Touchpoint 1
We Need to be Ready for Biotech’s ChatGPT Moment
What is it?
The bioeconomy generates 5%+ of the U.S. GDP. Semiconductors that run all our computers are only 1% of the economy. And many think the bioeconomy is about to explode in growth as we tackle the challenges facing humanity. When a company comes out with a ChatGPT product that specializes in biology, it will be a game-changer.
Potential message to students:
When do you think a biology GPT will hit the market? How big a deal do you think it will be to biological innovations? Do you think this GPT will be accessed by high school students, too?
Touchpoint 2
The surprising reason we blink so much more than we need to
What is it?
Humans blink 20 times per minute or almost 20,0000 times a day. Scientists have always believed that blinking is only for removing dust and keeping our eyes moist. A new study says blinking helps us with visual processing and specifically helps us process the world around us.
Potential message to students:
Does it make sense that closing our eyes for a short period actually helps us see and focus better? Do you ever close your eyes to help you concentrate? Do you think it will help to blink rapidly to take in a complex scene and remember it better?
Touchpoint 3
FDA announces recall of heart pumps linked to deaths and injuries
What is it?
A heart pump designed to keep people alive while they wait for a transplant is faulty. 13,000 of the palm-sized pumps are being recalled. 130 of them have been reported to the FDA as dangerous.
Potential message to students:
Do you think the people who designed the pump made a mistake? Or do you think the designers did their job, but the team making the pumps is at fault? Or do you think everyone did their jobs perfectly, but manufacturing processes just degraded over time and the machines started making less-than-perfect heart pumps?