science and technology

By Cody Boisclair

You’ve probably seen its public service announcements on TV or heard them on the radio: “The odds of some random occurrence happening are one in some ridiculously large number. The odds of a child being diagnosed with autism: one in 166.” You might have even seen one of its representatives interviewed on talk shows such as “Larry King Live” and “Oprah.” If you’ve visited a Toys ‘R Us store lately, you might have even seen one of this organization’s fundraising drives.

The organization in question is Autism Speaks, a non-profit group which, on its surface, sounds quite benevolent; the name practically suggests an advocate who will stand up for the needs of autistics. The truth about that organization, however, is somewhat less amiable toward autistics.

Art by Alison Cundiff

Article by Xavier Kim
Water and Soil Resources
dyjxk@uga.edu

It is fascinating and impressive how cancer research groups, i.e. Relay for Life, are showered with stupendous publicity and money for their cause. Most of their efforts seem to include running eye-catching advertising campaigns in order to raise funds to find cures or to financially aid cancer patients with their costly treatments. The University of Georgia’s Relay for Life, for example, raised approximately $250,000 in 2007 and most of their proceeds went to the American Cancer Society.

Article by Matthew Pulver
mattpulver@gmail.com

These days, democracy and social justice are hiding in the most unlikely of places. Behind the audio-visual bombast of shows like Fox’s American Idol and ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition appear cultural models otherwise alien to the American viewer’s lived experience. A tactic of the marketing trade – that of drawing the consumer toward purchase and brand loyalty with the carrots of community and socialistic, egalitarian values – has been expanded to form the basis of the nation’s most popular “reality” television programs. The average American is well used to the messages in the product market; the purchase of a certain flavored soda or variety of hamburger promises impossibly blithe smiles, a happy home life or some sort of multi-cultural jubilee in a field somewhere. This method of luring consumers now haunts primetime television, but, now as before, the democratic or socialistic lures remain as unattainable as the everlasting bliss we are told will accompany our purchases.

Bio-Safety Level 4 Biodefense Labs. High-containment facilities where research is conducted on lethal pathogens for which there is no known cure. No one knows how many there are. No one knows how safe they are, and no one knows exactly what types of infectious agents are being researched inside their walls.

Column By Andrew Schwegler
Graphic Design

This week, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) have paid the Democrats for the introduction of a bill (PDF) that would require universities to include the cost of subscription music services like Napster or Rhapsody in with the cost of tuition. If the universities refused to pay for such school-wide subscriptions, according to this bill, they would loose all (yes all) federal grants and loans. This means that the students who rely on federal money to pay for college would be out of money for university. The programs this bill could effect, if it becomes law, are the federal loans along with the Pell grant.

Column By Andrew Schwegler
Graphic Design

Above is an example of the quality of current online video. With the recent writers strike, online distribution of media has been under a spot-light. That is, incase you haven’t noticed, why the writers are on strike. But, a very important thing is being ignored: what happens if the writers stay on strike and Hollywood grinds to a halt? Will true online content take hold? Will Batman and Robin find a way out of the Joker’s latest plot? Your guess is as good as mine. But, to entertain you until the exiting (and inevitable) conclusion to the strike that stopped The Colbert Report and (possibly) 24, here are ten internet shows for all to enjoy.

Article By Ryan French
International Affairs

My parents bought me a Nintendo Entertainment System when I was four years old. Of course, my memories of those times are pretty hazy, but my dad has always told me that I was an addict from day one. My first games were Duck Hunt and Adventure Island. Games weren’t that violent back then... unless you count shooting thousands of ducks out of the sky with your Zapper pistol or throwing hammers at defenseless island dwellers for no fucking reason. I do remember that my dad was gracious enough to teach me that I could kill more ducks by holding the Zapper gun directly against the TV screen.

Article and Photo by Andrew Schwegler
Graphic Design

Digital rights management, DRM, is software employed by many copyright owners to protect their content from being pirated. Nearly all Americans come into contact with DRM on a daily basis. Enjoying music bought from Apple requires the use of DRM; even laughing at Garden State on DVD requires the use of DRM. So, DRM is good... right? Hardly a person exits who legitimately supports piracy; however, most DRM is extremely restrictive and takes away from what consumers can do with legally acquired content under their rights of “fair use.”