In America's fast paced society, it seems as though everyone is looking for a quick fix solution to their problems. We are always looking to make ourselves better, and perform at optimum level. Every commercial on television, and every dietary supplement passed in the store is a constant reminder that human beings are inefficient. These images only fuel the fire for the quest for the perfect mind and body. In order to keep up with our fast paced environment, many people are turning to enhancement drugs that allow for more efficient function. Many individuals who are considered healthy and "normal" are continually turning to self-diagnosis and self-medication in the hopes of eliminating imperfections.

 

The search for objectivity has been at the core of scientific inquiry for many years.  Throughout this course it has been argued however, that an inescapable subjectivity exists within any scientific inquiry.  This “spark” of creative innovation is what divides great research from the mundane.  Though scientific technique is notable for its rigid and formulaic nature the actual questions addressed by research reflect the personal experiences and character of the researcher.  Those who possess particularly innovative or novel lines of inquiry are rewarded with grants and awards while those that fail to remain unfunded, never reaching fruition.  The subjectivity being described here is remarkable for just how carefully the scientific community attempts to control

Abby Moskowitz
Prof. Anne Dalke
The Story of Evolution and the Evolution of Stories
5/15/09


What Matters

How Harry Potter Simulated the Process and Rewards of Successful Literary Analysis and Reveals what Warrants the Status of “Canon”

The Schopenhauer Cure, by Irvin D. Yalom, follows the last year of therapist Julius Hertzfeld’s life.  At a routine check-up, Julius Hertzfeld is told he has malignant melanoma, and only has approximately a year to live.  Confronted with his own mortality, he decides to evaluate his life’s work.  What has happened to his old patients?  He remembers most of them as successful cases; he felt that he was able to help.  No therapist can help every person; Julius knew that, and remembered a few cases he was not able to crack.

The Creating Brain, the Learning Brain

As a neurologist, Oliver Sacks writes about the riddle of human identity from a medical perspective, but with great compassion and understanding for the patients he has known throughout his years of practice.  In The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales, he presents selected case histories of his patients to investigate what he calls the ‘neurology of identity.' What is unique about Sachs, and what I found personally motivating, is his approach to the patient as a total person, not just as someone who has a disease, as well as his ability to clearly relate this complex interrelationship in story form.  Although some of the cases can be technically challenging for the non-medical reader, Sachs' humanist perspective maintains his focus on using disease sta

Marketed under the trade names "Equal" and "NutraSweet," aspartame has met the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements as a food additive for the past thirty years, yet the artificial sweetener continues to be a subject of public controversy.  Recent concerns have focused on potential neurotoxicity in humans, since its metabolic byproducts are phenylalanine, known to cause brain damage in humans with an inborn inability to metabolize this amino acid, and aspartic acid, an excitatory neurotransmitter (Stegink et al., 1837).