First blog post too

This is my very first post!  I will use this great medium  to share thoughts & ideas on issues relating to  Science, technology and innovation in our everyday lives from the perspective of a woman grounded in faith.  I don’t plan to be prescriptive nor heavy handed !  As I do not have answers to the myriad of unresolved issues, a somewhat whimsical or light-hearted approach may sometimes be taken.   This does not reduce  the significance  of the issue, rather is a reminder that we need not take ourselves so seriously to deal with serious matters.  I hope that as a female Scientist, articulating perspectives, considerations, even fears in the context  of faith will lead to exchanges,  shared experiences, possible solutions and renewed hope in our complex yet  fascinating world.

Think we are in control? Think again!

With the blistering cold weather in North America, the time was perfect to find a warm spot to snuggle with a book, watch classic movies and catch up on news around the world. It also allowed some down time to reflect on the plethora of activities that demonstrate that we are not as in control as we would like to think. Not that we do not try to take things in our own hands… Case in point are the protests in Iran calling for regime change. Support has mushroomed all over the world with several Canadian cities joining in the fray. Taking control is however not risk-free and the unfortunate loss of lives is testament to the high stakes at hand.

On another note, most of us who travel frequently by air, trust (and rightly so) the team that ensures our safety. The recent fiery collision of two passenger planes on the tarmac in Toronto -thankfully had no serious injuries, however underscores our vulnerability as passengers… even while on the ground, having safely traversed several thousand miles by air! Who was control?

Meanwhile, even although we are relentless in our efforts to mould our youngsters to be worthwhile global citizens, we have little control over spontaneity.   The importance of exercising self-discipline was clearly displayed recently by a young Swedish athlete who was unable to harness his disappointment at losing, played out in a public, rather unbecoming fashion. Not unlike the stable genius who could not restrain himself from bragging about having a “bigger button.  Control is not as easy as it appears.

Finally, who would have thought that with all the food safety rules & regulations, standards and quality control in place in highly sophisticated food systems, that a seemingly benignly innocent product such as lettuce would be the culprit for the causing 2 deaths and scores of sick person so far. It is still not clear how/where the lettuce was contaminated by the dangerous E. coli bacterium. Keeps us humble though – knowing that something so small can bring us to our knees….. So size may not be so crucial afterall!!

The New Year is already a week old and as pundits -experts and amateurs alike, weigh in on what we should expect this year, let us all be mindful of who is really in control!