“You don’t count your children until the measles has passed.” Dr. Samuel Katz, one of the pioneers of the first measles vaccine in the late 1950s to early 1960s, regularly heard this tragic statement from parents in countries where the measles vaccine was not yet available, because they were so accustomed to losing their children to measles.I am a pediatrician and preventive medicine physician, and I have anxiously watched measles cases rise worldwide while vaccination rates have dropped s ...read more
For many people in the ancient world, life was no casual stroll around the Forum. Today, many diseases can be treated with modern medicine or prevented entirely, thanks to the development of myriad vaccines to help rid us of the risk of infection (though major inequalities still mean such lifesaving shots are not available to all). In ancient times, however, these advances simply were not available, making disease an ever present and deadly risk. Kyle Harper, professor of classics and letters at ...read more
Vertigo is more than just feeling dizzy. It is a symptom characterized by a sensation of spinning or a feeling of motion when no actual movement occurs. It often manifests as a perception that either the individual or their surroundings are spinning or tilting, leading to a sense of disorientation and imbalance. All of this is in addition to feeling dizzy. “First, it is important to outline the differences between vertigo and dizziness. While these words are often used interchangeably, they ...read more
The way Earth scientists can be very odd when seen from the outside. It is common to hear us say things like "oh, it was only a million years ago". Most people never consider events that happened a million years ago. Sometimes considering what you had for lunch makes yesterday seem like a long time ago. This is all about perspective and the question we ask of time.Space is BigAstronomers have faced a similar issue to distance. Douglas Adams, famed science fiction author, may have put it best whe ...read more
A topologist walks into a cafe:
— Can I have a doughnut of coffee, please?This is a joke written by the Soviet-American mathematician Tanya Khovanova, who lectures in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. It is derived from the more familiar bon mot: a topologist is someone who doesn’t know the difference between a coffee cup and a doughnut.Khovanova has an impressive history as mathematician having won a gold medal at the 1976 International Mathematical Oly ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine