ethics – Page 2 – UCSD-TV Blog

Can We Talk? Communicating Through the Cancer Journey

As our series on cancer continues, we take a look not at the symptoms of the disease but at the way we talk about the disease. The words we choose and the tone we employ can greatly impact the way patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and families move through the cancer journey.

In this unique look at conversations about cancer, professor Wayne Beach of San Diego State University shares audio and video examples of how communication occurs among those affected in the context of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Deborah Mayer, an advanced practice oncology nurse from the University of North Carolina follows with a look at the different meanings of the word “cancer,” the discomfort of difficult conversations, and the challenge of expressing basic fears.

Watch Communicating Through the Cancer Journey: Can We Talk? — Overthrowing the Emperor of all Maladies: Moving Forward Against Cancer Series — Exploring Ethics online now or click here to view the entire series.

Women in Science

Our recent series, “Women in Science” was so popular, it has been given it’s own subject page!

UCSD-TV wants to acknowledge the accomplishments of women in science, with the hope of nurturing more female scientists and encouraging other women to get involved in this exciting field.

There have been many great women scientists whose discoveries have been undercut based on their gender. For example, Rosalind Franklin remains the unsung hero who played a pivotal role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure with her X-ray diffraction images. She was out-shined by Watson and Crick, the two men who took full credit for the discovery.

And Rachel Carson, the author of “Silent Spring,” faced many personal attacks on her intelligence and credibility because she was smart enough to recognize and brave enough to tell about the devastation caused by large chemical companies. These corporations claimed that because she was a woman her facts were not to be trusted.

Although we would like to think that these sort of prejudices have faded from society, it is important to remember heroes like Franklin and Carson to celebrate women’s scientific accomplishments of the past and support women’s future in science.

Check out the Women in Science subject page and the podcasts available on iTunes!

Exploring Ethics of Drones and Other UAVs

When you hear the word “drone,” what first comes to mind?

Most people usually think of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated by the military in order to spy on citizens and drop bombs on unsuspecting targets.

Lucien Miller, CEO of Innov8tive Designs, explains that the first drone, called the Kettering Bug, was flown almost a hundred years ago, in 1918. Early drones like this were essentially torpedoes with wings, unguided aircraft that dropped bombs with little target accuracy. It was these types of UAVs that have led people to fear the term drone and the destruction associated with them.

But today, drones and UAVs are rapidly gaining commercial popularity as UAV systems are becoming available at prices non-military budgets can afford. Miller says modern UAVs are becoming so small, they can be purchased for as little as $400. And now their uses extend far beyond covert military operations, such as search and rescue missions, endangered species protection, and infrastructure inspection, just to name a few.

Keith McLellen, CEO of ROV Systems joins the show to discuss the risks that come with the benefits of drones, the biggest concern being an increase in aerial surveillance and an invasion of privacy.

Watch “Drones and Other UAVs: Benefits and Risks – Exploring Ethics” to hear from Miller, McLellen, and retired Commander Bob Osborne, who worked for the LA County Sheriffs department for 38 years, about the life-saving and livelihood-threatening technology of modern drones.

Watch other videos about UAVs and Drones.

Women in Science – Looking Back, Looking Ahead

UCSD-TV celebrates the 50th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s ground-breaking novel, Silent Spring, with a series of videos presented by the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology.

In the final episode of the series, Dorothy Sears of the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Christina Deckard of the SPAWAR Systems Center, and science journalist Lynne Friedmann discuss the hurdles Carson overcame as a women in science 50 years ago. To put Carson’s struggles in perspective, these women in the modern field of science reveal their current struggles with inequality. Watch their insightful discussion in “Women in Science: 50 Years After Silent Spring“:

Check out all of the videos in the Silent Spring Series!