Physics first?

Today I get to meet my microbiology/chemistry students.
I hope they are OK with me instead of Mr. Frick.
The PHYSICS FIRST movement is gaining ground in science education, thankfully.
Since the discovery of the atom it has been clear that the basic science is physics, which is the science of matter and energy; chemistry is the next "layer", followed by biology.
Think about it....

Skin & bones?

These were our topics this week in A&P, WEEK 2 already!
It should be noted that though obesity is an epidemic and is very clearly a risk factor for premature morbidity and mortality, so is excessive "thinness." Anorexia nervosa, a condition affecting primarily adolescent females, can be fatal. Actuarial tables show that morbidity and mortality rise as BMI drops below normal! One theory of why this may be the case is that excessively low BMI is associated with suicide. (NOTE: ASSOCIATIONS and CORRELATIONS DO NOT INDICATE CAUSALITY!)
SO--take care of your skin (NO SMOKING, avoid UV light in any form) and your bones (proper amounts of vitamin D, calcium, and exercise) and that will contribute to keeping what's in between at a healthy place, too!

Object lessons....

<---George Hamilton, The Tan Man

One of the fun things about teaching and also being a clinician is using object lessons. Today in class we talked about skin and I could use my recently obtained tan as such an example of what NOT to do!
That being said, I enjoyed getting it and also enjoy being back!

Bermuda!

This will be our 7th trip to this island paradise.
There is lots of science, especially ecology, geography, and, of course, beachology. :-)
We are staying at the Granaway House, on the left. The beaches, under the heading, do look like this and the sand really is pink.
The Islands, remnants of a volcanic atoll, are pictured on the right. They have a fascinating history, a unique culture, and wonderful food.
No postings until we return!

Welcome, students!

Medical folklore and quackery....

It has been very humid lately, which set me to thinking about those people who say they can tell when a storm is coming because their joints ache. This led me to folklore in medicine. My father, who was a psychologist, said that since all people have minds all people think they are psychologists. Well, since all people have bodies all people think they are body experts.
Au contraire.
My 30 years of experience as a clinician have shown me that the average adult is woefully ignorant of how his/her body works. If he/she has no idea what the normal functioning of the body looks like how can he/she know if some "remedy" for an ailment makes sense or might even be dangerous?
They don't.
That's where nurses come in, in many cases. Patients are often afraid to ask their doctors questions (I won't go there now....) so one of a nurse's most important jobs is education. As Chamberlain students begin their road to the BSN they will work with me on what we call "basic sciences." They are basic because they are required to understand health and disease and therefore to be an effective medical professional.
Medical folklore and quackery cost patients millions of dollars each year, and can kill. We want patients to be well educated so that they can participate fully in their care.
That is why we need to know this stuff! And "we" includes patients, too!
When in doubt, look up the DATA; don't rely on the magic box (pictured above) sent to you by Cousin Jane or sold on the Internet.
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to health. Health professionals hold our knowledge in trust for the public, and should share it and the science behind it freely.

Happy scientific 4th!

Ben Franklin was a real scientist, though the story of the kite is likely a myth, since most people that have tried to do what he supposedly did have been electrocuted or even killed. He did figure out that lightening was electricity, though. Who knew? His participation in the Revolution was consistent with his scientific world view. The quest for knowledge requires freedom. One of the saddest examples of oppression trashing the scientific endeavor is what happened to Russian science under Stalin; true scientific obscenity is exemplified by what Hitler's doctors did during the Holocaust.

Good science and freedom--they go together!

What is our responsibility?

To me, the so-called "conflict" between faith and science is bogus. The God in whom I have faith is the Father of science. Science is simply the process of exploring and trying to understand His world. So-called "conservatives" interpret the Biblical mandate to man/woman that they exercise stewardship over the Earth as exploiting it. I do not accept this. We are responsible for preserving the Earth and caring for it, and the technology and intellectual abilities that God has allowed us to evolve (yes, He understands X-rays) are to be used in accordance with His laws, not ours.

The tragedy in the Gulf was brought about by poor stewardship, greed, arrogance, and really, really bad "science". The only remedy for it is better use of the intelligence and creativity God has granted us. He does not take "sides"; we should seek to be on His.

Monera Rock!

While MONERA would be a great name for a rock band, it is actually the kingdom name for bacteria, the most plentiful, important, and successful organisms on the planet, accounting for around 60% (or more) of the biomass. I am excited that I get to teach microbiology!
We have many, many more bacteria in and on our bodies than there are people on earth, and most of them (the bacteria, NOT the people!) are either benign or helpful. We would literally die without a colon full of the much maligned E. coli. So, if you want to study life and liberty this weekend, pick up a book about bacteria. You'll be fascinated!

Vampires!?

Blood!?

1. Animals evolved blood to carry oxygen, glucose, and other nutrients to cells and carbon dioxide and waste products away.
2. Blood also provides the mechanism by which the products of cells--proteins--circulate and tell other cells what to do and how to do it.
3. ERGO: NO BLOOD, NO LIFE. There are, of course, some exceptions but the FUNCTION of blood is present in all multicellular organisms.
4. Vampire bats are not the only creatures who drink or eat blood. Blood has been part of the diet of carnivores or omnivores "forever."
5. Unfiltered, "raw" blood is also a major source of microbial infection. The dietary prohibition against blood that exists in many religious traditions is probably based on this fact.
6. Blood is eaten/drunk in several forms: liquid, in puddings, and in meat/casserole concoctions.
7. What we euphemistically call "juice" in meat is, in fact, blood or some component thereof. Get over it.
8. Fantasy vampirism is stupid. Vampirism is a metaphor for sexual predation. It is NOT "romantic".
9. Blood pudding is GROSS!!
10. Questions? Let me know.