Here's an interesting new use of Web 2.0 (which encourages the web's potential for multiuser interactivity to create new knowledge) to benefit developing countries. The project aims to enable doctors all over the world to build their own affordable, safe and clinically useful ECGs. By making both the software and hardware solutions open source, it is hoped that a pooling of collective knowledge will result in a working product.
The brand new website is mainly wiki-based which means participants download, edit and upload pages so that, in theory at least, the latest improvements are always available. In my experience these types of collaborative open-source wikis tend to be a bit clunky and hard to navigate, but this site is very well designed and you needn't be particulary techy to use it.
These projects rely on 'goodwill' and a belief in the collectivism of scientific information over commercialism. It's represents a big shift in the way Western science - traditionally rather secretive to protect priority claims - is configured. The project seems to me to be a good idea and I hope that it succeeds.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Rhetorics of Plague: Early / Modern Trajectories of Biohazard
A Symposium
University at Albany, SUNY
February 26-27, 2009
Call for Proposals
The threat of biological catastrophe—including that by AIDS, ebola, avian influenza, and species extinction—may seem the specific and daunting provenance of late 20th- and early 21st –century life, but it has in fact been a crucial part of history since ancient times. It is important to remember, for instance, that starting in the 14th century and extending well into the 18th, the bubonic plague (as the Black Death) ultimately took the lives of at least 35% of the entire population in Europe, as well as nearly that much in central Asia, killing an estimated total of 75 million people. Given these numbers, it could be argued that premodern and early modern cultures had even more at stake in articulating the role of plague—not to mention the related phenomena of cholera, syphilis, small pox, the so-called English Sweating Sickness, or extensive urban infestations, which are only a few of the shockwaves that preceded our own anxiety about spectacular biological disaster. This symposium therefore proposes rethinking the connections among recent models, representations, or biocultures of biological threat and their counterparts in the pre- and early modern eras.
A focus on the “rhetorics” of plague highlights the ways in which biological danger becomes conceptually organized, ethically ordered, or socio-politically oriented by the discourses that represent it. It also underscores the crossing or hybridization of discourses, such as the ways in which early views of medical pandemic, in the absence of a theory of germ contagion, could be linked to models of ecological or environmental dysfunction, or the manner in which disease of the body natural could metaphorize the maladies of the body politic. Furthermore, in addition to accounting for the interrelated scientific, literary, or philosophical conventions invoked by such discourses, it is important to acknowledge that, like the biological volatility they describe, discourses about plague can undergo their own kind of exponential proliferation, producing a potential plague of rhetorics. While such discourses may have predominantly originated in the metropolitan centers of Europe, there is also the need to account for their transformation or mutation when applied in non-Western or colonial contexts, as well as for the emergence of counter-discourses from non-European sources—such as China or the Middle East—that may have challenged European models of pandemic explanation, particularly as they have undergirded imperial ambitions.
The University at Albany, SUNY, calls for proposals that forge connections between 21st-century contexts and pre- and early modern periods (up to ca.1820) as a way to foster fruitful conversations across disciplinary, national, ethnic, geographical, and historical boundaries. Papers may take up recent work on biohazards, for example, to rethink responses to plague in early periods; conversely, papers may consider what early manifestations of and responses to plague tell us about current pandemic episodes, whether real or imagined, including biohazard as political trope. We welcome approaches from the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities and encourage cross-cultural and transhistorical work; papers focusing on biohazard discourses prior to the nineteenth century are particularly desirable. We encourage contributions from graduate students or nonacademics who may be working in areas such as the history of medicine, healthcare, and ecological analysis.
Graham Hammill, Associate Professor, University of Buffalo, on the biopolitics of disease during the 17th century Robert Markley, Professor and Romano Professorial Scholar, University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana, on ecological disaster and disease in 18th-century Britain
Topics to be considered at the symposium include:
How recent logics of epidemic, trauma, virology, or retrovirology find application to or analogues in earlier historical patterns or discourses; how recent logics continue to rely on and/or transform older models of plague, contamination, or disease. The aesthetics of infection; the poetics of contagion. The multiplicity of diseases as generator for “plagues of rhetoric”—uncontrolled proliferation of competing definitions, descriptions, or discourses; or, in turn, the disseminating tendencies of scientific discourse as an engine for an exponential explosion of apparent symptoms, biological entities, ecological effects. The investment of medical or ecological models of pandemic thinking in juridical, legal, political, literary, social, educational, or other pre- and early modern domains. The role of pandemic rhetoric in the management of early modern colonial enterprise or imperial conquest; the relevance of similar biological discourses in postcolonial or recently globalized contexts. The function of counter-discourses of pandemic that emerged from non-Western sources—China, the Middle East, the South Pacific, etc.—in response to European scientific, political, or colonial efforts. The insertion of theological, political, or sociological methodologies into scientific efforts to diagnose massive medical or ecological dysfunction. Philosophy and/as pandemic. The animal—e.g., the bird or rodent—as liminal figure of pandemic transportation or translation: as biological “other” and/or as ambiguous representative of anthropomorphized nature. The transformation of authoritative theological or moral paradigms by emerging scientific analyses of pandemic or contagion. The scientific empiricism of spiritual/moral depravity; the spiritualization of scientifically observed biological threat. The literature of pandemic (e.g., Bocaccio’s Decameron, Defoe’s Journal of the Plague Year); the literary as pandemic (e.g., romance, the novel, “scribbling women,” Gothicism).
“Modernity”—pre-, early, or post- —as vital historical threshold or suspect analytical crux for narrating the development of plague rhetorics. The interpenetration of biology and culture—termed “bioculture” in a recent special issue of New Literary History (38.3 [Summer 2007])—as a peculiarly postmodern feature of biological threat, or an emergent pattern in pre- and early modern contexts.
University at Albany, SUNY
February 26-27, 2009
Call for Proposals
The threat of biological catastrophe—including that by AIDS, ebola, avian influenza, and species extinction—may seem the specific and daunting provenance of late 20th- and early 21st –century life, but it has in fact been a crucial part of history since ancient times. It is important to remember, for instance, that starting in the 14th century and extending well into the 18th, the bubonic plague (as the Black Death) ultimately took the lives of at least 35% of the entire population in Europe, as well as nearly that much in central Asia, killing an estimated total of 75 million people. Given these numbers, it could be argued that premodern and early modern cultures had even more at stake in articulating the role of plague—not to mention the related phenomena of cholera, syphilis, small pox, the so-called English Sweating Sickness, or extensive urban infestations, which are only a few of the shockwaves that preceded our own anxiety about spectacular biological disaster. This symposium therefore proposes rethinking the connections among recent models, representations, or biocultures of biological threat and their counterparts in the pre- and early modern eras.
A focus on the “rhetorics” of plague highlights the ways in which biological danger becomes conceptually organized, ethically ordered, or socio-politically oriented by the discourses that represent it. It also underscores the crossing or hybridization of discourses, such as the ways in which early views of medical pandemic, in the absence of a theory of germ contagion, could be linked to models of ecological or environmental dysfunction, or the manner in which disease of the body natural could metaphorize the maladies of the body politic. Furthermore, in addition to accounting for the interrelated scientific, literary, or philosophical conventions invoked by such discourses, it is important to acknowledge that, like the biological volatility they describe, discourses about plague can undergo their own kind of exponential proliferation, producing a potential plague of rhetorics. While such discourses may have predominantly originated in the metropolitan centers of Europe, there is also the need to account for their transformation or mutation when applied in non-Western or colonial contexts, as well as for the emergence of counter-discourses from non-European sources—such as China or the Middle East—that may have challenged European models of pandemic explanation, particularly as they have undergirded imperial ambitions.
The University at Albany, SUNY, calls for proposals that forge connections between 21st-century contexts and pre- and early modern periods (up to ca.1820) as a way to foster fruitful conversations across disciplinary, national, ethnic, geographical, and historical boundaries. Papers may take up recent work on biohazards, for example, to rethink responses to plague in early periods; conversely, papers may consider what early manifestations of and responses to plague tell us about current pandemic episodes, whether real or imagined, including biohazard as political trope. We welcome approaches from the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities and encourage cross-cultural and transhistorical work; papers focusing on biohazard discourses prior to the nineteenth century are particularly desirable. We encourage contributions from graduate students or nonacademics who may be working in areas such as the history of medicine, healthcare, and ecological analysis.
All participants in the symposium will have the opportunity to submit expanded versions of their presentations for consideration as part of a special journal issue planned for publication. More details will soon appear on the symposium website.
More information about the symposium can be found at a link at the Albany Department of English website: http://www.albany.edu/english.
Paper proposals (1-2 pages) should be sent to Professor Helene Scheck, hscheck@albany.com, or Professor Richard Barney, rbarney@albany.edu, by no later than December 10, 2008.
Plenary Speakers:
Topics to be considered at the symposium include:
“Modernity”—pre-, early, or post- —as vital historical threshold or suspect analytical crux for narrating the development of plague rhetorics.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Cancer Tales -- review
It sounds like a potentially morbid outing -- watching extracts from a play about cancer. However, the performance from 'Cancer Tales' at the RSM last week provided an interesting and informative insight, not only into various aspects of illness, but also into the power of drama to convey concepts with intimacy and immediacy. On Friday night, we heard Clare's story of being diagnosed with uterine cancer (played by Laura Fitzpatrick, pictured), and Mary's story of coping with a teenage daughter who has leukaemia.
The script is based on transcripts of conversations of the playwright, Nell Dunn, had with patients. Much of the dialogue is delivered to the audience soliloquy style, but there are also scenes played out that show different aspects of communication, both positive and negative. The four actors pitched their performances perfectly in what was quite a difficult environment -- a raked lecture theatre with the house lights up.
After the performance, there was a panel discussion with Julian Walker (the director), Nell Dunn (the playwright), Jed Mercurio (former doctor and author of Bodies and Cardiac Arrest) and Anna Ford (newsreader, who has had several experiences of losing loved ones to cancer). The panel was very well balanced, with everyone having a valuable contribution to make to the discussion and in response to various questions from the audience.
Although primarily aimed at helping health care professionals to communicate better, 'Cancer Tales' has a lot to offer patients and relatives. It ought to have a wider audience, and I think it would make a series of brilliant radio plays.
There is a beautifully produced workbook to accompany the plays called Cancer Tales: Communicating in Cancer Care which integrates the script with research on topics like breaking bad news, pain relief and coping mechanisms.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Crossing Over Exchanges
Crossing Over Exchanges in Art and Biotechnology is an exciting new exhibition at The Royal Institute of Great Britain (2 Oct - 21 Nov). The contemporary art on show addresses the highly topical subject of genetic manipulation and bioengineering. Bringing together art, design and science, artworks by thirteen artists and designers investigate the metaphors, potentialities and anxieties of this uch debated area. The exhibition is free and open 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday. Find out more here and here.
The Wellcome Trust Book Prize
From a Wellcome Trust press release:
What do Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, Jean-Dominique Bauby’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Ian McEwan’s Saturday have in common? All three acclaimed works would have met the criteria for a major new book prize launching today.
The Wellcome Trust Book Prize is open to outstanding works of fiction and non-fiction on the theme of health, illness or medicine. The £25,000 annual award, created by the Wellcome Trust, is the first of its kind to bring together the traditionally diverse fields of medicine and literature.
Comedienne and former psychiatric nurse Jo Brand will act as Chair of the 2009 judging panel which includes BBC science journalist Quentin Cooper, Welsh poet and non-fiction writer Gwyneth Lewis, physician and author Raymond Tallis and Professor of Medicine in the Arts Brian Hurwitz.
Jo Brand says: “Good and bad health are pretty fundamental to all our lives, so it's no surprise these themes crop up fairly often in literature too. The Wellcome Trust Book Prize recognises writers who have incorporated medicine in such a way as to really engage readers with the subject, exploring our understanding of what it means to be healthy or sick. I'm sure there are going to be plenty of wonderful books for me and the other judges to read. I just hope we can reach a final decision without too much damage to our own health."
The prize will be open to books published in the UK and works published in English translation.
A shortlist of six works will be announced at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival in October 2009.
The winner will be announced at a prestigious ceremony in November 2009 at the Wellcome Collection in London – the Wellcome Trust’s renowned cultural venue for Medicine, Life and Art.
Clare Matterson, Director of Medicine, Society and History at the Wellcome Trust, comments: "There's always been a thirst for books that combine excellent writing with accurate and compelling medical stories.
We hope this prize will stimulate even more interest, excitement and debate about medicine and literature. Our award reflects the Wellcome Trust's aim to broaden the appeal of medicine and reach new audiences - from literature lovers to science enthusiasts alike."
To find out more, visit http://www.wellcomebookprize.org
Monday, October 13, 2008
Battle of Ideas Festival
This year’s Battle of Ideas, a two-day festival of social, political and cultural discussion taking place in London, 1 & 2 November 2008. Tickets are on sale now.
There is a Battle for Biomedicine strand and there are other science and medicine-related debates:
Battle for Biomedicine
Whose data is it anyway?
Boozy Britain
Hypochondriac Nation
Related sessions
Abortion: the hard arguments
Are we what we eat?
CSI Mania
Can GM crops feed the world?
Health promotion: improving children’s lives or demonising parents?
Are drugs ruining sport?
Is our behaviour determined by our evolution?
Trust me – I’m a professional
According to Claire Fox, whom you may recognise as a regular member of the panel on R4's 'The Moral Maze': 'The Battle of Ideas is a space where ideas can be argued for and fought over without constraint. Free speech allowed! The Battle of Ideas is in its fourth year and is now a major fixture in London’s intellectual calendar. This year over 1500 expected attendees will attend 70 sessions with 300 speakers, as well as a number of festival attractions and exhibitions.' The Battle of Ideas was described by Chris Rapley, director of the Science Museum, as ‘a rare opportunity to debate first hand with those involved in the great issues of our time’.
As well as the Battle for Biomedicine, this year’s strands examine cutting-edge debates around Prosperity (emerging economies), The Family and America.
Other highlights include:
Immigration – the more the scarier? / Stealing Picasso / From Fatwa to Jihad / Eco-imperialism? / Cricket – more than a game? / What is a city of literature? / CSI Mania / Credit crunch demystified / Scared of the Kids / Malthus’ return…
The festival has sold out in advance for three years running, so you may want to get tickets as soon as possible. The event is held at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU and is organised by the Institute of Ideas in conjunction with SAB Miller, BT, The Times/Times Online, and the ESRC, alongside many other partners and sponsors.
There is a Battle for Biomedicine strand and there are other science and medicine-related debates:
Battle for Biomedicine
Whose data is it anyway?
Boozy Britain
Hypochondriac Nation
Related sessions
Abortion: the hard arguments
Are we what we eat?
CSI Mania
Can GM crops feed the world?
Health promotion: improving children’s lives or demonising parents?
Are drugs ruining sport?
Is our behaviour determined by our evolution?
Trust me – I’m a professional
According to Claire Fox, whom you may recognise as a regular member of the panel on R4's 'The Moral Maze': 'The Battle of Ideas is a space where ideas can be argued for and fought over without constraint. Free speech allowed! The Battle of Ideas is in its fourth year and is now a major fixture in London’s intellectual calendar. This year over 1500 expected attendees will attend 70 sessions with 300 speakers, as well as a number of festival attractions and exhibitions.' The Battle of Ideas was described by Chris Rapley, director of the Science Museum, as ‘a rare opportunity to debate first hand with those involved in the great issues of our time’.
As well as the Battle for Biomedicine, this year’s strands examine cutting-edge debates around Prosperity (emerging economies), The Family and America.
Other highlights include:
Immigration – the more the scarier? / Stealing Picasso / From Fatwa to Jihad / Eco-imperialism? / Cricket – more than a game? / What is a city of literature? / CSI Mania / Credit crunch demystified / Scared of the Kids / Malthus’ return…
The festival has sold out in advance for three years running, so you may want to get tickets as soon as possible. The event is held at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU and is organised by the Institute of Ideas in conjunction with SAB Miller, BT, The Times/Times Online, and the ESRC, alongside many other partners and sponsors.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Performing Medicine Season
What a treat for those interested in Medical Humanities! Performing Medicine is a wonderful series of events, including debates, art performances, workshops and a symposium on the uses of arts in medical training. Here is the full programme, or visit their official website.
Power
With Faith McLellan, Brian Hurwitz, Elaine Showalter, Thomas Csordas
30 October 7-9pm Free
Wellcome Collection, 83 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
More information
Book Online Tel: 020 7611 2222
Health and Human Rights With Richard Ashcroft, Paul Heritage, Vivienne Nathanson, Nick Ridout
5 November 7-9pm Free
Dana Centre, Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD
More information
5 November 7-9pm Free
Dana Centre, Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD
More information
The Medical Gaze With Bobby Baker and Kira O'Reilly
2 December 7-9pm £10 (£8 conc)
Starr Auditorium, Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
More information
The Invention of the Body With Sarah Simblet
4 December 7-9pm Free
Wellcome Collection, 83 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
More information
Book Online Tel: 020 7611 2222
Embodiment With Antonio Damasio and guest artists
11 December 7-9pm £10 (£8 concessions)
Starr Auditorium, Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
More information
Ether Frolics Sound and Fury with Artists from the Shunt Collective
3 November 8pm Free
John Ellis Lecture Theatre, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BB
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
3 November 8pm Free
John Ellis Lecture Theatre, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BB
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
What Tammy needs to know about getting old and having sex Lois Weaver
17 November 8pm Free
John Ellis Lecture Theatre, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BB
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
17 November 8pm Free
John Ellis Lecture Theatre, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BB
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
Must Peggy Shaw and the Clod Ensemble
27, 29 & 30 November 7-9pm
Free
Wellcome Collection, 83 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE
More information
Ball Brian Lobel
9 December 8pm Free
John Ellis Lecture Theatre, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1B
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
9 December 8pm Free
John Ellis Lecture Theatre, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1B
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
The Expressive Body With John Wright and Suzy Willson
8 November 10am-5pm Free
Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
Difference With Split Britches and Dr. Alison Mears
19 November 10am-5pm Free
Wellcome Collection,
83 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
Ways of Seeing With Liz Ellis
20 November 2-4pm Free
Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
Making Art in Healthcare Settings With Deborah Padfield, Helen Marshall and Rosetta Life
22 November 10am-5pm Free
Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
Anatomical Art With Sarah Simblet
5th December 10am-5pm Free
Wellcome Collection,
83 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE
More information Book Online Tel: 020 7749 0555
The Uses of Arts in Medical Training
21 November 10am-6pm £150 per delegate
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Turner Street, London E1 2AD
More information Contact us Tel: 020 7749 0555
The Recovery Room
Every Monday from 6 October - 8 December 1-2pm
Free
Room 3.04, Garrod Building (Old Medical College Building)
More information No booking required
How Do I Look?
From September 2008 Free
More information Contact us for an appointment
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