Human Ingenuity Takes On Cancer’s Darwinian Ways
by: George Johnson
Current Event 11
by: George Johnson
Current Event 11
Johnson, George. "Human Ingenuity Takes On Cancer’s Darwinian Ways." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 May 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
In George Johnson’s article Human Ingenuity Takes On Cancer’s Darwinian Ways” explains how Darwin’s famous evolution theory is now being used to create cures for cancer. Johnson explains how in the 1950s Australian virologist suggested that by using Darwin’s famous theory, DNA could be shuffled until a microb encountered an alike microb forming together (think yin and yang) activating antibody that would multiply and fight infection. Johnson goes on to explain how cancer is unlike many infections and diseases, in that it forms later in life, with the advantage that people are past their reproductive time, so whats the point in staying alive? Of course saddening to victims, the mostly terminal disease has this added benefit that it destroys those who don’t necessarily have a “purpose” anymore (reproductively speaking). Scientists have thus tried treating patients by extracting immune cells in order to fight the tumors, known as Immunotherapy. While scientists understand that the field has far to go, the hope for the future is that technology and medicine bring upon a new era of greater change.
I feel that this article is significant because he was able to open up the eyes of readers into the medical world. Treatments, theories, and procedures were thoroughly described throughout the article presenting loads of new information people can carry with them throughout their lives. This article was able to open my eyes to a disease I have always been familiar with. Cancer I feel is an overused word, most people don’t even understand, other than it being disease many of us have lost loved ones to. This article showed me how this disease develops and hids in people, developing and forming in unique ways, with unique cures. I felt that this article was able to finally give readers a needed understand of the disease and how scientists and doctors are working together to use theories in order to create a cure.
Although I felt that this article was very well informative and well written I felt that there could be some improvements. With George Johnson being overly educated on cancer and everything that goes in hand with the topic, I felt that he wrote the article intending for people to have a good understanding of the topic already. I had hoped that he would have given background information throughout the piece rather than giving brief explanations. I also feel that quotes from scientists and doctors would have been very helpful to include. Overall I felt that the piece was really well written and extremely informative.
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