MUCH OF WORLD’S POPULATION SUFFERS FROM CURABLE DISEASE
Q. Perhaps as many as 2.5 billion people suffer from this untreated yet correctable condition, about 80 percent of them living in developing countries. It’s estimated that by 2050 about half the world population will be affected. Can you identify what it is?
A. It’s myopia, or poor vision, “the largest unaddressed disability in the world today,” says Hong Kong philanthropist James Chen, as reported by Ingrid Goncalves in The University of Chicago Magazine. In 2011, he founded Vision for a Nation to provide affordable eyewear in developing countries, starting with Rwanda, and within five years, it had screened 2.5 million people. Eventually, VFAN “revolutionized” the country’s eye care system to make it accessible to all 12 million Rwandans.
To save money, 90 percent of the lenses provided were simple reading glasses costing less than $1. It streamlined distribution by offering only five items, including reading glasses that covered nearly all farsighted needs and adjustable lenses for nearsighted patients. VFAN trained 2,700 Rwandan nurses in a three-day basic eye screening program.
A final obstacle was demand, since most people don’t know how bad their eyes really are and what impact that has on their functionality. Also, cultural biases, especially for girls, cause some parents to worry that glasses might hinder their daughters’ marriage prospects.
And so, the mission continues. By 2019, VFAN hopes to expand its pilot program in the Central Region of Ghana to the entire nation.
Q. “Mind your online Ps and Qs,” you are frequently advised. Now, how might artificial intelligence aid in this quest for civility?
A. “F-bombs are out, and please and thank you are in,” reports New Scientist magazine. IBM has created an AI that “translates offensive chatter into more polite language while keeping the message intact.” Training utilized millions of Twitter and Reddit entries, after which the team gave that AI unfamiliar offensive posts to make “more palatable.” In almost every case, the AI successfully completed its task.
Q. Two hundred years after Mary Shelley wrote her classic horror story, “Frankenstein” is still considered essential reading for anyone working in science. It has spawned countless books, plays and movies and, more recently, a glossary of “Frankenwords,” including “Frankenfoods” and “Frankenstorms.” Can you name any others?
A. Frankenwords, numbering in the hundreds, are whimsical names for products or phenomena inspired by Shelley’s story, says Jon Cohen in Science magazine. For example, “Frankenfoods” are transgenic foods and other products of genetic engineering that often elicit “exaggerated concerns.” “Frankenstorms” describe a combination of storms that create a monster event. Other examples:
“Frankenforests,” — “engineered trees that grow more quickly, absorbing more carbon dioxide and providing more wood and pulp without the need for toxic chemicals”;
“Frankenpets,” — transgenic dogs that repel fleas and cats that don’t cause allergies; and
“Frankenmums,” — “mothers who freeze eggs for their infertile daughters to use.”
Go to www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/longshadow-frankenstein for more.
— Bill Sones and Rich Sones