The Times Cheltenham Science Festival, which runs every June, has rapidly become one of the most significant science festivals, attracting a wide range of prominent speakers including Robert Winston, Jonathon Porritt, Susan Greenfield, Richard Dawkins, A. C. Grayling, Tony Robinson, Richard Hammond...
The following is a summary of some of the talks this year.
Susan Greenfield on The Individual - Baroness Greenfield raised her concerns about the impact of excessive time spent gaming and using social networking sites. As an expert on the physiology of the brain her concerns focus on how sensitive the brain is to its environment and how the wrong environment limits the development of the brain, affecting attention and the ability to properly socialise. Her new book, 'The Individual,' was motivated by her concern over the uncontrolled impact science and technology and the 2D computer world is having on our lives. She mentioned the increase in ADHA, less empathy in children, higher tolerance for violence. We have more leisure time than ever before, but are we using it in the most enriching ways? Are violent computer games diminishing our sense of consequence, value and meaning? Are we becoming merely passive recipients?
10 Zen Questions - After an out of body experience over 30 years ago Dr Susan Blackmore dedicated her career to parapsychology to find an explanation, concluding eventually that there was nothing out there and becoming an ardent sceptic. Blackmore says to us "Be conscious" and goes on to suggest how difficult it is to define consciousness and understand how the brain gives rise to subjective experiences, it is the 'hard problem' facing science and philosophy. This talk saw her bring in her personal experiences of zen meditation to understand consciousness and the self. Through science, philosophy and zen meditation Blackmore concludes that there is no separate conscious self, consciousness is an illusion, it is just the "brain doing its thing".
Check out her ideas in this video and her summary of Nagel's 'what is it like to be a bat' idea.
Alzheimer's - The current 400,000 UK sufferers of this form of dementia leading to memory loss, confusion, problems with speech and understanding is set to rise as our ageing population increases. We were presented first with a moving personal testimony from a woman who had cared for her husband suffering from Alzheimer's, then a psychiatrist talked about the developments in treatments and finally a sociologist who wanted the emphasis placed back on the personhood of sufferers. The latter has set up alternative theraputic approaches including a special guided tour in partnership with the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Future for Stem Cells - Stem cell research has only been around since the 1990's, most treatments take 15 years to develop and reach the public, so it is still early days for some of the possible benefits of this science. That said the panel introduced some exiting treatments that have been successful including treating various problems involving cartilage, such as the recent windpipe replacement and certain forms of blindness. The most difficult areas to tackle will be those that involve the brain e.g., alzheimers. There are two main types of stem cells 1) embryonic 2) tissue - the first is the most versatile, embryonic stem cells can become any part of the body whereas tissue stem cells can only become those parts local to it. Are there ethical issues related to the use of embryos in this research and treatment?
Making the Planet Better - The panel were made up of members of 'Foresight', a government body of experts that predict the impact of our activities, in this case environmental. Speakers focused on both land and sea with a disturbing array of images and facts about the damage already done and predicted. The destruction of ancient coral beds, the 'dead zone' in the Gulf of Mexico and how little time we have to act. The enviromental impacts were tied in with the need to feed an ever growing population and managing a global community that will face problems as a result of environmental change as well as population growth.
Climate Change - Whose Responsibility? - 'Our Government' was the conclusion. Everyone felt that our government had a moral and practical responsibility to lead the way having already made some positive steps (but must examine it's own approach to avoid sending mixed messages such as the expansion of Heathrow airport). Speakers talked about the need for a global view, offering support and education, taking the lead and recognising the narrow window of opportunity in which we have to act.
Pain - After an emotional account of a life lived dealing with chronic pain from a woman who now campaigns for the rights of people in pain, we heard about the exiting work being done by neuroscientist Irene Tracey at Oxford University. Tracey explained that pain is a subjective experience and can differ significantly between people. She gave the examples of a builder screaming in pain with a nail through his foot, when his boot was removed the nail was revealed to have gone between his toes and not through his foot! Vs examples of people voluntarily mutilating themselves and claiming they feel no pain. Pain experience is about a number of factors including not just the physical but the context, your attention, mood etc.. and current research seeks to manage pain by looking at these areas. The final speaker discussed the risks and merits of herbal therapies for pain relief including cannabis.
Digital Footprints - The Ethics - The issues and implications of the many databases we knowing and unknowing belong to. Discussed by philosopher A. C. Grayling who was particularly concerned with our loss of privacy and rights. Also a professor of computer science and the head of security (and ex FBI) for Microsoft offered examples of abuses of information and the degree to which we are exposed. Key issues included the use of surveillance and biometric data with references made to the scenarios presented in the film Minority Report. Grayling emphasised that the governments first duty should be on protecting our rights not on security.
In the film 'Avatar' (soon to be at cinemas) the plot involves a technology which allows human 'drivers' to have their consciousness linked remotely to an avatar, a remotely controlled biological body.
