The Meandering of the Delirium
Hari Seldon is a character in a world which encompasses the known galaxy and beyond and is a mathematician with, in essence, an algorithm that can give insight and predict the future at a grand, macro scale. He sees the fall of the ruling empire at that time followed by a 30,000 year "dark age" where isolation, poverty, death and minority ruling classes subjugate the public at large.
He gathers the thinkers of the age: scientists, authors, artists, philosophers, and mathematicians amongst others to a far flung part of the Universe to create an institution which will preserve the comprehensive wealth of knowledge made vulnerable by dissolution of the failing Government. Shenanigans ensue.
I remember starting this trilogy; I may have never read the third installation. Isaac Asimov's mind a fascinating place.
I minored in creative writing and such an endeavor requires many literature classes, and justifiably so. One of the senior level courses was American literature and was meant to encompass, along with the standard coursework a semester long research project and 20 page paper outlining and arguing the significance of whatever icon of American literature; supposedly at our discretion.
I chose Ray Bradbury. He had undoubtedly influenced me in my writing, especially in the way I approached the crafting of short stories. I saw, and still see him as an understated font of influence in society as a whole, and through his writing he saw and told us stories that gave hope for the future, sometimes with great tragedy. Lessons that remind us of the reality of a Universe and reality much greater than ourselves, a healthy idea for young minds so easily prone to a narcissistic like neurosis.
The case was made to allow me to pursue the works and influence of Ray Bradbury as my research object. Within the past year I spent some time trying to find that project and could not. I fear that it may be gone. My undergraduate institution, bless their hearts, cancelled my email account six months after graduation. At least my school of medical education continues to maintain our email accounts. Oh well.
I understand the pushback against Ray Bradbury from that instructor. I know she was beholden to a certain view of what is literature, and I understand it. A stage with which to use for the world that a piece of writing inhabits that is extraterrestrial is viewed as cheating, in a way, by those who limit themselves to the "known world." That coupled with younger audience demographic has led to a divide in academia. It seems like it is changing, things always do.
Last night I was at a shindig related to work and found myself in a conversation with a gentleman who's career had him dealing with the billing and coding IT aspects of a certain EMR system and we were commiserating about the cruel inefficiencies of the machine and how it torments the physicians who fear computers. It led me down the path to defend those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge and the altruistic nature that medicine in its ethereal and idealistic form should exist. This, in essence, encompasses the kind of friendly banter I can engage in these days. I go back and forth between thinking that I've become something that 13 year old me would think is cool and bewilderment why I even would think that is an important marker for success as an adult.
See, the problem is that those who employ an "art" in the practice of coding are usually prosecuted for fraud. Medicine is the application of scientific endeavors that have established principles and understandings that allow us to apply the laws of the universe in the betterment of humanity; we refer to this practice as an art. Perhaps we should sell that idea to the brilliant young minds of the forthcoming generations and restore this profession as the destination of the best and brightest. Let doctors do doctor stuff before a whole generation becomes steeped into the broth that breeds the belief that doctor stuff should encompass 10K clicks of a mouse per day.
He gathers the thinkers of the age: scientists, authors, artists, philosophers, and mathematicians amongst others to a far flung part of the Universe to create an institution which will preserve the comprehensive wealth of knowledge made vulnerable by dissolution of the failing Government. Shenanigans ensue.
I remember starting this trilogy; I may have never read the third installation. Isaac Asimov's mind a fascinating place.
I minored in creative writing and such an endeavor requires many literature classes, and justifiably so. One of the senior level courses was American literature and was meant to encompass, along with the standard coursework a semester long research project and 20 page paper outlining and arguing the significance of whatever icon of American literature; supposedly at our discretion.
I chose Ray Bradbury. He had undoubtedly influenced me in my writing, especially in the way I approached the crafting of short stories. I saw, and still see him as an understated font of influence in society as a whole, and through his writing he saw and told us stories that gave hope for the future, sometimes with great tragedy. Lessons that remind us of the reality of a Universe and reality much greater than ourselves, a healthy idea for young minds so easily prone to a narcissistic like neurosis.
The case was made to allow me to pursue the works and influence of Ray Bradbury as my research object. Within the past year I spent some time trying to find that project and could not. I fear that it may be gone. My undergraduate institution, bless their hearts, cancelled my email account six months after graduation. At least my school of medical education continues to maintain our email accounts. Oh well.
I understand the pushback against Ray Bradbury from that instructor. I know she was beholden to a certain view of what is literature, and I understand it. A stage with which to use for the world that a piece of writing inhabits that is extraterrestrial is viewed as cheating, in a way, by those who limit themselves to the "known world." That coupled with younger audience demographic has led to a divide in academia. It seems like it is changing, things always do.
Last night I was at a shindig related to work and found myself in a conversation with a gentleman who's career had him dealing with the billing and coding IT aspects of a certain EMR system and we were commiserating about the cruel inefficiencies of the machine and how it torments the physicians who fear computers. It led me down the path to defend those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge and the altruistic nature that medicine in its ethereal and idealistic form should exist. This, in essence, encompasses the kind of friendly banter I can engage in these days. I go back and forth between thinking that I've become something that 13 year old me would think is cool and bewilderment why I even would think that is an important marker for success as an adult.
See, the problem is that those who employ an "art" in the practice of coding are usually prosecuted for fraud. Medicine is the application of scientific endeavors that have established principles and understandings that allow us to apply the laws of the universe in the betterment of humanity; we refer to this practice as an art. Perhaps we should sell that idea to the brilliant young minds of the forthcoming generations and restore this profession as the destination of the best and brightest. Let doctors do doctor stuff before a whole generation becomes steeped into the broth that breeds the belief that doctor stuff should encompass 10K clicks of a mouse per day.
And to all those who are pursuing family medicine in this upcoming match, I just wanted to encourage you that these days even we can refuse to see patients just like all the other specialties. Good luck everybody.
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