The Franciscan philosopher Roger Bacon (c1214-1294), who some regard as the father of modern science, argued in his great text Opus Majus that there were four sources of ignorance: Frail […]
Columnists
Martin McKee: The infamous Brexit dinner party—health was a major issue, but only for the EU
Discussions on Brexit have not got off to a good start, with health at the centre of the disagreement, even if the UK does not seem to realise it […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Defining research
Last week I proposed a definition of translational research and started to explore the problem of defining research itself. Previous definitions suggest six headings, relevant to all types of research. […]
Richard Smith: Must doctors believe in progress?
Does being a doctor mean that you’re obliged to believe in progress? Richard Smith discusses […]
Kieran Walsh: Are you “satisficed” with clinical decision support?
A 60 year old woman goes to her doctor with dizziness and poor balance. Her doctor is not sure what is wrong but thinks about postural hypotension, Meniere’s disease, and […]
Tara Lamont: Changing hearts, minds, and eating habits—what persuades us?
My colleague, Steve, can’t be the only viewer in the last month to have turned vegan after watching Simon Amstell’s film Carnage. This combines humour with polemic to make us […]
Matt Morgan: Sin-drome—the phenomenon of missing-diagnosis
“We’ve had a new admission into bed 3” “Great, I’ll be right there, what’s wrong with them?” “He’s got multiorgan failure but was intubated mainly for respiratory failure” “Ah ok, […]
Richard Smith: What have I achieved in six years of teaching?
Yesterday as I flew home from teaching in Amsterdam for the last time, I wondered what I might have achieved in six (or perhaps it’s seven) years of teaching. Twice […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Defining translational research
Over the past four weeks I have been exploring models of translational research using the metaphor of crossing bridges. I started by exploring the meanings of translation. It comes from […]
Richard Smith: Tales of sustainability II—a way forward from Brighton
The NHS is legally committed to reducing its carbon consumption by 80% by 2050, but the route to that destination is far from clear. The leaders in trying to find […]