Category Archives: Science/Medicine

Public Service Announcement

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Here's a public service announcement: Don't get too excited about Jim Lindgren's post that Some of the “Homogenized” Temperature Data is False (which relies on Willis Eschenbach's The Smoking Gun At Darwin Zero) until you have digested the debunking at Economist.com, Scepticism's limits.

Posted in Science/Medicine | 2 Comments

Flu Shot

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

We got our Swine Flu shots today — except the youngest, who had gotten the live nasal vaccine in school a few days ago.

The rest of us got the shots through UM, which is vaccinating employees and their children. The Sunday operation was run with extreme efficiency; we were in and out of there in minutes. Unlike most of the other flu shots I've had, which were mostly painless, this one aches some when I pick stuff up. Dr. Anapol, the director of the campus health service, was on hand to fuss over the operation in person; he told me they've already vaccinated more than 5,000 people this season.

I had the regular seasonal shot several weeks ago, so I've done my bit for herd immunity.

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Hal Finney Is Brave. Very Brave.

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Hal Finney is not a household name, although he is a Name in one of the communities I have inhabited, the crypto/cypherpunk community.

Now, it transpires, Hal is not just a very smart guy, he is a pretty heroic guy. In Less Wrong: Dying Outside, he writes movingly and bravely about his recent diagnosis with Lou Gehrig's disease (AKA Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS). That is what Steven Hawking has, and it leaves you paralyzed, unable even to breath without mechanical assistance.

Patients lose the ability to talk, walk, move, eventually even to breathe, which is usually the end of life. This process generally takes about 2 to 5 years.

There are however two bright spots in this picture. The first is that ALS normally does not affect higher brain functions. I will retain my abilities to think and reason as usual. Even as my body is dying outside, I will remain alive inside.

The second relates to survival. Although ALS is generally described as a fatal disease, this is not quite true. It is only mostly fatal. When breathing begins to fail, ALS patients must make a choice. They have the option to either go onto invasive mechanical respiration, which involves a tracheotomy and breathing machine, or they can die in comfort. I was very surprised to learn that over 90% of ALS patients choose to die.

Hal is planning on joining the 10%. And to make the best of it. How many people could write, sincerely, as he does in response to comments on his original announcement,

Everybody with ALS talks about how terrible it is, all the things you can't do any more. But nobody seems to notice that there are all these things you get to do that you've never done before. I've never used a power wheelchair. I've never controlled a computer with my eyes. I've never had a voice synthesizer trained to mimic my natural voice. If I told people on the ALS forums that I was looking forward to some of this, they'd think I was crazy. Maybe people here will understand.

I understand, but I don't know that I have it in me to be so brave.

Posted in Cryptography, Science/Medicine | Comments Off on Hal Finney Is Brave. Very Brave.

Can It Really Be that People Are More Credulous Today?

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Boing Boing points to a study showing that the Placebo effect is getting stronger. I take this to mean that people today are more credulous.

Which may explain Fox 'News'? How else to make sense of articles such as today's NYT story on a good man driven to activism by total misinformation,

The Colliers are committed conservatives who have voted Republican in presidential elections since 1980. They receive much of their information from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh’s radio program and Matt Drudge’s Web site.

Posted in Science/Medicine | 7 Comments

Batting Practice Will Never Be the Same

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Wait until they teach this High-Speed Robot Hand to throw a curveball.

Posted in Science/Medicine | 3 Comments

H1N1 Preparedness

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Universities, like schools, are ground zero for flu epidemics, so I’m glad to see that the U is taking reasonable steps.

Dear Faculty:


With the fall semester ready to
begin, we would like to update you about H1N1 influenza and the university’s
preparation for the upcoming semester. The university’s H1N1 decision team has
met on a regular basis during the summer and has remained in close contact with
the local and state health departments in preparation for the possibility of an
increase in cases when school begins.


Over the last several weeks, H1N1
flu has occurred in the South Florida area and at the University of Miami,
mostly among children and young adults. The majority of cases have been mild to
moderate in severity, and many have not required medical care for
diagnosis or treatment.  Individuals with influenza-like illnesses (defined
by the Florida Department of Health as fever, temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or
greater and cough and/or a sore throat) are advised to remain at home until at
least 24 hours after they are free of fever, which is 3 to 5 days in most
cases. This guidance does not apply to health care settings where the
exclusion period should be continued for 7 days from symptom onset or until the
resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer.   


Household members and other close
contacts have been urged to follow these same recommendations if symptoms
develop, and to seek information about medical care and isolation from the
Student Health Service or other medical providers. Classes and activities have
not been cancelled and services have not been interrupted.
Students have received periodic updates via Ibis
News, and new
students and their parents will receive additional information during
orientation sessions. 


As long as cases continue in our
community, students with symptoms of an influenza-like illness will be advised
to self isolate according to the CDC
guidelines.  Currently, students are
being asked to contact the Student Health Service for medical advice. If cases
become more common, those with severe symptoms or with underlying health
conditions will be asked to contact the Student Health Service or other medical
providers, however others may self diagnose and require no specific
treatment.  In the event of a widespread outbreak self reporting may be
the predominant form of notification and not all students will have
documentation of their illness.  Students who are unable to attend class
will be asked to contact faculty or their designee via e-mail.  Faculty may
choose to establish an alternative method of communication, and if so, should
advise their students at the start to the semester.


Faculty with flu symptoms should
seek medical advice and treatment from their own health care providers, adhere
to CDC self
isolation recommendations, and abide by recommendations of
the Employee
Health Office
and Human Resources.


It is predicted that most cases
of H1N1 flu will be mild to moderate in severity and self-limited; however, more
severe cases may occur.  In order to minimize the impact of this situation
on our community, we encourage you to refer to the information on the CDC, Miami-Dade County Health
Department and
Student
Health Service
websites and abide by appropriate recommendations.


If you have any specific
questions, please feel free to e-mail studenthealth@miami.edu or call (305) 284-5921.  We
wish everyone a healthy and productive semester.

Sincerely,

Howard Anapol, M.D., Director, Student Health Service
William S. Green, Senior Vice Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs
Patricia A. Whitely, Dean for Undergraduate Education

I’ll have to emphasize to the 1Ls that they really should stay home if they have a fever.

Posted in Science/Medicine, U.Miami | 2 Comments