As someone who came into scientific research from an atypical educational background, I spend a lot of time thinking about the pedagogy of the natural sciences. Regrettably, undergraduate science classes – particularly at large universities – are often taught in a way that rewards rote memorization and does little to cultivate critical thinking skills. This was the topic of Kevin’s …
A little perspective…
While often we are quick to bemoan the molasses-like pace of medical discovery – perhaps especially those of us who work in the biomedical sciences – sometimes a little perspective is healthy. The Guardian recently re-printed an article originally written in 1846 on the “most perfect success” of the use of ether as an anesthetic, the very concept of which …