Cybernetics and Ethics

Cyborgs have appeared across science fiction: The Six Million Dollar Man; The Borg; and Darth Vader but to name a few. They vary from the oddly comic Cybermen to the crime-fighting hero Robocop¹.

In the last decade cybernetic organisms, once confined to the imaginings of authors, have begun to appear across the world. At 4.00PM on Monday, 24th August, 1998 Professor Kevin Warwick underwent surgery to become the World’s first cyborg.

Prof Warwick’s implant, a small glass capsule full of electronics or "transponder", allowed the buildings in his department at the University of Reading to recognise his presence, opening doors and turning on lights automatically.

The Transponder (Ref.)

Kevin Warwick did not stop there;

Is this big enough for you?

Is The Economist becoming radicalised? Or was J.F. just stating the obvious yesterday when, wondering why conservative Americans "lament the loss of the America they grew up in," they tagged conservatismǂ and racism as currently inseparable

I tend to agree with the sentiments in the above article. Conservatives can readily be viewed as a group who are "loss[ing] of their own social privilege" and trying to claw it back.

This idea ties in very nicely with a post today, by W.W., and shows just how this idea of social privilege is perpetuating World problems.

In summary W.W. is replying to an an article by the USC's Neal Gabler (seemingly the sociologists' everyman) which claims that: "Big ideas are almost passé."

In a wonderful rebuff W.W. quotes an article by NYU economist Michael Clemens which argues that "barriers to emigration place one of the fattest of all wedges between humankind’s current welfare and its potential welfare."

AV Facts

Earlier this month I attended the UCL AV Debate. Blogs about the debate are available from the Grauniad and the organising UCL Constitution Unit; I will let you read these for yourself.

More importantly, 1 week from today you will be going out to vote (hopefully). If you are reading this you've probably decided whether to vote Yes, or No.

But if you want more info I will provide the executive summary of a brief by Dr. Alan Renwick and the Political Studies Association. Dr. Renwick was not the most eloquent speaker at the debate, but, like all good academics, he had brought his reference list, and proceeded to explain why both campaigns are lying to the electorate. The following summary contains most of his points:

Dissent over Student Visas

The Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) have called on the Coalition Government to stop trying to reduce the number of student visas. Their report, published today, criticises many aspects of government proposals. They highlight the planned crackdowns on pre-degree programmes and language requirements which I have highlighted before.

The reports I have personally heard and seen (on the BBC Website, BBC Radio4, and in The Metro) quote Keith Vaz, the Chair of the Committee and a Labour MP. What the reports fail to mention is the membership of this Committee (besides the BBC's use of "cross-party" in their strap-line).

Universities need International Students

The UK Border Agency has begun (and ended) a review into proposals by Immigration Minister Damien Green to cut student visa numbers. The changes will reduce the total number of student visas allotted, but apparently not for university students.

Damien Green has focussed on 'bogus colleges' and students with low standards of English. The cuts in numbers look at students studying at below degree level.

Bilingually Dyslexic

In an interesting follow up to an announcement I touched upon in my post yesterday my MP asked a pertinent question about dyslexia and compulsary foriegn languages.

There is research claiming that people can be dyslexic in one language but not in another, although the evidence has criticised.

I would argue that this is not an argument against the teaching of foreign languages, properly supported pupils with dyslexia will achieve, on average, just as well as any other pupil. The problem, as Mr Gove appears to have correct, is identifying the dyslexia early.

"Sir, Yes Sir!" or Old soldiers never die they just get a little teacher-training

So Michael Gove has announced his education reforms, which the BBC are calling "the most radical in a generation". The White Paper called "The Importance of Teaching" sets out a range of reforms some good, some bad, some ugly.

The best idea, in my personal view, is making foreign languages compulsory to 16. Languages are about more than just language, learning them helps students understand other cultures and creates "global citizens".

Among the bad ideas is the proposal to cut the funding for school sports collaborations, which the Grauniad reckons will require a U-turn and lead to much too-ing and fro-ing in Westminster.

And then there is an ugly duckling, nestling in section 2.15, the government will be developing a "Troops to Teachers" programme. This aims to encourage ex-members of the Armed Forces to retrain as teachers by sponsoring their PGCEs.

Open Computing

Having recently started my course I have been assigned a desk in the centre's computer lab. Interestingly in addition to the standard Windows install (in this case XP) the computers give the option of loading in Ubuntu.

I use Ubuntu at home, so was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately access is password locked, so I am as yet unsure what it is there for (probably some Linux based computational chemistry programs). I will keep you updated.

Protecting our Vitals

As we know science cuts are imminent, but opposition is mounting.

Science Minister David Willetts has been informed, by the chair of the House of Lords Science and Technology Comittee no less, that cutting science funding will put the UK "at risk".

In an open letter, supported by Vice-Chancellors of six of the UK's leading universities, Lord Krebs cites arguments including loss of staff, reputation and future growth.

This comes at the time when  a synchoton in Switzerland has developed and demonstrated an important nanoscale x-ray technique. In this light does cutting money to the Diamond Light Source make any sense?

If you support continued science funding join Science is Vital. They are also on Facebook and have a demonstration planned in London.

Students Again

Mark Easton, the BBC's home editor, has written a wonderful blog post looking at the benefits or otherwise of student immigration into the UK. He shows yet more of this misreporting by government, in particular Mr Damian Green.

Unsustainable Students?

No, this isn't going to be a discussion of how students get into massive debt (definitely not sustainable) or use lots of energy (in fact they tend to be frugal, but not universities themselves).

I will be looking at Immigration Minister Damian Green's announcement that student immigration is "unsustainable". Yes the same Mr Green who was arrested in 2008, resulting in a row over the use of arrest warrants in Parliament, though this is of no consequence here. At the same time the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has claimed that a graduate tax, proposed by the coalition, would cause graduates to leave the country.