Chilean Miner Rescue in the Big Picture; Making the Impossible Happen

I was really moved by this Radio Editorial.

October 16, 2010 - SCOTT SIMON, host:
National Public Radio

The 33 men pulled up from the depths of Chile's San Jose mine this week looked strong and proud: victors, not victims. Their survival was a marvel that enlisted drillers, engineers, doctors, geologists, scientists, psychiatrists, bureaucrats, clergy, and volunteers from around the world.

But the men saved themselves too. They had the hard, hidden part: living with isolation, hunger and despair for 69 days, trapped in a small, dark space 2,000 feet below the ground that tried to crush them.

They told reporters yesterday the first 17 days were hardest. They had no word from the surface or proof they were being searched for. Some of the men squabbled, which they made a pact never to speak about. They made jokes about cannibalism as they watched themselves starve. After 17 days, the refuge chamber into which they'd scrambled to escape began to feel as close as a tomb.

Now, the men - who may always be known as Los Treinta y tres - can look ahead to sunnier days.

Chile's president, Sebasti�n Pi�era, embraced each miner as he emerged and said: You're not the same after this and neither are we. We will never forget this. I think that we embraces the world. Millions of families, including ours, got our children out of bed to watch the men rise from the earth, wave, sing, and blow kisses. We told our children: remember this night whenever you think something is impossible.

President Pi�era says he also knows that this magnificent achievement stemmed from what may be reckless disregard of mine safety. Never again, he says, will we permit people to work in conditions so unsafe and inhuman as they worked in the San Jose mine.

It's tempting to say the rescue of the miners, like the landing on the moon, or the return of Apollo 13, shows that humans can do anything if we just work together. Landing on the moon, or rescuing 33 miners, are daunting but direct enterprises. They have start points and finish lines. The trials of war, famine, terrorism, poverty, global warming, joblessness and loneliness twist and turn.

This week it was good to be reminded that skill, courage, and dedication can also move the earth. When 33 men were buried, people uncovered strength they never knew was inside. Failure was not an option. This week we were all Chilean. Viva.

National Public Radio Link

CDC 6 Winnable Diseases--Which one can an engineer help win?

In early October, Center for Disease Control Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden announced a list of six diseases which can be concerned.

1.) Healthcare Associated Infections
2.) HIV
3.) Motor Vehicle Injuries
4.) Obesity, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Food Safety
5.) Teen Pregnancy
6.) Tobacco

There are a lot of specific challenges here for physicians, biomedical engineers, and chemists to tackle. What can the physicists and physical engineers bring to the table?

My first approach is to re-rank them as to the potential role of physical science. The top three would be Motor Vehicles Injuries, Healthcare Associated Infections, and Nutrition and Physical Activity

Motor Vehicle Injury Reduction has been addressed with engineering solutions for decades. Seat Belts, Safety Glass, Airbags, Third Tail light, Anti-locking Brakes, and Crumple Zones have save many lives. Much of these go back to Ralph Nader’s consumer rights investigations of automobiles in the 1960’s.

Auto Safety Systems are often divided into two groups: Crash Avoidance and Crashworthiness. DUI Interlocks and Ceiling Airbags are another emerging area of engineering approaches to these diseases. Maybe related to DUI Interlocks, seat belt interlocks or cell phone interlocks could be explored.

One example of how small technology changes can lead to safety improvements is the use of LED lighting in brake lights. LEDs illuminate faster than the old style incandescent bulbs. A few milliseconds may not seem like much, but when a drive is reacting to a stopped car and slamming on their own brakes, milliseconds may be the difference between rear end and safe stop.

Can the engineers who work with Mass Transportation Technology and Policy help reduce motor vehicle injuries? Trains, subways, buses, and walking are safer than cars.

Healthcare Associated Infections must be addressed with a mix of practices, packaging and monitoring. Could timers increase hand wash times? Could bacteria sensors be used to trigger room sanitizing? Could technologies developed for biological and chemical attacks be more widely used in hospitals? Some materials are being made with anti-bacterial properties. Can these be more widely used in healthcare environments.

With people carrying more and more technology on their person, can this be one way to approach Nutrition and Physical Activity? One analogy is a casino player’s card. In many casinos, guest can obtain personalized cards which can be inserted into slot machine, video poker games, and even some table games like blackjack. Could such a tracking device be used to track physical activity, both on the street and in the gym?

Could a MP3 or smart-phone application be used to track physical activity? Some smart-phones and watches have GPS technology built in; these could used to track mileage for walkers, runners, and hikers. Blue tooth technology could be used to connect to treadmills and cardio machines at the gym?

The three most challenging diseases are Teen Pregnancy, HIV, and Tobacco. All of these are dominated by personal choice, knowledge of outcomes, and practices. Can targeted ventilation systems reduce the problem of second hand smoke?