FEBRUARY 26TH 2017

Future Telegram
What The Future Brings

ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Will Tesla’s Model S beat Chevrolet’s
Corvette?

Gravitational Waves
How Do They Work?

Will We See New Antibiotics In The

Future?

Extra: Professor Answers

Your 1

Q u e s t i o n s
Brought to you by
Andreas Bay Andersen What lies ahead? – are we doomed?
To meetValbakGDPR requirements
Anne Christiansen Technology has always formed the human life, but through the past 100 years it has separated the
in the EU, names
Anne-kathrine are censored
Krog Østergaard Madsen humans in two: the ones who embrace the technology, and the ones who retreat.
in this magazine.
Charlotte Sand If any of the
Our life and the future is in the hand of technology. – once we used arrow and bow, now we use
authorsPedersen
Christian would Raal
like to have
pointer and keyboard.
their name
Jesper Lund shown, it can be
Computers, robots and data processing unit is absolute necessary for hospitals, banks and inter-
added
Jonas by request.
Mikkelsen
national politics. We can cure deceases, which is almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
Kalinka Sand Knudsen Intro page for sustainability
Karl Sommer Will the future bring us electrical cars? Will cloning an everyday experience? Sustainability, what is
Kristoffer Meling Christensen it going to do in the future??
Linda Luu What would the world look like with this kind of technology?
Maria Jensen What about gravitational waves? The unknown and known bacteria – can they be used?
Mathias Tynor Some of the abovementioned topics are going to be explained further on through the newspaper.
Mikael Thode Sørensen
Mikkel Brenfelt From the last week’s edition, you can now read the comments on “Reader’s letters”
Nicolai Bjørck Andersen
Nicolai Muldbak
Nina Leegård Rasmussen
Philip Lauritsen
Rebekka Gaarden
Simon Tolbod Poulsen
Søren Krabbe Staahltoft
Stine Møldrup
Tobias Hasager

3

Electric Vehicles
by Jonas Mikkelsen & Karl Sommer
Electric Vehicles might be the future for Earth. They do not harm the
environment to the same degree as cars fuelled by gasoline.
However, can electric vehicles keep up with the traditional cars in the
parameters of speed and acceleration? How have they changed over
time? What would happen if gasoline at some point no longer exists,
and we are forced to use renewable energy?
B
ack in 1889, the first fully functional electric car
was made in the U.S. by a man named William
Morrison. His prototype inspired others to further
develop them, and at the beginning of the 20th
century electric vehicles had become common in the
U.S. About a third of all cars were electric at that time.
It was the first major success for the new type of car.
At the same time, Thomas Edison worked on creating
more efficient batteries, believing that it was the superior
mode of transportation. In the early 1900s, the batteries
were horrible compared to batteries nowadays. Ten
years later, around year 1910, Henry Ford released the
Ford T model. It became so popular it resulted in a major
setback for the electric vehicles. Another decade passed,
before electric vehicles faced another problem. Cheap
oil had been discovered, which convinced humanity to
stay away from electric cars. Furthermore, gasoline
filling stations started to emerge across the United
States thereby easing the way for a more widespread
use of gasoline driven automobiles. As a result,
electric cars had by 1935 disappeared from the roads.
Over the next 30 years, the gasoline driven cars
became increasingly popular, and electric cars
remained outclassed by them. Yet, when the U.S.
first landed on the moon, they had an electric car
with them. Suddenly, they were back in the market.
In the 1970s, gasoline prices increased at a rapid
pace due to the oil crisis, which contributed to further
spurring interest in electric cars. Two years passed,
and small automakers began exploring alternative
options to fuel vehicles. Before long it was discovered
that gasoline reserves were limited, which lead to
the beginning of further research in fuel-alternatives.
After this great period, electric cars for the third
time suffered a setback. Limited performance and
their low range again made the interest in electric
cars fade. Nevertheless, state regulations once
again helped, and electric vehicles was back in
the race. Automakers began to modify popular and
powerful cars into electrics, constructing them with
specifications similar to the gasoline-fuelled cars.
Now the specifications were almost equal, but the
electric cars still lacked something their counterparts
did not: battery capacity. As a consequence scientists
and engineers initiated several experiments
in an attempt to increase the battery capacity,
the improvements of which gradually made the
electric cars rivals to the gasolines on the market.
Tesla, at the beginning of the new millennium,
announced their interest in electric car development.
They stated that they would produce a luxury car with a
range of more than 200 miles. This inspires automakers
to continue their research and experiments to match
Tesla’s bold announcement.
4 DANSK
T
he interest increased in the following years, and
between 2009 to 2013 the Energy Department invested
in a nationwide charging infrastructure. 18,000
stations were installed, and 8,000 public charging
stations were provided, making it easier to charge and
travel in an electric car. Nissan followed in Tesla’s
footsteps by launching the LEAF an all electric car.
%
Prices were still relatively high, compared to the
traditional vehicles. Especially the battery, which
remains the most expansive part of the car. Due to the
investment of the Energy Department years earlier, the
battery cost has decreased dramatically, making electric
cars far more attractive with a new, lower price. In fact, the
price on the battery has dropped with 50% in just 4 years.
This is where we are today. But what part will these cars play
in the future? If humanity can somehow utilise solar cells in this
aspect, it could get even cheaper and reduce the dependence
of oil by 30 to 60%. That would help the environment quite a bit.
SPEED & ACCELERATION
Q
speed COMPARISON uite important factors regarding cars. For
Tesla Model S Chevrolet Corvette instance, if you own a car which takes 20 seconds
to accelerate to 60 mph, this would be very
Grand Sport impractical when you need to set off or advance
0-60Mph in 2.8 0-60Mph in 3.9 to highway speed limits. A car also needs to be able to
seconds seconds reach the highway speed limit, otherwise you would have
532 Horsepower 460 Horsepower to refrain from any traveling by highway. If we compare
an electrical car like a Tesla Model S to a similarly
Top speed of Top speed of
priced conventional car like a Chevrolet Corvette
155Mph 175Mph
Grand Sport. Both are performance cars and thereby
constructed with a similar purpose in mind. Hence
the Tesla and Corvette makes a good comparison.
If we look at acceleration the Tesla clearly appears a lot faster, however, if we consider the top speed the Corvette is
evidently winning. Why is this? Electric motors have a lot more torque and they have it right from the beginning, while
conventional combustion engines are slower at reaching their power. This is because electrical motors do not have to
reach a required number of rpm (rotations per minute) to produce a certain amount of power, while combustion engines
do. A combustion engine usually produces most of its power at high rpm, meaning that a car with a combustion engine
first has to get its engine up to speed before it can apply the power to movement. Nonetheless, as mentioned before, if
we look at the top speed, the combustion engine wins. This is because the combustion engine can deliver higher rpm
and usually has gears, while electric cars usually do not. Due to the gears in a combustion engine it can keep on deliv-
ering higher and higher rpm to the wheels, thereby increasing the speed of the car. It all comes down to compromises,
one car has top speed and one has acceleration. If we only look at these parameters, we can not really which one is
better than the other. This is up for the individual customer to decide.
Sources
Engelsk Automaker Gasoline Torque https://energy.gov/articles/top-10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-electric-vehi-
cles
http://www.hybridcars.com/5-basic-facts-about-electric-cars-many-consumers-
Bilfabrikant Benzin Moment are-still-fuzzy-about/ 5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle
https://energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car
http://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/corvette
http://www.caranddriver.com/tesla/model-s
 Gravity,
Gravitational waves, was originally a concept proposed by Albert Einstein in
his theory of general relativity. The general relativity theory states that mass
distorts both space and time in the same way as like a bowling ball could distort a
trampoline or so to speak: in waves. Throughout the years, there has been many
waves and during the 1970s stated that he frequently detected them. People, however, began doubting Weber’s
claims and set to investigate by building their own versions of the Weber bar. Midway through the 1970s other
groups had not detected anything and Weber’s claims were redeemed as a hoax.

Waves,
attempts at discovering gravitational waves in real life, but it was first in 1974
that Russell Alan Hulse and Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. found implied evidence of
gravitational waves. However, in 2015 LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-
Wave Observatory) finally found definite evidence that verified their existence.
Although Weber was believed to be a hoax gravitational wave detectors were still being developed. The scientists
Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor discovered the first binary pulsar and through the investigation of this it was discov-
ered that the decay of the orbital movement matched the energy loss happening in gravitational radiation. Although
they had yet to be observed directly, this led to the first indirect confirmation of gravitational waves.

and me?
In 1984, NSF asked MIT and Caltech to investigate gravitational waves, which eventually leading to the foundation of
LIGO led by Kip Thorne, Ronald Drever and Rainer Weiss. LIGO laid the foundation for the later formation of inter-
national collaboration on the field, in the form of LSC (LIGO scientific collaboration) and GWIC (Gravitational Wave
by Jesper Lund & Mathias Tynor International Committee). The work on gravitational waves improved with advances in the field of black holes and
through the green light for upgrading LIGO, the construction of which finished in 2015. The scientific team working
on LIGO detected and observed gravitational waves on the 14th of September 2015, which they announced on 11th
February 2016. They later detected their 2nd amount of gravitational waves the 26th of December 2015 which was
Gravitation in waves, but measured through frequency of light and who measure it? announced 15th of June 2016.
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric space-time caused by some of the violent and energetic processes in the
universe. We can define gravitational waves, as radiated objects, where the motion involves acceleration and its change.
Gravitational waves are produced by catastrophic events in space. For instance by black holes colliding, stellar cores collaps-
ing, or neutron stars or white dwarf stars coalescing. In short gravitational waves can be described by stars in orbit around Lasers and the frequency of importance they had
one another. With time the stars will orbit closer and closer towards each other. The gravitational waves are currently observed by “LIGO”: a space institution with its own gravitational wave obser-
vatory. Currently it is the largest observatory known and quite unique compared to others around the world. Watch-
As mentioned before gravitational waves can originate from a ing the observatory from a high altitude will show a big telescope on a mountain top. It consists of two enormous
variety of sources. Scientists are able to distinguish the grav- laser interferometers located thousands of kilometers apart. LIGO utilizes the properties of light and empty space to
itational waves by the signals received in their observatories. detect and analyze the gravitational waves, using violent and energetic processes that happens in space to detect
One of the most common types is “Spinning neutron stars”, the gravitational waves. Simply put, it is a physics experiment as advanced as some particle generators and nuclear
which consists of the core left behind after a massive star laboratories.
has exploded. The second are called “Supernovas”, which are
powerful explosions triggered by the death of a massive star
and able to release large bursts of gravitational waves. The
third type is “supermassive black hole pairs” about a million
times as massive as the sun. The last type is the “Big Bang”.
This is a special variety of gravitational waves which has
yet to be proved scientifically. Scientists claim that Big Bang
triggered massive gravitational waves. Gravitational waves
are everywhere and scientists believe that the entire big bang
was a gravitational wave with the size of the entire universe.
But the theory currently lacks scientific proof.

The Theory, The Hoax, and The Discoveries
The concept of gravitational waves was first proposed in 1905 by Henri Poincare. Although, it was more of a
suggestion than any real proposal. Einstein began investigating Poincare’s suggestion with the release of his theory
of general relativity in 1915, in which he proposed three different types of gravitational waves. Afterwards two of
the three types were disproven. In 1936, Einstein and Nathan Rosen co-wrote a paper disproving gravitational waves
because of work in the field at the time. However, the scientific journal they sent with intention of a critical review
disproving the theory actually stated the opposite. This later resulted in Einstein writing a new paper affirming that
gravitational waves are possible in relation to the theory of general relativity.
There had been a lot of confusion in the field concerning gravitational waves but in 1956 Felix Pirani suggested that
gravitational waves should not be defined through coordinate systems, as they had been investigated through earlier,
but through a branch of differential math called “Riemann curvature tensor”. Following this was a long period where
the field of gravitational waves remained stagnant. Meanwhile a man named Joseph Weber attempted to build the
first gravitational wave detectors, which he called “Weber bars”. In 1969, he claimed to have found gravitational
As mentioned there are different ways to detect gravitational waves. The indirect way was Hulse-Taylor Pulsar,
which confirmed the possible existence of gravitational waves. In reality there are two types of gravitation detectors
in use today. Fistly, is the one pioneered by Joseph Weber, which consists of a metal rod isolated from outside forc-
es so the only thing able to influence it is gravitational waves. These however are limited to powerful gravitational
waves. The other type is interferometers that use lasers and laser interferometry to detect gravitational waves.
But what can we say, we have learned from gravitational waves? LIGO has successfully, akin to Galileo, turned
the telescope to the sky. Before Galileo the world did not know much about the stars and planets, nor about the
existence of other galaxies, or had any concept of the immensity of the universe. Since the discovery of the gravi-
tational waves, we see the cosmos in a new way. We are able to strike confirmation of general relativity and reveal
cataclysmic explosions and collisions throughout the universe. We can learn much from gravitational waves.
About Galileo
6 Galileo was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher and mathematician born in Pisa 1564. Galileo 7
was known for making the first telescope to observe the space. Since Galileo, we have obtained much more
knowledge about the space.
Waves, a fact worth the discovery or useless?
LIGO confirmed the actual existence of gravitational waves, but can we actually use the knowledge about gravita-
tional waves for anything? The answer is yes, at least for the field of physics. Gravitational waves have an impact
especially in the area of quantum physics, astrophysics and gravity physics. In quantum physics, it has an implication
on the theorized particle called graviton, since it is believed that it could be the force behind gravitational waves. If
the graviton is confirmed in connection to gravitational waves, it would be able to link the gravity defined by Ein-
stein’s theory of general relativity to the standard model made up by small particles and hereby connect gravity with
other forces through the standard model.

Gravitational waves are not limited in space and therefore does not slow down. Since it is possible that they carry
important info about different astronomical phenomenons, this makes gravitational waves essential in astrophysics. It
is also believed that gravitational waves can provide us more information about the beginning of the universe. This is
due to the way gravitational waves interact with objects in space, having an impact on and bending them.

Renewable
It might seem like gravitational waves aren’t that useful in some respects, but it is plausible that they can help us
define our universe as well as everyday surroundings and thereby have impact on us. If this is considered unimport-
ant, it is always fun to know that we all bend on a miniscule level because of gravitational waves.

Fun Facts
The LIGO detector is so sensitive it can measure changes in the area of 1/1000th of a proton. Energy Sources
Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor won a Nobel prize for their discovery of the binary pulsar. by Philip Lauritsen & Tobias Hasager

In 1922 Arthur Eddington disapproved parts of Einstein’s theory about gravitational waves including 2 of the 3 gravi-
tational wave types proposed by Einstein. Arthur also disproved the last one but it wasn’t as legitimate as the other
proposals and wasn’t accepted as common knowledge. The future is here. And so are energy sources that are kind
The LIGO project has the record of highest funding by the NSF (National Science Foundation) in America. to mother earth.
Astrophysics Terms
SPINNING NEUTRON STARS: OVER SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE are walking mother earth
A single spinning Neutron star is the core that is left behind after a massive star explodes. . as we speak. And this number is not decreasing. People are
having kids like never before. As a result of this, the demand
SUPERNOVAS:
for energy as a whole is also increasing at an explosive rate.
Supernovas are powerful explosions that are triggered when a massive star dies.
As we all know, supply and demand go together like pots
BLACK HOLES AND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES: and pans. Therefore, we should just keep on burning more
Black holes are remnants of a big stars (They are minimum 3 times bigger than the sun), that has been compressed into coal and oil to keep up with the demand for energy, right?
tiny space with a giant gravitational attraction force. The supermassive version is about a million times as massive when Of course not. These fossil fuels pollute our precious mother
compared to the sun. earth; causing diseases, increasing temperatures and so
on. As a result of this, we have to look for other sources to
BIG BANG WAVES: create energy. Sources that won’t harm the environment as
Most people know what the Big Bang is, but when it comes to gravitational waves, people lack the knowledge. When the much as fossils fuels do and, unlike fossils fuels, won’t run out.
Big Bang occurred it could have triggered huge gravitational waves, that had the size of the entire universe.

SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_wave
https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nsf-s-ligo-has-detected-gravitational-waves
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/gravitational-waves-explained
http://www.relativity.li/en/epstein2/read/i0_en/i9_en/
https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/system/video_items/images/35/medium/ligo20160211v6_Tn.jpg?1455163564
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160207.html
8 9

Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are made of plant and animal matter that is over
millions of years old. The three fuel sources; coal, natural
gas and oil/petroleum help to meet the energy and electricity
demands of the world today.
Fossil fuels are the major energy sources being used today.
But the over-consumption can lead to serious environmental
issues such as air pollution. Fossil fuels release carbon
dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide
etc. when burned, which can have severe consequences on
nature. These sources are limited, and they are depleting at a
fast rate - meaning that some day we will run out.
Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels
When fossil fuels are burned, a gas called carbon dioxide
is released. This gas causes heat in Earth’s atmosphere
and contributes to global warming. It turns out that the
burning of fossil fuels has caused carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere to rise by more than 25% over the past 150
years. Where does all this carbon dioxide stem from? It turns
out that coal is a particularly major cause of CO2 emission.
In 2012, coal was responsible for 43% of the emission.
As mentioned above fossil fuels are also polluting the air
with other gasses, producing pollutants. Carbon monoxide
is a by-product of the combustion of fossil fuels, which
comes primarily from vehicles. Furthermore, the extraction,
production, and transportation of fossil fuels can lead to
significant land and water pollution. Oil spills, for example,
can wreak havoc in ocean habitats and marine life, while coal
mining can contribute to river pollution. In addition, the limited
amount of fossil fuels could cause huge economic and social
problems in the future.
However, there are a lot of other solutions for our energy
problems. It has become a main subject to a lot of different
universities and colleges to develop new and better ways to
produce energy, this field holding a lot of potential.
Wind Power
One of the best alternative energy sources is wind power. It
uses the kinetic energy from the wind to rotate three blades
attached to a turbine to generate electric power. This is one
of the most utilized renewable energy sources. Denmark
dominates the rest of the world regarding wind energy and
has invested a lot of money in offshore wind parks, due to the
fact that there is a constant wind in the seas around Denmark.
Wind power does not cause any pollution to the environment
as it uses the weather patterns caused by the sun, making it
an unlimited source of power.
Fusion Power
One of the many possible renewable energy sources is Did you know...
fusion energy. In theory, we are trying to replicate the same
kind of atomic reaction that happens in the center of the sun. Around 90% of our energy comes from
Fusion power uses deuterium, a form of hydrogen easily fossil fuels
separated from seawater, and a single gram of this can make
90.000 kWh. A normal nuclear reactor splits large atoms to
get energy, and the reaction leaves radioactive byproducts. Fossil fuels formed during the Carbonifer-
ous Period. This was before dinosaurs ruled
Fusion combines smaller atoms to create energy, and the only
byproduct is helium. These factors make fusion power one of Earth
the best, cleanest, and most efficient energy sources that we
know of. If taken advantage of, the sunlight that
hits the earth for one hour could power up
There is just one problem. Scientists have estimated that the the entire planet for one year
technology that we need in order to make it a common energy
source is about 30 years away from being developed. China Solar power may account for the world’s
and South Korea are some of the countries which have spend main energy source of power by 2050
a lot of money to develop new technology to help make fusion
our main energy source.
Coal
Oil
Solar Power Sources
The sun is always shining somewhere on Earth, however, its energy is not always put http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/disad-
Gas vantages_fossilfuels.php
to use. Solar power holds huge potential because of how accessible it is. The idea
Cement https://www.reference.com/science/disadvan-
of solar power, is to use photons sent from the sun to move electrons and thereby tages-fossil-fuels-c764eb879a9a807d
Flaring converting solar energy to electric power. Scientists are developing better solar http://www.softschools.com/facts/energy/fos-
sil_fuel_facts/407/
panels, which can consume solar energy more efficiently and cheaper. It is the plan to
http://joanpyeproject.org/news/prob-
convert all of the windows in some skyscrapers to see-through solar panels. Beyond lems-with-fossil-fuels/
this, some car manufacturers are looking into making the windshields of their cars http://www.visualcapitalist.com/alternative-ener-
gy-sources-future/
from solar panels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/11/24/7-out-
Share in 2012 CO2 emissions from fossil fueld an rageous-energy-sources-of-the-future.
However, solar power still pose problems. The efficiency of a solar panel can decrease
cement (%) html?slide=1
to nearly nothing if it gets dirty. Solar panels consist of series of solar cells, and the https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/viden/miljoe/her-er-
energy have to travel through all of the solar cells to fully convert the energy. If one forskernes-bud-paa-fremtidens-energi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power
of the solar cells is dirty it will not receive any photons, and thereby lose the ability to
http://energyinformative.org/solar-energy-pros-
convert all of the photons to energy. However, it is still impossible to store the energy and-cons/
converted from solar panels, so it has to be used right after the energy conversion. http://www.triplepundit.com/special/energy-op-
tions-pros-and-cons/fusion-power-pros-cons/
10 Emission Polution Wreck havoc 11
Engelsk
DANSK Udledning Forurening Lave ravage
 which were only intended to mimic a limb. Bionic hands and legs with sensors and electrodes connected to the brain
and muscles are already in use by amputees, but some scientists have expressed their thoughts for the future. What

When do we cross the if, for example, an astronaut or a cargo worker wanted to minimize the effort and labor put into doing certain tasks?
The person could simply replace one or both of his arms to ease the tasks. With this attitude in mind, the lines between

line of humanity? human and technology are blurring, making humanity well on its way to creating a cyborg.

by Anne-kathrine Oestergaard Madsen & Mikael Thode Soerensen Recently, a group of scientists published the results of an ongoing experiment, where they succeeded in growing hu-
man organs inside a pig. This was done by injecting human stem cells into a pig embryo in its developing stages. The
experiment has sparked a debate in the scientific community because of the controversial creation of chimeras; a cross
between human and animal. One of the questions raised is dealing with the possible outcome of pigs born with human
stem cells in them. Would they show a human degree of sentient, human degree of thoughts, or maybe display physical
Morals and ethics are concepts that represent human characteristics. To avoid the backlash of this, the scientists took out the embryos after four weeks, thereby elimi-
views of how one should behave. The definition nating the chance of this ever happening. Still, the question remains: if this actually works, should we not encourage the
research further and expand our knowledge instead of fearing these possibilities?
of moral behavior is what a given person or Such experiments could help people in need of organ transplants or eliminate their chances of spending the rest of
group deem befitting and true for human action. their lives hooked up to machines.

The future holds a lot of new and exciting inventions and discoveries in the field of genetics. Today,
Today one of the most debatable questions among scientists are the ethics concerning human research. we are already seeing the results of this research, but one of the new ways of further en-
Examples of such could be replacing organs with bionic prosthetics or using animals to grow new organs or limbs hancing the human race could be by cloning and “designing” babies. In 2005, a movie
for a human. This is a difficult topic only few agree can upon, since improvements of the human body is still in called The Island came out, where the main characters discover the secret of their
its developing stages. Therefore, not much research has been conducted, and it remains a topic widely up for lives. They were artificially born and “grown” to act as a organ harvesting unit. People
debate. bought the insurance if they would ever be in the need of an organ. If such a time
would come, the unit would simply be “shipped off” and then killed to have their organs
Because what is right and what is wrong regarding ethics? If it is the only way to save a human life, is it then removed. The antagonists end up killing a living, sentient human-being because they are
okay to replace organs with those from a human donor, an animal, or improve human body parts with the help not perceived as real “humans”; they merely exist to aid the person whom they are a clone of.
of technology? And if this is the case, when will we reach a level of replacing organs or limbs where it is not
okay to do so? If we replace an arm, a leg, or several organs, are we even ourselves Another route could also be the elimination of babies born with genetic errors or illnesses. Doctors are
anymore? Does our soul inhabit the body, does it live in our heart, or is it only already able to examine the possibility of a baby being born with an illness. One can therefore choose
present in our brain? These are some of the questions up for debate nowadays. whether to have the baby or not. But the option of designing a child just as you want it may be coming.
Take for instance Jehovah’s Witnesses and their reluctance to receive donor Imagine if you could choose the gender, hair, eye color, and even what physical skills would be enhanced.
blood, what would their stance be on having an organ replaced with one We could possibly eliminate every genetic fault and create a breed of superhumans. The next step could be
grown inside a pig? It is a topic worth discussing, since people die waiting to altering our bodies to be even more cunning and capable of doing hard labor and tasks formerly perceived as
receive an organ transplant. If we could solve this issue by utilising human impossible.
organs grown inside pigs or replacing them with artificial replicas, would it
But when will it be enough? What exactly make us Glossary
not be okay?
human? Is being human not connected to having
Bionic: The use of technology to assist humans in performing
our faults and missteps? These questions are hard tasks by suopplementing or duplicating parts of the body
Today, it is legal to replace limbs and organs with either technology to answer, and there is not a single answer to any of Prosthetic: imitation, fake, man-made.
or other human parts. This is the case if the person in need has given them. Ethicists are discussing these questions now Embryo: fetus.
permission to do so, or the donor has given his or her consent to be and probably will be do so for a great amount of time. Artificial: fake, imitation, man-made.
When do we, as humans, cross the line of humanity? Premortem: before death.
a donor; either pre- or postmortem. In Denmark, we focus a lot on Postmortem: after death.
letting people know how they can change or save a human life by Some people argue that the existence of the “soul” is Amputated: For example cutting a leg off because of dis-
being an organ donor. If you need to have your leg amputated a part of what makes us human. Might we erase our ease.
you have a lot of opportunities to still be able to live your ethics and morals and what we have been brought up Augmentation: alteration of the human body, modification.
life. With a prosthetic you will for example be able to walk to believe, if we replace our entire body with technolo- Cyborg: a person whose physiological functioning is aided by
gy? A part of being human is having faults and making or dependent upon a mechanical or electronic device.
again. Stem cells: a cell upon division replaces its own numbers
What if you, however, are not in need of a new leg, but mistakes. But we are able to think and examine these and also gives rise to cells that differentiate further into one or
you just wish to upgrade your body to achieve greater faults and mistakes, and thereby possibly improve more specialized types, as other cells.
physical attributes? Such adjustments fall in the category them in the future. If a future exists where we are able Chimera: a living being composed of two or more genetically
human augmentation. Companies researching in this to erase every fault, are we still human, or have we different tissues, for example a mix or a dog and human.
12 become something completely new? Genetics: the genetic properties and trades of an organism. 13
field have come a long way since the first prosthetics,
Sources
The Future of
Dictionary.com: genetics. Udgivet af Dictionary.com. Internetadresse: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/genetics?s=t - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017
(Internet)
Dictionary.com: Chimera. Udgivet af Dictionary.com. Internetadresse: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/chimera?s=t - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017
Antibiotics
(Internet)
Dictionary.com: Stem cell. Udgivet af Dictionary.com. Internetadresse: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/stem-cell?s=t - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017
(Internet)
Dictionary.com: Bionic. Udgivet af Dictionary.com. Internetadresse: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bionic?s=t - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017
(Internet)
Dictionary.com: Cyborg. Udgivet af Dictionary.com. Internetadresse: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/cyborg?s=t - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017
by Andreas Bay, Mikkel Brenfelt & Stine Møldrup
(Internet)
T
Dictionary.com: Augmentation. Udgivet af Dictionary.com. Internetadresse: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/augmentation - Besøgt d. he World Economic Forum (WEF) has concluded
28.01.2017 (Internet) that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are arguably
the greatest risk to human health. Humanity
Buzzfeed: Scientists just created the first human-pig embryos. Udgivet af Buzzfeed. Internetadresse: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ has always been under threat from infectious
azeenghorayshi/scientists-mix-pigs-and-humans?utm_term=.ssaWoVqL9#.xe33QVxYD - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017 (Internet)
diseases, but we are getting better at monitoring signs
Amputee-coalition.org: Prosthetic FAQS for the New Amputee. Udgivet af Amputee. Internetadresse: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/ of a health related crisis and alert the rest of the world
resources/prosthetic-faqs-for-the-new-amputee/ - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017 (Internet) in case of an outbreak. The amount of deaths caused
by pandemics today, is far lower than it was a century
Smithsonianmag.com: The Insane and Exciting Future of the Bionic Body. Udgivet af Smithsonian.com. Internetadresse: http://www. ago. Modern medicine is constantly working to develop
smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-insane-and-exciting-future-of-the-bionic-body-918868/ - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017 (Internet)
new antibiotics to countermeasure bacterial adaption.
Techradar.com: How modular upgrades will keep your body cutting edge. Udgivet af Techradar. Internetadresse: http://www.techradar.com/ Unfortunately, “bacterial adaptation” is caused by
news/how-modular-bionic-upgrades-will-keep-your-body-cutting-edge - Besøgt d. 28.01.2017 (Internet) antibiotic exposure, which creates a vicious cycle.
The Island. 2005. Instruktion: Michael Bay. Manuskript: Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci. (Film) Antibiotics are used in livestock to both treat and
prevent diseases. This has led to less disease amongst
livestock, but the preventive use of antibiotics is resulting
in antibiotic resistance becoming an increasing threat to
public health more than disease itself. Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) has made considerable efforts
to encourage doctors and patients to reduce the use of
antibiotics. However, little progress has been made to
decrease the use of antibiotics in livestock, this field being
where antibiotics are applied most frequently today. In
2010, 63.200 tons of antibiotics were used in agriculture,
and this amount is estimated to increase to 105.600
14
1
https://cddep.org/sites/default/files/
swa_2015_final.pdf (P. 39)
2
http://consumersunion.org/pdf/Over-
use_of_Antibiotics_On_Farms.pdf
tons by 2030. This is a two-third increase1. In the United
States, 80% of antibiotics sold are used in the production
of meat and poultry. The massive use of antibiotics in
producing livestock is argued, by the meat and poultry
production industry, to contribute hardly any burden
towards human antibiotic resistance2. One might easily
question whether this is true, as the overuse of antibiotics
theoretically could result in the presence of superbugs
in the meat we consume. To better understand how
bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, important points
about bacteria will be explained in the following segment.
Bacteria
Bacteria is the most basic lifeform, and it is also the first
to ever evolve on earth. They are microscopic, single-
celled organisms. Different bacteria thrive in different
habitats, for instance within soil or in the human gut.
Bacteria can also be used in many different processes,
including turning milk into yoghurt, cheese etc. Bacteria
is harmful as well, leading to diseases like MRSA and
pneumonia.
In general, bacteria are classified as prokaryotes,
meaning that instead of having a densely packed
nucleus. The DNA in bacteria is floating around freely in
a thread-like mass: the nucleoid. Inside the bacteria we
also have the ribosomes. Ribosomes basically function
as the factory of the cell, producing the polypeptide
chains all proteins consist of.
Bacteria can evolve and adapt much like we humans do,
however, they do so through the means of transformation.
Transformation is, basically, bacteria picking up waste
(plasmid) from a dead bacteria and replicating this DNA.
Plasmids are small “lumps” of DNA - way smaller than
the nucleoid.about bacteria will be explained in the
following segment.
Bacteria can, hereby, use transformation to gain immunity
to certain types of antibiotics or adapt to environmental
changes, which is why bacteria is considered the most
versatile lifeform on earth.
15
 Glossary
Immunology: Immunology is the part of science, namely biology, that researches in the immune system of organis-
mes.
Multiresistance: Multiresistance is a term used to explain that some bacteria have evolved into having resistance to
many, if not all types of antibiotics.
Protein Synthesis: The protein-synthesis is the mechanism within our cells, that replicate our DNA. The process
consists of multiple steps. The enzyme helicase cuts the DNA-molecule in half, leaving behind a leading strand
and a lagging strand. The leading strand is now replicated by the enzyme polymerase, and here by creating a new
strand of DNA, with the use of RNA-nucleotides.

Antibiotics
But how do we get sick? Usually infectious diseases are caused by pathogens, including bacteria.
Pathogens can enter the body through the air we breathe, the food we consume, and even through
cuts in our skin. Not every pathogen entering our body causes illness thanks to our immune system.
However, as discussed earlier, bacteria possess the ability to evolve and may trick the immune system
into letting them go unnoticed, ultimately leading to illness. Most of the time, your immune system will
quickly combat the pathogens, but sometimes antibiotics need to be used to aid the immune system in
getting rid of the disease.
As all bacteria fit into either being Gram-positive or Gram-negative, the antibiotics are required to
be able to penetrate the type of bacteria in question. Different antibiotics possess different abilities,
which help them destroy bacteria. Antibiotics work through one of the following mechanisms: inhibiting
bacterial cell wall synthesis, inhibiting protein synthesis, inhibiting DNA-/RNA-synthesis, and by
damaging or destroying the cytoplasmic membrane of the bacteria.
Antibiotics are, furthermore, differentiated between broad and narrow-spectrum antibiotics. Most
antibiotics are considered to be broad-spectrum, which mean they are effective against many types of
bacteria, both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Tetracyclines are types of broad spectrum
antibiotics, which works by inhibiting the protein synthesis of bacteria. The narrow spectrum antibiotics
are efficient against smaller groups of bacteria, which are either Gram-positive or Gram-negative.
Penicillins are types of narrow spectrum antibiotics, which work by destroying the structure of the
bacteria’s cell wall.
Future of Antibiotics
Unfortunately, less antibiotics are developed today. Until the 1970s, many new antibiotics were
developed to which most pathogens were susceptible. However, the last completely new type of
antibiotics was developed in the 1980s. Since then, there has been a discovery void, meaning that
no new antibiotics have been developed. Scientists are now focused on developing a substitute for
antibacterial drugs as the pipeline for development of new antibiotics is nearly empty6.
Ask The Professor - Reader’s Questions
“In the news, you always hear about bacteria that can withstand several different antibiotics, including peni-
cillin. Should I be worried if I get sick and need treatment?”
Put simply, you should not. The infections caused by bacteria are usually minor and can easily be dealt with using
a simple antibiotic treatment. I understand the concern, the news always paints the worst picture possible regarding
bacteria, but the truth is that every day new antibiotics are created - much like the way penicillin was discovered back
in the day.
“I am allergic to penicillin G. If I get sick, what should I be prescribed instead?”
I am no doctor, but I know that a qualified doctor has plenty of antibiotics at their disposal aside from penicillin G. I do
recommend a skin test of the antibiotic before using it, but that is for a doctor to decide.
“Who discovered the first antibiotic and how?”
The first antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, and the discovery was actually an accident. The
discovery of penicillin happened when Fleming was researching the properties of Staphylococci. Fleming forgot a
stack of petri dishes on a table, which over a period of time became contaminated with the fungus that we know as
penicillin today. Fleming observed the effects of the fungus on the bacteria and saw that around the fungi bacteria had
died. This fungus proved to be the Penicillium genus and was named such. So thanks to Alexander Fleming’s forget-
ful nature, we are able to treat bacterial infections safely and effectively.
“What would the world be without antibiotics?”
The world would certainly be different in many ways, in particular medically. The population would still be battling
diseases like syphilis and other bacterial infections. I am certain that an alternative sort of medicine would have been
discovered, but the fact is that antibiotics have helped the world in many ways, and it is hard to imagine a world with-
out them.

3
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/get-
sick.htm
4
http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/ques-
tion881.htm
5
http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/ques-
tion881.htm
6
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstre
16 5
http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/ques- 17
am/10665/112642/1/9789241564748_eng.pdf tion881.htm
 Would it be ethically correct to interfere with the creation of life cyclus?
To discuss whether it’s ethically correct to experiment with living organisms and combining non- living matter into organic
Binding Silicon And Carbon Into Coaxed Life For The First Time matter, depends on the individual’s ethical perspective.
by Nicolai Bjørck & Nicolai Muldbak If the individual’s ethical perspective focuses on the ethical experiments on living organisms, it is Immanuel Kant’s theory
about the practical imperative. The practical imperative is the ethical theory that puts all living organisms equal, meaning
that no organism should be used as an lab-rat, and that if nature wanted to make silicon bind with carbon, it would have
Silicon is all around us, it’s the most abundant element in the Earth’s done so naturally.

crust after oxygen. Although Silicon doesn’t play any part in the So what do you think, would it be ethically correct to combine living matter and non-living matter into organic matter?
creation of organic life, it can be manipulated to bind together with
Sources
carbon atoms, creating new opportunities for eg. pharmaceuticals. http://www.nature.com/news/living-cells-bind-silicon-and-carbon-for-the-first-time-1.21037
http://www.iflscience.com/chemistry/scientists-coaxed-life-binding-silicon-carbon-first-time/
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/revolutionary-silicon-chip-makes-light-work/

What is the purpose of binding the
two?
Silicon is a material that has properties
of both metals and non-metals, which
is important in biochemistry, but sadly
silicon can only be used in bioinorgan-
ic compounds.
This opens up for a whole new world of
organic chemistry, which means that
you can research in new types of treat-
ment for different types of diseases.
“This opens up entirely new oppor-
tunities in pharmaceutical research
and may lead to the discovery of new
drugs,” says Yitzhak Apeloig, who
specializes in organic chemistry at the
Technion Israel Institute of Technology
in Haifa.
How can they be bound together? What is silicon?
By using an enzyme from a bacteria The silicon atom is the fourteenth el-
found in hot springs, scientists have ement on the periodic table. Silicon
forced a binding between carbon and carry the symbol Si and is the eighth
silicon inside Escherichia coli cells. most common element within the uni-
Researchers have already learned to verse by mass. Although silicon covers
bind carbon and silicon together using roughly 30 percent of the Earth’s crust,
artificial catalysts, but wanted to find a it rarely occurs as a pure element. The
biological way to do so. reason for this is that silicon is often
found in a vast majority of different
Researchers searched protein da- types of sand, dust and plantoids, as
tabases from all over the world, and silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates.
found a few dozen enzymes that
looked promising. After a few tests Silicon is the second most abundant
they settled with an extremophile element within the Earth’s crust, after
bacterium that lives in hot underwa- oxygen.
ter springs in the northern Iceland,
called Rhodothermus marinus. The
researchers synthesized the protein
gene and inserted into an Escherichia
coli bacteria.

What is carbon?
The carbon atom is the sixth element on the periodic table, with C being its symbol. Carbon is the 15th most abundant
element in the Earth’s crust, and the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass, after helium, hydrogen and
oxygen. Carbon is the most common atom used within the human body, or any other organic matter. Organic life exists
from some vastly different carbon string types that are tied together with other key elements from the periodic table.
Most people know carbon as carbonic acid, which is the key ingredient in soda to make it sparkle. Other than carbonic
acid, carbon is also often referred to when speaking about carbon dioxide, also known as CO2.

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