Globally Speaking

Designer babies: our future?

The power to change the human species is an issue of great importance. Genetic scientists believe, in the next few decades, we might be able to design our future babies—to choose the features we want our children to have even before they are born. For example, we could choose to have a beautiful, intelligent, or warm-hearted child.

In addition, we might be able to have our unborn child’s genes tested to detect any genetic disorders and have doctors modify a defective gene or even replace it to make sure our child is born disease-free. Advances in genetic engineering techniques may soon give us this power to change the human species, but do we want that power?

It’s important to think about this question. It raises serious ethical questions: Would this technology be available only for the rich? What if everyone decided to have only boys? What if everyone chose to have only extremely intelligent babies? What if people chose characteristics for their babies for the wrong reasons? What if...? What if...?

Read this BBC World News article, Designing babies: the future of genetics to learn more.

Post a comment. What is your opinion about genetically engineering a child? Is it right to choose or change a child's genes? Why or why not?

Tackling obesity

As concern grows over the rising problem of obesity, people around the world are tackling the problem and trying to find solutions.

In the U.S., they're starting young! Babies as young as 2 months old are participating in exercise classes! Read the Netscape News (CNN) article, Babies Work Out in Bid to Counter Obesity, to find out more.

A CBS News article, It's a Fat, Fat, Fat World, reports 22 million children under 5 around the globe are overweight or obese.

Meanwhile, no country is immune to obesity. Read the CBS News article, Fighting fat on a global scale. This is an interesting report on the spread of globesity in countries around the world—Mexico, the U.S., China, Italy, Iceland, the Philippines, the South Pacific Islands, Greece, Kuwait, and many, many others. It explores how and why the global trend towards weight gain is happening.

Sound off! Do you think having babies exercise will help? Why do you obesity is becoming a global epidemic? How can we fight obesity? What suggestions do you have? Post a comment.

Debating the death penalty

Around the world, the debate over the death penalty continues. Some countries use it; others have abolished it. Some individuals stand firmly in favor of it; others are strongly opposed to it. Go to Speaking Out about the Death Penalty to read what some international students have to say about it.

What are your thoughts about the death penalty? Post a comment.

Morgan Spurlock says "Supersize Me"

People all over the world are getting fatter, and a large number of these people are becoming obese. Why is it happening? One reason is that people are overeating. Another is that they are getting little or no exercise.

Many people blame the fast food industry. Morgan Spurlock does. He thinks fast food is harmful for your health.  To prove his point,  he has directed a documentary movie about his experience eating all his meals at McDonalds for one entire month.

See the movie trailer of his movie, Supersize Me, on the official Supersize Me website.

Watch a video clip of Morgan Spurlock talking about fast food.

What's your opinion? Do you think fast food should be blamed for the global epidemic of obesity? Post a comment and tell us why or why not?

Globesity (globe + obesity) is a big concern

Obesity is on the rise. According to the International Obesity Task Force in London, England, there are almost 2 billion overweight people around the world. 

Moreover, over 300 million of these overweight people are obese. Even more alarming, many are young children.

Obesity has spread rapidly to all corners of the world. Not suprisingly, a brand new word has been coined to talk about this phenomenon: globesity.

Read a WordPress blog article, Obesity: A Worldwide Issue to learn more about this globally important issue.

Do you think this a problem in your country?  Post a comment.

What country am I in? I can't tell!

Around the globe, the same brands of products are being sold, the same foods are being eaten, the same music is being listened to, and the same movies are being watched.

Whether you are in Shanghai, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Seoul, London, or Chicago, you are likely to discover a McDonald's, a Gap clothing store, or a Starbucks coffee shop. You'll probably see people wearing t-shirts, jeans, Nikes, and baseball caps.

In fact, there is so much sameness that you may even begin to wonder what country you are in. Sometimes one looks much like the other! People are buying the same brands all over the world. Read the BBC article, Are we slaves to brands? to find out what some people think of buying name brands.

What do you think of this global sameness? Is it a positive or a negative development? Why? Post a comment.

Global folktales

Folk tales offer insights into the values of a culture. Universally, the themes of these stories include beauty, brotherly love, cleverness, creation, loyalty, disobedience, greed, laziness, happiness, lying, and patience.

In Folk Tales from Around the World, international students retell traditional folktales from their countries. Read a few of them.

Think of a well-known folktale from your country. Post a comment, naming the folktale and briefly explaining its theme.

Mexican food is a big hit in the U.S.

Americans love Chinese and Italian food, but Mexican food is so popular nowadays that it is becoming a part of American culture. Not only is it influencing the way Americans eat, it is affecting market sales as well. Americans now buy more "salsa" then ketchup. Read the Indy Channel article, More Americans Crave Mexican Food (Spicy Food Becoming Mainstream), to learn more.

In the box to the left of this article, you can click on Mexican Food Becomes Popular to watch a video on this new trend.

What do you think? Are  people around the world craving new food tastes? How many different types of ethnic food have you tried? Which ones did you like best, and why?  Post a comment.

Americanization and Asianization

Much has been written about the impact of Westernization or Americanization on other countries. A more recent phenomenon is the so-called Asianization of America—the spread of Asian culture to the west.

A  young woman from Brazil writes on this two topic in East Meets West? Or, West Meets East in TOPICS Online Magazine. 

What's your view? Share your ideas about the Asianization of America or of another country. Post a comment.

How many cultures?

On any one day, a quick check of the labels on your clothing will show that each piece may well have been made in a different foreign country. Maybe you are wearing a shirt made in Thailand and pants made in Mexico. A look at your diet may prove surprising…French bread, Spanish oranges, and an Italian cappuccino. What kind of music did you listen to today? Where was your watch made? You might be surprised at how many cultures touch your life in a single day. Just for fun, keep track of the things you use, eat, drink, wear, and listen to today.

Two women did. Read their stories.

So, how many cultures touched your life today? Post a comment.

Influence of the English language

People around the world are borrowing English words, too. Here's a photo of a coffee shop in Germany covered with signs written in English. Traveling around the globe, you often see English words on buildings, find them "sprinkled" in magazine or newspaper advertisements, or hear them being used by people as they converse in other languages.

For years people have been talking about the influence of the English language on the languages of the rest of the world. Some people find it fashionable, but not everyone is happy about this phenomena. Read what people from Germany, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, Ukraine, Armenia, Yugoslavia, and Singapore have to say about the influence of English on their own languages in What's Happening to Our Languages.

Do you think the influence of the English language on other languages will last long? Why or why not? Post a comment.