence(contd.)more frequent extreme weather: Global warming: The evidence(contd.) more frequent extreme weather


Global warming - consequences: Global warming - consequences Climate change Desertification Melting of polar ice caps Rise in sea level Disappearance of low lying islands and coastal cities Drastic changes in crop distribution


Global warming – the mechanism* : Global warming – the mechanism* Question: Why is the earth warming up? Ans: “Because of a change in the normally beneficial greenhouse effect” Question: What is the greenhouse effect?


Slide20: Glasshouse/Greenhouse - a heat trapping enclosure


How a greenhouse works: How a greenhouse works Radiation from the sun (mainly light and ultraviolet) passes through the glass and warms up the interior and its contents Warm interior “re-radiates” but this radiation is mainly infrared which cannot easily pass through the glass so the heat carrying rays are trapped inside the enclosure Result is that the interior maintains a higher temperature than the surroundings


Earth is a greenhouse*: Earth is a greenhouse* Certain gases in the atmosphere form a blanket around the earth which acts like the glass in a greenhouse These gases are called greenhouse gases The “greenhouse gas blanket” helps regulate the temperature of the earth within a range in which humans and other animals can live


Earth is a greenhouse (contd.): Earth is a greenhouse (contd.) If the “blanket” were to stop functioning properly then the average temperature of the earth would change. Such a change could threaten the very existence of life on our planet. This is what is currently happening. The concentration of “natural” greenhouse gases is increasing and other “industry” derived gases are being added to the atmosphere.


Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)*: Earth is a greenhouse (contd.)* There are several “greenhouse gases” The most important ones are: Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4) Water vapour (H2O) These gases occur naturally but are also generated as a result of human activity


Earth is a greenhouse (contd.): Earth is a greenhouse (contd.) Other greenhouse gases are: Nitrous oxide Ozone Chlorofluorocarbons


Global warming and the greenhouse gases: Global warming and the greenhouse gases Average levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have risen by more than 30% since 1750. Average levels of nitrous oxide, with 300 times the heat trapping power of CO2, have risen by 17% since 1750. These factors along with other evidence have led some influential scientists to conclude that:


Global warming and the greenhouse gases: Global warming and the greenhouse gases GLOBAL WARMING IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INCREASE IN THE CONCENTRATION OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE There is still some debate about the validity of this conclusion


Global warming – the international community’s response: Global warming – the international community’s response Series of international conferences involving more than 160 countries – starting in 1992 Conference convened in Kyoto, Japan-1997 Protocol and time schedule developed for reductions in emission of greenhouse gases. Time schedule required the emission of green house gases to be reduced to 5% below 1990 levels. Emission levels would be averaged over the five-year period 2008 -2012.


Global warming – the international community’s response: Global warming – the international community’s response


Global warming - discussion: Global warming - discussion Should we in the Caribbean be concerned? Why? Would you expect China (a prodigious coal burner) to be concerned? If they are not concerned how can they be persuaded?


Resource security: Resource security Major resources: Water Energy Food


Resource security (region of interest): Resource security (region of interest)


Resource security (contd.): Resource security (contd.) Requires that the particular resource be available When needed In sufficient quantities With satisfactory quality With guaranteed continuity At an affordable price


Food security concerns: Food security concerns Large proportion of the food consumed in the Caribbean is imported Imported food can act as a vehicle for the introduction of harmful organisms and pests


Food security concerns – society’s response: Food security concerns – society’s response Local scientists and other interests must cooperate in managing distribution chain to ensure: Integrity of supply Proper inspection to prevent the entry of harmful pests and microorganisms.


Energy security concerns: Energy security concerns Most of the energy used in Caribbean comes ultimately from imported (except T&T) fossil fuel. By burning these fuels we may be damaging our own environment. Our islands lie close to the transport route for spent radioactive fuel rods


Energy security concerns – society’s response: Energy security concerns – society’s response Scientists and wider society must plan together to rationalize the national fuel mix (coal, oil, gas, refined fuels etc) to satisfy security and other concerns Public education must be widened so that as wide a cross section of society, as possible, can take part in the discussion


Water security concerns: Water security concerns Most Caribbean countries have adequate water supply Many different types of water sources Water is life


Water security concerns – society’s response: Water security concerns – society’s response “governments will wish to ensure that they have control of water resources sufficient to meet the present and likely future needs of their peoples”


DISCUSSION: DISCUSSION Accepting for the moment that: Science, technology and medicine have had and will continue to have a profound effect on our every day lives Some of the results of scientific activity might threaten our very existence We need to be able to understand scientific problems in order to make rational choices about the kind of world we wish to live in


DISCUSSION - QUESTIONS: DISCUSSION - QUESTIONS If scientific issues are so important shouldn’t “scientific literacy” be as important a part of the curriculum as Math and English? Science is sometimes seen to be “hard”. Should we not just leave science up to the scientists?


Unleaded gas*: Unleaded gas* Widespread alarm about air quality in US cities prompted President Nixon in 1970 to amend the Clean Air Act The amendments targeted emissions from motor cars. They enjoined the auto industry to produce a pollution free car by 1975 One of the most noxious of these emissions was lead. The President ordered that lead-free gasoline be used in all government vehicles


Unleaded gas story (contd.): Unleaded gas story (contd.) Emission control devices were placed in exhaust systems of all new cars by 1975 These devices could not tolerate lead in the emissions so use of unleaded fuel grew rapidly in the States


Unleaded gas story (contd.)*: Unleaded gas story (contd.)* Research begins to emerge that lead is a very dangerous atmospheric pollutant Many countries stop the sale of leaded petrol Countries in the Caribbean follow suit


“Mad Cow disease”*: “Mad Cow disease”* The problem The “science” behind the problem Decision > Action > Social and economic consequences


“Mad Cow Disease”: “Mad Cow Disease”


“Mad cow disease” - the problem: “Mad cow disease” - the problem 1985 – unamed British vet encounters disease characterized by odd symptoms: infected cattle lose control of their muscles and stagger about in an uncoordinated way. Infected animals eventually die. Behaviour of infected animals reminiscent of sheep infected with “scrapie” Informs the Central Veterinary Laboratory


“Mad cow disease” and the scientists: “Mad cow disease” and the scientists Scientists investigate and find evidence of a new cattle disease. The brains of the affected cattle were full of holes, similar to Swiss cheese or a sponge They name it Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Also theorized that BSE had crossed over from sheep via cattle feed containing parts of “scrapie” infected animals


BSE – spread and development: BSE – spread and development By 2003 more than 185,000 infected cattle found in Britain. BSE found in native born cattle in more than 16 European countries. Also in Canada, Israel, Japan, Oman, and Las Malvinas ( Falklands)


“Mad cow disease” – Decision and action: “Mad cow disease” – Decision and action Slaughter all infected cattle By 1988 - Compulsory destruction of all suspect animals and the burning of their carcasses Discontinue the feeding of rendered remains as protein supplement Ban human consumption of high risk offal Brain, spinal cord, spleen Establish a monitoring unit Reassure the public. BSE is an animal disease and will not affect humans. Prevent panic.


“Mad cow disease” - consequences: “Mad cow disease” - consequences 1995 several farmers who owned herds with BSE infected cattle become sick and die. Their cause of death is a variant of Creuzfeld-Jakob disease, (vCJD) vCJD causes very similar brain destruction in humans as BSE does in cattle British government forced to admit that BSE had crossed over from cattle to humans via consumption of contaminated beef


Discoverer of the cause of BSE: Discoverer of the cause of BSE Stanley B. Prusiner Discovered prions –proteinaceous infectious particles (1982) Nobel Prize for physiology (1997)


The cause of BSE*: The cause of BSE* Cows fed animal feed containing the rendered remains of sheep and goats infected with scrapie. The abnormal protein (prion) in the animal food is able to trigger normal protein into switching to an abnormal form. Abnormal protein destroys the brain and other nerve cells in animals


“Mad cow disease” - consequences: “Mad cow disease” - consequences 2000 - more than 100 people die from the human variant of BSE Britain culls infected herds. All high risk cattle, including animals over 30 months, destroyed More than half the cattle population of Britain is slaughtered. Rate of infection decreasing rapidly