Intellectual Property (IP) is, in 2019, what a gold mine was in 1918. Technology companies of all stripes, pharmaceutical companies, media companies, and many others live or die by their intellectual property. Because of this it has become a litigeious business. Companies constantly sue other companies and individuals for IP theft, patent infringement, copyright infringement…
It is too late to regulate gene editing
The scientific community is shocked and outraged this week over the announcement that a Chinese doctor has gene edited two children to make them more resistant to HIV. Much of the scientific community believes that we are still decades away from being able to safely and accurately edit the genetics of embryos, that there are…
What the Future Holds Part I: Science and Technology
Like most people, the future I want to see informs my politics and my worldview. However, I’ve also had a hard look at what the coming decades are likely to hold. Trying to plan for what you’d like to happen, without taking into account what is very likely to happen, regardless of whether you want…
What would health care look like as an app?
Imagine if your phone, or whatever device you use, kept track of your health better than your family physician does; Imagine if it could tell you ahead of time if you were getting sick before you were aware of symptoms, or told you what to do to avoid getting sick; Imagine if it could share…
What Would Higher Education & Skills Training as an App look like?
This is hypothetical, the app I’m about to describe does not exist. However, it could exist, using existing technology and without any individual stakeholder having to pay very much. The biggest obstacle would be establishing cooperation between governments and other stakeholders to make it happen. Once it was fully up and running it could offer free, or nearly free, education to…
Politics in 2018: Making the most of dangerous times
Looking forward from 2018, there are both great opportunities and serious challenges. Challenges may not even be the right word because, while there are obviously obstacles to overcome and problems in need of solutions, there are tragedies waiting in the future which are probably not avoidable anymore. To move forward successfully, we are going to…