Just some notes to myself to research. Thoughts came out of Peggy Zelenka's retirement party plus the PI mtg discussion about translational research.
When did scientists say the earth is round? How long was it from then until someone carried that out into trying to sail around the world (get to a location from the opposite direction). Started with basic science and hypotheses, but the practical implications of that science ended up being the “discovery” and colonization of the Americas by Europe.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
more links
Hans Rosling in Foreign Policy magazine's top 100 global thinkers
Did You Know? -- a look at our future world
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking#p/u/4/pMcfrLYDm2U
from http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/versions
Did You Know? -- a look at our future world
http://www.youtube.com/user/xplanevisualthinking#p/u/4/pMcfrLYDm2U
from http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/versions
Gapminder. org
I went to a really good lecture at NIH today by Hans Rosling, creator of Gapminder. I want to remember the link, so I thought putting it here in my blog would be an easy way to access it later.
Basically it's a tool to graph statistical informormation concerning global development indicators and allows non-statisticians to more easily understand trends. His software is actually named Trendalyzer and has been purchased by Google. I really appreciate the ability of these graphs to transform people's worldviews. Many still view the world according to the facts of 1950, when the world was divided into the West and the developing world; between small families with long lives and large families with short lives. But there has been massive change and transformation in the development of nations in the last 50 years, and especially in the last 10, including the rise of Asia. The sequence of progress for these former "developing world" countries has been very different from the West. In the West, wealth was developed first and then health. In emerging countries, health has developed first, which is now allowing wealth to grow astonishingly quickly. This caused a shift in Rosling's perspective, to now believe that disease causes poverty, not the reverse.
So instead of a polar world of West contrasted with developing world, we now live in a world defined by economic level. Rosling sees the world as collapsed/low/middle/high income. Collapsed are countries like Afghanistan -- very few fall into this category. Low income are countries receiving aid, which have less than $1K USD/capita -- about 2 billion people. Middle income are emerging economies, with between $1-10K USD/capita -- about 3 billion people. High income is the West + 20%, with greater than $10K USD/capita -- about 1 billion people. This breakout is not sustainable and won't be with one superpower. For example, China is now accumulating $1B per day! Compare that to Gates Foundation which distributes $3B in aid per year. When the US economy crashed and the government needed money, they couldn't get it from their own population. The countries with money now are Brazil, China, etc.
In terms of health, most of the world now fits into the old picture of the "West" -- small families with long lives. Because of these healthy populations, the middle income countries are having incredible ecomonic growth. In the meantime, these are highly educated people who can get a diagnosis, e.g. cancer, and know of the appropriate treatments but can't afford them. The low income countries do still need help with diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. However, as development continues, they will work themselves out of poverty. Development = school, health, infrastructure, information, freedom & rights, credit, market & employment, security, etc. So the global health goals are two-fold:
1) bring health research to bear on the problems of low income people, e.g. solve TB
2) use populations of the whole world with all genetic variations for studies
Basically it's a tool to graph statistical informormation concerning global development indicators and allows non-statisticians to more easily understand trends. His software is actually named Trendalyzer and has been purchased by Google. I really appreciate the ability of these graphs to transform people's worldviews. Many still view the world according to the facts of 1950, when the world was divided into the West and the developing world; between small families with long lives and large families with short lives. But there has been massive change and transformation in the development of nations in the last 50 years, and especially in the last 10, including the rise of Asia. The sequence of progress for these former "developing world" countries has been very different from the West. In the West, wealth was developed first and then health. In emerging countries, health has developed first, which is now allowing wealth to grow astonishingly quickly. This caused a shift in Rosling's perspective, to now believe that disease causes poverty, not the reverse.
So instead of a polar world of West contrasted with developing world, we now live in a world defined by economic level. Rosling sees the world as collapsed/low/middle/high income. Collapsed are countries like Afghanistan -- very few fall into this category. Low income are countries receiving aid, which have less than $1K USD/capita -- about 2 billion people. Middle income are emerging economies, with between $1-10K USD/capita -- about 3 billion people. High income is the West + 20%, with greater than $10K USD/capita -- about 1 billion people. This breakout is not sustainable and won't be with one superpower. For example, China is now accumulating $1B per day! Compare that to Gates Foundation which distributes $3B in aid per year. When the US economy crashed and the government needed money, they couldn't get it from their own population. The countries with money now are Brazil, China, etc.
In terms of health, most of the world now fits into the old picture of the "West" -- small families with long lives. Because of these healthy populations, the middle income countries are having incredible ecomonic growth. In the meantime, these are highly educated people who can get a diagnosis, e.g. cancer, and know of the appropriate treatments but can't afford them. The low income countries do still need help with diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. However, as development continues, they will work themselves out of poverty. Development = school, health, infrastructure, information, freedom & rights, credit, market & employment, security, etc. So the global health goals are two-fold:
1) bring health research to bear on the problems of low income people, e.g. solve TB
2) use populations of the whole world with all genetic variations for studies
Friday, February 12, 2010
Avatar
So after being buried under a pile of snow for a week, I went to the movies this evening and finally saw Avatar. It took a little while for my eyes to adjust to the 3D but once they did the images were really incredible. I loved being carried away into another world and may go see the movie again, just to examine the scenery.
But it also strikes me as ironic -- the movie transports us to another world, yet "there is nothing new under the sun." Human imagination is incredible and beautiful, from curly-que plants to insects with circular overhead wings to hammer-head animals to large blue "humans", and even to macro ideas like day/night and air and religion. But at the end of the day they are still plants, insects, birds, animals, etc. These things were all created by God, and we can't even imagine a world outside of these structures. It's meaningless to us. The other world is beautiful in it's variety and differences to ours, but underneath is actually still the same.
Especially the culture and religion of the "humans" (sorry, I don't remember what they're called) on this other planet is essentially ancient tribal and animist/antheist.
Regardless of the pantheism, I did appreciate the ideas about "joining". The humans have these neurons that can connect to the neurons in other beings, e.g. animals or trees. It's an organic connection, as opposed to the mechanical one of the regular humans from Earth. Examples of the mechanical one: the link into the avatars, the robot machines that a human can be inside of and controlling. I think that organic connection is an element missing in modern life that appeals to the audience. I keep encountering so many stories these days that seem to be successful because they do play on godly principles that people are longing for and don't have: connectedness to other humans beings, true manhood, sacrificial love, etc.
But it also strikes me as ironic -- the movie transports us to another world, yet "there is nothing new under the sun." Human imagination is incredible and beautiful, from curly-que plants to insects with circular overhead wings to hammer-head animals to large blue "humans", and even to macro ideas like day/night and air and religion. But at the end of the day they are still plants, insects, birds, animals, etc. These things were all created by God, and we can't even imagine a world outside of these structures. It's meaningless to us. The other world is beautiful in it's variety and differences to ours, but underneath is actually still the same.
Especially the culture and religion of the "humans" (sorry, I don't remember what they're called) on this other planet is essentially ancient tribal and animist/antheist.
Regardless of the pantheism, I did appreciate the ideas about "joining". The humans have these neurons that can connect to the neurons in other beings, e.g. animals or trees. It's an organic connection, as opposed to the mechanical one of the regular humans from Earth. Examples of the mechanical one: the link into the avatars, the robot machines that a human can be inside of and controlling. I think that organic connection is an element missing in modern life that appeals to the audience. I keep encountering so many stories these days that seem to be successful because they do play on godly principles that people are longing for and don't have: connectedness to other humans beings, true manhood, sacrificial love, etc.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
today
I heard today that I didn't get accepted into a work program that I applied for. The program would have let me keep my current job, but go work at an international health program overseas for 3 months next summer. I'm disappointed.... I really thought I would get in and had all these plans in my mind for the next year because of it. And now it's not happening and the future feels blank stretching out before me. Now I need an alternate plan, which I suppose is grad school. But I definitely feel discouraged -- if I couldn't get into this program, why would a grad school want me? blech....
I went and sat in my car for a lunch break and googled "dealing with disappointment". Read some good reminders that even the negatives in life can be used positively if you look at it the right way -- as a growing and learning experience, an experience of life.
I went and sat in my car for a lunch break and googled "dealing with disappointment". Read some good reminders that even the negatives in life can be used positively if you look at it the right way -- as a growing and learning experience, an experience of life.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
loaded language
Over the holidays, my family met up in Tucson, Arizona, where we lived from '91 to '96. I can't remember the topic, but something elicited my brother Seth to say, "That's loaded." Mama was about to object when he clarified, "Loaded with meaning, like all language." I thought it was a really interesting point. Language itself is imbued or saturated with meaning. Every word we say or write has nuances, implications, and distinctions of meaning. Words are so detailed and precise....I wish I used them better.
So I was just reading a blog by a Jewish financial advisor who also happens to live in Tucson: http://larrygellman.blogspot.com/. He's been writing a few posts about Bernard Madoff who has stolen a record $50billion from investors. I've liked Gellman's take on it and on the ramifications for Jewish people. This ties into the language discussion because he also links to an article on the need for proportionality in our metaphors: http://blog.beliefnet.com/windowsanddoors/2009/01/madoff-and-adolf---bernie-hitl.html#preview. There is even a blog entirely dedicated to documenting disproportional uses of the Holocaust/Nazis/Hitler in metaphors: http://worsethanhitler.wordpress.com/. His "Primer" gives a good summary, although not necessarily great examples of alternatives. Interesting stuff, but ultimately, wouldn't you also consider the disproportionality of spending your time documenting this?
So I was just reading a blog by a Jewish financial advisor who also happens to live in Tucson: http://larrygellman.blogspot.com/. He's been writing a few posts about Bernard Madoff who has stolen a record $50billion from investors. I've liked Gellman's take on it and on the ramifications for Jewish people. This ties into the language discussion because he also links to an article on the need for proportionality in our metaphors: http://blog.beliefnet.com/windowsanddoors/2009/01/madoff-and-adolf---bernie-hitl.html#preview. There is even a blog entirely dedicated to documenting disproportional uses of the Holocaust/Nazis/Hitler in metaphors: http://worsethanhitler.wordpress.com/. His "Primer" gives a good summary, although not necessarily great examples of alternatives. Interesting stuff, but ultimately, wouldn't you also consider the disproportionality of spending your time documenting this?
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wedding: Nayan & Lynn
I went to Nayan and Lynn's wedding in Atlanta this weekend. Took off work on Friday to drive down. The others in my car were Sando, Gbenga I., and Gbenga A. We arrived at night and the wedding was Saturday morning at 11:30am. I got up early to help set up, then the wedding plus reception, went out to eat for Saturday dinner. Church on Sunday morning with everyone from the wedding and the EC Embassy Atlanta. Went out to lunch after church with big group of people, then back in the car for the drive back, arriving back in DC late. That is the timeline version of the story.
It was really such a great weekend, an astounding wedding, fun drives, laughter, conversation.... The wedding itself was outstanding -- very simple in many ways without elaborate decorations or any sense of overdone expense. What came across most was the clear expression of true relationship. They had written some personal statements of love and commitment which were thought-provoking, poetic, true, and moving. From where I was sitting, I could see Lynn's face, tearing up as she listened to Nayan. My eyes were definitely watering too -- I can't watch such deep emotion without being moved as well. They made some very powerful statements. For example, Nayan talked about providing shade for her, leading her, defining her. I talked with Lynn about it later and I have never considered it that way before. God created a woman for Adam, but Adam was the one who named her. That principle of the man being meant to go to God and find the vision for his family and be able to bring that back and provide that to his wife. That there is some definition and identity that I cannot attain unless my husband speaks it to me.
The other clear expression of relationship was that of the community. We worshipped God at the beginning of the wedding and having so many members of Elijah Centre, we filled the area with praise. The ceremony was actually in a space that was essentially part of the foyer of the hotel, but there was no inhibition, no holding back. The family members who are not saved, or not part of our same worship culture, were standing there and I felt as if the worship must just overwhelm them. They could not help but be taken into our world. We sang "You Are" which exalts God, saying "You are who You are". And then "Together" which sings about our purpose in God, the fulfillment of all of God's will, and our standing together as a community which shall accomplish all God desires. In the context of a wedding, the lyrics were ideal. Nayan and Lynn saying they will walk in purpose together. And all of us as their family and friends, the community supporting them, that we are walking with them and they are walking with us. We are all invested in each other's lives; we have bought into each other. Nayan and Lynn have bought into my life, into the fulfillment of God's purpose in my life, and vice versa, I have bought into them. Individually before and now for them as a couple, as a family.
Another theme that came up over the weekend was my independence as woman. As a single woman, who has left my family (physically and spiritually in many ways), I've learned to be very independent -- I'm not a 'damsel in distress', I can do things for myself. But then to consider what it takes to be married, to submit. And even without that, I realize I need to develop more 'femininity'. Not a weakness of reliance, but that sense of allowing men to be men. It's an internal shift in the heart, although can start to be expressed in external things, whether it's in letting them hold doors open, carry my suitcase, drive the car, etc. That I don't need to do those things to prove that I'm strong. What does it really mean to be womanly? I think of Sis June and her descriptions of grace, prayer, care for your family, etc. I want to develop those skills further -- really the heart position of gracefulness, being constantly prayerful, concerned for the welfare of those around me (unselfish), as well as an external resourcefulness mixed with recognition of true weaknesses, care for physical appearance, etc. I also think of purity of speech and mind, lightness of heart, joy and peace -- those are the things which make a woman beautiful. Especially in this community, where the men are going through this whole Quarry process. I need to give them that space to be Quarry Men.
Another element that fascinates me with weddings is that transformation of identity. I may have an idea of who a certain guy is, but then when you see them in a relationship, you often see their real selves begin to blossom and be exposed. For example, in single life, you wouldn't have the chance to see how poetic Nayan is. I've always known that he is thoughtful, but the practical expressions and outworking of that in a relationship makes it that more evident. It makes me pause to consider how I see the guys in my life. Do I see them accurately? Do I see who they really are in God?
It was really such a great weekend, an astounding wedding, fun drives, laughter, conversation.... The wedding itself was outstanding -- very simple in many ways without elaborate decorations or any sense of overdone expense. What came across most was the clear expression of true relationship. They had written some personal statements of love and commitment which were thought-provoking, poetic, true, and moving. From where I was sitting, I could see Lynn's face, tearing up as she listened to Nayan. My eyes were definitely watering too -- I can't watch such deep emotion without being moved as well. They made some very powerful statements. For example, Nayan talked about providing shade for her, leading her, defining her. I talked with Lynn about it later and I have never considered it that way before. God created a woman for Adam, but Adam was the one who named her. That principle of the man being meant to go to God and find the vision for his family and be able to bring that back and provide that to his wife. That there is some definition and identity that I cannot attain unless my husband speaks it to me.
The other clear expression of relationship was that of the community. We worshipped God at the beginning of the wedding and having so many members of Elijah Centre, we filled the area with praise. The ceremony was actually in a space that was essentially part of the foyer of the hotel, but there was no inhibition, no holding back. The family members who are not saved, or not part of our same worship culture, were standing there and I felt as if the worship must just overwhelm them. They could not help but be taken into our world. We sang "You Are" which exalts God, saying "You are who You are". And then "Together" which sings about our purpose in God, the fulfillment of all of God's will, and our standing together as a community which shall accomplish all God desires. In the context of a wedding, the lyrics were ideal. Nayan and Lynn saying they will walk in purpose together. And all of us as their family and friends, the community supporting them, that we are walking with them and they are walking with us. We are all invested in each other's lives; we have bought into each other. Nayan and Lynn have bought into my life, into the fulfillment of God's purpose in my life, and vice versa, I have bought into them. Individually before and now for them as a couple, as a family.
Another theme that came up over the weekend was my independence as woman. As a single woman, who has left my family (physically and spiritually in many ways), I've learned to be very independent -- I'm not a 'damsel in distress', I can do things for myself. But then to consider what it takes to be married, to submit. And even without that, I realize I need to develop more 'femininity'. Not a weakness of reliance, but that sense of allowing men to be men. It's an internal shift in the heart, although can start to be expressed in external things, whether it's in letting them hold doors open, carry my suitcase, drive the car, etc. That I don't need to do those things to prove that I'm strong. What does it really mean to be womanly? I think of Sis June and her descriptions of grace, prayer, care for your family, etc. I want to develop those skills further -- really the heart position of gracefulness, being constantly prayerful, concerned for the welfare of those around me (unselfish), as well as an external resourcefulness mixed with recognition of true weaknesses, care for physical appearance, etc. I also think of purity of speech and mind, lightness of heart, joy and peace -- those are the things which make a woman beautiful. Especially in this community, where the men are going through this whole Quarry process. I need to give them that space to be Quarry Men.
Another element that fascinates me with weddings is that transformation of identity. I may have an idea of who a certain guy is, but then when you see them in a relationship, you often see their real selves begin to blossom and be exposed. For example, in single life, you wouldn't have the chance to see how poetic Nayan is. I've always known that he is thoughtful, but the practical expressions and outworking of that in a relationship makes it that more evident. It makes me pause to consider how I see the guys in my life. Do I see them accurately? Do I see who they really are in God?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)