Scientists, artists, writers, and philosophers once flooded the cafés of Vienna and Paris. These days, you’ll likely still find these same types in the cafés, but instead of getting into heated political arguments or passionately espousing their artistic beliefs, they’re absorbed by their laptop screens. Don’t let the silence fool you, though. They may very well be engaging in comparable lively discussions and exchanges of ideas. They could just be doing that in a Google+ Hangout.
In an effort to address information inequality around the world, the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) will now be offering free subscriptions through the HINARI initiative to developing countries in South America, Asia and Africa.
Some of the winning images in this year’s Nikon’s Small World photomicrography contest capture some of the first moments inside the eggs of animals including starfish and butterflies.
I was lucky enough to be one of the judges for this year’s competition, and among the most memorable of the 2,200 entries were images of the first few cells at the very beginning of an organism’s life. I’ve gathered some of the best photomicrographs of these early moments in this gallery.
My favourite one: Reakirt’s Blue Butterfly Egg on Pink Powderpuff Bud (David Millard, Austin, Texas, USA)
I’m so sad that I haven’t been able to participate in Science Foo Camp:
Nature is therefore delighted to be collaborating with O’Reilly to organise the second annual Science Foo Camp, which is being very generously hosted by Google. About 200 leading scientists, technologists, writers and other thought-leaders will be gathering for a weekend of discussion, demonstration and debate.
Finally, yesterday I attended a virtual meeting in Second Life where the interns of Ann Myers Medical Center talked about the future of the project. Many mind-blowing ideas about promotion and the first medical simulation that will take place this Thursday!
I’m that guy on the left (Berci Dryke), DoctorAnn on the right is the mind behind the whole project.
Yes, this is going to revolutionize medical education. Why? Because me, a Hungarian medical student can learn from physicians from around the world. I can ask them what kind of diseases to talk about. I get a chance to learn without borders and limits.
Don’t you believe? Then follow Scienceroll because I’m going to make many pictures, videos during the process (as a medical student it’s not going to be so easy to solve the first case presentation).
I’m still involved in constructing the future of medical education at the Ann Myers Medical Center, but I always try to find other medical places in the virtual world. Here is a list of my favourite ones. If you happen to know more, don’t hesitate to leave a comment for us.
1. Ann Myers Medical Center: it aims to assist students to become more proficient in initial exam history and physicals; to become more proficient in the analysis of MRIs, CTs and X-rays. You can join to take part in the first medical simulation (maybe this July). TELEPORT!
2. Heart Murmurs: a great example of educational possibilities in Second Life as you can listen to cardiac murmurs. TELEPORT
3. The Gene Pool: far the best genetic educational place in Second Life. Quizes, animations and you can even wear your favourite chromosome. TELEPORT
4. Virtual Neurological Education Centre: it allows the medical field an online virtual environment for training and demonstrating a virtual experience of a neurological disorder. TELEPORT
5. Wheelies @ Second Ability: A place for people with disability. You can even try how it is like to use a wheelchair. TELEPORT
6. Medical Library at Health Info Island: you can do PubMed searches from Second Life; find people at the Medical Research Desk or at the Consumer Health Information Desk. A growing medical virtual community! TELEPORT
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: according to the National Review of Medicine, they are one of the early adopters. They consider Second Life as an educational opportunity they just couldn’t pass up. TELEPORT
8. UC Davis’ Virtual Hallucinations: they’re not kidding. You can experience virtual hallucinations. TELEPORT
9. Hottie Hospital: Play doctors and nurses, be a patient or a cute receptionist. Gynaecology, sperm donation, sexgen therapy, medical examination… TELEPORT
10+1: Play2Train: Play2Train will provide opportunities for training through interactive role playing and will be the foundation for our emergency preparedness educational machinima. Short demo scene of mass casualty incident simulation:
I hope you enjoyed this journey into the medical world of Second Life. I hope these sites and hospitals will play an important role in the future of medical education.
Here is a great video about Rosalind Franklin who made the first clear X-ray images of the structure of DNA. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 37! So artists Wyllie O Hagan try to “use their art to support awareness raising missions for ovarian cancer”.
That’s why I admire the work of Vanessa Ruiz (graduate student in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois at Chicago) who is blogging at Street Anatomy:
A polygonal feast of fury; the accelerated methodology of assembling a blood flow 3D animation in Cinema 4D from primitive objects to final rendering.
eter Baulman (Australia) had a kidney stone removed from his right kidney weighing 356 g and measuring 11.86 cm.
