Many questions ...

In the 21st Century, society is approaching scientific discoveries that may double our life span, cure deadly diseases, grow 10 times the food on a given plot of land, and provide automated services to the masses at pennies a day. Sounds good to most of us most of the time.

But the reality of huge scientific break-throughs raises ethical, political, and survival issues not easily resolved by our current laws and practices. Our current intellectual property rights. patent laws, registration protections seem appropriate when the product or service effects a small portion of humanity but what happens when the new technology, if made available to everyone, saves millions of lives and enriches millions more?

The drugs available to treat HIV positive Aides patients is an example of the quandary. Entire nations are being decimated by the disease in Africa, while patients in Europe and America, that can afford treatment, suffer far less misery, pain and death than their African counter parts.

What is the "right thing to do" both for the patients and the companies that develop and sell the life saving drugs?

While you may have ideas concerning where you stand on this issue, there are many more current and near term break-throughs that raise more profound issues.

The use, control and taxation of the Internet is another quandary. No one knows how it will effect world commerce and politics but consider the following:

For the first time in human history, most of the knowledge of the species is searchable, accessible, 24/7 once a person has an access device and can pay connection fees. Prices for services and devices continues to fall rapidly while device capabilities expands nearly as fast. This means that extremely powerful devices will be increasingly available to the world's population.

The power and opportunity this brings to participants and the effects it has on high use national populations has ye to be seen. Our guess is that the effect will drive Internet user nations significantly ahead of non-users.

There are too many questions to write in a short article but let us mention a few
of the larger, more obvious issues.

• Improving world literacy & education
• Delivering acute medical assistance
• Providing employment to 3rd world populations
• Disaster relief

Which brings us back to the questions of "the greater good for mankind."

Clearly, we need a new set of the "ten commandments" or an expansion and modification of the old list. Beyond that, we need a formula for compensating and protecting intellectual property that affects us all, while providing benefits to all that need the new technologies.

You will share intellectual property that affects society
You will teach reading world wide
You will protect every individuals right to free access to Internet
You will not tamper with "emergence."
You will pay a fair return for intellectual property
You will sponsor and support scientific inquiry

Lisa Wellman and Terry Wellman

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