The Science & Environmental Policy Project
The Science & Environmental Policy Project was “founded in 1990 by atmospheric physicist S. Fred Singer on the premise that sound, credible science must form the basis for health and environmental decisions that affect millions of people and cost tens of billions of dollars every year. ” This site provides a scientific perspective on possible solutions to the environmental issues raised in this section of The Conscious Reader.
American Civil Liberties Union: Privacy & Technology
The American Civil Liberties Union has long fought for individuals’ rights. This site provides information related to Andrew Grosso’s “The Individual in the New Age” and Sherry Turkle’s “Seeing Through Computers. ”
U.S. Department of Energy: Human Genome Project Information
This government site provides background information on the Human Genome Project, an attempt to “identify all theapproximately 30,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project. ” As such, this site provides a wealth of information to supplement your reading of Matt Ridley’s essay “Free Will, ” included in this section of The Conscious Reader. See especially the section that lists government publications on the topic.
Syracuse University: Evolution vs. Creationism
This site provides a wide variety of sources for further information on the debate about evolution versus creationism that is addressed in Niles Eldridge’s “Creationism Isn’t Science, ” included in this section of The Conscious Reader.
Human Cloning Foundation
This site advertises itself as the “official site in support of human cloning technology. ” It offers arguments in favor of pursuing human cloning technology and so acts as a useful supplement to Gina Kolata’s “A Clone is Born, ” included in this section of The Conscious Reader.
Scientific American: “The First Human Cloned Embryo”
This link provides the text of a recent article on the reported cloning of a human embryo by Advanced Cell Technology, an event met with a media blitz. The article supplements Gina Kolata’s “A Clone is Born. ”
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
This nonprofit site offers useful information and advice for people seeking to protect their privacy rights and so provides useful background for Andrew Grosso’s essay on “The Individual in the New Age, ” included in this section of The Conscious Reader.
Sherry Turkle MIT Homepage
Sherry Turkle, whose essay “Seeing Through Computers” is included in this section of The Conscious Reader, maintains this site at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It provides links to her biographical information, interviews, and current research, helping to place her thoughts on technology into a useful context.
The Thoreau Reader
This site features the writings of Henry David Thoreau, whose “Why I Went Out Into the Woods” is included in this section of The Conscious Reader.
The Electronic Drummer: The Home Page of the Thoreau Institute
This site is the home of the Thoreau Institute, which describes itself as “inspired both by Henry David Thoreau’s love of the natural world and his dislike of big government, ” and which seeks “ways to protect the environment without regulation, bureaucracy, or central control. ” This site can supplement your reading of both the excerpt from Thoreau’s Walden and Edward O. Wilson’s “A Letter To Thoreau” and help you to understand the type of individualism that underlies one sector of the conservation movement.
Union of Concerned Scientists
This site provides important information about the key relationship between science and the environment that is addressed in this section of The Conscious Reader. It also provides a biography of Edward O. Wilson, author of “A Letter to Thoreau. ”
Maine Women’s Fund: New Girls’ Network
This site is devoted to creating a “New Girls’ Network, ” a “program for women in their 20’s and 30’s to explore leadership, activism, philanthropy and feminism. ” It provides useful context for Shireen Lee’s essay and the practices that can help women succeed in the face of the “old boy’s network. ”
Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity
This site, which provides information about the life and work of Marie Curie, can serve as a useful introduction to Barbara Goldsmith’s essay, “Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie. ”
