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Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg Meenakshi, one of hundreds of young women who zip around India's dusty streets on scooters promoting the dairy drink Yakult, says health is her best sales pitch. The 22-year-old student knocks on doors two days a week to tell stay-at-home mothers, washing ladies, and residents living in makeshift shacks how Yakult's microbes can help cultivate their "intestinal flora."

Interesting article, it reminds me of some of the issues raised in Global Pharmaceuticals about how medications are regulated differently in different countries. It's funny how these drinks can be called healthier in Asia than in America or Europe, as if the location makes a difference in the contents of the product. Wouldn't it be nice if these companies had to make the same claims everywhere regardless of regional policies?

This article makes me suspect that the regulations for marketing certain foods and drink in the U.S. and Europe is more strict than in Asia. The FDA has fairly strict regulations, which prevent advertising products with effects that are not proven to be true. The article never really says if the probiotic drinks actually help in the way they are said to, so I can understand if U.S. and American markets are less inclined to allow the companies to advertise the claims.

Developed nations seem to approaching a point where most people are using the Internet, so now Google is looking to nations in Asia that are developing as a new demographic to target for Internet use. With people from these new countries, the amount of information and idea sharing on the Internet has the potential to expand in vast amounts. Google wants to expand to its influence in countries like Vietnam, India, and Indonesia as a way to bring more people online.

This was a smart business move for Google. Not only that, but I think the concept of mass media has changed over the last few years. I used to think of the mass media as a medium for different ideologies and dialects to come together in America to create one larger dialect and ideology shared by our nation. Now, it seems that the mass media does the same except on a global scale. The pace of globalization seems to be on a multiplicative increase along with technology.

In response to police brutality, students of a northern Sri Lankan university have begun a two-day boycott of classes. Southeast Asia has been in the news a lot lately, maybe because of the ASEAN summit that President Obama attended; and while a good portion of the recent news has been optimistic, it's important that when issues such as this one arise, that they are appropriately covered and discussed.

Countries in South Asia are working on improving science education among women and children. Literacy rates are fairly high, but science education is not. These countries believe that they must invest more in the scientific education of their children because they will be growing up to run the world soon and need to have knowledge in these fields. Most of the science education varies by country to fit along with what is most important to the people there. For example, developing countries like Nepal are focusing on energy, food, and water resources.

It's good to see some countries trying to improve their scientific literacy. Even if some of these kids don't want to pursue a career in some science field, a better understanding of science could help develop better problem solving skills and help them make more informed decisions in the future. Plus, more people who understand the issues they discussed like global warming can lead to more possible solutions.

A new study shows that the malaria species widespread in the Asia-Pacific region has been a key driver of human genome evolution. AsianScientist (Sep. 6, 2012) - Malaria is a parasitic disease with devastating effects, causing up to one million deaths annually worldwide. Approximately half the world's population is at risk of malaria infection.

Interesting article, it seems as if the doctors may truly believe that it may not merely be natural selection at play here but that there may also be the possibility that the disease itself directly promotes human genome evolution. I am curious to see whether a powerful vaccine can be made in relevance to the abnormal erythrocytes caused by Southeast Asian ovalocytosis. If so, I wonder which nation would develop it first.

Last year's nuclear disaster in Japan has caused a lot of controversy within the country about whether to continue using nuclear energy or not. There seems to be some miscommunication between government officials and the common citizens too. I personally think nuclear energy should be studied and used more than it is already, but with last years events I can understand why some people would be wary of this technology.

Hopefully, for the sake of the future of nuclear power, they do not abandon their nuclear plants but I agree with the idea that it's a political move made by the current office to avoid the loss of votes. I wonder what their ultimate alternative to nuclear energy would be if they did abandon the plants? Maybe they would resort to more solar power use as is becoming popular in Southeast Asia according to an above article.

I agree that Japanese officials are being conservative when it comes to the issue of nuclear energy or any type of energy. I think going away from nuclear energy is not a great idea. I remember we talked about France in class about how they have nuclear energy and there wasn't much nuclear waste or pollution. I know France was ranked 15 but I assume Japan would be ranked higher since they said "Japan has to import most - around 96 percent - of its energy, primarily in the form of fossil fuels. That is expensive as well as harmful to the environment." in the article. In addition going away from nuclear energy will leave Japan behind in energy programs. Like we talked about in class the planets natural resources are becoming scarce. So if Japan thinks about the future I believe they would try to improve their nuclear energy programs.

Instead of the usual methods of hiding cameras in trees and sitting for hours with a pair of binoculars and hoping to see some interaction of the orangutans scientists in Asia had been using, they are now employing unmanned drones to fly over the areas where the endangered primates live in order to document them. The drones are made in China and cost less for the scientists to use than actually going out into the field to study.

An interesting article that claims that the doctor who was jailed for aiding the US in its search for Osama Bind Laden is on a hunger strike due to the conditions in which he is being held. His incarceration was significant because it is a referendum on the consequences that scientists and medical professionals can incur when getting involved in some edgy political situations.

It's crazy the amount of tumult this created in the relations between the United States and Pakistan. The claim of the hunger strike is interesting as there seems to be differing reports as to the true nature of his time in prison. I wonder what is really going on. I suppose that he is trying to draw attention to himself from sympathizers in the U.S. Regardless of whether his claim of the hunger strike is true or not, the attention seems to be having some result. Hilary Clinton's role in the controversy may cause Pakistani prison officials to provide Afridi better treatment. We will just have to wait and see.

An interesting article, but what stood out to me even more than the particular subject of the article was the response of the villagers. They were unaware of even the type of weapon used against them, and there is an absence of medical attention to care for the burns suffered by many protesters. This is definitely a politically troubling article, particularly because it is coming out of Burma, a country that has recently had hopes of a more democratic future.

This incident shows how much not as developed countries such as Burma wish to expand their industry and technology, to the point that they are harming their own people in such a terrible way. The fact that people have burns but cannot place where they came from is a sign that some questionable forms of force were used.

Tensions are rising as we approach the rocket launch window given by North Korea; the United States has moved ships into the area, and Japan has already ordered its military to shoot at any debris or rocket passing their air space. Even China, one of North Korea's only allies, has called on them to cancel their rocket test.

It is interesting and somewhat frightening that the North Korean government would launch rockets without the permission of not only America but China and even Japan as well. It seems that even through globalization and the development of a multipolar world, opposition to the majority is still plentiful.

There was relatively little damage as a result of this earthquake, and one major reason is the system Japan has been implementing since 2004 for early warning; in the analysis given by Jason Palmer, he mentions that many citizens received warnings on their mobile phones several seconds before the quake reached them, allowing them a few seconds to move toward a safer location.

The United States provided Pakistan with a $4 million grant to help the country further and maintain cooperation in scientific research. The grant will aid different areas of science to research and develop methods to improve the living conditions of Pakistanis. Mainly the research will be conducted in universities so that the science programs in the teaching institutions also gain new resources and opportunities through the new funding. The Pakistani government has done a subpar job providing the scientific community with sufficient money to expand their fields and research causing a loss of potential research, but through the cooperation of the U.S. and Pakistan, research has been able to progress and interest in the sciences has been renewed. One of the significant outcomes over the years from the funding was Pakistani scientists discovering a cure to the leaf curl virus that had bee affecting cotton textile exports.

I hope that the benefits of the grant will continue to be sustained over time. It's unfortunate that the United States is funding programs that deal with education and scientific research because the Pakistani government is unable to. I wonder what the long-term effects on the country will be as long as the money goes where it is supposed to. Also, I wonder if the United States' main incentive for providing the sum of money is terrorism-related cooperation or something else.

Southeast Asia's largest solar plant is expected to offset 800,000 tons of carbon over 25 years and contribute to Thailand's renewable energy goals. AsianScientist (Sep. 28, 2012) - Solar panel manufacturer Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. announced this week that Southeast Asia's largest silicon photovoltaic power plant achieved grid connection on September 4, 2012.

Hopefully the payoffs of this solar power plant will manifest themselves in the next 10 years or so. That way, news of the power plant can hopefully spread to other parts of Southeast Asia. As the largest solar powered plant, I wonder if they'll face any challenges in the upcoming years with possible upkeep? I don't know a lot about solar energy but these are just some things I am curious about--but I'm also excited about the progress this power plant can make!

This is a huge milestone. Maybe our country can take some notes. I also found it interesting that the plant is owned by a petroleum company, great steps towards going green.

The Coral Triangle is compromised of the waters around the Indonesian-Philippines region, and it is considered to have "the world's richest concentration of marine biodiversity". Like many of the locations mentioned in "Seasick", the coral and marine life in this region are suffering and dying due to the threat caused by overfishing, coastal development, and pollution. Along with the effects of global warming, 90% of the coral reefs in the area are under the potential to be harmed. The scientists who conducted the study believe that through regulations and marine protected areas, the further danger on the marine life may be prevented and reversed.

This article discusses the unknowns of genetically modified foods that have parents in a rural China town worried. A US-China research program fed modified "golden rice" to several children in Central China. Little GM research has been done in China and parents are very worried, because of the rumored side effects ranging from lung disease to reproductive lose.

I find this interesting because China is the largest country in the world with 1.3 billion people and food is a crucial resource. I know in the article It says that it is just rumors and hear say but I believe that the government is also worried about how to feed everyone. Now that China has evolved into a developed nation the image of china no longer lacks industries and technology making China more wealthy. With that being said China doesn't want an image where they cannot feed all their citizens.

Several big companies pull their advertisements from a Vietnamese website that lets people download music for free. It makes me wonder why companies like Coca-Cola were advertising on this site in the first place. The article suggests they either didn't know or ignored it, but with such a hot issue like illegal downloading, why take the risk?

This article discusses the uncertainty of genetically modified organisms and their impact on the global. Little serious assessment has been done on GMOs in many countries, but the issue is now becoming global. There are many unknowns and countries that are parties to the UN Convention, such as India, will soon decide their view on GM crops.

This article discusses the rash suicides of many famers in India, because of Monsanto, "the world's largest seed company" and also a large supporter of genetically modified organisms. Monsanto has placed pressure on Indian famers with cotton, corn, and soybeans seeds, using hybrid technology. This technology is causing higher yields and farmers fear they cannot keep up.

This article explains that more Chinese famers are beginning to use food chain partnership projects to produce higher yields. The partnerships are equipping famers with new technology that has not been used before in this province. With new technology comes new worries, and with new traceable scanning codes, customers can identify where, how, whether or not GMOs were used.