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This is an issue I hadn't really considered when thinking of China's pollution problem, or pollution in general. Some of China's soil is getting infected, leading to tainted crops. It is interesting to see the negative effects that come up as a country tries to grow and develop, and it will also be interesting to see the actions China takes to combat these issues in the future.

China's economical growth is slowing down. Many economists predict that China'a 10% growth will reduce to 7% or worse. In order for China to fight back they have lowered interest rate in hope of getting people to spend more money. When China lowers their interest rate it is cheaper for people to borrow money from the banks; but the money that isn't used and is stored in the bank will suffer from inflation. This slump might cause a chain reaction that hurt China's economic standing.

It's interesting that though China's economy is slowing down, it still has more growth than many other countries. Since China has more of a manufacturing-centered economy, I wonder if this slump may mark the transition to a possible service-oriented economy. In addition to that, maybe the leadership transition in the upcoming months will spur a more dynamic economy in China; thereby preventing a prolonged declining economy.

I remember discussing in class the fact that the world economy did not used to be so dependent on individual regions and countries doing well economically so that other countries could also do well economically on a global scale. It makes you wonder if an international economy is a good thing or not. To me, this is proof that we are not prepared for a multi-polar world. The United States is used to being THE world power rather than A world power. If at all possible, maybe it would be smart to learn how to coexist as more of an independent nation econonomically once again. Or on the other hand, perhaps that could create a situation where America could potentially be left behind by the other up and coming world powers.

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.

For those interested in western medical partnerships and health in India

A very interesting read that mustard can save lives. Mustard can also help with cramps. During the OU UTEP game the UTEP trainers gave their players mustard to help with their cramps. According to studies eating mustard helps replenish the minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium. So not only is mustard providing vitamin A, it also helps people get rid of cramps. References: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/big12/2012/09/utep-players-eat-mustard-to-tone-down-the-cramps-vs-ou/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/262926-how-to-use-mustard-for-leg-cramps/

I found this article while reading about Lenovo's decision to build computers in the US, and found it an interesting piece since I did not know this could even be done. The selection of sites in Oregon near the Treasury Dept and Naval installations seems a little interesting at least. But it seems the case will not be successful, since the company did not follow proper reporting rules.

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.

Apparently China is kind of being hit with a mini recession at the moment. This recession is affecting the fast food industries. In another article http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-23/china-s-stock-index-futures-decline-on-earnings-concerns.html most of China's top earning corporations has decrease in stock prices. One of China major corporation Volatility droped 22 percent in the markets today. Fast food sales growth in decrease to 6% from 19% last year.

The comparison of the two articles is really interesting. Especially since the linked article focuses primarily on the sales of US franchises in China. It would be interesting to compare whether equivalent Chinese 'fast food' chains are also suffering or whether these companies with such strong American associations may be suffering due to the tension in US-China relations.

This is a somewhat interesting article about cooperation between China and Taiwan over resources in the South China Sea. This region was discussed a bit in Seasick, so I though it would be nice to get an update on the situation. Apparently there is some disputes over who owns land in the region, which makes negotiations even more difficult then if they were just over how resources should be divided up.

Interesting article about mobile technology and Malaria in Cambodia.

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.

I remember discussing in class the immense amount of nuclear power we have especially when compared to other nations. Also, I remember us considering the fact that our government believes it is acceptable for us to possess nuclear power and not acceptable for other nations to possess nuclear power because we feel that as a whole, our morals are more honorable. If China is leading the cyber war, then can our nuclear power keep us safe when they can potentially access our launch codes in the future?

It is a bit disconcerting how the government tries to cover up and not discuss the fact this severe of a breach happened, and when it was brought to light, they seem to very shyly admit to the fact it happened. Even though they say the success rate of the cyber attacks is rare, the fact that China, or potentially any other nation with enough willpower, may hack and access the codes is daunting. Hopefully, the U.S. will do more to develop stronger forms of security and technology to protect this information.

This is pretty interesting. I follow politics fairly close and even I was unaware of this most recent attack. I agree with Sana, they very shyly admitted the downfall. These attacks should not be taken lightly, and it seems like more precautions need to be taken as well. Perhaps, they should install Norton Anti-Virus.

Today in class we talked about robots or machines with artificial intelligence, AI, and how it is going to be a reality soon. This article is about China's military advancements in unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV for short. The drone is similar to the Predator drone used by the US military but is cheaper at $1 million. The drone is called "Yi Long" but called Wing long in English. The editor of Kanwa Defense Monthly stated, "They know that in future wars unmanned warfare will be very important." Now with this new technology; choices are going to be harder to make when it comes to casualties. It is very easy to be objective when you are sitting in a room far away from the action, but if you are on the field doing the work its another story.

The quote from the Chinese president about having to win the war in an "information age" is really interesting. It is becoming more and more apparent that advancing military technology during this time makes a significant impact on warfare today and the future.

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.

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.

For years Apple has been trying to make a deal with China Unicom to carry the Iphone. Unfortunately for China, neither companies have reached an agreement yet. Even though China Unicom has the largest customer based with 688 million people, Apple Iphones are not available with their services. I was surprise since the Iphone is assemble in China.

To know that 688 million people might have access to the iPhone in the next few months is probably going to boost their stock; however, it will have to be seen if they can keep up with demand, since Apple is already struggling to do so; I won't be receiving my iPhone for another 4 weeks or so.

It seems as if the only concern Apple had was the task of meeting the consumer demand for a particular product, then Apple would surely not have too much to worry about. Apple chose not to manufacture iPhones in America because we are no longer efficient manufacturers in most instances (including the iPhone). China manufactures all types of products for Americans. Now I wonder how much China will need us when they begin to manufacture for their own enormous population. Also, I wonder if we would be ready to manufacture for ourselves if that were to happen.

This article describes a case the US is planning to file against China for subsidizing cars and car parts, mostly in developing countries. The reporter does mention that the rise in automation and the global recession of 2008 probably have effected employment numbers as well. International economics and business is pretty fascinating (ok, maybe, not to everyone), and it's worth noting that increased revenues for Chinese companies will allow China to pursue broader areas of research and development, as well as specilization in a lucrative market: auto sales in developing countries. Once a company has a market, it can give quite the fight to keep it, which provides the country and company a long term source of R&D funding. The article also raises the question of the timing of the case against China, and whether it's filing by the incumbent Obama administration is politically motivated. This question is more fully explored in an article from today's New York Times that goes well with the discussion from class today about government action on science and technology issues, and when it takes that action. Here's the link if anyone's interested in incumbent electoral advantages: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/us/politics/obama-exploits-familiar-junction-of-policy-and-politics.html?pagewanted=all

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.

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.