Writing on wildlife, technology, and nature
I crossed the ocean this week on a sparkling new Boeing 787. This may be the fifth or sixth time I have flown on this model and each occasion leaves me filled with admiration for this emblem of contemporary technology. Fuel efficient, light, and comfortable, the 787 feels like a paragon of what human design …
Continue reading "Of Boeings and Biotech: When Trust Is Required"
With nearly two months elapsed since the world first learned of the existence of CRISPR-edited newborns living in China, it is worth pondering the response this momentous event generated. When considering what people have said about Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s exploits, a disconcerting feature emerges. The ethics of the scientist himself have been front and …
Ships large enough to carry cargo across the world's oceans have big engines. In fact, they have really big engines. The ones that power the monster container ships that are the linchpin of global trade stand over four stories high and stretch for most of the length of a basketball court. They weigh over two thousand …
Continue reading "When Saving Lives Kills: The Strange Case of Maritime Ship Emissions"
The short essays that will appear on this page are designed to help with some big choices. They concern decisions that, if we don’t make them ourselves, will be made for us by technologists, entrepreneurs, and the marketplace. These decisions are about what sort of world we want to inhabit, decisions demanded by the unprecedented …
Christopher J. Preston 