First Blog

Politicized science and research did not begin in the United States. It began much earlier. For example, during the Black Plague of the 14th century, politicians together with doctors created a causation for the plague from 1347–1351. It was decided that the plague was caused by contagion and was attributed to public bathhouses, then very popular. Bathhouses everywhere were closed. The consequence was from that time on, for centuries, people were reluctant to take baths, except rarely. The cause of disease even into the 19th century was said to be caused by “malaise” and this, supported by the government and physicians, implied little care could be given. At the time of the American Revolution, bloodletting was a prescription for fever. It worked by reducing the fever, but unhappily it killed many patients. This was supported by science and the government. Without giving more examples, let’s fast forward to the 20th century with the development of the atomic bomb. This was co-produced

  Moral shortcuts.   Moral shortcuts are aphorisms that sum up states of goodness in only a few words. They are instant retorts, reports, or pronouncements given without explanation and analysis. They appeal to feeling good, hardly saying why, without content, and without depth. They are words meant to resonate in the mind.   They are weak, often vague aphorisms.   Moral shortcuts live a saltshaker to be spread to give flavor!     Beware of empty politicians telling us … A.       It is the right thing to do. B.       This is not who we are. C.       We are on the right side of history. D.      We have formed a commission to study the issue. E.       We’re here to help you. F.        They are friends, not competitors. G.      Let us reimagine … . Some buy every time, nodding in agreement. Some ask, “Is this the best you can do?” Ala, morality is in the air, often attached to extreme measures, sort of an essential sweetener to a distasteful medicine. Really, they want

  How is math used in everyday life? This is a big question requiring a big answer.   It is amazing at just how many uses are significant.   Math is everywhere, all the time, and constant as we move on.   Yet, few of us actually need to do any calculations beyond the basics. Knowing is has invaded almost everything is important to know.  A. Medicine. CAT scans and MRI scans require deep math at their basis. Modeling of DNA and sequencing of genes use much math. The origin was with SONAR, where the computer was the human brain, i.e. operator. It is well past that now. The mathematics is called tomography. It takes the scans and uses them to reconstruct the complex images within the brain or body. B. Transportation. Routing of vehicles (trucks and aircraft, etc) to maximize efficiency of costs use deep math. Involves one of the most difficult math problems called “The Traveling Salesman Problem.” It is still open, i.e. unsolved. C. Electronics. Use the math of all of electromagneti

Neuroplasticity – a theory in formation.  One aspect is clear about medicine.  It is a latecomer to the application of modern scientific methods, essentially beginning only in the late 19 th century.  In medicine, there is so much to discover that we may say many of the discoveries of the early 20 th century were the reaping of the proverbial low-hanging fruit.  It was only the examination of phenomena from a rigorous viewpoint that proved fruitful to medical discovery.  It advanced quickly and profoundly during the entire 20 th century, using microbiology, chemistry, physics, and even engineering to examine the physical human resulting great discoveries.  Thus, medicine provides a fertile are to examine the development of theories from their grounding to maturity.  From the 15 th up to the 20 th century, neurology was focused on the theory of localization , meaning that certain areas of the brain were dedicated irrevocably to certain mental activities.   There were li

With the arrest of a man for quadruple homicides in Washington DC this week, having been found first by his DNA signature leading to a name,and then tracking his cell phone traffic*, we are confronted with the issue of whether all citizens should have on file a DNA record.  One's DNA signature is absolutely unique. Of course, when there is an issue, there is a controversy.  Should we or shouldn't we have such records?  The one group claims individual rights while the other claims the greater good.  Samo, samo. In this note we argue in favor of DNA typing.  Here are some reasons. a. Clearly when a perp leaves DNA floating about, he/she becomes more easily identifiable.  Just as in the early days of finger printing.  Now no self-respecting perp leaves those about anymore.  b. Having a DNA signature will allow medical researchers in the decades ahead to make dramatic correlations between the DNA and various diseases and other medical conditions.  This could lead to remarkab