Logic Applied To Glowing Monkeys

I am not a scientist. I do not earn money for working in research. Yet even I can spot that there's something logically wrong with this article, given to me by a friend.

The issue is within only four sentences, which, oddly enough, are all together. Here they are:

Three monkeys were successfully altered in this way, but only ANDi survived.
The jellyfish gene was used, Schatten said, because it is known to be harmless and because it is easily detectable.
ANDi appears normal so far - he does not glow the way a jellyfish does. But the two other monkeys who got the gene did exhibit florescence.

Okay. The first sentence says three monkeys were genetically altered before conception, with two dying and one named ANDi surviving. The logic starts fine there, but the next sentence throws a curve. It says that a gene from a jellyfish was used because it is harmless and detectable. Harmless? Two of three died, although we don't know if it was the gene. Yet, the third and fourth sentences point in that direction pretty conclusively. It says ANDi doesn't glow like the other two did.

If the gene was detectable by making the monkeys glow, and ANDi doesn't glow, under the conditions set by the scientists, it should mean that the gene didn't take with ANDi and he's normal. Further, if the gene did take with the other two, and they died, wouldn't that point in the direction of the cause of their death? Regardless, if a drug killed two-thirds of its patients, I don't think the FDA would classify that as harmless.

Taking a step back from the internal logic of the article, I have a problem with the research described--but especially if it's pursued and embraced by the same illogical thinking that's in the article. History shows that eugenics were all the rage in the first half of the twentieth century, but Nazi Germany's attempts at producing the master race raised the moral and ethical questions needed. Was it right to sterilize, imprison, or kill a human being because they were somehow undesirable? Was it acceptable to breed humans the same way as animals to reduce some characteristics while enhancing other characteristics? What of the societal implications? Wouldn't genetic modification create two classes of humanity, regular, dull, dim-witted, scrawny, four-eyed freaks and new, improved, genius-level, brawny, clear-sighted humans? Many such questions still apply to the genetic research happening today.

Will we, as a society, someday be forced to live a Gattaca-like existence instead of the life we choose? Would there even be room in such a world for the disabled, the wounded, or the born imperfect? Man will always have a choice, but mankind will also be forced live with the consequences of the choices made. I know that eliminating genetic weaknesses toward disease feels right, but all the years we could buy--even the world itself--will seem hollow if the price is our conscience.

From Training A Child To Training A Young Man

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging for a very important letter from a father to his son. 

 Dear Son,

This letter is reaching you in April on your birthday, but I started it in January. Something this big is going to take planning and I need to get all the head start I can. I'll get to that in a moment.

You're 12 today. Yea! A solid dozen years of life is now under your belt, and that's terrific! Things haven't been easy for you all the time. You've stuck to your chores, and as you've gotten bigger and more capable, we've given you new ones. However, it's not just that you've grown more capable. You've grown more responsible as well. You don't shirk from doing the job you've been assigned.

You've learned the physical and demanding game of football, so much so that I respect your abilities and your talents. If you continue to practice, work hard, and stay true to your desire, you could certainly play high school in a few years, and from there, there's only One Who knows how far you can go.

Because of these changes and because you are my son, we're going to be training you in things that men are expected to be able to handle. I will teach you all I know about plumbing, household maintenance, car care, and more. I'll train you in driving. I will help you begin to think defensively and how to guard yourself and your loved ones to protect them as best you can.

I will be giving you scriptures to memorize so that you have His Word hidden in your heart. I know from experience that there will be times in your life where you are glad you committed the Scriptures to memory, times where having a Bible is too impractical but where you can bring up out of the storehouse of your heart the solid, insightful truth as you are led by the Holy Spirit. That is the true use of the Sword of the Spirit.

I will be praying with you, teaching you how to meditate, and how to cultivate an active prayer life. I've already worked with you on hearing the Spirit. My hope is that we can improve on this with time and patience.

We will consider all of this part of your homeschooling, but more importantly, I pray that in the end, you will consider this the most valuable part of your early education. I say early education because, really, you never stop learning. But if you start good, if you have a clean, stable foundation, whatever you place on top of it will be in good shape.

Son, I love you. I know you are getting older and I am racing to fill your mind and heart with what you need when you leave. I pray I give you everything God wants me to give you. If I do, I know I will have done as good a job as I can. In the end, I want to hear "Well done! You are good and faithful. Enter into your Father's happiness." As you grow, you will hunger for that more also.

As we move forward, my goal is not to create another "Steve," but to help you become the best you possible in God's sight. Remember that this may not be the same as the best you in the sight of the world. We need to keep talking about this as we go.

I love you, son. We are different in some ways and the same in others. In all, I find you a wonderful boy and future man. You bring me happiness and thankfulness. You are a blessing of God in my life, and I am thankful for you.

Love,

Dad

Tapping The Wallet For A New Set Of Keys

I haven't posted a great deal in a great while. It has been difficult, to say the least--ha!--to not write so much. Part--no, most of it has been due to the wonderful disabilities I live with. I've also been on a bit of an introspective where God has been speaking and I've been taking notes. I'm not sure where this latest leg of the journey is going, but it's been a healthy trip so far I think. My identity and its impact on others has been a lot of it.

What have I been doing lately? Most of the time, I've been coping with aforesaid disabilities, specifically Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Other than that, I've been blogging on my railroad blog as a hobby. I've been coping as my family transitions to a new family business, helping my children manage the transition and offering as much moral support as one dad in a chair can.

More recently, I've been adjusting to life with a new keyboard. I don't normally buy things so expensive, but this was an absolute necessity. For years, it has hurt to type. Really, I've needed this keyboard since 2003 or so. For a long time, I knew what I needed, but I didn't know who made it, or where to get it. Now that I have it, the knots and spasms in my upper back have had much less to complain about. They still make a fuss, but it's just not made nearly as bad as when I was using the old keyboard.


Winters are hard to endure when you have certain arthritic conditions. It's painful, and most folks don't discuss it because it's something non-arthritics can't relate to. Pain, it seems, makes more people than just the sufferer uncomfortable. What can I do, though? Ignore it? That's hard to do when you don't want to get out of bed or, worse, can't make it to bed from the chair. Still, I've opted not to blog exclusively about pain this winter because it's not all that beneficial for everyone. On the other hand, having a keyboard that helps that pain is a positive worth noticing.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, friends. I hope this keyboard lets me post more often with less pain. That, or I'll want my money back.