Week 13, Compulsory Vaccination

I don't agree with forced vaccinations. I just don't think it is fair to ask people to subject themselves to something that is directly affects their bodies and health. I understand the rationale behind compulsory vaccines, but it seems dangerous for the government to start mandating what people should do to their bodies.

Week 13, Parents and Immunization

I think parents need to be really pro-active and investigate vaccines and their effects. I think often times we place to must trust in doctors and the medical professionals, and unfortunately they don't always have everyone's best interest as their priority. Because children as still growing and can get unbalanced more easily, it is crucial to regulate their vaccination intake.

Week 12, How Cells Divide

I thought the animated section with the explanations that went with it was really cool...plus it was really pretty to watch. Sometimes scientific animations aren't very aesthetically pleasing, but this one was actually really well laid out and had really well explained but also very approachable texts and graphics.

Week 12, Cell Biology and TCM

Cell biology seems to me to be pretty holistic...all the parts of the cell interact to make and function as a whole, and then these little wholes are completely affected by the environment they are surrounded by. I also thought the idea of cancer than Sely introduced in her presentation had many correlations not only with TCM but other forms of holistic medicine as well.

Week 11, Laughter

I don't know if laughter is the best medicine, but it is a part of a healthy life. I really can't imagine what my life would be like without laughter...it just seems to be such an important and beautiful part of the human experience. And if it keeps me healthy, I'll be happy to do it more.

Week 11, Carbon Offsets

All this talk about carbon offsets seems like a way of not dealing with the problem that is staring us in the face: carbon emissions. I really don't know how any of these carbon offsets work or what exactly they are doing. Although they seem to come from a place of good intention, it does raise the question of why not look more intensely for alternative fuels instead of simply offsetting the one fuel we have right now. If carbon offsets are buying us time to come up with a better solution, that is great. But are we offsetting our carbon a acting like we've solved the problem?

Week 10, Tailor-Made Cells

It's scary to read about companies talking so openly and matter-of-fact about the use of cells to introduce genetic material into people. Although this new technology seems revolutionary and helpful, there is a huge part of me that cringes at the notion of someone in a lab coat messing with genes and then putting them into my body. I am healthy, and if i was unhealthy and this could save me maybe I wouldn't think twice about it. Nevertheless, it seems like companies that are out for profit are the ones using and testing these new medical technologies...and that is really scary.