Arthur Piper

Owning human nature

The US courts are deciding whether to prevent companies that identify new human DNA sequences from patenting them - and, therefore, obtain exclusive ownership of one minute slice of nature. Businesses and the legal profession were astounded this year when a judge ruled that genticists had to do more than be the first to find a new gene to own it.  That has been the position for years.

Campaigners have complained that companies often hoard the results of their genetic research and stop research into new, life-saving drugs.  Those patenting the genes argue it's a fair return on their own investment.

You can read the argument in an article I wrote this year, here.

If you're keen as mustard, I'd also recommend J. Craig Venter's autobiography, A Life Decoded.  It's a rivetting account of the race to code the human genome.

Space futures

When I wrote this piece, I was surprised to learn that so many private companies are falling over themselves to get into the space race.  You wouldn't think that there was money to be made from commercial space travel, for example, but Virgin Galactic is one of many businesses ploughing cash into such ventures. 

Most companies make their profits by supplying hardware, software and expertise to government projects in the US and Europe.  And where there are companies, there is red tape and rapidly dating legislation.  I could say something about final frontiers, but to read more, click here.

[Image copyright Virgin Galactic]

Stories in sound

If you can imagine a beach in winter, what do you see and hear? What colour is the sea? Is it windy or calm - are the waves gentle or wild? Everyone's answer is likely to be different, which is what makes radio broadcasting so powerful.

"The more mind pictures you can make, the easier it is for listeners to concentrate," Catherine Adams told attendees at a recent Year of the Writer Programme event at the University of Nottingham's Arts Graduate Centre.

Adams, who lectures in radio at Nottingham Trent University and works for BBC radio, said that if anyone doubted the power of radio to persuade, they should listen to the original broadcast of H.G. Wells' story War of the Worlds, which sent American listeners rushing for the hills.

Radio writing uses a wide range of effects, from direct reporting, to interviews, sound effects and live action material. Adams asked attendees to write a simple news story, making sure that all of the important details were present in the first line. Later they wrote a short "package," which is a piece using multiple sources of information.

She advised those aspiring to a career in radio news journalism to work in a newsroom for at least a year. The BBC's Writers' Room offers advice to those looking to write drama.

Regulating nanotechnology

Regulators can't keep up with new developments in technology. That's because scientific and commercial invention always moves at a faster pace than the lawmakers.

This situation is particularly true in nanotechnology, where a wide range of industries have been bringing new products onto the market. 

Environmental protection groups, such as Friends of the Earth, are not happy about some of the uses to which nanotechnology has been put - especially in cosmetics and healthcare. But many lawyers believe that the rules in place are strong enough - until the next wave of nanotechnologies arrives.

Read my feature on the issue here.

The dead founders' club

Some university scientists dream of taking their invention, making it into a viable business and selling it a few years later for millions. That can be possible. But people who invest in so-called university spin-off companies complain that most scientists can't even put a business plan together.

One venture capitalist said: "“I know that this sounds very basic, but in thirty years in the business, I’ve never seen [a business plan] completed by a start-up in a professional manner.”

Still, many companies manage to get the money to launch their businesses. And how easy is it to succeed? Only one in five make it to the big time: “The path to success can be full of broken dreams, heartaches and dead founders,” says the venture capitalist. Fancy joining the club?

For an article I wrote on venture capital and nanotechnology, see Nano Magazine.

Responsible Nanocode

In 2007, a new code of conduct was published in the UK that aims to provide best practice to businesses and organisations working with nanotechnologies. The main problem is that technologies are being developed so quickly that the long-term risks of releasing products into the market can be relatively unknown.

I wrote an article called Small Worlds, which you can download below that sets out the basic ideas contained in the Responsible NanoCode. The article was published in November 2007 in Internal Auditing. As far as I can tell, those working in industry try to follow the code's main recommendations - although they are not obliged in law to do so.

Download Small worlds For more on the code itself