Tag: science
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Book review: The Science Lover’s Guide to London
Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, England London, one of the great capital cities of the world, has over the centuries provided writers with inspirational material for both fiction and non-fiction. Famous writers in the first group range from Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, and Charles Dickens to Virginia Woolf and George Orwell in the twentieth century.…
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The liver in culture and literature
The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. Dark and heavy with blood, it was often viewed as the seat of the soul, the source of passion, a tool to predict the future, or a symbol of suffering and resilience. In Greek mythology, Prometheus is bound to a rock for stealing fire from…
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Pigeons and doves
The deeper you get into pigeons, the more complicated they get. Are pigeons the same as doves? What are squab and what are quail? Which may you eat, which may you feed, and which may you shoot? It seems to depend on where you live. If pigeons spread disease, why are so many allowed in…
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Lead poisoning—not vanquished
Humans began to introduce harmful lead into their bodies thousands of years ago, causing symptoms that the Greek philosopher Nikander of Colophon recognized around 2000 BC. The lead entered the body through pipes, paints, gasoline, and countless other applications and was distributed by the bloodstream to the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones. Stored in bones and…
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Elephant’s medical
Elephants, the largest living land mammals, possess several features that have long interested scientists and biologists. Their size, longevity, unique anatomy, and disease resistance offer valuable insights for broader biomedical research. Their resistance to cancer is remarkable, given their massive size and long lifespan, up to seventy years, they would be expected to have a…
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Gardens: Living pharmacies
The connection between medicine and gardens runs deep. Gardens have long served as places of beauty and serenity and also as living pharmacies where healing plants were cultivated with care. This relationship between horticulture and healing represents one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring partnerships. In ancient civilizations, medicinal gardens were often components of healthcare…
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Crocodiles in medicine
In ancient times Egyptian doctors used crocodile dung as contraceptive or remedy for skin diseases and prescribed crocodile fat to treat burns and prevent baldness. In China traditional physicians recommended eating crocodile meat and organs for respiratory ailments and fevers, and African tribal healers prescribed crocodile teeth, bile, and fat. The interest in using crocodiles…
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History of human water channels
Mostafa ElbabaDoha, Qatar Water is the essence of life; it serves as the fundamental solvent for many biochemical processes. Different theories have examined how life began on Earth.1 One of the most popular scientific theories suggests that hot chemicals raised through the sea floor enabled a chemical reaction between hydrogen and carbon, producing simple organic…
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Mimetic medical terminologies inspired by the plant world
Saty Satya-MurtiSanta Maria, California, United States Plants have long inspired humans. Early natural scientists were struck by similarities between structural anatomy in animals and the botanical arrangements of plants. Bent tree trunks, spreading foliage, forested canopies, and curvaceous tendrils inspired them to draw artistic comparisons, both obvious and imagined, between plants and animals. Phenomenologists coined…
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Science, wine, and music in Asti
Avi OhryTel Aviv, Israel Back in 1993, while spending a sabbatical in Long Island, a few medical colleagues suggested we meet at a special Italian restaurant called Asti. The restaurant was located at 13 E. 12th St. in Greenwich Village, NYC. It was a unique experience. Besides an excellent menu, many of the waiters were…