The Code: Living with Genetic Abnormalities
When a child with a genetic or other abnormality is born, parents need information as well as support from the medical community. Even the same genetic disease like cystic fibrosis will vary in. its clinical severity. Th..
The Code: Living with Genetic Abnormalities: The Merten Family
At 2 and 3 years of age, Scotty and Chris Merten--short, physically weak, and severely retarded--were referred to Dr. Edward McCabe. As he and his associates were to learn, the two brothers had a rare combination of thre..
The Code: Newborn Screening
Newborn babies are routinely tested for phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder that can cause retardation if not corrected with diet, and congenital hypothyroidism. Some states require additional tests for cystic fi..
The Code: The Genetic Blueprint
Every cell of the human body carries 23 pairs of chromosomes. The chemical substance within each chromosome--the DNA--contains hundreds, sometimes thousands of different genes, depending on the size of the chromosome. Ge..
The Controlling Function
The most brilliantly conceived strategic plan is only likely to be achieved if the organization has an effective controlling process that monitors performance and keeps the company on target.
The Correspondence Theory of Truth
Philosopher John Searle talks about the correspondence theory of truth, which he says is, "...just a fancy way of saying statements are true when they correspond to how things really are." Professor Searle adds that we'v..
The Darwinian Revolution
Philosopher John Searle talks about what he considers to be the three primary contributions of Charles Darwin. At the time Darwin lived, Professor Searle explains, his most influential idea was that natural selection, ra..
The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Demography of Population Growth
Projecting population growth begins with three basic assumptions: everyone is born at age zero, everyone dies, and the earth is a closed system. Based on current fertility patterns, the world population will reach 296 bi..
The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Ecological Globalization
The industrialized world is responsible for most of the environmental devastation of the twentieth century. But an emerging middle class in countries like China and India have the potential to take an unprecedented toll ..
The Delicate Balance, Part 1: Economics vs. Environmentalism OR What's a Tree Worth?
The impact of the corporate mind-set on the environment. Modern culture tends to view the world through an economic value filter, ignoring the larger value of natural resources, such as trees, to the planet's ecosystems.