The ongoing measles outbreaks across the United States and Europe prove definitively that our personal choices affect everybody around us. Although you have a right to your own body, your choice to willfully be sick ends where another’s right to be healthy begins. For that reason, people who “opt out” of vaccines should be opted out of American society. Read the rest at Scientific American.
Category Archives: Science: The Softer Side
Gov. Jay Inslee’s Green Record Should Raise Red Flags
Every four years the political circus comes to town. Unlike the actual circus, there are neither peanuts nor animals performing tricks. Instead, we get platitudes and pandering politicians who treat Seattle like a giant ATM and leave as soon as the check clears. If we’re lucky, they don’t come during rush hour. Read the rest at Puget Sound Business Journal.
Why the Pope Should Officially Embrace Biotechnology
In May 2015, Pope Francis issued an encyclical with the subtitle “On Care for Our Common Home.” The letter addressed various environmental issues, such as pollution and climate change, and it reminded all of us that we are to steward the Earth, not plunder it.
The Pope’s missive demonstrates that he is both theologically sound and scientifically literate, a very rare combination. That is why he should now author an encyclical urging the world to embrace the life-giving promise of biotechnology.
Read the rest at Leaps Magazine.
Washington Measles Outbreak Shows Anti-Vaxxers Are Literally Making Us Sick
The State of Washington has declared an emergency because of a measles outbreak in Clark County, which is across the river from Portland, Oregon. To the surprise of no one, the outbreak has occurred, almost exclusively, among the unvaccinated. The motivation of those who refuse to vaccinate their children—whether it is fear, ideology, or thoughtlessness—is irrelevant. They are putting the safety of thousands of people at risk. Read the rest at Newsweek.
How Many Have to be Hospitalized for Salmonella, E. coli Before We Try Food Irradiation?
The United States is being hit by two large foodborne illness outbreaks — first, the E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce, and now a salmonella outbreak in beef that has sickened more than 200 people. These high-profile cases underscore the inadequacy of the safety measures meant to protect our food supply. If we are serious about addressing this issue, we must implement food irradiation. Read the rest at USA Today.
Zillow Taught Us How to Sell Our Condo and It Worked Perfectly
Earlier this year, my wife and I decided to decamp from Seattle and head for the suburbs. We put our small, Northgate-area condo on the market, and it sold in less than 24 hours for $30,000 over asking price. How did we do it? Read the rest at Puget Sound Business Journal.
Seattle’s Homelessness Crisis Is About to Become a Public Health Catastrophe
Seattle faces a public health catastrophe if King County and the Seattle City Council don’t deal with the squalid conditions at the city’s homeless encampments. Read the rest at Puget Sound Business Journal.
The ‘Slow Death’ Book that Won’t Die Returns with More Fear-Mongering Junk
The book Slow Death by Rubber Duck has been updated with more pseudoscience and advice like you should smell bad and pay more for groceries. Read the rest at National Post.
After 14 years, I’ve Had It. I’m Leaving Seattle
I KNEW Seattle was no longer a place for me when I met with Debora Juarez — the District 5 City Council member I had voted for. Read the rest at the Seattle Times.
March for Science Was Just an Excuse to Attack Trump and Republicans
In Washington and cities around the country last weekend, events labeled The March for Science should have been labeled The March Against Trump. Few Republicans were invited and marchers carried signs that urged “Resist” and other anti-Trump slogans. Read the rest at Fox News.