So, are you afraid that you might be a Star Trek crew member?

What type of sex education should students receive and at what age?  Can teachers be trusted to handle this sort of thing appropriately?  If not, can parents?  What do you think of Tennessee’s law and of George Takei’s response?  What should be done about prejudice against homosexual students or students that are labeled as such?

Please base your replies on the text rather than the videos. 

Carrying the child that is and isn’t yours

A rather long and detailed account, but so much to talk about here.  Because of career and other demands (more men are also postponing marriage or not marrying at all), more women are becoming mothers or wanting to become mothers later in life.  What should they do about "the ticking clock"?  What would you do if you were in this woman’s situation?  Is this option better or worse than adoption?  Should egg and sperm donors be able to protect their anonymity?  Does it surprise you that the Czech Republic has such a good reputation for this type of procedure?  Finally, how important is it that parents and children share genes?

Doctors on strike or taking a hike

What can Slovakia do to keep doctors from heading west in search of better salaries and conditions?  Are their demands reasonable and are they right in threatening to strike?  What has been your experience of medical care and doctors here?  The article does not seem to report the doctors' side of the argument completely.  For instance, the Health Ministry claims there is no reason why doctors should be against the privatization of hospitals.  Any ideas as to why doctors may oppose this measure?

Another magic word

What has been your experience when you have a run-in with authority?  Is saying you are sorry as effective as this article claims?  Why is it that some people seem to have so much trouble saying it?  What do you think of Ross and Day’s idea and the validity of their study?  How much are the results that they found culture-specific?

Lying down on the job? You’re fired!

Here’s one from down under for a change.  Is planking dangerous, or is it a healthy way to combat the boredom of monotonous jobs?  Is it creative or conformist?  Should employers have the right to fire you for this sort of thing?

Digging in your heels

This is the last post you can comment on for the second half of May.

Do you agree that people have a tendency to follow their emotional commitment when it comes to controversial issues and stick to their guns even in the face of contrary evidence?  If becoming more informed only means that you have more arguments to support your own biased opinion, what hope do democracy, dialogue and compromise have?  What are some ways to try to keep an open mind?   How can we effectively change the minds of others, or at least get them to listen to what we have to say?

Tie the knot and hoist the flag

Well, I bet you are sick of all the news about the royal wedding, but here’s one more perspective on the whole affair, this one from an American point of view.  Is patriotism as positive as this writer claims?  Is flag waving a good way to measure it?  Is having a royal family a good way to boost it?  Would something like this help make Slovakia less divisive or more patriotic?

Compulsory chess

Do you think that making chess a compulsory subject for Armenia’s students is a good idea?  Is this a good way of encouraging the country’s specialty, similar to what Slovakia seems to be doing now with hockey?  Do you agree with the article’s claims about the many benefits of chess?  Obviously, it is not a skill that is directly applicable to the job market, but for those of you who feel that it is better to teach students how to think than to teach particular skills or facts, is chess the way to go?  If making it compulsory isn’t the best choice, are there other ways which schools could encourage the playing of chess?  What has been your experience with playing this game/sport?

Prey before you eat

Is hunting inhumane? Does eating necessarily involve killing, as this article claims?  On the other hand, does hunting desensitize us towards something we should naturally have feelings against?  Or is it a time-honored way of connecting with nature and with the food on our plates?  This article seems to take a strong pro-hunting perspective.  Is there anything the writer is overlooking?

Ungodly chaplains

Is atheism a religion?  Do soldiers of this persuasion deserve the same rights and services as others get?  Do atheists face misunderstanding and discrimination from religious believers and in mostly religious environments?  What about the problematic relationship between religion and the armed forces, between religion and war? 

Multiculturalism anyone?

This is an editorial rather than an article on a particular event, but the topic is quite timely, especially given the IB international week, but also the discourse on multi-culturalism and its supposed failure heard from the mouths of French, German and British leaders these days. Do you agree with this writer?  Is multiculturalism an inevitable consequence of  globalization?    Are cultural values a chimera?  And what is multiculturalism anyway?  Do people tend to define it in ways that are convenient for them, kind of like other hot-button words like feminist, depending on whether they are for or against?  The comments below the editorial are also enlightening.

The wire-mesh and cotton baby

This is the last posting you can comment on for the first half of May.

Would you dare try something like this – let’s say as original research for your extended essay?  How are teen mothers viewed in Slovakia?  How much do you think the gossip and stereotyping this girl experienced was because of her ethnic background?    What do you think her classmates' reaction was when they were told it was all a sham?  Do you think they learned something from this?   Finally, given what you know about social science research, what can the results of this experiment tell us and how reliable is it?

“Killer” whale is not a misnomer

This article brings up the controversial issue of wild animals in captivity.  What responsibilties do zoos have towards the animals they keep, towards their trainers, and towards the zoos’ patrons –the public which pays admission?   What should SeaWorld do/have done in this case?  Should zoos stop having shows with dangerous animals?  In general, what role should zoos have in our society?

Whose language is it anyway?

Here is another article on the issue of copyrights, this time regarding brand names and other copyrighted words.  Do companies deserve the criticism they receive from articles like this one?  Is this similar or different from companies like Monsanto who have been crtiticized for patenting organisms (genetic variants they develop and then make it impossible for farmers to grow their own seeds)?  In America, everyone uses the terms Kleenex, Band-Aid and Jello for what should officially be called facial tissues, adhesive bandages and gelatin desserts.  Other brands, however, must settle for the official terms.  When does common usage make a commercial brand name a common word which everyone should be able to use without penalty?  And what limits should be put on companies in terms of patenting a word which is already in common usage?  (Thanks to Petra for this link.)

Flat tax without the l

Overweight patients have more health problems and eventually cause the state and tax payers more money.  Should they be penalized for their unhealthy lifestyle?  Is the writer correct in asserting that this unfairly punishes poor people (those who rely on state-funded health care and those who cannot afford healthy foods)?   What should the role of government be in encouraging healthy lifestyles and good eating habits?