A Cure for AIDS in Our Lifetime?

One huge hope for science that I have is that scientists will be able to find a cure for not only AIDs, but for all deadly diseases and infections. I think that it is safe to say that most people know at least one person who has died from a disease or infection that has no cure. I also think it is safe to say that these people would love there to be a discovery to cure the disease which killed their loved one. The unfortunate part is that scientists are not optimistic about finding cures to such diseases. This article talks about how scientists are not even sure if there will even be a possibility of find a cure "in the next 20 years" (McNeil). It is somewhat sad that scientists are not hopeful, but that does not mean that a cure will not be found.

McNeil, Donald. "After Long Scientific Search, Still No Cure for AIDS." The New York Times, 9 May 2010. Web. 5 September 2010.

Mad Scientists and Evil Magicians in Popular Culture

Cultural representations of both mad scientists and evil magicians abound, as shown in the following twenty minute playlist.  But why?  What do scientists and magicians have in common?  Why is there a part of us that fears them?  If knowledge is power, is knowledge dangerous?  Does the average person feel excluded in some way from both scientific and magical expertise?  And what should we be wary of in the 21st century as we continue to push the boundaries of knowledge and redraw the line that separates what is possible from what is impossible?