Public Speaking
High Schools
Who is Joanne?
'Y?' The TV show
Year 9, ACT, Nov 2000
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The Future |
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One day soon we will grow whole new organs in a lab (we've already grown a whole bladder), we'll cure paralysed people (we've done it in rats) and we'll scan you from head to toe before you get sick (labs in the US already do this). Where will it end?
Our Genes |
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The Human Genome Project is as big as the Atomic Bomb, and has more impact than putting a Man-on-the-Moon. We'll unlock the mysteries of how your genes work, right from the code itself to amino acids and the proteins that do everything.
We'll answer questions like:
- How much do your genes differ from a complete stranger or even from a mouse?
- Why all the fuss about our genome? What did we get for 3 billion dollars and 20 years of work?
- What does a sentence from 'God' look like? How do we read our genes?
- Once we can grow replacement organs and treat almost any infectious disease, what will we die of? (Not much; Just semi-trailers, snake bites and vending machines.)
- What's possible and what's not? A cure for cancer, colds, and baldness? Growing a tricerotops?
- How similar are identical twins? What's due to genes and what's not?
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Ethics |
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The ethical dilemmas we face will be a minefield (you'd think euthanasia and abortion are tough enough, but its going to get harder). Joanne was invited to speak on ethics by Amnesty International.
For example:
- Many people would agree that its a good thing to cure cystic fibrosis or dwarfism. But where do we draw the line? Should we cure 'short people' to help them reach a normal height? How do we decide what's normal?
- Bipolar disorder (which used to be called "Manic depression") is not something you'd wish on anyone, let alone your children. But some of the worlds greatest artists and musicians have lived with bipolar condition. The world would be a poorer place without this disorder. What would you do if one of your embryo's was predisposed to develop the condition?
More comments from Year Nine students
"I thought she made the topic very interesting and more understandable for us. Overall she did an excellent job."
"She made it interesting, entertaining, funny, made it easier to understand. Was much better than in classrooms learning."
"Knew what she was talking about. She didn't speak down to us. Spoke very down to earth."
"She made it really interesting, she used a lot of jokes to keep people's interest. She seemed laid back and relaxed, she didnt give off the vibe that she thought she was better or smarter than us..."
"She did her best to relate her talk to current events and surroundings so as to appeal to the teenage population. She did this well and knew exactly what she was talking about. I thoroughly enjoyed it and want to thank her for coming."
Before the show, Joanne will discuss what level your students are at. Because there is so much material you can choose the emphasis; gene mechanics, gene ethics or the future of medicine. There is room for all three, but if students have already covered one area in detail Joanne will adapt the show.
If you'd prefer the show can emphasize the ethics of gene therapy, and cloning. Likewise, the show can work as a motivational tool, focussing on why genetics will make such a huge difference to our lives (and so it's worth learning about it).