M. Norton Wise's examination of the calorimeter, a machine invented in the 1780s to measure heat, elucidates his theory of a role that technology plays in society outside of the applications for which it has been developed.      In the schema given to us by Thomas Kuhn, as popularly understood, cultural differences are mediated through the paradigms that underlie theories—the theories' interconnected assumptions. According to Wise's theory, however, technologies act as cultural mediators, reconciling differences among different fields of thought and study, such as chemistry, political economy, and mathematics, and also connecting ideas with realities. When Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Pierre-Simon de Laplace first invented the calorimeter, they thought of it in comparison to a simple physical device, the balance scale: the calorimeter balanced quantities of heat against quantities of melted ice. In fact, Lavoisier and Laplace conceived of the device somewhat differently, and in this respect the calorimeter performed mediation of the first kind. Lavoisier, who is remembered as a chemist, viewed the calorimeter as measuring a balance between chemical substances, whereas Laplace, who is remembered as a mathematician and physical astronomer, viewed the calorimeter as balancing forces.      The differing interests of Lavoisier and Laplace (who tried at least once to rid himself of the partnership in order to work on pure mathematics) caused tension. This tension between the otherwise distinct fields of chemistry and physical astronomy was resolved, in part, by the calorimeter itself; it provided a common ground to the two fields in its own concrete existence and quantitative measure, if not entirely in concept. Secondly, the calorimeter, in providing commonly accepted measurements, gave commonly accepted meanings to the ideas involved in interpreting those measurements: caloric fluid and the physical force of heat.      We are typically more inclined to view a new technological invention in the terms of Kuhn--it supports an existing paradigm, or, rarely, massively disrupts it and causes a paradigm shift. Wise would agree with Kuhn that our conception of the electron is reinforced by the television and the fiberoptic cable, but while Kuhn sees the theoretical relationship as one of champion against challenger, arbitrated through defeat and continued reigning victory, technologies per Wise arbitrate by harmonizing.    

   M31, M32, and M33 are members of the Local Group, an assemblage of more than 54 galaxies in the neighborhood of the Milky Way, the galaxy which contains our solar system. Like the Milky Way, M31 and M33 are spiral galaxies, whereas M32 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy. Of the three, M31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is the largest, with a mass that has been estimated in recent studies to be equal to or greater than that of the Milky Way. Comprised primarily of older faint stars, M32 is a substantially smaller galaxy and a satellite of Andromeda. M33, known as the Triangulum Galaxy, is more distant and less massive than Andromeda and is believed to have collided with that galaxy in the past.      The attributes of these four galaxies may reflect their past interactions and are likely to shape future encounters. For example, astronomers are not currently sure how M32's compact ellipsoid shape took form, but they suspect that M32 may have had a spiral shape earlier that was transformed by a tidal field from Andromeda into its current elliptical shape. Meanwhile, Triangulum and Andromeda are connected by a stream of hydrogen and stars, which is evidence that the two galaxies have interacted in the past between 2 and 8 billion years ago. Finally, among the trio M31, M33 and the Milky, every pair is potentially on a collision course compelled by gravity. Triangulum might be ripped apart and absorbed by M31, it might collide with the Milky Way before the latter has any violent interaction with Andromeda, or it might participate in the collision between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy, which is expected to occur in about 4 billion years.    

     The World Bank has offered ethical guidance to the governments of nations in making priority-setting decisions for pharmaceutical policy. A leading point of this counsel is to respond in only limited ways to patient demands for therapies that are not cost-effective. In every healthcare system, there is a possibility, and, frankly, a reality of overspending in the course of treatment, wasting a nation's limited resources. Patients who independently finance needless treatments that create no further medical costs manifest a less problematic form of overspending, but their treatment nevertheless potentially represents economic dead weight and the diversion of limited resources that could be applied toward necessary ends. Overspending public funds is even more problematic, since public sector spending is systematic and controllable through policy. Most serious is over-medication that harms the patient or others. A leading example of such an erroneous practice is the excessive administration of antibiotics, which, in fostering antimicrobial resistance, may pose as much risk or even greater risk than under-administration of vaccines. Decreasing wasteful medical expenditures is important in the effort to the World Bank's suggested primary goal, which is to maintain a cost-effective pharmaceutical system that maximally, and equitably, improves population health.      Furthermore, the World Bank recommended, as a counterpart to these measures, efforts to improve the population's understanding of pharmaceutical uses and choices. This long-term goal is equally important and equally difficult to achieve in wealthier nations. Better public understanding helps decrease the tension between less-informed wants and well-determined needs. Culturally ingrained maxims, such as a preference for injections, do not change overnight. Furthermore, relying on brand identification can be a rational strategy for information-limited consumers worldwide. Nevertheless, moving citizens to a more informed and empowered position is an ethical obligation, as well as a strategy to reduce costs and minimize risks.