“Innocent But Sentenced to Death”
That was the title of a powerful segment on the Katie, the Katie Couric talk show. Couric interviews Anthony Graves and Kurt Bloodsworth. Kirk Bloodsworth gained notoriety for being the first person exonerated by DNA evidence. Anthony Graves spent eighteen years in prison and time on death row. Remarkably, Graves remained hopeful and unbelievably buoyant.
Happy Veterans Day to all those of who have served. In commemoration of the occasion here is an episode of the BBC’s Moral Maze podcast elegantly entitled “The Morality of Remembrance.” In England, their version of Veterans Day is Remembrance Day. Where we have the yellow ribbon, they adorn the poppy flower.
Although the debate is an English take on the holiday, many of the issues discussed apply in the American context. For instance, what is patriotism? What should we honoring? How should we be honoring? It is interesting that in the United States the holiday is marked by a status, whether or not one is a veteran; while in England, it is about an act, remembering past wars and warriors. In a sense, Veterans Day is simpler in the US, we know who and what to honor. In the United Kingdom, the issue is more contested. When the holiday is framed in terms of remembrance, the question becomes what should we be remembering?
Happy Veterans Day to all those of who have served. In commemoration of the occasion here is an episode of the BBC’s Moral Maze podcast elegantly entitled “The Morality of Remembrance.” In England, their version of Veterans Day is Remembrance Day. Where we have the yellow ribbon, they adorn the poppy flower.
Although the debate is an English take on the holiday, many of the issues discussed apply in the American context. For instance, what is patriotism? What should we honoring? How should we be honoring? It is interesting that in the United States the holiday is marked by a status, whether or not one is a veteran; while in England, it is about an act, remembering past wars and warriors. In a sense, Veterans Day is simpler in the US, we know who and what to honor. In the United Kingdom, the issue is more contested. When the holiday is framed in terms of remembrance, the question becomes what should we be remembering?
Sunday Funday: “Britney Spears vs Somali pirates?”
There was a story this week about how Britney Spears’ songs are being played to deter Somali pirates attacks, and two “words” came to mind: Sunday Funday. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria discussed this important development on his Sunday show Fareed Zakaria GPS. Here is how the segment began:
The U.N. has released a report suggesting that piracy off the coast of Somalia has dropped to the lowest level in seven years. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon credited the decline to improving international policing and prosecution as well as better security and information sharing.
One Scottish merchant Navy officer reported last week that there might be additional reasons for the drop – Britney Spears. The officer told a U.K. paper that blasting songs like Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and “Oops, I Did It Again,” is effective in deterring approaching pirates.
In a recent book, G is for Genes: The Impact of Genetics on Education and Achievement, Robert Plomin and Kathryn Asbury explore the science of genetics and the potential impact of genetics on education policy. Plomin and Asbury argue against the taboo (*eugenics*) surrounding use of genetics to inform education. G is for Genes is the basis of recent BBC Moral Maze debate.
Here is a description of the podcast:
For centuries philosophers and theologians have wrestled with the question of nature versus nurture. Increasingly and for some controversially, the science of behavioural genetics is starting to come up with some of the answers. The argument is perhaps at its most sensitive when applied to education. When it was revealed that Education Secretary, Michael Gove’s outgoing special advisor, Dominic Cummings, called for education policy to incorporate the science behind genes and cognitive development he broke a modern taboo and there was a predictable outcry. In a wide ranging paper Mr Cummings cited the work of Professor Robert Plomin who’s about to publish a book with psychologist Dr Kathryn Asbury which calls for “genetically sensitive” schooling. It’s based on a study of how genes and environment have shaped the development of over 10,000 twins who were studied from birth to early adulthood. The scientists say their work is about probability not prophecy and can be used to personalise education and create better outcomes for all, but fears of genetic determinism are deeply ingrained. How should we use genetics in education? Science is a very long way from knowing exactly which genes influence individual differences in learning but as knowledge in this field advances that time will surely come. We already use genetics to screen for various medical conditions, so why not for learning abilities? And what happens if, or when, the science of genetics becomes so powerful that we can identify different populations that are endowed with different genetic make-ups that we believe are more or less desirable? Is that just a scientific inevitability that we have to come to terms with, or does it open the door to eugenics? How should we use the science of genetics?