At the end of chapter nine in the book we are reading, The Calcutta Chromosome, Murugan and Antar are talking over lunch about Ronald Ross and his research in malaria. For this week I thought it would be interesting to discuss Murugan’s philosophical question to Antar.

“Do you think everything that can be know should be known?” as it relates to science or life in general. (Ghosh 59) Should we strive to know everything about anything no matter what the costs? How far is too far morally? Does it make it right if it is for the better good? For example, a lot of what we know about the limits of the human body can be traced back to the Holocaust.

http://www.remember.org/educate/medexp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_human_experimentation (here's a link so you know I'm not making it up!)

Lingua Franca, in your shoes

We recently read/discussed Lingua Franca and the many cultural, physical, and economical effects of the Earthers arriving. The implants are obviously a very touchy subject for the denizens of this alien planet. A few of us were very opposed to the pressure (albeit unforced) that these implants brought on the aliens.

I have a simple question, that i think relates well to our discussons in class and might give you a new perspective on the subject. Let's say a galactic organization of aliens came to our planet, and they communicated through telepathy. In order to be a part of this, we must be able to understand and speak this new language (get implants). How would you react to this? Would you oppose? Would you get the implants?

Roxton and Malone return

In the end of the book The Lost World, John Roxton and Ned Malone are going to return to the plateau. On this adventure they will not have Professor Challenger or Professor Summerlee. With these two scientist absent and only John Roxton and Ned Malone returning how will it affect the expedition using the main points from the two chapters "Science, planetary consciousness, interiors" and "Narrating the anti-conquest." For example will the journey start moving more to the interior of the plateau, will it be a conquest or anti-conquest.