We can learn a lot about ourselves by looking at, and thinking about, perceptual illusions and our biases. Look at the image above. The classic, Muller-Lyer illusion. We know that the two lines are the same size. But no matter how much we intuitively “know” this to be true, we see the top line as… Read More »
The precise chronological origin of acupuncture as a medical procedure is unknown, but it’s thought to date back to as many as 3,000 years ago, in ancient China. Today it’s popular all around the world as a natural treatment for a variety of disorders and discomforts. In its ancient form, the process, which involves inserting… Read More »
By BEN WHITE, MD Over four years of medical school, a one-year internship, a four-year radiology residency, a one-year neuroradiology fellowship, and now some time as an attending, one of my consistent takeaways has been how well (and thus how badly) the traditional academic hierarchy conforms to The Peter Principle. The Peter Principle, formulated by… Read More »
Women directly buying their birth control online are getting a glimpse of what the future of medicine could be. And according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine published today, it’s—drum roll—pretty darn safe. The study—titled “A Study of Telecontraception”—recruited seven “secret shoppers” in California who purchased birth control from nine vendors… Read More »