Tech Briefs Insider » 2007 » September http://www.techbriefsinsider.com Questions of the Week Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:05:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Is the workplace appropriate for baby care? http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-16/ http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-16/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:04:16 +0000 TechBriefs http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/?p=434 This week’s question concerns an ABC News report on the growing number of both moms and dads who are caring for their infants — including newborns — at their workplace. Their companies do not have day-care centers; rather, the parents set up cribs and other nursery necessities in their offices. The parents feel that it enables them to bond with their babies at an early age, but some of their co-workers feel it is a distraction to have a crying baby in a meeting or in a nearby cubicle. What do you think? Is the workplace appropriate for baby care?

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]]> http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/24/question-of-the-week-16/feed/ Should DNA be for sale? http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/17/question-of-the-week-15/ http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/17/question-of-the-week-15/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:00:55 +0000 TechBriefs http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/?p=421 This week’s question concerns a report by The New York Times about DNA foundries that produce made-to-order genes. They take orders over the Internet and ship back finished genes in a week or two. The genes are purchased by scientific institutions or pharmaceutical companies to speed up drug and disease research. But some worry that the genes could be bought by those seeking to create pathogens and viruses for bioterrorism. What do you think? Should DNA be for sale?

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]]> http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/17/question-of-the-week-15/feed/ Is outsourcing becoming too risky? http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/10/question-of-the-week-14/ http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/10/question-of-the-week-14/#comments Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:00:04 +0000 TechBriefs http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/?p=406 This week’s question concerns the massive recalls of toys made in China that contain lead paint. Toy manufacturers, including Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, and hundreds of others have acknowledged the growing crisis of public confidence caused by the recalls, and have asked the federal government to impose mandatory safety-testing standards for all toys sold in the United States. But there is no such safety testing being done where the toys are made overseas. And the toy crisis is only the latest in a string of safety-related recalls of products made in China. Is outsourcing becoming too risky?

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]]> http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/10/question-of-the-week-14/feed/ Should patients have unlimited access to data on their doctors? http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/04/question-of-the-week-12/ http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/2007/09/04/question-of-the-week-12/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:00:36 +0000 TechBriefs http://www.techbriefsinsider.com/?p=391 This week’s question concerns a court ruling in favor of a consumer group that won a suit to allow disclosure of data about doctors from the Medicare claims database. The data can be used to determine how a doctor makes crucial decisions on tests and procedures, as well as which doctors fail to order prudent preventive tests, and which ones order unnecessary hospitalizations. Doctors worry that the files do not account for the severity of the cases and that they might show a higher-than-average number of patient deaths for a particular doctor, even though that doctor may have had patients with more serious illnesses.

What do you think?
Should patients have unlimited access to data on their doctors?

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