Satire: Self-Diagnosis

          Ever feel sick but don't feel like bothering to go to the doctor?  Surely your minor ailment can be diagnosed through the Internet.  After all, there are tons of accessible sources to tell you why you have a headache. After all, if it's on the web, it had to be verified by some professional. Let's be honest now, anything you may be suffering from can easily be diagnosed and treated, just from information on the web. 
          Anyway, who can trust doctor's today anyway?  Their arrogant god-like know-it-all attitudes are too much to bear.  It would just be easier if they didn't exist. It's not like they've ever done anything for us, anyway. Who would want to deal with that when we have the entirety of the internet at our fingertips to tell us how to cure ourselves?  Obviously, anyone could know everything they need to know from Wikipedia.  Excuse me while I update my Grammar Wiki.

Editorial: Spanish Flu

Picture Link

          One of the most devastating plagues of the 20th century was the Spanish flu.  This widespread disease appeared in 1918, around the end of the Great War (WWI).  It killed something like 30 million people before it finally was eradicated.  Recent research into the science of epidemics has led researchers to create a disease only 3% different in DNA structure to the famed mass murderer.  Is the continued study of this plague really that wise? 
          The main purpose of this near copy is for research into creating vaccines for such diseases and seeking ways to combat future epidemics.  Having the vaccine to one of the most deadly diseases known could be useful planning for the unknown future.  Also, studying a past epidemic could help in the event of another plague.  Researchers inform us that any tests are performed with the highest  security and containment procedures. 
          Suppose   though,  that  these  measures   fail. Suppose that, through some human error, this disease were to escape that lab. Would the world be ready for such a plague, one known to have killed tens of millions?  Or could it possibly recreate the devastation that began in 1918?  Should    we take that chance?\
Source:http://rt.com/news/165676-spanish-flu-virus-recreate/

Editorial Cartoon

http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2011-Editorial-CartooningBy Mike Keefe, The Denver Post

          This editorial cartoon depicts an electric car being tested, while it includes a power plant to power it.  The power plant represents the resources used to power it, perhaps a carbon coal plant.  The cartoon points out that an electric car may be called green in and of itself, but it is also not green when the source of the power is considered.  It shows how hard it is to actually make something "green". 
          This article can be considered effective in that it brings out a valuable point perhaps not considered by many.  I certainly did not think about where the electricity comes from.  Hopefully, this picture leads more people to try and find out if what they use can really be considered "green".  The label may not always be accurate.

Current Event Response

          A common concern in the academic and employment world would be the amount of STEM graduates.  Depending on who you ask, you will get very different answers.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  Many complain that STEM grads flood the academic positions, but many companies cry out for more such graduates.  This simultaneous overflow and need is called the STEM paradox.  This can confuse many as to the need of their chosen field.  The best way as of yet to deal with this unbalance is to have businesses work directly with schools and students to guide each other down the paths needed to get everyone where they need to be.
          This article is a valuable insight for someone who is preparing for what they will do after high school.  It could also help give them an idea of what might soon be happening in the STEM field.  I personally find this overall quite interesting, and potentially useful.  Maybe, schools won't allow businesses to have such an influence over their students, but it is always a possibility.
          The article contained multiple biases.  One such was in the first paragraph.  It describes STEM graduates as being "too many", or "too few", without enough clarification on that.  Another bias was found in paragraph five, where it referred to knowledge gained from Korean transitions.  This statement is unclear and could mean anything.

Link To Website Editiorial

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/09/are-we-producing-too-few-or-too-many-science-and-technology-grads/