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its a nice toy, for kids to learn science. but really, what are we - stuck in the stone age? Its year 2017, there is no reason why those people should not have

by readhn 10y ago

its a nice toy, for kids to learn science. but really, what are we - stuck in the stone age? Its year 2017, there is no reason why those people should not have access to the advanced technology we enjoy today in the west. make a pathetic paper centrifuge and give ourselves a pat on the back, really? What have we become?

witty_username 10y ago
That's because borders stop them from accessing much greater wages. Even if you find the situation bad, these researchers helped improve the situation.
- readhn 10y ago
  i understand that they do what they have to do. but lets not kid ourselves that this is some kind of solution that those people deserve. its an interesting student project, sure, if all equipment fails - there is a way to get your hematocrit count manually. How would most of us feel if we came into an office for a blood draw and saw this toy? At the same time when there are machines widely available that will do complete CBC and other panels of blood tests on a single vacutainer tube in under 3 minutes?
  - the_watcher 10y ago
    If you lived somewhere in which neither were available, you'd want the one that could actually be delivered in time to make an impact.
  - MaulingMonkey 10y ago
    > How would most of us feel if we came into an office for a blood draw and saw this toy? Oh, good, I don't have to reschedule this appointment just because a firmware update took out their centrifuges. Eh? There's been a mass outbreak and the centrifuges are just busy? Frantic centrifuging
  - witty_username 10y ago
    > How would most of us feel if we came into an office for a blood draw and saw this toy? "I might be dying of malaria; I don't care"
the_watcher 10y ago
> Its year 2017, there is no reason why those people should not have access to the advanced technology we enjoy today in the west. Unfortunately, we live in the reality in which not everyone has access to the same technology as the West. Some scientists and researchers should absolutely work on problems assuming that we'll be able to get the optimal solution to everyone. But that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be others trying to work within the reality that acknowledges that this isn't the case.
HCIdivision17 10y ago
Don't underestimate the power of a simple(r) solution. A cheap and reliable solution, readily accesible, is powerful when access to so many luxuries we would consider basic necessities don't exist. These scientists have done a lot of work to show that a simple, effective solution can help people now. Not some time later when the next generation has enough to be able to use it. This is something like a mosquito net. Cheap, easy to distribute, and shockingly effective against malaria. Personally, I like the laser solution more, but you can't deny helping people now for a more ideal solution later. The trick, as always, is to also get the better solution later. And things like this centrifuge help! People have access to more advanced medical techniques and data than they had before. They'll get diagnosed sooner and more accurately. The next generation will be healthier, more energetic, and more optimistic about their chances at a longer life. They'll have more strength and will for the hard task of building up their home and country, and in a generation or two will be on their way to things like reliable power grids, communication infrastructure, transport, and more. But they'll need things to help bootstrap them first. Iodine for clean water and paper centrifuges for diagnostics are just a few of the first steps for people who have so little modern riches are useless to them. It only took us a few generations to get here, and I bet they bootstrap faster and harder than anything we've seen, like so much of the Asian peoples.
calvinlh 10y ago
Currently, there is absolutely no realistic way to set up the infrastructure required to operate such labs in third world countries. The costs would be astronomical. While, yes, ideally all humans would receive the same high standard of healthcare, pragmatically it's just not going to happen anytime soon. Before that happens, this is a very useful (and clever) tool.

by readhn 10y ago

witty_username 10y ago

That's because borders stop them from accessing much greater wages. Even if you find the situation bad, these researchers helped improve the situation.

readhn 10y ago
i understand that they do what they have to do. but lets not kid ourselves that this is some kind of solution that those people deserve. its an interesting student project, sure, if all equipment fails - there is a way to get your hematocrit count manually. How would most of us feel if we came into an office for a blood draw and saw this toy? At the same time when there are machines widely available that will do complete CBC and other panels of blood tests on a single vacutainer tube in under 3 minutes?
- the_watcher 10y ago
  If you lived somewhere in which neither were available, you'd want the one that could actually be delivered in time to make an impact.
- MaulingMonkey 10y ago
  > How would most of us feel if we came into an office for a blood draw and saw this toy? Oh, good, I don't have to reschedule this appointment just because a firmware update took out their centrifuges. Eh? There's been a mass outbreak and the centrifuges are just busy? Frantic centrifuging
- witty_username 10y ago
  > How would most of us feel if we came into an office for a blood draw and saw this toy? "I might be dying of malaria; I don't care"

the_watcher 10y ago

> Its year 2017, there is no reason why those people should not have access to the advanced technology we enjoy today in the west. Unfortunately, we live in the reality in which not everyone has access to the same technology as the West. Some scientists and researchers should absolutely work on problems assuming that we'll be able to get the optimal solution to everyone. But that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be others trying to work within the reality that acknowledges that this isn't the case.

HCIdivision17 10y ago

Don't underestimate the power of a simple(r) solution. A cheap and reliable solution, readily accesible, is powerful when access to so many luxuries we would consider basic necessities don't exist. These scientists have done a lot of work to show that a simple, effective solution can help people now. Not some time later when the next generation has enough to be able to use it. This is something like a mosquito net. Cheap, easy to distribute, and shockingly effective against malaria. Personally, I like the laser solution more, but you can't deny helping people now for a more ideal solution later. The trick, as always, is to also get the better solution later. And things like this centrifuge help! People have access to more advanced medical techniques and data than they had before. They'll get diagnosed sooner and more accurately. The next generation will be healthier, more energetic, and more optimistic about their chances at a longer life. They'll have more strength and will for the hard task of building up their home and country, and in a generation or two will be on their way to things like reliable power grids, communication infrastructure, transport, and more. But they'll need things to help bootstrap them first. Iodine for clean water and paper centrifuges for diagnostics are just a few of the first steps for people who have so little modern riches are useless to them. It only took us a few generations to get here, and I bet they bootstrap faster and harder than anything we've seen, like so much of the Asian peoples.

calvinlh 10y ago

Currently, there is absolutely no realistic way to set up the infrastructure required to operate such labs in third world countries. The costs would be astronomical. While, yes, ideally all humans would receive the same high standard of healthcare, pragmatically it's just not going to happen anytime soon. Before that happens, this is a very useful (and clever) tool.