Infinite Hope

I have been pondering exactly what people expect out of science. Until you experience research first-hand, you have little insight into the workings of modern day scientific progress. The images portrayed by the media are of immaculate labs with white-coat clad scientists scurrying about searching for answers. It would seem that there are endless resources in the quest for knowledge, but this is a poor misconception. Still, people hold out an infinite hope when they think of science. Someday, somehow, diseases will be cured and the technology will provide for all. This hope inspires me, and also provides an immense pressure. The future of people's lives will be directly affected by the results of scientists like myself and they know that. They may not understand how or why, but they know and hope that I succeed. This is an idea that you can easily avoid stuck in a lab, but when you think about it, you cannot help but be inspired.

Would you put your mind in a robot body?

Just a quick thought on the possibilities a recent Nature article is bringing to not just a few but everyone. As written in the New York Times, Matthew Nagle was given a neural implant that allows him to manipulate devices with his thoughts alone. This amazing work should be highly regarded. But now what? Eventually, the technology will continue to develop to the point where movement and manipulation of one's environment will be near flawless. But where will the line be drawn? People paralyzed are obviously not to be denied this treatment, but are there possible beneficial uses for those of mankind with full physical ability? It seems like science fiction, but now the manipulation of our environment is a two-step process. We think, the signal travels, our hands move, the object we want is moved. If we eliminate the hands, could we increase efficiency for some tasks? Would it be useful? I am sure that professional neuroscientists are well ahead of me with possibilities.

And in the beginning there was nothing...

Rather than use my limited website space on a blog that I would have to update manually, I've switched over to Blogger. We'll see how it goes. I'm not sure what I will talk about here...I may branch out and use this for more professional aspects of life. A place for the discussion of chemistry and science. I know that now, more than ever, proponents of science need to come forward to develop strategies to combat the current apathy gripping the nation. That nation, of course, being my home of the USA. The situation is dire, but talking may be the beginning of something new. So out of the nothing, hopefully change will appear as a spark in the gloom.