Welcome new subscribers Phoebe, Phillip, Jamie, and M! Iserotope Extras is really taking off. This week, my favorite piece comes first: a letter that Harper Lee wrote to Oprah Winfrey. Then, please enjoy articles on the digital divide, the Japanese American Internment, and the growing trend among surgeons to perform operations using robots—from far away. Have a great week!
Harper Lee: A Letter to Oprah Winfrey on Reading
Harper Lee died last week. Here’s a letter she sent to Oprah Winfrey about the role of reading in her life. Pay special attention to the fifth and sixth paragraphs. You think the fifth is powerful, and then comes the sixth.
Bridging a Digital Divide That Keeps Schoolchildren Behind
The digital divide means the homework divide. Too many poor urban kids of color don’t have WiFi and do their homework on their phones. Or else they camp out across the street from their school to download their teachers’ assignments. This doesn’t seem like a good answer. But the answer can’t be for teachers to skip assigning homework, either.
Please enjoy this picture of Joshua Tree National Park! I went there once!
Interned: The local history we can’t let ourselves forget
With Donald Trump demanding that we build a wall to prevent immigration from Mexico and Central America, plus his pledge to disallow Muslims from entering the country, many Bay Area history teachers are encouraging students to think critically about how our current political climate compares with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. This article by students at Palo Alto High School does an excellent job explaining the internment’s impact on the Bay Area.
The Surgeon Will Skype You Now
The tech for surgeons to operate on patients remotely has been possible for over a decade. But will it ever become commonplace? (And, I should add: Do we want it to be commonplace?)
Thank you for reading this 31st edition of Iserotope Extras! Also, I must say that there are some people who are confused by the name Iserotope. What does it mean? Where does it come from? Does it derive from isotope, and if so, why? These are crucial questions! If you know the answers, please email me your thoughts. Have a great week!