Author Archives: Siddesh

Galileo’s Inquisitions: More than Science v. Religion?

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Dr. Gregory Sloan, Senior Research Associate in the field of Astronomy at Cornell, weaved an intriguing story of the brilliance of Galileo’s discoveries, sociopolitical and religious implications and analyzed what might have been the fundamental core behind the trial of Galileo. Was it merely science versus religion as many would claim? Or is it more nuanced and different?

As expected considering his expertise, the first half of his talk delved into astronomy and the different models of the solar system proposed over time from Aristotle to Copernicus to Galileo. The Church, a bastion of social and educational life in Europe from the Dark Ages onwards, plays an integral role in science; particularly because it has an invested interest in making sure people adhere to what the Church says and proclaims is true. To contradict the Church would mean to undermine the institution and such heresy would be punished. The Church and much of Europe subscribed to the geocentric model, something Aristotle was responsible for. Copernicus kickstarted heliocentrism and paved the way for the current model of our solar system. Astutely aware of the repercussion of going against the Church, despite its plausibility, he published his work at his deathbed. Galileo advanced the heliocentric model as well, especially with the use of the telescope, but unlike Copernicus, Galileo openly “defied” the Church and was found to be a controversial figure.

Eventually the Church had to take action to silence him and people may say Galileo’s trial was a matter of science vs religion but as Sloan suggested, perhaps the Inquisitions may have been more for money and power. It could be a demonstration by the Church to keep the status quo and dissuade such “radical” thinking; this would further tie people to the Church and increase its power. Sloan proposed that religion itself may not be the direct opposition or counter to science as much as it is a scapegoat for other things that are in opposition to science. This notion was something that I never really considered so I appreciated his well-thought argument and evidence.

Religion is an establishment that won’t be going away anytime soon. At its core, it serves as a means of hope and structure with its codified beliefs and laws. However, I don’t think it is as simple as blaming the conservative nature of religions for its opposition against science as much as it is people being resistant to change and unwillingness believe in new ideas. Human’s desire for power and money could very will be the true opposition to science but it is shrouded in the misdirection towards religion.

Cornell Dining: A Craft of Culinary Excellence

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Paul Muscente and Chef Daniel presented an informative and insightful look into the logistics of Cornell Dining, a system that requires serving nearly 2 million meals a year. The manpower, coordination and efficiency required to keep that running smoothly is mind-boggling. Additionally, there have been initiatives introduced to better balance a student’s diet, such as 5 Days of 5 where students are challenged to eat 5 cups of fruits and vegetables each day for 5 days. The social element of posting pictures of those participants’ undoubtedly colorful plates on Instagram was a excellent way to further engage students.

This talk also allowed attendees to ask questions that one might not necessarily have the chance to, despite the amicable nature of the Cornell dining staff. The rationing of meat was something I was curious about and they had a sound explanation: promoting a better balance with protein. That being said, because of the freedom of choice inherent in an All-You-Care-To-Eat facility, one can request for a larger portion. I am not sure if that is always true because I tried it myself today and server was not really receptive to it. Your mileage may vary I suppose.

Cornell Dining is highly conscientious of how the student population feels about the menu every day, one way is analyzing food waste. Chef Daniel goes through the waste multiple times a day to gauge whether a menu option is popular or unpopular, if the food quality is up to standards, etc., and takes measures to ensure the students’ dining experience is consistently exemplary and improving. The combined efficacy, dedication and craft of Cornell Dining allows them to achieve Top 10 in Princeton Review‘s ranking for College Dining.

Blaschka Glass: Immortalizing Oceanic Life

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It goes without saying that the biodiversity and resources of Earth is remarkable and essential for the sustainment of life. It continues to boggle the minds of many how different species of animals, plants and more are, even from century to century. The dynamic transformation and evolution of life is something to be seen in awe of and appreciated. What better way to do that than immortalize it in glass?

Dr. Harvell, a marine biologist at Cornell University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, played an important role in the maintenance and preservation of “Blaschka Glass Models” that depict various forms of oceanic life. Traditional preservation models often fail to capture the intricacies of many different organisms, particularly soft-bodied ones like jellyfish, and due to the innovation and skill of glassmakers Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, marine life was captured in the most perfect form possible. Due to its realistic nature and characteristics, Andrew Dixon White, the first president of Cornell University, bought over 500 glass models of marine invertebrates to be used as teaching tools for marine biology.
Unfortunately, with the advancements of technology, transportation and general progression of society, these excellent models have fallen to the wayside; at least until Dr. Harvell came along. The film Fragile Legacy features Dr. Harvell and marine filmmaker David Brown and their journey to document the incredible feats of the Blaschka duo and how Dr. Harvell worked to restore the 500+ archive of glass models at Cornell. Over time the models degraded but with a close collaboration with the Corning Museum of Glass, Dr. Harvell and her team were able to rescue the glass models that were in poor storage conditions.
The glass models are key in recognizing the evolution of marine organisms because these were created nearly a century ago and offers an insightful look into the diverse ocean life back then, allowing for a comparison between then and now. Because the movie featured Dr. Harvell and Brown traveling to various marine ecosystems around the world to find the real life counterparts of the glass models, the audience is also able to directly see how the species changed over time; additionally, we are able to see if species also died out. Dr. Harvell and Brown has done a fantastic job in bringing awareness of the consequences of our quest for progression and advancements, e.g., fossil fuels. Unfortunately, we have been negatively affecting marine ecosystems due to excessive fishing, blast fishing, increased oceanic temperatures due to excess CO2 production and more. If we aren’t aware of the damage we inflict on Earth and change our way of living, e.g., adopting zero-emission energy, moderating fishing, then we risk accelerating the extinction of biodiversity.

Addressing Environmental Concerns

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A panel headed by 3 experts, Shanjun Li, Greg Poe, and David Wolfe, enlightened the audience on how the environment is impacted by human activity and possible ways to preserve the environment, e.g., nuclear energy.

One important topic discussed was fracking, which is injecting liquid at high pressures underground to break shale and release gas. It is a necessary practice to satisfy our growing energy needs but transporting natural gas is actually inefficient because it escapes before it can be used, making the destruction of the environment essentially wasteful.

Another topic discussed was nuclear energy. An important point was made in the panel about how nuclear energy should be looked at as a system. It is not just a matter of harvest nuclear energy; instead, it also involves harvesting the materials, disposal of the harmful waste and more. Thus, certain countries are actually more capable implement nuclear energy as a valid and important source of energy, e.g., France and China. China in particular have been developing fourth generation nuclear reactors that would use nuclear waste as a way to harvest nuclear energy. Unfortunately, accidents like the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster hinder such progress. The United States probably won’t be implementing nuclear power into their infrastructure due to public opinion and it would be up to the current generation to change that opinion to continually develop and change nuclear power into a valid source of alternative energy; fracking and coal can sustain us only for so long. The eyes will be countries like France and China and see if their increasing reliance on nuclear power will prove to be safe and fruitful.

It is easy to be isolated in a bubble when going through your daily lives but we must be cognizant of the fact that our actions often have an adverse effect on the environment. It is imperative that we take action in some form, whether it be minor or major, to preserve our environment.

Proportionality: A Pillar of International Criminal Law

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Professor Ohlin led a fascinating discussion about international criminal law with a focus on war crimes. As one would imagine with legalese, there is a lot of gray area with interpreting the letter of the law. One of the major ways to determine if a war crime was committed is to determine if the death of civilians was justifiably proportional to the killing of military targets. In times of war, it can be argued that civilians killed as collateral damage is proportional to destroying an enemy military base. Of course it is all relative. Destroying a hospital can not be justified to kill just one soldier with a gun.

One of the major issues recently is the destruction of a hospital by US armed forces and reports and testimony state that the deadly airstrike was a mistake. Doctors without Borders, the organization that heads that hospital, are calling for the US to be charged with a war crime. Are they justified? It is still early days in trying to figure what exactly happened and an independent investigation would be needed to ascertain the circumstances of the incident. Whatever what may be case, whether it was due to the request of a support airstrike from a support ground commander or preplanned due to previous intelligence, the death of 22 people and many who were wounded is a large amount of collateral damage and may amount to a war crime if it is found to not be proportional. However, charging the US with a war crime would not be an easy process. A prosecutor in the International Criminal Court (ICC) may not necessarily bring the charges of a war crime against the United States if additonal evidence is not found because the proportionality argument can not stand on its own due to the inherent ambiguity.

Even if proportionality and sufficient evidence is available for countries committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, the ICC has limited enforceability as it depends on the cooperation of the various governments. Just recently, the South African government failed to arrest al-Bashir, who was indicted by the ICC and had an arrest warrant for him. The South African government even disobeyed an injunction from a local judge demanding for the arrest of Bashir. Because the South African government failed to fulfill its obligations, it would receive consequences from the UN Security council, but they have not actually done anything. Essentially the hands of the ICC are tied in this situation since al-Bashir would need to venture out of his country in order to be arrested. Additionally, there was the dilemma of whether an arrest warrant issued by the ICC outweighs diplomatic immunity as a head of state, the latter of which is ensured under international criminal law.

It is evident that while international criminal law is designed to protect civilians and limit unwarranted damage, it is ambiguous and limited in its enforceability. Countries would need to respect the ICC (and the ICJ) enough to compile with indictments and arrest warrants; currently that is not the case and South Africa is not even being punished, which is cause for concern because it may show that the international law can be flouted. How would you ensure international law is effective and enforced properly?

Who is Growing your Apples and Grapes?

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If one were to ask a group of students in an urban classroom in the US who are planning to work on a farm after graduating, you would be hard-pressed to find a significant percentage saying yes. That is not to say that agriculture is not important because it is quite vital to our way of living and economy. Justine Vanden Heuvel and Mary Jo Dudley gave an enlightening talk about the state of agriculture in New York and the US, talking about problems and topics that I have never considered before.  The problem is the disconnect between the current generation and what agriculture actually involves. There is a pervasive stigma that working on a farm is dangerous, physically strenuous and dirty and Americans seem to not want to work in an industry that seems to not offer advancement in careers. Therefore, the majority of the workforce for agriculture is foreign; but the majority of those workers are undocumented. These farmworkers are perpetually at risk for deportation and it puts the agricultural industry in a precarious position. Even the booming grape wine industry in New York is not safe in its growth and success if the supply of farmworkers is insecure.

According to studies, a conservative estimate of how much of the labor in agriculture is foreign is actually at least 50%. If the situation with undocumented migrant workers is not handled properly, then the agricultural industry could collapse overnight because who would pick the apples, milk the cows and make wine from grapes? Gaining a better understanding of how farmworkers live and the problems they face will be essential in ensuring that the agricultural industry remains healthy and thrives. For example, most children of farmworkers don’t stay at one school for more than 2 months, leading to a low quality education. Families obviously don’t want that for their children but their hands are tied when it comes to finding work.

If people like us take an active role in helping these farmworkers, even if it is as simple as tutoring other children our age, and in learning about the different aspects of agriculture, then we become better equipped to deal with future problems pertaining to agriculture. Additionally, we would also become much more aware of the opportunities available in agriculture because it is a multifaceted industry. There is a lot of service jobs in the industry, such as risk management for vineyards or economics with market pricing, that can fit your skills and let you have a career (with advancements!) that you actually may enjoy.

It is essential to not disregard something just because your ambitions don’t lie in that field. Agriculture is a silent, but important part of our lives and ensuring that it is a position that can grow and not falter will be crucial.

Exploring an Adolescent Playground

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Dan Schwarz, an English Professor at Cornell and author of Endtimes? Crises and Turmoil at the New York Times, gave an insightful talk about the undergraduate experience and how we can maximize our use of the resources, opportunities and time in college. Appropriately balancing learning, job preparation and interacting with people and the world around us will allow us to become capable individuals as we progress through life. Schwarz talked about important things to keep in mind when going through each of the four years at college, even though the Freshman portion is no longer applicable.

When it comes to college, one is typically forced to carve their own path, particularly more so than during High school. However, the points made by Schwarz and the advice he gives should be essential knowledge to all college students. One of the main points he makes is being proactive and finding opportunities that interest you or benefit you in the long run, career-wise or as a life skill. It may seem intimidating to reach out to people who essentially are strangers, and it was for me the first few weeks at Cornell because of how big the campus is, but everyone is here to help you. What you make of your experience at Cornell will define you later in life. So go out and make new friends in clubs or subjects that never interested you before. Talk to professors and get to know them on a personal level. Nobody is going to bite your head off. Everyone is likely to be understanding or in the same position you are in. Take classes in Economics even if you are bad in math because understanding how the economy works is essential skill that everyone needs in order to function in society. Oh and make sure you sleep.

What will you be doing different?