73 years ago, at one dawn in July 1945, the world’s first detonation of a nuclear weapon took place in in the Jornada del Muerto (“Journey of the Dead Man”) desert located in southeast of New Mexico, U.S. under the code name Trinity. Some 40 scientists witnessed that historic moment, and every moment and detail about this groundbreaking nuclear test passed into history. Enthralled by the view of the sky during the detonation, nuclear physicist Prof. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Manhattan Project who contributed to the making of the first atomic bomb, recited this verse from Hindu-Sanskrit epic Bhagavad Gita (“The Song of God”): “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Immediately after him, Kenneth Bainbridge, a physicist from Harvard University who was the director of the Trinity test, remarked to Oppenheimer that “Now we are all sons of bitches.”

Two days after the test, on July 18, 1945, Winston Churchill received a coded letter when he was in Potsdam Conference with Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin, which read: “Babies satisfactorily born,” referring to the success of the nuclear test.

In today’s world, it seems less tyrannical to be hit by an atomic bomb as the current state of the world is considered since the bomb can only kill you. In the present day, the human-being, the most dignified species on earth, have turned into objects that can be produced, sold and bought. It is legitimate now. Those who distorted the notion of equality legitimized “producing” children for everyone. Their raw materials are either donated or sold. When it is compulsory to state the origin and breeding conditions of imported animals, and given that the U.S. and Europe went on the rampage for this very reason several times, those “producing” humans are keeping their “material’s” origins and conditions confidential in most countries, and this process even turned out to be a state secret. In Europe and the U.S., some pick sperms from sperm banks while some others wait for donations.

Also, some do fertilize sperms and eggs in laboratories and rent incubators. After nine months, the “product” is delivered to the address of the ordering party. The address can belong to a single woman or a man, two women, or two men. This “made by science” child may not have a father or a mother, or s/he can have five parents, which means that a person can run the risk of marrying his/her own brother, sister, mother or father without knowing. And every component of this process is being legalized, legitimized and banalized. For instance, since 1980, “sperm donation” is legitimate for heterosexual couples in France. One of the promises of French President Emmanuel Macron during his election campaign was to extend this right to encompass single women and lesbian couples. The French Parliament will table and probably enact a law regarding this during fall as the French National Consultative Ethics Committee finds it “ethical.” Also in the U.S., it is possible and legal to “produce human-beings” by providing the sources in the Old Continent as almost every state in the country has a legal ground on the issue to varying extents. This ferocity spreads across the world like a pandemic!

Take a look at the discussions of philosophers, opinion leaders, politicians and journalists covered by media during these days, in which the slogans of enlightenment, positivism, humanism, Darwinism, science, human rights and equality have finally brought human race to this point. According to their fascistic and authoritarian argument, if heterosexual couples can benefit “sperm donations,” then single women and lesbians should also benefit from it. If receiving donated sperms in a way reminiscent of searching animals for breeding is accepted as an ethical premise, then it is natural to extend it. They also argue that the current situation is a discrimination against women and that the “autonomy” of a single women matters. They contend that if a single woman can benefit this right, then two women living as partners should naturally be included in the scope of the same right to prevent further unjust practices. But they go on to discuss that the risk of selling sperms looms on the horizon as it would be difficult to meet all the demands with donated sperms. In view of this problem, they are now questioning how social security mechanisms can cope with this.

It is fascinating that those who referred to atomic bomb as healthy children 73 years ago do not give a name to the children produced by science. Compared to this, killing hundreds of thousands of people by pushing a button is almost nothing. It is a shame to see that the humanity of today’s human producers is way behind Bainbridge and his colleagues.

Turkish scientists (last week) have embarked on the second Antarctic expedition to further explore, collaborate and contribute towards bolstering international geographic research. Having completed the first expedition in 2016 with a group of 13 Turkish researchers from 7 Turkish universities, the current 9 person team hopes to further the prospects of a permanent research camp in the most remote region of the planet.

Initially proposed through a workshop held at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in 2013, Turkish scientists alongside state officials hope that the new prospects will not only boost Turkey’s scientific capabilities and research capacity, but also increase the diplomatic profile within the international scientific and political community.

The Turkish Antarctic Scientific Programme as laid out by the Polar Research (PolRec) centre at ITU focuses on Marine Biology, Oceanography, Pollution, Geology, Climate Change, Medical Sciences, as well as Education and Outreach projects.

The programme, being given the green light by the Ministry of Science, Industry and Commerce in 2014, has been primarily supported and funded by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council), Turkey’s leading national agency for the development of science, technology and innovation.

The expedition begun early March 2018, setting up a temporary research basecamp in Robert Island, intending to travel towards the largest Island in the archipelago, that of King George, and is expected to finish in mid-April. Upon reaching the King George base, the team will have the opportunity to engage with advanced forms of technology such as automated observing technologies, satellite remote sensing, Earth Systems models and improved sample retrieval technologies.

Collaborative research is the corner stone to being part of the scientific community on the Antarctic, where collectively topics ranging from climate change and the imprints of Humans on Antarctica, to exploring the life of psychrophiles; extremophorbic organisms capable of growth and reproduction in low temperatures are carried out. Discussions of topics such as life beyond Earth, space weather, the nature of the Dark Universe and the Origins of the Universe also play a part in bridging Antarctic research and discovery with life as we know it.

The Antarctic and Southern Oceans, being governed multilaterally by the Antarctic Treaty System signed towards the end of 1959, entering into force in 1961, has become not only a physical base wherein perspective scientists from party nations come together to explore and understand Earths coldest and least analyzed region, but in recent history has also become a platform for diplomatic cooperation and communication among the political entities of the world.

The Antarctic Treaty System as laid out by Articles 4 of the treaty does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims (no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force). The remaining 13 Articles stipulates that the Area (All of the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude) be used for peaceful purposes only, prohibiting weapons testing, allowing freedom of scientific investigations, and permitting access to inspect and exchange personnel from all stations provided prior notice be given.

Although Turkey has been a member of the Antarctic Treaty since 1996, due to no scientific research being carried out since, Turkey has remained a non-consulting member within the treaty. The step towards scientific discover will thus provide ground for Turkish state officials to apply for a consulting member status, permitting the opportunity to vote and actively engage diplomatically with regards to the preservation of the Antarctic. To date, there are currently 53 states party to the treaty, with only 29 (including the original 12 signatories) possessing consultative status.

Although Initially, the 9 person team, headed by female scientist and director of the Polar Research centre at ITU, Dr. Burcu Ozsoy, will be working with Polish, Belgian, Czech, Bulgarian and Chilean scientist, PolRec hopes to build a permanent base in order to coordinate and collaborate with multiple scientists from all corners of the world in contributing towards uncovering the hidden secrets of the last continent to be explored and studied.