Ralph J. Coppola --- r_j_coppola<at>hotmail.com

SAS Disclaimer

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Feature

Consider the following scenario:

An indigenous people have been treating a wide range of maladies using an extract from a native plant, for thousands of years.

Enter a multinational bio-chemical company. They “discover” the miracle plant and quickly obtain a patent for its medical properties. Is this Science or Bio-piracy?

Bio-piracy is a term that describes the actions of corporations that collect huge profits by patenting indigenous materials from developing countries.

Consider, for example, turmeric, that yellow stuff that is used to color “hot dog” mustard and as an ingredient in curry. India has been using turmeric in cooking and medicine for thousands of years, but the University of Mississippi was able to obtain a U.S. patent on the use of turmeric in healing.

In India’s case, they were successful in challenging the patent because the court ruled that the patent was not an original invention.

See the following for a few of the other plants that have been under threat of bio-piracy:

Neem Tree

Basmati Rice

Hoodia Cactus See --- Indigenous group to share hoodia royalties.

Ashwagandha

The Captain Hook Awards for Bio-piracy.

Wanderings

For those of you, who have not been following the SAS Forum discussion regarding Tom Field’s Magnetometer with Webcam Charting; why not check out his excellent Web Site?

Tom’s magnetometer is a design modification by Joseph A. Diverdi of Roger Baker’s original design.

Some notes on building a Torsion Magnetometer.

Check Joseph A. Diverdi site for some other interesting amateur projects.

For further reading on magnetometers, please see the Wanderings from 02 April 2004.

Chickens and sweet potatoes seem to suggest that there was a Pre-Columbian Contact between Polynesia and America.

The Fibonacci Series by Donald E. Simanek.

The Moon Illusion, an Unsolved Mystery by Donald E. Simanek.

Donald E. Simanek’s Home Page.

Here is a useful chart of the radio frequency, or RF electromagnetic spectrum.

Antique Windowpanes and the Flow of Supercooled Liquids.

What are the different types of Magnetism?

The Kids Room

The Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair is an annual online science and technology contest open to all Canadian students in grades K-12. The 2007 results are now in.

JUMP Math is both a philosophy and a set of materials and methods that aim to help students meet their potential and discover their love of mathematics.

EquMath is resource for math lessons from Algebra to Differential Equations!

The Thinking Fountain from the Science Museum of Minnesota.

A Beginner’s Guide Waste Digester Design from The University of Florida.

Check out the LEGO links in my Wanderings column from 10 May 2002.

Suppliers

Being listed here does not constitute an endorsement by SAS or me of any information, product or service.

See the science toy collection on the Think Geek Web Site.

On The Lighter Side

Help save the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus from extinction.

From The Far Side

Fox TV and the Apollo Moon Hoax

Bad Astronomy ---- Astrology

Cyrus Reed Teed was the creator of the Inside Out or Hollow Earth Theory.

Perpetual Futility --- A short history of the search for perpetual motion by Donald E. Simanek