scientific innovations and responsibility

Scientific innovations and responsibility

How are scientific innovations and responsibility linked together?

index

7. Oral Comprehension

12. The Amish

1. Problematic

13. Videos

8. Part 2: negative aspects

2. Vocabulary

9. Prosophobia / technophonia

14. Oral Comprehension

3. Brainstorming

4. Part 1: Positive aspects

10. Article 1

15. Additional Video

5. Article

11. Article 2

16. Problematic / Answer

6. Video

NOUNS 1. A scientist : une scientifique 2. An experiment : une expérience 3. An experimentation : une expérimentation 4. Hazard : le danger 5. Industrialized countries : les pays industrialisés 6. Developing countries : les pays en voie de développement 7. Emerging countries : les pays émergents (BRICS) 8. A fear : une crainte 9. An addiction : une dépendance / une addiction 10. An improvement : une amélioration

vocabulary

10. An improvement : une amélioration 11.Relunctance : une réticence 12. An innovation : une innovation 13. A discovery : une découverte 14. A disease / an illness / a sickness: une maladie 15. The plague: la peste 16. The cholera: le choléra 17. A vaccine: un vaccin 18. Vaccination: la vaccination 19. An attempt: une tentative

ADJECTIVES 1. Backward: arriéré 2. Reluctant: réticent 3. Harmful: nocif 4. Scary/ frightening: effrayant 5. Hazardous: dangereux 6. Impressive: impressionnant 7. Sick / ill: malade 8. fearful: craintif

VERBS 1. (to) improve: améliorer 2. (to) be addicted to: être dépendant 3. (to) be dependent on: être dépendant 4. (to) fear: craindre 5. (to) experiment: epérimenter 6. (to) innovate: innover 7. (to) be scared of: avoir peur de 8. (to) be afraid of: avoir peur de 9. (to) benefit from: bénéficier de 10. (to) withdraw (withdrew /withdrawn) from the world: se retirer du monde

Brainstorming

How would you define scientific innovations?

Why are these innovations important?

Are there any people who refuse these improvements?

PART 1

Scientific innovations are positive

Find some positive innovations

Africa declared free of wild polio after decades of work theguardian.com 25/08/2020 Achievement comes following Nigeria vaccination drive, with last cases of wild virus recorded four years ago Africa has been declared free from wild polio, after decades of work by a coalition of international health bodies, national and local governments, community volunteers and survivors. Four years after the last recorded cases of wild polio in northern Nigeria, the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) on Tuesday certified that the continent is now free of the virus, which can cause irreversible paralysis and in some cases death. “It’s been a momentous, massive undertaking, with amazing persistence and perseverance, coming in the face of moments when we thought we were just about there, then we’d have a reversal,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa, said. “I would really like to pay tribute to polio survivors, who have joined in the fight, who have helped in sharing their experiences of disability with polio and the impact this has had on their lives,” she said. In 1996, 75,000 children in Africa were paralysed by polio. The fight now is to improve the lives of survivors, said Moeti.

Musbahu Lawan Didi, co-founder of Nigeria’s Association of Polio Survivors, campaigning for the rights of those with polio , said: “It is incredible that what we have started years ago has built these results. As polio survivors we are the happiest and believe we’ll be the last polio survivors in the country.” But he added: “Ninety percent of polio survivors in Nigeria live in poverty. Many of us are trawling the streets to survive, begging. It should not be so.” Dr Rose Leke, chair of the ARCC, an independent body set up by the WHO, said the declaration followed exhaustive assessments of surveillance systems in 47 African countries to ensure no cases were missed. Despite the progress, however, 16 countries in the region are currently experiencing small outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio, which can occur among under-immunised communities. Efforts to eradicate wild polio globally were spurred by the formation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. Since then, cases of wild polio have fallen dramatically from an estimated 350,000 cases to 33 reported cases in 2018. In Africa, a campaign by leaders from the continent, led by Nelson Mandela, helped drive progress. But the insurgency in northern Nigeria made the disease hard to shift. In 2013, nine women who were vaccinating children in Kano were shot dead by gunmen suspected of belonging to Boko Haram.

At least 67 frontline health workers involved in polio eradication efforts in the region have been killed, with others attacked and abducted. Several violent incidents were spurred by a rejection of vaccinations by local communities, said Dr Tunji Funsho, head of Rotary International’s Nigeria polio committee. “A challenge was insidious rumours that the vaccine is not safe, that it could lead to HIV, Aids, could sterilise women with a view to reduce the population in the northern part of the country,” he said. Suspicion of western aligned medical initiatives, and of efforts to suppress Muslim majorities caught alight in the region. In July 2003, five states in northern Nigerian suspended the use of polio vaccinations for at least a year. Annual cases in Nigeria then soared, with Nigerian strains of the virus spreading across Africa. In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian President, was televised personally administering oral vaccine drops to one of his grandchildren. “The sad thing is that some rejections are not just because they don’t believe in the polio vaccine, but they have … needs that come first,” said Funsho. For example, polio vaccinations take precedence over healthcare for more fatal diseases like malaria.

“So refusing vaccines becomes a kind of protest against the government,” he said, explaining that it was a way of impressing the need for greater investment in healthcare. He said in some cases, fathers refused vaccines for their children because they were too ashamed to reveal their children had not eaten and were fearful it would induce a reaction. “We’ve had to make sure we really understand and listen to people’s needs and concerns,” Funsho said. The increased involvement of polio survivors over the past decade was crucial to addressing the concerns from local communities, said Lawan Didi, who was diagnosed with polio when he was two. “People saw us and communicated with us. We could explain to them this is not a spiritual thing but can be prevented with vaccines. It gave them a change of heart.”

Questions

I- General comprehension a- Present the document (type, source, main topic) b- Does this text illustrate the positive or negative aspects of science improvement? c- Would you say that fighting polio in Africa was an easy battle? Explain why.

II- Detailed comprehension a- Pick up the different names in the text and say who these people are. b- Why is Nelson Mandela mentioned in the text? c- What are the terrible consequences of polio on children's and later adults' lives? Quote the text. d- When did the global effort to eradicate polio start? e- Did the people involved meet lots of difficulties? Make a list of these difficulties. (give the lines) f- Which community was a real help to convince the population they had to vaccinate their children? Why?

SHARING KNOWLEDGE

Oral Comprehension

Listen to the woman talking at the start of the video. 1. What was the purpose of the molecular laboratory training workshop? 2. How did they choose the people who participated to the molecular laboratory training workshop? Nigerian Student 3. What did he learn? 4. Did he find the program interesting? Pick out the words he uses.

PArt 2

Scientific innovations can be harmful

Find some examples of harmful scientific innovations

What are the consequences of these harmful inventions on the population?

Technophobia or Prosophobia

Document 1

Prosophobia- Fear of progress We see progress in our surroundings every day, and progress is what we aim for in our lives. But there are some people who fear progress and this fear is called prosophobia and this fear is usually related with the fear of change or new things. People who are scared of progress are those who are usually scared of the unknown. People might have been conditioned by their religious beliefs that change is something that can disrupt their normally peaceful life and they would prefer a laid back and primitive way of living, free from the distractions of cell phones and computers. People with this fear would prefer using primitive stuff or would refuse to have a cell phone or a computer. They will prefer the old pen and paper approach or may even send mail via post or air mail than sending an email which can convey their message across the globe in a few seconds. http://www.phobiasource.com/prosophobia-fear-of-progress/

TEXT 1- PROSOPHOBIA- Fear of progress Answer the questions by rephrasing the ideas as much as you can, using your own words. 1. Give a definition of prosophobia: 2. Why do some people suffer from prosophobia? 3. What may cause this fear? 4. What objects are demonized in this disease? 5. What consequences can this anxiety have on people's everyday lives?

Document 2

Fear of Technology – Technophobia Technophobia is the constant and persistent fear of technology and, it is defined as “the feeling of severe anxiety associated with using anything technologically advanced”. The word Technophobia is derived from Greek ‘Techne’ meaning “art, skill or craft” and phobos meaning “fear or aversion”. Technophobia is known to affect many people around the world. Technophobia is the opposite of technophilia which stands for the condition where the individual is so much in love with technology that she/he might even want to change the world with it or use it for combating social problems. The fear of technology is often culturally or religiously induced (1). The Amish group of people for example resists technology because of the convictions of their Faith. Likewise, many environmental groups are known to maintain social stance (2) against technology as they believe it to be the best behaviour. Technology is often paradoxical: it is meant to make our life easier, but sometimes it actually complicates it by making the devices (3) harder to use. Technophobes tend to fear precisely these factors. They believe that, when faced with complex computers, telephone systems, or even Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) (4), they might have to deal with instructions. The average (5) individual usually finds these sets of instructions easy to follow, but in case of Technophobia, the person simply freezes (6). She/he is so panic-stricken at the thought of using the device that they suffer a mild panic attack. Often they realize that their fears are without any basis, but they are completely powerless over it. Needless to say; this fear of technology is a real problem and can affect the individual’s day-to-day life.

Technophobia can be caused due to general anxiety or fear about science or mathematical problems. People often feel intimidated. The phobic is mainly ignorant of her/his phobia and does not welcome change. They simply do not understand technology, which means that they not only fear it but also avoid (7) it. Many tend to hate devices, computers and gadgets simply because they are not used to them. Naturally, the fear of technology is more prevalent in the older generations who did not grow up with computers, complicated acronyms or digital games. Knowledge (8) is the best way of overcoming (9) this fear. Individuals suffering from this phobia must be willing (10) to share ideas, information and knowledge by first admitting to their phobia. They should realize that their phobia is not something they should feel afraid or embarrassed about and that it is neither a disease nor a lack (11) of intelligence. Younger generation must provide sustained support and help the older individual suffering from this phobia. They should try to be a good mentor and reward (12) every small step taken by the Technophobe to overcome his/her fear of technology. https://www.fearof.net/fear-of-technology-phobia-technophobia/

TEXT 2- TECHNOPHOBIA A- Look for the translation of the words in bold types in the dictionary. (1)……………………………… (2)……………..…………………….. (3)……………….………………. (4)…………………….……………… (5)……………….…………….. (6)……………………………………. (7)……………………….………… (8)……………………….….……… (9) ………………..…………….(10)………………………………….(11)…………………………..……..(12)………………..……….……… B- TRUE or FALSE: justify your answer with a quote 1. The fear of technology can be religious or cultural. 2. According to the article, technology is always positive. 3. Some people are so scared of technology that they can have panic attacks. 4. People who suffer from technophobia are aware of (conscient de) the problem. 5. Technophobia has absolutely no consequences on people's everyday life. 6. Some generations are more affected by the problem than others. 7. Younger generations can be a help to older people suffering from technophobia.

The Amish

Amish Clothing

You may have heard of the Amish being referred to as “Plain People” and a main reason why they are called that is because of the way they dress; very plainly. You will never see patterns on any of their clothing and all of the men’s suits, and the women’s dresses, are all plain colored. The rules require that only solid colors can be used and the colors typically consist of black, blue, burgundy, brown, purple, or green. Want to learn what clothing Amish men and women wear on a day-to-day basis? Below are short descriptions of what a typical outfit would look like for both men and women.

Amish Men

In all districts of the Amish community men wear black colored suits that are fastened with a hook and eye and have no outside pockets. The trousers that the men wear have no zippers and instead have buttons that button up the flap. One or two suspenders also hold up the trousers since no belts are allowed because of the flashy buckle that is present. For church services, Amish men wear a plain white shirt with a black coat and vest overtop. Some men also wear black bow ties with their church suit. The suit coat has no buttons or collars because these are all reminiscent of military uniforms that represent the war that pacifist Amish reject. All of the men and boys also wear either straw hats, for the summertime, or black felt hats, for the wintertime or for formal occasions, everyday.

Amish Women

.When it comes to Amish women’s wardrobes, their wardrobes are pretty small. They only believe they need four dresses: One for wash, one for wear, one for dress, and one for spare. A married woman wears a black cape and apron to church, with a plain colored dress underneath, and a single woman wears a white cape and apron to church, again, with a plain colored dress underneath. For working around the family farm, women typically wear a gray apron. A woman’s cape and apron is fastened with straight pins at the waist, in the front of their dress, to attach the two together. Women typically go barefoot around the farm, and house, and wear black shoes and stockings for church services. Women also always wear prayer caps, or head coverings, on their head, so that if they ever feel the need to pray, throughout the day, their heads are covered and sacred to the Lord.

The Amish The Amish are a group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian Anabaptist origins. They a are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and are slower to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with a view to not interrupting family time, nor replacing face-to-face conversations whenever possible. In 2000, there were over 165,000 living in the United States and about 1,500 in Canada. A 2008 study suggested their numbers had increased to 227,000, and in 2010, a study suggested their population had grown by 10 percent in the past two years to 249,000. Most of the Amish continue to have six or seven children. Between 1992 and 2017, the Amish population increased by 149 percent, while the U.S. population increased by 23 percent The rules of the church, the Ordnung, must be observed by every member and cover many aspects of day-to-day living, including prohibitions or limitations on the use of power-line electricity, telephones, and automobiles, as well as regulations on clothing. They may share a telephone line or an Internet connexion for administrative or important matters. Some have cell phones now for their personal use. Most Amish do not buy commercial insurance or participate in Social Security. Amish church members practice non-resistance and will not perform any type of military service. The Amish value rural life, manual labour, and humility, living according to what they interpret to be God's word. Most Old Order Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch. Some Amish who migrated to the United States in the 1850s speak a form of Bernese German or a Low Alemannic Alsatian dialect. The largest communities can be found in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. There are a few Amish communities in Canada too. For more information, visit: https://amishamerica.com/

the fear of technology

Oral Comprehension

How is your cell hone changing you? 1. Number of people owning a cell phone on earth :……………………………………………. 2. Number of people who have access to a working toilet:………………………………. 3. The difference between these two numbers is …………………………. 4. Looking down at your telephone is like having a ………………………………… child sitting on your………………………..… 5. How many hours a day do people spend on their phone?.............................. a day. 6. The use of the cell phone and the use of a computer has increased the number of people suffering from …………………… or ……………………………………………. 7. 1970s = 1/………………. of the population today = 1/……………….. of the population in ……………………… America 8. In ……………………………, it’s ……………………to …………………….% of the population who is near-sighted. 9. Games cause your ………………………. to be ……………………….. by dopamine if you win. This is called “compulsion loop “which is also caused by the consumption of ………….…………….. or …………………………

10. ……………………………… of young people from ………………………. to ……………………… use their phone to avoid ……………………………. as opposed to other activities like ………………………… a ……………………………… or …………………………………………………….……… 11. This is called ……………………………………………………. The ……………………………. of being ………………………………….. your phone. 12. Phone transmission can ……………………………the way your ………………… functions 13. Phones can also ………………………. your ………………………………. Because of ………………….. ………….. of the ……………………………… 14. This can cause ……………………………….., …………………………………, ………………………….. 15. 2 or 3 hours before going to bed, people should ……………… ……… …………………………………… 16. …………………………… % of Americans are entirely …………………………. on their ……………………... for the access to …………………………………… 17. With their smart phone they:……………………………… …………………………… ………………………… 18. Conclusion: smart phones are ……………………………… ……………………….

additional content

Let's try and answer the Problematic

How are scientific innovations and responsibility linked together?

THANKS

"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." Isaac Asimov