Inside the mind of a savant Essay Example for Free

Inside the mind of a savant Essay Treffert and Christensen’s article (2005), touches on the important and curious issue: the differences among humans. It is not to hide that jealous and curious species desire to possess what others possess and desire to know how it is possible. The description of savant individual, Kim Peek, leaves the readers wonder about the possibilities that have a mere possibility and right to existence. These authors begin their article with a concrete description of what does it mean to be savant. Their description is well poised and not an eggeduration. They, straightforwardly, describe the concrete features that Kim had without forgetting to mention that Kim also has serious physical disabilities. Kim’s listed abilities are though impressive. I do not know a person who would think twice to have what Kim had – but knot with the price that Kim had to pay. Enduring difficult attitude from others or enduring physical differences are quite different things. Kim endured physical differences that simply made him more different. Now, when he is a grown man (and way into his 50th), researchers took a serious interest in him due to the uniqueness of his case. The authors mentioned in the article that, even in childhood, Kim was missing Corpus Colossum, the connecting neural network that connects left and right human hemispheres. The writers write, â€Å"Yet in people whose corpus callosum has been severed in adulthood, generally in an effort to prevent epileptic seizures from spreading from one hemisphere to the other, a characteristic split-brain syndrome arises in which the estranged hemispheres begin to work almost independently of each other. † This statement, by itself, points out at the materialistic approach that without the synaptic connections between the right and left hemisphere the connection between right and left hemisphere is impossible. There were some ‘guesses’ among the appropriate researchers but no one wanted to mention a possibility that that here is a hidden purpose behind such appearances. The authors conjecture lies within a science fiction, however plausible. They wrote that the person born without corpus collossum learn to connect right and left hemisphere with the non-traditional ways. Their hypothesis consists of an idea that two separated hemispheres learn to act as one, in unison. One major point that the authors noticed was that the ‘abnormalities’ stem form the damage in the left hemisphere only. Furthermore, the suggested that males, per ce, display more frequent number of cases of savanism, stuttering, dyslexia, and autism. Their response to this theory was straightforward: one possible explanation lies within the fetus development in which they suggest that the make fetus has higher levels chemically dependent and left-brained situation. In to this hypothesis the understanding that the left hemisphere develops with a slower rate than that of right has a big part of their study. To evidence the above, the authors use the examples of so called â€Å"acquired savant syndrome† which is resulted in older children after the accidental damage to the left hemisphere. Further, the article speculates upon the implication of the significance behind the corpus collossum. One possibility includes a rationale, which suggests that, the possibility of the right brain compensation if the left-brain cannot function properly. Another possibility makes the readers think that inability to function within one hemisphere unravels the latent ability in another. The latter theory suggests that the left-brain dominance is due to the fact that we live in the techno logical society that prizes the left-brain achievements. Thus, the function of the left-brain, which is prone to science, math, and logic, leads us to what we call Human Rational, the human species that uses conscious analogies in their day-to-day operations (Read, 1997). The dysfunction of the left hemisphere all of the sudden opens new possibilities hidden and latent within the right hemisphere that holds the key to what we call today Human Conscious. It is of interest to the readers that traditional intelligence tests did not really work with the above subject: some parts showed below average while other superior range performance. In another excursion into the case, the authors noted Kim’s unusual versatility with a tremendously large lexicon of vocabulary in his possession. With Kim’s inability to explain the meaning behind the proverbs he finds amazing associations and is being quite effective in long-term memory recall. Such has been evidenced by his unusual abilities dealt with music, as per complex line up of tones and musical styles as well as the names and works of various artists. Here, and despite his dexterous prior complications, he can seat at piano and play a piece he had discussed â€Å"shifting effortlessly from one mode to another. † Even Greehan, the Mozart scholar commented positively about Kim’s abilities. In summary, the authors, refer to the fictional Rain Man produced after Kim’s life story, although the the writer Barry Morrow decided not to outline Kim’s life story. Similarities are striking, however, and cause one is thinking about not-discovered human abilities. References Darold A. Treffert and Daniel D. Christensen (2005). Onside the mind of a savant. Scientific American. Retrieved July 22, 2007 from http://www. condition. org/sa5c. htm Read, S. G. (Ed. ). (1997). Psychiatry in Learning Disability. Edinburgh: W. B. Saunders. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=100737215.

Medical Ethics: Patient Wishes vs Doctor Actions :: Medical Ethics

A conflict between a doctor who wants to treat his patient a certain way, and a patient who wants to be treated by the doctor the way she wants. The doctor feels the that certain treatment that the patient wants is dangerous and warns the patient that he will pronounce the patient mentally unstable. This is exactly what happened in the case of Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Lowell. The conflict in this entire article is if weather the doctor can, or can not, accuse his patient mental instability to go about the treatment as he sees fit. Is this an invasion of the patient’s wants and desire for a certain way of treatment? or does the doctor have moral rights to do anything and everything even though it is against the patient’s wishes. What justifies as moral and immoral procedure for a doctor to treat his patient. When faced with this hard dilemma, the article suggests that is use Rule Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology, to help me solve the problem of weather this justifiable or morally incorrect. Rule Utilitarianism basically reads that â€Å"a person ought to act in accordance with the the rule that, if generally followed, would produce the greatest balance of good over evil.†(Mappes & Degrazia, 13) According to this, if anyone faces a moral dilemma, they should always try to sort of do a Cost/Benefits analysis on the outcomes of their actions versus the good that they would cause. So even today when I was debating if or not I should personally write my research essay, or, pay somebody else to write my essay for me, it took me all of 30 second to decides that even though I might not like what i would be doing for the next three to four hours, part of me know that the happiness i would get from it was unparalleled to anything. However, now, if you look at the Kantian Deon tology, you will find a lot of things that are different. What this theory of morality says is the outcomes are not at all important, but your duty hold precedence over anything. Similar to Rule Utilitarianism, this theory of morality says that any act, as long as it complies with a rule, is morally justified. When we think about this problem in a rule utilitarian way, we have to abide by the rules which clearly state that the patient has the final say in what treatment is going to be used on them. Medical Ethics: Patient Wishes vs Doctor Actions :: Medical Ethics A conflict between a doctor who wants to treat his patient a certain way, and a patient who wants to be treated by the doctor the way she wants. The doctor feels the that certain treatment that the patient wants is dangerous and warns the patient that he will pronounce the patient mentally unstable. This is exactly what happened in the case of Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Lowell. The conflict in this entire article is if weather the doctor can, or can not, accuse his patient mental instability to go about the treatment as he sees fit. Is this an invasion of the patient’s wants and desire for a certain way of treatment? or does the doctor have moral rights to do anything and everything even though it is against the patient’s wishes. What justifies as moral and immoral procedure for a doctor to treat his patient. When faced with this hard dilemma, the article suggests that is use Rule Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology, to help me solve the problem of weather this justifiable or morally incorrect. Rule Utilitarianism basically reads that â€Å"a person ought to act in accordance with the the rule that, if generally followed, would produce the greatest balance of good over evil.†(Mappes & Degrazia, 13) According to this, if anyone faces a moral dilemma, they should always try to sort of do a Cost/Benefits analysis on the outcomes of their actions versus the good that they would cause. So even today when I was debating if or not I should personally write my research essay, or, pay somebody else to write my essay for me, it took me all of 30 second to decides that even though I might not like what i would be doing for the next three to four hours, part of me know that the happiness i would get from it was unparalleled to anything. However, now, if you look at the Kantian Deon tology, you will find a lot of things that are different. What this theory of morality says is the outcomes are not at all important, but your duty hold precedence over anything. Similar to Rule Utilitarianism, this theory of morality says that any act, as long as it complies with a rule, is morally justified. When we think about this problem in a rule utilitarian way, we have to abide by the rules which clearly state that the patient has the final say in what treatment is going to be used on them.

Democracy – Essay

That is to say we want to analyze the meaning of democracy and its efferent forms, study its efficiency (so to say), ponder over its limitations and compare It to other forms of government. Whether democracy was conceived of In Athens, Sparta or India Is not a topic of Interest In this paper (although there may be references to historical events In the evolution of the Idea when pertinent). What does democracy mean? Democracy comes from the Greek â€Å"rule of the people†. But as I searched for a definition of democracy in the course of research for this paper, a consistent deflation of it seemed to elude me.So we must examine some of these definitions ND try to find a core to the idea of democracy, if there exists one. Bunch of different ideas and quotes are out thro on internet †¦ Put about 4-5 of them here and discuss if them from a current or historical perspective.. Vive written down one for u: â€Å"The right to dissent without repercussions to one's personal well- being is the core value of Democracy' * Nathan Shrank Discuss quotes such as this to evaluate how these Ideas are Implemented In practice.. All this should take up about 500 words..The only core value seems to be people get to elect their government.. How much of he peoples rights are respected after that greatly varies.. Forms of democracy Representative.. Constitutes parliamentary and liberal(most democracies are these) Constitutional Direct Socialist Totalitarian .. Discuss all these†¦ About 300 words.. A critique of democracy An illusion â€Å"There was no stone-pelting, nothing. There was no curfew They fired indiscriminately. † (http://www. Lengthened. Co. UK/news/world/salsa/Kashmir-burns- again-as-India-responds-to-dullest-Walt-violence-2045905. HTML).The above was said by Abdul Rasher, a Kashmir youth whose friend was gunned down by Indian army officials for holding a peaceful, nonviolent, anti-government rally in the summer of 2010 But tons was not an anomaly I n ten process AT democracy In IANAL . Kashmir still remains the most militaries zone in the world with about a half a million troops on active duty (for the sake of comparison, the United States had about 165,000 troops in Iraq at its peak)(I read these fugues on CIA. Gob.. I don't remember the exact link ). How is that a government for the people is killing its own citizens for holding a nonviolent demonstration?How is such a huge implementation of a province in a democracy justified? Even a basic understanding of the ideas of freedom and liberty that democracy entails shows how abhorrent these actions are. But these things happen, not Just in India, but in other developed counties like the United States Pansies Americans in 1942), where the rights of their citizens are violated Just when they would want to exercise them. So one must ask, are democracies really for the people? A study of history of government brutality in countries like India and the United States seem to suggest o therwise. The almost forceful takeaway of land by theIndian government in eastern India from farmers (actions which directly led to the Nasality-Moist insurgency, something the current prime minister of India called â€Å"the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country. â€Å"( http:// www. Ploughshares. Ca/libraries/Execrate/CAR-Lillian. HTML)), seem to suggest otherwise. The locking up of Japanese Americans in internment camps in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt and the Unites States government seem to suggest otherwise. The indiscriminate shooting of unarmed, nonviolent Kashmir youths (some as young as 9 ears old)shouting â€Å"Acadia! Said! â€Å"(â€Å"freedom! Freedom! â€Å") by Indian security officials seem to suggest otherwise. One gets the idea. So maybe people like Vilified Parent and Agitate Masc. are correct after all. The masses are always characterized by apathy and division, the powers to be by drive and unity (Femme, Joseph V. â€Å"Agains t the Masses†, Oxford 2001). Maybe all democracy does is shift the power scale, from domination by a despotic leader to manipulation by a democratic government. Maybe the people don't really have much of a say after all. Maybe it's Just an illusion.Majority rule Majority always gets its way.. Discuss gay rights.. Civil rights in us.. Women's rights historically.. Religious parties like ship seen in Iambi.. Rising intolerance of secularism in India.. Majority rule can get tyrannical and the minority issues ignored when people get to decide resolutions to minority issues. The irrational voter â€Å"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter. † – Winston Churchill Talk about how the common man is largely ignorant about serious issues and hence can vote against his/her interests.. An greatly discuss the recent midterms in us to make this point†¦ Basically our saying if we must solve economic issues we talk to economi st.. If we must solve environmental issues we talk to climate scientists.. If we are talking bat what to teach in science class we take the consensus of scientist not what the common people of the state think (talk bat teaching creationism in schools.. A lot of states in us have majority of it people wanting creationism be taught as science even though almost no scientist believe it to be science)†¦ Not everything should be up for a vote†¦..Economically inefficient Our a better person to write bat this Idealistic now Its Nora to apply macerate principles In practice†¦ Corrupt officials.. Apathetic citizens.. Uprisings etc.. Instable Frequent elections make the government instable†¦ Castillo of examples on the internet bat this.. Best we have? â€Å"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried. â€Å"- Winston Churchill Compare democracy to other forms of governments like dictatorships, communist stat es, anarchist, socialist,etc.. Define ND discuss each with respect to western liberal democracy.. Eve done some of it for anarchist Anarchist – Anarchists are those who advocate the absence of the state, arguing that common sense would allow people to come together in agreement to form a functional society allowing for the participants to freely develop their own sense of morality, ethics or principled behavior. (from wisped). One such current society is Somalia, and it would not be hyperbole to suggest they are not doing very well. The lack of a state and police have led to nationwide lawlessness, violence and parallel the country into utter chaos.I think Somalia really characterizes the severe consequences of not having a state and is not a direction one would want their country to go in. Giving people all the power has resulted in the most powerful and the most brutal of them to take power and the rest of people losing all freedom(ironically). Conclusion/reflections Every form of government has been deemed the best by its people at its peak of popularity (the soviets considered socialism to be the best form of government until the collapse of USSR). Democracy might be the best we have, but not the best we could do.It needs to evolve as times and conditions change. When fissures arise in its implications, they must be aptly addressed instead of wallowing in the supposed preferences of democracy by saying things like â€Å"Hey, its the best we have†. But most of all people need to realize that the power that comes with democracy is not a privilege, it's a duty that must be exercised to give it any real meaning. People need to understand the violent convulsions the state of things have gone through so they ay live in a democracy, it is not something to be taken for granted.People need to substitute their subservience with an exertion of their hard won independence. But I must confess, all the above paragraph may Just be an empty howl to the tamed and the satisfied population that constitutes most modern democracies. We may have already fulfilled Aloud Huxley prophecy of us becoming a trivial culture, drowning in a sea of irrelevance (Brave new world-aloud Huxley). So even as gays are treated as second class citizens and young gay teens are committing suicide by significant embers, Americans are more busy voting for the next American idol than care for Prop 8.Even as corruption and immorality in Indian politics continues to eat away at the nations very fabric of the nation, its citizens are preoccupied with arguing about the squad that was picked for the Indian cricket team's next tour of wherever and pondering which Plywood movie must they see next. Hence, for all of Lemon's passionate singing about power to the people, the hard truth might Just be that the people don't want power, they want pleasure, and therein lies the inherent flaw of democracy.

crohns disease Essay - 486 Words

Crohns Disease Crohn s disease is a bowel disease characterized by inflammation of the different layers of the gastrointestinal tract. It can be distinguished from ulcerative colitis (a similar disease) in that Crohn s affects any part of the gut, whereas ulcerative colitis only affects the innermost layer of the colon and rectum. About 15% of Crohn s patients have severe fistulating disease. In this form, ulcer-like channels develop from the bowel wall and burrow all the way to the skin surface. Eventually, 75% of these patients require surgery. It is estimated that approximately one million Americans suffer from Crohns and ulcerative colitis. The total cost for Crohns disease was $43.1 million in 1994. While drug therapy accounted†¦show more content†¦s symptoms, supported by x-rays and biopsies of the small and large intestine. Tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNFa, a protein released when the immune system is activated, is a major catalyst in the inflammatory process and is believed to play a major role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Intestinal obstruction secondary to active inflammation is the most common complication. Patients with colonic involvement are at risk for developing colon cancer. Subsets of patients develop fistulas that are usually managed by medication or parental nutrition, but may require surgery. Nutritional and vitamin deficiencies are common, resulting from inadequate diet, intestinal loss of protein, or malabsorption. Systemic complications may include arthritis, skin lesions, anemia, liver and biliary disease, inflammation of the eyes or mouth, and bleeding disorders. Some of these problems resolve during treatment of the disease, but some may be treated separately. Consultations with dietitians, wound care specialists, or pain management clinicians and physiological support clinicians are not uncommon. There is no cure for Crohns disease. The goals of therapy aim to control inflammation, correct nutritional deficiencies, and relieve symptoms. This involves medications, nutritional supplements, surgery, or any combination of these factors. Medications used in treating Crohns disease include salicylates (sulfasalazine, Asacol ®, Dipentum ®, and Pentasa ®),Show MoreRelatedCrohn s Disease And Disease3608 Words   |  15 PagesCROHN’S DISEASE Crohn’s Disease is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (â€Å"GI†) tract that can occur anywhere along the alimentary canal from the mouth to the anus. It is the second most common form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (â€Å"IBD†) after Ulcerative Colitis and can be hard to distinguish from it due to the overlapping signs and symptoms. They are not, however, the same. With Crohn’s Disease the inflammation most often occurs in the small intestine at the end of the ileum and continuesRead MoreLiving With Crohn s Disease1126 Words   |  5 PagesLiving with Crohn’s Disease Sharon is a 17 year old young women, her mother noticed that Sharon had lost a significant amount of weight, and she looked pale and had dark circles under her eyes. Sharon was complaining of severe diarrhea, stomach cramps, and after battling this for weeks she was extremely tired. Her doctor conducted a standard physical exam, and interviewed Sharon about her general health, diet, family history, and environment. Her doctor performed laboratory tests of blood and stoolRead MoreWomen With Crohn s Disease1564 Words   |  7 Pagesup for their obvious suffering, or because you have no idea what else to say. I have done this before, and I’m sure I’ll do it again, but sometimes those compliments can be harmful. Women with Crohn’s Disease have been found in a recent study to have a lower self-image than men with the same disease, and while the reason isn’t clear as to why, it certainly doesn’t help that our society places such importance on beauty. When I worked in the salon industry, I was taken aside by every manager I workedRead More Crohns Disease Essay1927 Words   |  8 Pages Crohn’s Disease Crohn’s disease is a debilitating disease that can affect your entire life and lifestyle if you allow it to. It affects someone that is very dear to me, my best friend’s mother, Stephanie. I see her live through this day in and day out, and it has raised many questions in my mind. Questions like how you get it, why you get it, and what you really go through when you have it. It is something I have little knowledge of, and by learning more information on it, I feel as if I can possiblyRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Crohn s Disease1021 Words   |  5 PagesJoan Friedlander. Crohn’s is an autoimmune disease that affects many parts of the body. These parts include, but are not limited to the eyes, skin, liver, and most heavily the intestines. When you have Crohn s disease, your body s immune system begins attacking all of healthy cells in your GI tract, which causes inflammation. Crohn’s is an incurable disease, but because of new medicine and treatment o ptions, Crohn’s has become a livable disease. Crohn s has many different symptoms, and theseRead MoreCrohn s Disease And The Inflammatory Process1108 Words   |  5 Pages Crohn’s Disease and the Inflammatory Process Crohn s disease is an inflammatory process in the intestines that is marked by abnormal inflammation of the GI tract. Crohn’s disease is treated with a variety of single or combined therapies that work at decreasing inflammatory process. Within this essay, I will discuss the etiology and pathophysiology of Crohn’s disease, the evidence- based- practice treatment of Crohn’s and how these medications work in reducing the inflammatory process. IRead MoreInformative Speech Crohn s Disease761 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Informative Speech (Crohn’s Disease) General Purpose: To inform the audience about what Crohn’s Disease Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about Crohn’s Disease and give them a better understanding of what it is. Introduction I was a 14 year old freshman in high school when I started getting sick. I was always a pretty healthy kid who had perfect attendance records UNTIL that year. The extreme fatigue and weight-loss was the main sign to my mom that something was seriously wrong. AroundRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Crohn s Disease1306 Words   |  6 PagesCrohn’s disease had a long way to travel before it was given its name. In 1913, Dr. Dalzid was the first to recognize that there was a disease that was different from intestinal tuberculosis (Dr. Crohn, 2009-2015). He noticed this difference, and had a hypothesis that this different disease could be caused by a different bacteria. His scientific guess was that this different disease was caused by mycobacterium (Dr. Crohn, 2009-2015). Yet, all of the test done on the tissue that was taken from patientsRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Crohn s Disease1836 Words   |  8 Pagesto someone with Crohn’s Disease. â€Å"But You Look So Good† I understand not knowing what to say when someone you care about is sick, and it makes sense to grab for something nice to say about that person when you are at a loss. You want to give them a compliment to make up for their obvious suffering, or because you have no idea what else to say. I have done this before, and I’m sure I’ll do it again, but sometimes those compliments can be harmful. Women with Crohn’s Disease have been found in a recentRead MoreCrohn s Disease ( Cd )1736 Words   |  7 PagesCrohn’s disease (CD) is a life-long, chronic, idiopathic inflammatory condition of the intestines that is characterized by frequent symptomatic relapse and remission. It involves inflammation and ulceration of various regions of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) lining, which often extends deep into the layers of the affected areas. The associated inflammation and ulceration of the disease affects various segments of the intestines with unaffected bowel occuring between the diseased areas. CD