Why I am mad about the fluoride debate and how Portland could resolve this issue

The City of Portland is voting on if fluoride should be added to the public water supply in an effort to improve the dental health of the city.  This has caused a heated debate about the merits of adding fluoride that not only questions the effectiveness of fluoride but also the safety.  Unfortunately, like many policy debates today, this has quickly devolved into a very unproductive debate with some of the anti-fluoride side claiming that public officials have been paid off to add a poison to the water supply and with some on the pro-side calling the opponents conspiracy theory nutjobs.

From what I have read, I am of the opinion that fluoride is safe and probably effective.  What makes me mad at both sides though is that they are convinced that they are right to a degree that does not allow open dialog on the issue.  I am willing to concede that it is possible that fluoride will not be an effective strategy in decreasing cavities.  In addition, given that there are a couple of studies that question the safety of fluoride in the water supply, I am willing to concede that we should research this more.  This does not mean we should not add fluoride to the public water supply in Portland.  The research overwhelmingly points towards fluoride as being both safe and effective.  The few research papers that point toward it being harmful tend to be of poor quality or have been difficult to replicate.

What this means is that we should stop yelling at each other and come together to solve this question.  We are lucky in that this debate is an empirical question of the effectiveness and safety of fluoride.  Both the pro and anti side should sit down with researchers from OHSU and develop a research agenda that would solve this issue.  I think we should start adding fluoride to the water and then use the research agenda that all sides creased to see what the effects.  We have a unique opportunity to be the city that solves this problem for the world.  Instead of fighting about this issue, we should come together as a community and resolve it.

Review: Nexus by Ramez Naam

Nexus

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed reading a book as much as I did with Nexus. The plot revolves around the development of a drug that allows for direct mind to mind communication and how various factions try to control this new creation.

There was never a dull moment while reading this book yet at the same time it was able to explore the social and political implications of transhumanism more deeply than some documentaries I have watched. This novel felt like a glimpse at an all too possible future and tried to honestly deal with the implications of the technology that is being built today. My only real complaint with this novel is that the action scenes can be hard to follow at times and last a bit longer than necessary.

My recommendations is that if you think that post-cyberpunk transhuman buddhist scifi might be something you are interested in then you need to read this book.

Review: Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears (Singularity Series)

This is a fun little novel about the accidental creation of an Artificial Intelligence at a large internet company and the unintentional consequences that follow.  Avogadro corporation is a Google like company that is pushing the boundaries of what computer technology can do.  While attempting to create a new revolutionary feature for their email platform they accidentally create something that is both very impressive and very difficult to control.

I was very surprised by how much i enjoyed this novel. Although the writing isn't the greatest and the Portland love goes a bit over the top at times, it is still a rather impressive first novel. The plot moves at a nice pace and the character and situations are usually plausible. It also covers some interesting topics in regards to the singularity and the effects it might have on humanity, which gives the reader some great ideas to think about and research further.

My only real complaint is that it is rather short and feels like only half of a novel.  I guess that is to be expected given that it is book one in a series and from what I understand book two continues the story while looking at things from a different perspective   Still, I do feel that this book could have been expended a bit to make it feel more like a real novel and not a novella.

I doubt this book would ever be on top of any "Best Of" list but I think it is still a very enjoyable read and has a very hard to beat price. If you are just looking for an easy to read and interesting scifi novel then this is a great choice.

Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears (Singularity Series)

Cloud Atlas might be the best film I have seen in years

I just finished watching Cloud Atlas and it might be one of the best films I have seen in years.  It is a sprawling epic of a film that touches on so many different issues and topics that I have no idea how to even describe the film.  I think everyone will take away a different meaning from a flim like this and that is what makes it so amazing.  For me, I found myself thinking about how we live our lives and how interconnected we are, even when we don't see it or understand it.

A line repeated throughout the film is "Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” I am not sure why, but something about that line touches me in a way that few things do.  It makes me think more about my actions and the world around me.  I think far too often we think of our lives and actions as our own and forget how everything we do has been influenced and effects others and our lives together.

Cloud Atlas is a film that I honestly can't review because it is so ambitious that I wouldn't even know where to start.  I recommend reading Roger Eberts review linked below.  I highly recommend giving this film a try.  It might not work for everyone but I think it is a film that deserves your attention.

Roger Ebert Review:

Even as I was watching "Cloud Atlas" the first time, I knew I would need to see it again. Now that I've seen it the second time, I know I'd like to see it a third time

Book:

Cloud Atlas (Enhanced Movie Tie-in Edition): A Novel

Trailer:

Crash Course is a great example of how the internet will change education

It feels like the amount and quality of online educational resources exploded in 2012.  Khan Academy finally hit the mainstream, TED talks are now watched by millions, and Coursera is offering more classes then some small colleges.

My personal favorite recent online educational experiment in Crash Course on Youtube.  This is a a YouTube series that teaches what is essentially a high school level course on History, Biology, Ecology, and Literature.  The videos are hosted by Hank and John Green who have built up a rather large following of fans, called Nerdfighters, from their vlogbrothers channel.  The Crash Course series is also funded by the YouTube Original Channel Initiative and is so far the only YouTube funded channel that I thought was actually good.

I highly recommend checking out the world history videos of crash course.  John Green is an amazing teacher, at least in video form.  He makes world history fascinating and probably makes high school world history classes completely unnecessary.

  I have embedded the first episode below please check it out and tell me what you think.

Are ADHD drugs the way to a lower crime rate?

A new study claims that people with ADHD are less likely to committee crime if they are taking appropriate medication.  It makes you wonder how much better the world might be if everyone received proper medical treatment.

ADHD Drugs Help Curb Criminal Behavior

Older teens and adults with attention deficit disorder are much less likely to commit a crime while on ADHD medication, a provocative study from Sweden found.

It also showed in dramatic fashion how much more prone people with ADHD are to break the law — four to seven times more likely than others.

The findings suggest that Ritalin, Adderall and other drugs that curb hyperactivity and boost attention remain important beyond the school-age years and that wider use of these medications in older patients might help curb crime.

Is homosexuality a choice? Does it matter?

It is amazing how much time is spent on the question of how much choice a persons has in their sexual orientation.  Here is a great article from Scientific American on the issue.

Is Homosexuality a Choice?

Ask this question, and you will probably receive one of two responses:

Yes. People choose to be gay. They are making an immoral choice, which government should discourage. 

Or

No. Sexual preference is biologically determined. Government should protect gay people from discrimination because homosexuality is an unalterable aspect of their identity.

These two answers have something in common: With both of them, the science conveniently supports the moral decision.

Although I find the question fascinating from a scientific viewpoint, it is a question that ultimately just shouldn't matter.  Even if sexual orientation was a choice, does that change anything?  Why would that make it any more or less acceptable?  Why someones sexuality matters to anyone else is something I have just never understood.  Why should I care who someone is attracted to?  How does the sexual orientation of someone else matter to me?

I just don't understand why people discriminate based on sexual orientation.  I can understand how someone might think homosexuality is a sin but there are plenty of other sins that people do all the time and it doesn't result in nearly the same amount of outrage.  Can someone please explain why sexual orientation is still such a big deal?