When I work at my second job, I usually listen to TED Radio Hour. It’s a great way to have something going in my ears that isn’t totally mindless, but doesn’t require so much attention that it would be problematic if I stop listening for a moment because something at work is requiring extra attention.
The problem here is that every moment my mind is churning with ideas and questions – but I can’t write any of them down! Today I listened to an episode about predictions. It mostly focused on predictions of future technologies like growing new organs from your own cells, technologies that can save lives. But for the entire hour all I thought about was how those technologies, even if only 5 years away from being mainstream, won’t be reaching the people who I think matter. The people who work for a living, are undereducated, don’t have access to healthcare. People who, even if a genome analysis can be done on an iPhone at the doctor’s office, can’t afford to get to the doctor in the first place.
Who are these technologies helping? There’s no doubt that they’re amazing. It would be wonderful to have your genome analyzed in a matter of moments to make a perfect diagnosis, and be prescribed a personalized drug. Who is making new technologies available to everyone? So many people don’t even have smart phones, or phones with touch screens, or, hell, any cell phone at all! How are they going to use a genome analyzing app!?
Science and technology are amazing but I can’t even learn about these wonderful advancements without being concerned for the people who are already so far behind. Technology is important but I wish there was more focus on getting everyone on the same level first. Not exclusively, of course. I don’t think technological advancements should come to complete halt while everyone gets up to speed. I do think that we should be spending more time on technology that reaches everyone.
It breaks my heart to think about the lower classes who don’t receive benefits from years of scientific research. I just don’t give a shit about middle to upper class white people. I just don’t care and honestly they’re the only ones I see really benefitting from growing a new liver from their own cells.
That’s really all I have to say. I’m just a sad panda right now and I need to think a little more about the topic. I also need to publish more posts on my website so here this one goes.