“We should switch to using nuclear power as a main source of energy.”

Fossil fuels provide the world with almost all of its energy. However, there are many downsides to using fuels such as oil and coal, such as the carbon emissions and the finite amount that we have. Nuclear energy could be the solution to these problems, especially when considering the global rise in energy consumption. Nuclear energy is already becoming widely used around the world. For instance, 75% of France’s energy comes from nuclear fuel (1). Contrary to popular belief, nuclear energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy possible. Unfortunately, however, most people are frightened by the word “nuclear” because of the creation of nuclear weapons and meltdowns like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Furthermore, one controversial issue is that of how we would store nuclear waste. While there are some potential disasters involved in using exclusively nuclear energy, the benefits far outweigh them. Not only is nuclear energy one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy, it is very cost effective. Nuclear energy also provides an extreme amount of energy, being roughly 40% more efficient than fossil fuels and 60% more efficient than wind power (2). Regardless on one’s belief of a correlation between fossil fuels and immediate danger to the environment, most everyone can agree that the use of fossil fuels is not where we want to be in 50 years. With man-made carbon emissions becoming an increasingly important issue to many people, we need to begin making the switch to nuclear fuel; a cleaner, more cost-efficient energy source.

1)“The Top 10 Sources of Clean Renewable Energy.” BusinessElectric.com - Business Electric, 21

Dec. 2017, www.businesselectric.com/the-top-10-sources-of-clean-renewable-energy/.

2)“Nuclear Power Efficiency.” Energy Services Group International, 18 Oct. 2017,

www.esgi.net/2015/05/08/know-efficiency-of-nuclear-power-energy-staffing-jobs/.

“We should place a bigger emphasis on the space industry, both private and public.”

Humans have an innate desire to explore the unknown, and with the rise of technology we will be able to do this much more easily. However, it seems that modern society has forgotten the unbelievable benefits of having a larger emphasis on space industries. While a bias towards economic prosperity and international security is important, we must not forget the importance of the space industry. For reference, during the height of the Cold War, the $25 billion that was spent on space technologies returned more than double through the early 70s, with a total gain by the late 80s of $181 billion (1). To put this into perspective, $181 billion dollars in 1987 translates to just under $400 billion dollars today. What’s even more surprising is the fact that this was all done by using less than one percent of the U.S. annual budget during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) peak activity. Not only has an emphasis on the space industry provided an extreme amount of revenue, but it has also provided the world with many fantastic inventions. One recent invention is a reusable rocket that can both take off and land vertically, saving an exuberant amount of money. Furthermore, late 20^th century America’s fascination with space exploration, even with it being due to the Cold War, the nation saw a great rise in students with a love of science. This could be extremely helpful in the future, especially considering the acceleration of technological and scientific advancement. These future scientists and engineers can help us logically tackle the inevitable problems associated with technological advancement.

Schnee, Jerome. "The Economic Impacts of The U.S. Space Program." NASA. NASA, n.d.

Web. 2 April, 2018.

“We should require everyone to be fluent in the basics of science.”

As we develop technologies like the Internet, people are becoming more dependent on it. Why would you bother to learn something if you could just Google it? Because of this, many people around the world are less dependent on their own intelligence. I believe this problem is seen mainly in the scientific community. Coming from a physics background, I’ve learned that scientific literacy brings along other benefits, namely problem solving and critical thinking. These two traits are extremely valuable in modern society, especially with the Internet making it difficult to determine who to trust. In 2007, only 28% of Americans were scientifically literate (1). Examples of this illiteracy include the “Flat Earth Society”, which is a group of individuals who confidently believe that the Earth is flat, a hypothesis which was debunked back when Columbus sailed to the Americas. However, this group of people, despite the insurmountable evidence to the contrary, still believe that the Earth is flat. It is my belief that people such as this, while still being able to contribute to society, are not informed enough to make rational decisions regarding science; and in a world where science is becoming more prevalent in everyday life, this can be very dangerous. This is why we must require high school and college students to continuously take, at the minimum, very basic science classes. This will ensure that the future generations will not only understand the new world around them but gain an appreciation for something that is so important.

1)Duncan, David Ewing. “216 Million Americans Are Scientifically Illiterate (Part I).” MIT Technology

Review, MIT Technology Review, 22 Oct. 2012, www.technologyreview.com/s/407346/216-

million-americans-are-scientifically-illiterate-part-i/.

“We should have a cure for cancer.”

With the acceleration of technologies, including Watson, an AI that can diagnose patients with great accuracy, it isn’t outlandish to envision a future with a cure for cancer that is readily available to everyone. Cancer, while a terrible illness, is not nearly as threatening as it was even 50 years ago. While many forms of cancer are still very deadly, advancements in radiation and chemotherapy have given many of these people a fighting chance. Compared to 1992, with roughly 500 new cases of cancer being reported per 10,000 persons, 2014 saw only 417 new cases per 10,000 persons (1). Furthermore, compared to the little over 200 deaths caused by cancer per 10,000 persons in 1992, 2014 saw only 161 deaths per 10,000 persons (1). If this rate continues, we could expect roughly 100 less deaths per 10,000 persons in 50 years (these numbers are achieved by taking the rate of 2 less deaths per year and multiplying it by 50 years). While this is definitely a step in the right direction, we can use our future technologies to make this even better. By making a more concentrated effort to develop better treatments, we could soon be finding a complete cure for some, if not all, cancers.

1)“Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer of Any Site.” Cancer of Any Site - Cancer Stat Facts, National Cancer

Institute, seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html.

“We should have mandatory civil service.”

In modern society, it seems that many people do not have an appreciation for the country they live in. Furthermore, with the further development of technology, it is becoming easier for people to get what they want almost immediately. While this is incredibly useful in many situations, it can lead to people expecting to be given things without having to do anything in return. In a country where we strive ourselves on being able to chase our dreams, there are many people who expect to be given their dreams. With the institution of mandatory civil service, people will give back and gain an appreciation for their country. This mandatory civil service doesn’t have to be strictly military. Many scientific and humanitarian organizations, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Peace Corps would be available to all. I believe that instituting mandatory civil service will also bring together a country that is more divided now that it has been in years. Mandatory civil service would allow people to be able to physically get involved in the progress of the nation and perhaps gain insight on other people’s views. Furthermore, the implementation of mandatory civil service would hopefully result in a future generation that wouldn’t even need a law to tell them they have to serve. Organizations like the Corporation for National and Community Service, created by President Clinton, would be able to oversee this operation (1). Simply put, instituting mandatory civil service would create a future generation of more open minded, selfless people.

1)Sawhill, V., and Isabel V. Sawhill. “It's Time to Make National Service a Universal

Commitment.” Brookings, Brookings, 30 Nov. 2017, www.brookings.edu/blog/up-

front/2017/11/30/its-time-to-make-national-service-a-universal-commitment/.

“We should no longer have an endangered species list.”

As of 2017, there are over 50 animals on the endangered species list, including many types of tiger, whales and elephants (1). While many of these die from different reasons, many die from being hunted illegally. While there are many laws put into place about hunting animals near extinction, many of them die every day. If we want future generations to be able to appreciate these amazing creatures, helping them gain a better connection to the world around them, we must take greater measures in preventing their unwarranted death. Not to say that an animal shouldn’t be killed if a fellow human’s life is in danger. However, many of these animals are simply living their lives without interfering with humans. It is these animals that we need to protect. Placing a larger emphasis, both socially and economically, on taking animals off the endangered species list will ensure that we can study and appreciate these animals for years. However, not every species will be able to be saved. Species, such as homo sapiens, became extinct simply due to the process of natural selection. I believe that these species can’t, and perhaps shouldn’t, be saved. However, it is not natural selection that is placing all these animals on the endangered species list. It is our own hubris that is placing these animals on the list. If we don’t create stricter laws to protect these incredible animals, future generations will not be able to appreciate the creatures that we and those before us have appreciated for years.

1)“Species List.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund,

www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&sort=extinction_status.