Technology is reshaping every part of our lives, from the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the bottom. Indeed, even feeding ourselves is being impacted by digital transformation — giving rise to the term ‘agronomy,’ the study of crops and the environment to maximize productivity.
A paper published by MIT recently concludes that AI techniques can “produce a free, non-invasive, real-time, any-time, instantly distributable, large-scale COVID-19 asymptomatic screening tool to augment current approaches in containing the spread of COVID-19.” The paper advises that the audio technique could be implemented to screen students and workers as they get back to their daily lives or on public transportation. The authors note that the science behind this research could also be contained in smart devices to enable asymptomatic patients to be monitored for COVID within their own homes.
There are two definitions of the term monopoly in the Merriam Webster dictionary. The first is ‘complete ownership or control of the entire supply of goods or a service in a certain market.’ The second posits that a monopoly is a person or group having complete control over something. It is this premise that has landed publicly-traded tech-behemoth Google in hot water, both at home and abroad.
Dr. Fauci spoke with the Office of the Inspector General on October 13 and made it clear that he believes politics should play no role in a pandemic. “Once you lose the confidence of people, they don’t believe what you’re saying or they believe you’re holding things back, or they believe there’s a political motivation to things,” Fauci explained. He is looking to the Inspector General’s office which oversees a number of government departments, to help restore faith in the public health system.
History was made this month when a UC Berkeley biochemist won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with a French-born Berlin-based microbiologist. It is the first time two women have shared the prize, given out by The Royal Swedish Academy Of Sciences. The official documentation for the award in Chemistry states that it was given to Doctors Jennifer A. Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier for their work developing a method for genome editing.
There have been many new terms thrown around over the past eight months, many of which are medical in nature. From flattening the curve to social distancing to contact tracing, our vocabularies have expanded to include public health terminologies that we have never before taken the time to understand, let alone repeat. With winter approaching and cases spiking across the nation, it is time we defined exactly what is meant by another term that is frequently used and often misunderstood. A term that is most closely associated with Sweden’s unique approach to the pandemic. And often reported to be irresponsible and ineffective.
California is one of just 5 states that is currently seeing a decline in the average number of new cases according to the NY Times. Hawaii, Maine, Delaware, and Wisconsin round out the list. Cases in 45 other states are increasing, an alarming statistic as we head into the flu season and a time when outdoor dining and activities will be restricted in states with colder climates.
