Gene editing can sound like the stuff of sci-fi nightmares. Given the ability to selectively snip into the human genome, will we yield to the temptation to try to generate perfect little versions of ourselves? If we can dip into the genetic code, selectively editing for the traits we do or do not value, is that a Frankenstein scenario in the making? Probably not. “While scientists are focusing on an array of applications in the areas of health, agriculture and environment, fi ghting disease and improving health in humans is a top priority for many,” said Dr. Catherine Bliss, assistant professor in the University of California, San Francisco, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. As the name suggests, gene editing is the process whereby scientists “cut and paste strands of DNA — actually inserting, removing and replacing them — to modify an organism’s genetic code,” Bliss said. In a 2015 summit, scientists from around the globe agreed to channel their eff orts toward fighting disease. With gene editing, scientists have been able to switch off the DNA that cause certain diseases. This kind of gene modifi cation has been used to tackle leukemia in blood cells. Another emerging specialty, known as gene therapy, uses certain cells that can attack and kill unhealthy cancer cells. Research has shown that by enhancing what are known as T cells, they can reverse the eff ects of certain cancers. The T cells act as a drug and have proven eff ective in treating lymphoma and hemophilia in trials.
Gene editing still is largely a research project, but one with potential practical applications. The U.S. government funds research into medical uses, but how far will other nations go? “Will we create a race of smarter, faster, stronger people? Will some of us live substantially longer than others? Will [genetically modifi ed] humans come to rule over non-GMOs, forcing them into a subservient underclass? These are but a few of the questions we must ask ourselves as we watch this technology develop,” Bliss said.
“So this is as much an economic matter for state and local governments as one of public health,” she said. In the longer term, state and local authorities may fi nd themselves grappling with a host of ethical issues. Genetic editing in the food chain already is raising public concerns, and those voices will only amplify as practical implementations related to human health arise. “In the future, state and local governments may find themselves deliberating over policy regarding specifi c applications,” Bliss said. “There isn’t any policy — federal, state or local — thus far.
Gestural Computer Interface.
Gestural technology seeks to adapt the user interface, to make it more eff ective, more fl exible, more intuitive. The user may interact with a computer monitor, a white board or a big array of screens. Commands may be conveyed through gloves or a wand or simply by waving a pattern in the air.
This creates a new dynamic for presentations. Instead of having to clickand-drag on a screen, “now you can grab something, resize it and bring it into the picture from some other place More than mere convenience, the promise of gestural tech lies in its ability to give people freer access to the vast volumes of data that are growing up in the public realm. “People carry around massive amounts of data on smartphones and tablets and laptops. But can you really solve big problems on a smartphone? No. You need better access to that information,” he said.
“Sometimes you need access to multiple streams of information, and the ability to manipulate that data is key. It’s not just about having the information. It’s about being able to combine that data, to cut and paste it and to share it.” This raises interesting possibilities for government, said Michael Hong, principal at global management consulting fi rm A.T. Kearney. When combined with virtual or augmented reality, the technology could open the door to smoother, more eff ective citizen services. Gestural technology could also help government to better serve those with disabilities.
“These are customized, instantaneous, personalized experiences. If someone can move their fi ngers or arms and you have sensors that pick up on that, now they can interface and engage with government in ways that they haven’t been able to in the past,” he said. Gestural tech could bring new challenges too, as for instance with the auto industry’s interest in establishing hand gestures as a way to simplify the control interfaces in a car. “So now I will be able to engage with my music system or my climate control without even having to touch anything? For government, there are going to have to be safety precautions considered with that,” Hong said. “There has to be some policy impact.”
Measuring Cities Health System Using Sewers
Can the health of a city be measured through its sewer system? The Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology thinks it can and is putting robotic devices into the sewers of Cambridge to fi nd out. The prototype device now undergoing tests measures just a few factors, such as water fl ow and temperature. But if the robot works as proposed, the next step will be to place more sensors on it to test for specifi c pathogens, such as viruses and infectious diseases, according to researcher Newsha Ghaeli. “The idea is that if we can look at types of viruses found in the sewers, we can start to understand how diseases are started and how outbreaks move through cities. The robot can be used to act as an early warning system for infectious diseases,” she said. In 2013, researchers in southern Israel discovered the polio virus while testing sewage samples. The government quickly responded with blanket vaccinations for the local population before the virus could spread. While most city governments run tests on what is contained in the water at wastewater treatment plants, Ghaeli said these facilities are disconnected from the cities they serve and that the water often contains runoff from streets and has been traveling for hours, which means important chemical bonds are breaking down, making the testing less accurate. “This robotic device, which is lowered right into the sewer lines, measures what’s happening in the heart of the city,” she said. The project, which is being funded by a grant from a Kuwaiti-based foundation, is part of the lab’s broader eff ort to understand human behavior within a city. By bringing together bioengineering with Internet of Things sensor technology and large pools of data, researchers hope to fi nd better ways to link urban life — and health — with public policy.
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