Difference between revisions of "Team:Berlin/senenergene/vignette"

Line 142: Line 142:
 
      <h4 class="blue-text project-headline"><FONT FACE="Arial">3. Techno-Moral Vignette</h4></FONT>
 
      <h4 class="blue-text project-headline"><FONT FACE="Arial">3. Techno-Moral Vignette</h4></FONT>
 
      </div>
 
      </div>
 +
<strong>
 +
It’s another rainy Sunday, but John decided to go for a walk nonetheless. He’s been very exhausted
 +
from the past months. And still he felt guilty for leaving the house right now, to escape reality for a
 +
bit. But then again, he knew he couldn’t escape reality with his daughter lying sick at home at the
 +
edge of death. He started feeling the anger rise inside him. How could people who had realized the
 +
threat of microplastics years ago ignore this issue? Considering that the analysis of microplastics has
 +
become very easy and effective in recent years, it is already too late for going after the same
 +
approach that was not supported years ago. An approach that could have saved his daughter from
 +
suffering now if it had been fully developed and improved. Developing a microplastics degrading
 +
filtering unit was too expensive, they said. Look at them now, having to pay millions of dollars to
 +
develop huge filtering units for the seas. They already have no more time to develop a microplastics
 +
degrading machine which would be cost effective. This also means that only the rich can afford such
 +
a technology while the poor will be left behind again.
 +
It is terrible that is has come as far as microplastics being present everywhere in the seas and that
 +
pathogenic bacteria have made microplastics their living substrate. They spread through
 +
microplastics and build up resistances against antibiotics. Being attached to these particles, the
 +
pathogenic bacteria are taken up by human beings. Just like his daughter took these bacteria up. Just
 +
another case of death caused by pathogenic bacteria on microplastics. Just another mistake
 +
manhood has made by ignoring potential threats. And now he is paying the price for it by losing his
 +
daughter.
  
−
    </div>
+
He just couldn’t believe that this is happening right now. And scientists still haven’t found an
 +
antibiotic for these bacteria. Bacteria that should have never been present in the first place.
 +
How many times has it crossed his mind to just go steal some of the products that were developed in
 +
a rush and are just too expensive for him to afford? He didn’t want to lose another family member
 +
and by doing that he could offer some more protection. This situation is driving him into the darkest
 +
times of his life and he just didn’t want to accept that he is desperate enough to even consider
 +
stealing. But these are human lives we are talking about, you know? And then again, he knew solving
 +
this problem won’t be solving other problems.
 +
 
 +
Passing by a bus stop he saw a poster about a very successful campaign that has started a few
 +
months ago. He just couldn’t be enthusiastic about it. iGEM Berlin had hosted many social events
 +
that offered platforms for discussions about environmental pollutions, especially about plastic
 +
pollution. Social awareness was risen, which eventually lead to that campaign. Many producers
 +
started to relinquish the usage of plastics in their products leading to a decreased amount of
 +
microplastics that got into the seas. This didn’t change a thing about what has already been there
 +
and still is there, though. Also these producers probably use some other components like nano
 +
particles which are also problematic. A doom loop that will never find its ending. Solving one
 +
problem will lead to another problem.
 +
 
 +
He suddenly turned on his heel desperately wanting to spend every second with his daughter now.
 +
What could he do besides being by her side? He knew that thinking about the past wouldn’t change a
 +
thing about what is happening right now. He knew he had to adjust to the situation he was forced
 +
into. He knew all of that.. but he just couldn’t help it.
 +
    </div>
 
  </div>     
 
  </div>     
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 14:32, 18 September 2015

1. Synenergene

2. Application Scenario

3. Techno-Moral Vignette


3. Techno-Moral Vignette

It’s another rainy Sunday, but John decided to go for a walk nonetheless. He’s been very exhausted from the past months. And still he felt guilty for leaving the house right now, to escape reality for a bit. But then again, he knew he couldn’t escape reality with his daughter lying sick at home at the edge of death. He started feeling the anger rise inside him. How could people who had realized the threat of microplastics years ago ignore this issue? Considering that the analysis of microplastics has become very easy and effective in recent years, it is already too late for going after the same approach that was not supported years ago. An approach that could have saved his daughter from suffering now if it had been fully developed and improved. Developing a microplastics degrading filtering unit was too expensive, they said. Look at them now, having to pay millions of dollars to develop huge filtering units for the seas. They already have no more time to develop a microplastics degrading machine which would be cost effective. This also means that only the rich can afford such a technology while the poor will be left behind again. It is terrible that is has come as far as microplastics being present everywhere in the seas and that pathogenic bacteria have made microplastics their living substrate. They spread through microplastics and build up resistances against antibiotics. Being attached to these particles, the pathogenic bacteria are taken up by human beings. Just like his daughter took these bacteria up. Just another case of death caused by pathogenic bacteria on microplastics. Just another mistake manhood has made by ignoring potential threats. And now he is paying the price for it by losing his daughter. He just couldn’t believe that this is happening right now. And scientists still haven’t found an antibiotic for these bacteria. Bacteria that should have never been present in the first place. How many times has it crossed his mind to just go steal some of the products that were developed in a rush and are just too expensive for him to afford? He didn’t want to lose another family member and by doing that he could offer some more protection. This situation is driving him into the darkest times of his life and he just didn’t want to accept that he is desperate enough to even consider stealing. But these are human lives we are talking about, you know? And then again, he knew solving this problem won’t be solving other problems. Passing by a bus stop he saw a poster about a very successful campaign that has started a few months ago. He just couldn’t be enthusiastic about it. iGEM Berlin had hosted many social events that offered platforms for discussions about environmental pollutions, especially about plastic pollution. Social awareness was risen, which eventually lead to that campaign. Many producers started to relinquish the usage of plastics in their products leading to a decreased amount of microplastics that got into the seas. This didn’t change a thing about what has already been there and still is there, though. Also these producers probably use some other components like nano particles which are also problematic. A doom loop that will never find its ending. Solving one problem will lead to another problem. He suddenly turned on his heel desperately wanting to spend every second with his daughter now. What could he do besides being by her side? He knew that thinking about the past wouldn’t change a thing about what is happening right now. He knew he had to adjust to the situation he was forced into. He knew all of that.. but he just couldn’t help it.
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