Fingerprint Technology, Particle Acceleration, and Troop Support

Most of us, at some point in our life, will be employed at a workplace that requires us to "clock-in" in some fashion.  Although many employers still use the old-fashioned time card, companies that have the money to implement ID cards and time ledgers are increasingly doing so.  Many argue that this is due to the easiness of providing false information on a time card.  New developments have provided the possibility of fingerprint recognition when entering and leaving work, with some companies already using this technology.  Do you believe this is a violation of civil liberties?

One of the greatest science experiments in history is underway this coming summer, and it has garnered plenty of support as well as opposition.  About 100 meters beneath Cern (Switzerland) is the construction of the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator of unprecedented speed and power.  With this accelerator, scientists are hoping to find new clues on black holes, string theory, and other "missing links" in the standard model of astrophysics.  Already people have drawn protest, as some believe that this experiment is capable of creating miniature black holes right here on earth (as this is part of the aspirations of Cern scientists).  Does a "black hole" in Europe sound like a step in the right direction for modern science?  To check out more on the debate, listen to NPR's 04/11/2008 broadcast of Talk of the Nation: Science Friday.

A student in one of my classes is a member of our armed forces.  Although we haven't spoken at length about the politics of the Iraq war (which I have been strongly opposed to since 03/20/2003), I have gotten a sense of the disdain that many troops are feeling towards this occupation.  My father was there for two years, and he has relayed the same kinds of sentiment.  This classmate told me of a website that is a resource for writing our troops in Iraq.  While many of us are against the prolonged occupation occurring in Iraq, many of us realize how hard it is for the men and women out there, regardless of political fancies.  Check out www.amillionthanks.org for information on how to write a soldier or two.