After becoming disillusioned with the study of law, Ignatz Semmelweis, a young Hungarian, moved to the study of medicine, graduating with a medical degree from the prestigious University of Vienna in 1844. He applied for positions in pathology and then medicine, but received rejections in both, probably because he was both Hungarian and Jewish. Obstetrics,… Continue reading How medical arrogance kills
Smallpox
The pandemic with the highest mortality rate in the era before the 18th century was smallpox. In England. 10% of deaths were due to the infection. It had been known in ancient China, India and Africa and may have reached Greece and Rome in classical times. It certainly affected the Crusaders, who brought it home… Continue reading Smallpox
RMSSD by age and gender
The HRV Health system produces a metric called “Percentile” which reflects the percentile into which the RMSSD result fits, relative to the general population by age and gender. This is the base data that our algorithm uses to produce the Percentile result. RMSSD and HRV Score by age and gender[1]Short-term heart rate variability–influence of gender… Continue reading RMSSD by age and gender
Reversing ageing with HRV
As we get older our health deteriorates. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures health, and that decline in health appears as lower HRV. At the age of 65, my HRV score should be 51. As the graph above confirms, even at its worst my score is always above 65 – the score for a 25 year… Continue reading Reversing ageing with HRV
Corporate small print trickery
In 1994, I was tasked with calculating the solvency of the Lloyds Insurance Market. It’s a requirement of the act[1]Lloyd’s Acts that covers the Market, and usually it was just a formality. In that year it mattered. There was a very real concern that the Market was insolvent. The Lloyds Insurance Market is complex, made… Continue reading Corporate small print trickery
Why HRV poses a threat to doctors
One of HRV Health’s users (Jill) went for a required routine medical check-up. On reviewing Jill’s x-ray, the doctor concluded that she had “a problem” with her lungs, and could not grant medical clearance. Jill was devastated. Jill exercises daily, and her HRV metrics reflect that. We told her to get a second opinion. The… Continue reading Why HRV poses a threat to doctors
The Great Hunger
In 1840, the population of Ireland was over 8 million[1]The Great Irish Famine Was a Turning Point for Ireland and America. Today it is 5 million[2]Ireland Population. Between 1841 and 1850 one million died during the Great Hunger and another million emigrated. During the 150th commemorations of the Famine, Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed… Continue reading The Great Hunger
Artificial intelligence
Two things are infinite: The universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.Albert Einstein Einstein’s genius was instrumental in the creation of the atomic bomb. When he became aware that his ideas were being used to develop the bomb, he warned FDR of the potential consequences[1]The Making of the Atomic Bomb. Einstein… Continue reading Artificial intelligence
The British genocide
Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group. Oxford English Dictionary I was in the Republic of Georgia in the months preceding Russia’s invasion in 2008. The international intelligence agencies had been warning the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili not to succumb to Russian provocation.… Continue reading The British genocide
The great divide
When I was living in America, I often had the feeling that they were still fighting the civil war. After the war, Lincoln understood how divided the country had become, and determined that he needed to unite the country[1]Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. He had already started to implement his plans… Continue reading The great divide