One of the problems I see in so much of human activity is that we tend to conflate value with perfection. Too often, we think that ‘good’ means ‘flawless.’ I see this in medicine and biology, where some of my colleagues speak in hushed tones about the earlier scholars who generated fundamental ideas. It’s hero … [Read more…]
The aids impact went far beyond the victims, because it changed the rest of us and — perhaps — created a more tolerant and compassionate world.
As humanity learns more at an ever-accelerating rate, fewer people will be left to look at each area of knowledge. And that means that the confidence in our knowledge will decline.
In the past, menial labor was in great demand, and not much thinking was needed. That short-sighted attitude will not take us into the future.
A medical classmate of mine is an inveterate reader and every once in a while I call or eMail him for reading recommendations. A couple of years ago he suggested The Physician by Noah Gordon. It was a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in history, the history of medicine, or … [Read more…]
The battle over Obamacare is a nonsensical partisan fight about socialized medicine, and neither side is focused on providing healthcare that works well.
If you are lonely when you are alone, then you’re in bad company.” – Jean Paul Sartre On one of my pediatric training rotations, I became aware that the two biggest readers on the ward, and the two brightest kids – by far – were both cystic fibrosis patients. CF is a horrible disease, affecting … [Read more…]
The political right has become strongly identified with a vocal Christian base. The left is likewise identified with a strong secular/humanist element. Despite such disparate starting points, both of these approaches agree that love and service of humanity are among their loftiest goals. Which is pretty funny, because they absolutely loathe one another. And neither … [Read more…]
Professional arrogance is dangerous: We ignore the knowledge and wisdom of common people at our own risk.
If you have been reading here, you are probably aware that I am a physician. Which is interesting, because my wife is largely anti-medicine, or at least resistant to medical approaches. She belongs to some on-line groups that look at alternative medicine, and who emphasize the importance of a healthy diet. We get along fine. … [Read more…]