AQ 87.4 Octo-Dec 2016 by AQ: Australian Quarterly

Vol 87 Issue 4 OC Tâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;DEC 2016

Rejuvenating the Brain Ageing with Cognitive Sparkle including: Prof Perry Bartlett | Dr Sherry Kothari

Nuclear power: Game Over

| P r o f D e r e k Abb o t t

a brave new world: The Ethics of Human Enhancement

Dr Andrea Douglas

Cell therapies: Australia Playing Catch Up?

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CONTENTS

AQ Vol 87 Issue 4 OC T–DEC 2016

The Florey Medal

From explosion to exposition:

3 A Brave New World: Understanding the Ethics of Human Enhancement Assoc Prof Steve Clarke

8 Nuclear Power: Game Over Prof Derek Abbott

17 Lost in Translation? Where to now for Australian Medical Research…

A Legacy of Life

IMAGE CREDITS: Please see article placements

With Prof Colin Masters, Prof John Hopwood and Prof Carola Vinuesa

The evolution of SciComm

Dr Andrew Stapleton

Rejuvenating the Brain:

Cell Therapies:

Ageing with Cognitive Sparkle

Australia playing catch up?

Prof Perry Bartlett

Dr Sherry Kothari

36 References

Dr Andrea Douglas

COVER IMAGE: © Gabe Cunnett - www.gabe.com.au

OCT–DEC 2016

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

a word

Australian Quarterly

ne of the most complex – and polarising – social debates is that of euthanasia, an increasingly hot topic as the Baby Boomers approach and exceed their average life expectancy.

Yet for younger generations, life expectancies are continuing to increase; people born in the not-too-distant-future will, on average, live beyond 100. As this happens, the foremost existential fear will probably not be death, but the problem of maintaining a high quality of life. How, when we’re all living to 100, are we going to keep from losing our marbles and physical capacities? A couple of options present themselves: Do we learn how to better maintain our brain and our bodies, or do we use science to improve the very nature of ourselves? This year Australia’s most successful biosciences company, CSL, celebrates 100 years of saving and extending life. In this edition CSL Florey Medal winner, Prof Perry Bartlett, takes us on a tour of the ageing brain. Exciting new techniques and treatments in neuroscience are promising to radically rejuvenate our grey matter.

Yet what if we could be made impervious to the cruelties of ageing by changing the chemistry, genetics or physicality of our own bodies? The ethics of human enhancement is set to become the most important social, political and scientific debate to ever face our species. Dr Stephen Clarke offers us an understanding of the discussion so far, and where the debate is heading next. Also in this issue, Prof Derek Abbott provides a searing overview of the viability of nuclear power, bringing science back into an argument too often hijacked by ideologies. An absolute must read! And is Australia falling behind in the race to establish an industry in life-saving cell and genetic therapies? The answer looks to be yes, but Dr Sherry Kothari, CEO of the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing, thinks it might not be too late… We also welcome to the pages of AQ a new regular contributor: science communicator, scientist and happy cynic, Dr Andy Stapleton, who’ll be bringing you the topics in science that fall between the cracks. As always, find more from AQ on Facebook (@AQAustralianQuarterly) and Twitter (@AQjournal).

Grant Mills Editor Notes for Contributors AQ welcomes submissions of articles and manuscripts on contemporary economic, political, social and philosophical issues, especially where scientific insights have a bearing and where the issues impact on Australian and global public life. All contributions are unpaid. Manuscripts should be original and have not been submitted or published elsewhere, although in negotiation with the Editor, revised prior publications or presentations may be included. Submissions may be subject to peer review. Word length is between 1000 and 3000 words. Longer and shorter lengths may be considered. Articles should be written and argued clearly so they can be easily read by an informed, but non-specialist, readership. A short biographical note of up to 50 words should accompany the work. The Editor welcomes accompanying images. Authors of published articles are required to assign copyright to the Australian Institute of Policy and Science, including signing of a License to Publish which includes acceptance of online archiving and access through JSTOR (from 2010) or other online publication as negotiated by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science. In return, authors have a non exclusive license to publish the paper elsewhere at a future date. The inclusion of references and endnotes is the option of the author. Our preference is for these to be available from the author on request. Otherwise, references, endnotes and abbreviations should be used sparingly and kept to a minimum. Articles appearing in AQ are indexed ABC POL SCI: A Bibliography of Contents: Political Science and Government. The International Political Science Abstracts publishes abstracts of political science articles appearing in AQ. Copyright is owned by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science. Persons wishing to reproduce an article, or part thereof, must obtain the Institute’s permission. Contributions should be emailed to: The Editor at info@aips.net.au

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

OCT–DEC 2016

Editor: Grant Mills Assistant Editor: Camille Thomson Design and production: Art Graphic Design, Canberra Printing: Newstyle Printing, Adelaide Subscriptions: www.aips.net.au/aq-magazine/ subscribe enquiries to: Camille Thomson, General Manager, AIPS, PO Box M145, Missenden Road NSW 2050 Australia Phone: +61 (02) 9036 9995 Fax: +61 (02) 9036 9960 Email: info@aips.net.au Website: www.aips.net.au/ aq-magazine/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ AQAustralianQuarterly ISSN 1443-3605 AQ (Australian Quarterly) is published by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science. This project is supported by the Commonwealth Government through a grant-in-aid administered by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. ACN 000 025 507 The AIPS is an independent body which promotes discussion and understanding of political, social and scientific issues in Australia. It is not connected with any political party or sectional group. Opinions expressed in AQ are those of the authors. Directors of the Australian Institute of Policy and Science: Leon R Beswick (co-Chair) Andrew Goodsall Maria Kavallaris (co-Chair) Jennelle Kyd Suresh Mahalingam Ross McKinnon Peter M McMahon Peter D Rathjen

A Brave New World: Understanding the Ethics of Human Enhancement

For the past two decades a debate has raged in academic philosophy and bioethics about the rights and wrongs of using drug therapies, genetic interventions, mechanical augmentation and other medical procedures to enhance human physical and mental capacities above the normal upper limits for our species. Many ‘bio-conservative’ opponents of human enhancement argue that it is morally wrong to alter human nature, to ‘Play God’, or to ‘seek mastery of ourselves’, even if attempts to do so are likely to benefit humanity as a whole.

ARTICLE BY: Assoc Prof Steve Clarke

ne problem with these sorts of criticisms is that it is often hard to pin down exactly what their scope is. Take the charge of ‘playing God’. It sounds like a very bad idea for humans to ‘play God’, but the charge is often thrown around carelessly, and is particularly likely to be heard when new technologies are introduced. When In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) techniques were first pioneered in the 1970s many conservatives, especially religious conservatives, criticised its use on the grounds that this amounted to playing God. There have been over five million IVF

OCT–DEC 2016

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

Nuclear Power: Game Over

Every second humans globally consume roughly 15,000 gigawatts (GW) of power, in oil, coal, gas, nuclear, and renewables all added together.1 To put it another way, it means that, on average, we use 15,000 gigajoules (GJ) of energy every second of every day. That is an enormous number, equivalent to switching on 15 billion electric kettles.

n the other hand, 15,000 GW is a relatively small number as it is 5000 times less than the average solar power hitting the planet’s surface. And remarkably, it is six times less than the solar power utilised by all plant life on Earth for phoitosynthesis.2 By far, the plant kingdom has already beaten the human race to the punch in terms of

ARTICLE BY: Prof Derek Abbott

image: © Garry Knight - Flickr

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

OCT–DEC 2016

Nuclear Power: Game Over

the sheer magnitude of solar collection achieved. Yet this means that maintaining our current levels of consumption in a sustainable manner requires harnessing only 0.02% of the light at the surface of our planet. So do we really need nuclear power? Is nuclear sustainable? Given the awesome potential of renewable energy, is there an economic place for nuclear power? Why is nuclear power globally in decline at present? What are the limitations? These are some of the key questions we’ll now examine.

Energy policy Before we discuss power generation, it is important to first highlight that any robust government energy policy must be grounded by the concept of energy conservation. To understand why energy conservation and energy efficiency form the bedrock of policy, let us consider how power consumption can quickly add up and get out of hand. Imagine 5 billion people all make one cup of tea per day, and overfill their kettles by as little as a quarter of a cup. Over a day, this excess requires an additional 2 GW of average power, which is equivalent to the output of the whole Hoover Dam.3 Consider the possibility of everyone on the planet driving a medium sized car for only one hour per day. That alone would average to two thirds of our total present global consumption, which is clearly unsustainable.

Suppose there were one billion mediumsized houses on the planet all heating or cooling by as little as 3°C relative to the outside temperature. By not having home wall insulation, the excess power needed would on average equal our total present global consumption. This alone illustrates the critical importance of having insulation standards for new buildings. On the flip side, take an estimate of about 10 billion tungsten light bulbs in the world. On average each light bulb will be on about 10% of the time. If each was replaced with a modern LED light bulb – with a saving of 50W each – that equals a saving of 50 GW, the equivalent to about 50 nuclear power plants. As such, there cannot be a future drive towards sustainable power generation without it being married to measures of energy efficiency and conservation.

Nexit: Nuclear Exit Around the world the nuclear industry is in gradual, inexorable decline. Starting from 1954, it took the world 48 years to gradually

ramp up to a peak of 438 commercial nuclear power plants in 2002. Today, in 2016, we have dropped to 402 reactors with further closures foreshadowed.4 A report from the Swiss banking investment sector5 states "big, centralised power stations will not fit into the future European electricity system" and that they will share “the fate of the dinosaurs: too large, too inflexible, on their way to extinction." Participating countries are closing down nuclear power plants (NPPs) faster than they are being built. Nuclear apologists point to China as a role model that is actively building a number of NPPs. The fact is that China has built $160 billion in overcapacity of coal plants that are unused.6 Will their NPPs, which are presently under construction, become similarly redundant? There simply aren’t enough Chinese students rushing to enrol into nuclear engineering courses, to produce the workforce for an expanded nuclear program.7 China’s ambitious nuclear expansion plans would require at least 50,000 students to be

It took the world 48 years to gradually ramp up to a peak of 438 commercial nuclear power plants in 2002. Today, in 2016, we have dropped to 402 reactors with further closures foreshadowed.

OCT–DEC 2016

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

In 2015 Prof Perry Bartlett was awarded the CSL Florey Medal for discoveries that have transformed our understanding of the brain, and for his leadership of neuroscience in Australia. The award recognises his outstanding lifetime achievements in biomedical science.

Rejuvenating the Brain: Ageing with Cognitive Sparkle Western society has never been adept at openly contemplating death. Yet with average lifespans expected to hit 100 years in the not too distant future, we now faces an even greater existential fear: the increasing likelihood that many of us will endure a lengthy period of impededconsciousness – unaware of self and unresponsive to life’s surrounding pleasures.

tatistically, 1 in 3 girls born in 2011 can expect to live to 100.1 This probable longevity focuses our attention more and more on how we will be able to maintain a good quality of life in the latter 25-30 years of this elongated lifespan. When considering this, uppermost in people’s list of anxieties is the progressive loss of a functioning and creative brain. Since the incidence of dementia rises to 1 in 3 people by age 85, the fear has a stark statistical reality. This loss of cognitive ability, especially in learning and memory, saps the sufferer’s ability to perform daily tasks and, more

ARTICLE BY: Prof Perry Bartlett

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

OCT–DEC 2016

importantly, deprives them of the insight and awareness necessary to fully enjoy humour, love, beauty, music and memories of past, present and the anticipated future. Yet while increasing age parallels the increasing incidence of dementia, are the two inextricably linked? Is there an inexorable decline in brain function and structure with age, one that can’t be prevented and certainly not reversed? In my opinion, the answer to both questions is an unequivocal no!

Dogma vs Dementia The study of the brain function and anatomy in very old people is beginning to

Cell Therapies – Australia playing catch up? Health systems in developed nations worldwide are in crisis as they struggle to cope with the demands placed by an ageing population. As we live longer, the prevalence of chronic, degenerative conditions continues to increase. According to the World Health Organisation, the proportion of deaths from cancer, diabetes cardiovascular and respiratory conditions is increasing, and is estimated to collectively cause more than 65% of all deaths.1 ARTICLE BY: Dr Sherry Kothari

oreover, many people will not only live much longer, but many will do so with a reduced quality of life. It is against this bleak backdrop that regenerative medicine - repair or regeneration of diseased or damaged tissue to restore normal function - offers a new paradigm in the treatment of previously incurable diseases.

AUSTRALIAN QUARTERLY

OCT–DEC 2016

Nuclear Power: Game Over Every second humans globally consume 15,000 gigawatts (GW) of power, in oil, coal, gas, nuclear, and renewables all added together. That is an enormous number, equivalent to switching on 5 billion electric kettles. Yet even so, this figure is 5000 times less than the average solar power hitting the earth’s surface. So given the inherent risks, limited resources, legacy issues and declining popularity, why are we still talking about nuclear energy? It’s Game Over for nuclear, and here’s why… Derek Abbott

Rejuvenating the Brain: Ageing with Cognitive Sparkle Statistically, 1 in 3 girls born in 2011 can expect to live to 100. As this happens, our attention will focus more and more on how we will be able to maintain a good quality of life in the latter 25-30 years of this elongated lifespan. Since the incidence of dementia rises to 1 in 3 people by age 85, the fear of progressive loss of a functioning and creative brain is a stark statistical reality. Yet can advances in our understanding of the brain actually prevent – and even reverse – decline in brain function? The answer seems to be yes. Perry Bartlett

A Brave New World: Understanding the Ethics of Human Enhancement Drug therapies, genetic interventions, mechanical augmentation – for decades debate has raged about the ethics of using science to enhance human physical and mental capacities above the upper limits for our species. As technology enables increasingly drastic options for the human race, this issue is set to become the most important debate to ever face our species. Are enhancements unethical, even if they are likely to benefit humanity as a whole? Is there some ethical line we should not cross, and if so, where is it? Steve Clarke

IMAGE CREDITS: Please see article placements

Cell Therapies – Australia Playing Catch-up? Australia, like the rest of the Western world, is facing the challenges of an ageing population, rapidly rising health costs, near-stagnant economic development and a decline in traditional manufacturing industries. Regenerative Medicine, which includes cellular and gene therapies, not only offers a new paradigm in the treatment of previously incurable diseases, it promises to be an exciting new advanced manufacturing and export opportunity. Australia has the skills and the capacity to be a world-leader, but are slow policy change and a lack of government initiative leaving Australia in the dust? Sherry Kothari

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