What happens when you apply reason to solve your problems? And what happens when you give way to emotions, like fear or anger? Two stories from Nature Briefings illustrate the consequences rather nicely, we think.
Reason: New developments in RNA therapies Older readers, who remember as far back as the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, may recall how a little thing called an RNA vaccine began to make a big difference. Since when a lot of time has passed, and RNA medical technology has come on leaps and bounds. Don’t take our word for it, read this, RNA treatments nearing reality
As early as the mid-1990s, scientists suggested editing molecules of RNA as a treatment for certain diseases, but at the time, they lacked the tools to do so. Around thirty years later, those tools are at our disposal. Editing RNA instead of DNA has several advantages. It’s a process that cells perform naturally, it doesn’t risk permanently altering a person’s genes and it doesn’t introduce bacterial enzymes to human cells as CRISPR-Cas9 gene therapies do. The field of RNA editing may be in its infancy, but pharma companies are already testing its use in some types of eye disease and cancer.Science | 13 min read
For the record, it’s worth clicking on the link, because the article is very clear, with some truly awesome graphics
Unreason: Let’s chuck foreigners out of our Universities Now try this:
A surge in far-right parties entering governments across Europe is raising concerns for science. Policy experts warn that these parties typically show no interest in research and innovation, leaving scientists vulnerable to budget cuts. In the Netherlands, researchers are bracing for €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) in cuts to the university and research budget under a coalition government including the anti-Islam Party for Freedom. The coalition also wants to limit the intake of international students and implement rules that would require universities to apply for permission to teach courses in English, which could trigger an exodus of foreign academics who don’t want to, or can’t, teach in Dutch.Nature | 5 min read
Chuck out foreigners! Don’t let those evil English speakers corrupt the purity of our language! The really odd thing about this for us is the parallel with football . The most successful Universities are like the most successful clubs(compare the Imperial College with Manchester City, if you like) The trick is to create centres of excellence, drawing in the very best talent you can find, and taking a relaxed view of things like native language, dress sense and marital customs. There is often a strong overlap between certain types of football fan and support for right wing parties. Do they really want their favourite team to send home all the foreign players?
#football #university #learning #reason #unreason
Learning, Science and Society 