In Defense of the Human Hand
Hands, those perfectly designed, balanced, flexible, coordinated, five-fingered extensions of the human arm, capable of grasping, lifting, cupping, holding, climbing, in use always, in some ways more expressive than words, a uniquely human body part, reflective of one’s innermost personality and persona. Hands can be used to heal, to soothe, to caress, to comfort, to […]
Perfecting Prediction: A Search for the Right Detail
Part of one’s task is to predict what likely will occur in the future. Not many devote any real effort to improving this “skill.” It’s akin to mindreading––why bother to devote any time to it? There’s no point. Probability theory and statistics––these provide tools of analysis, but not the means of arriving at the values […]
Jury Selection and the Conjunction Fallacy
Once information is gathered, can it be correctly interpreted? We obtain fragments of the truth, but can we be sure we understand its significance? Our initial reaction is to rely on “common sense.” But too often our first take on things can be inaccurate. We assume facts are supportive when in fact they may be […]
Courting the Counterfactual
Each case stands or falls on its facts. There’s no assurance that a prior case will necessarily bring about the same result in a later, similar case. “Factual” thinking looks back and examines what occurred without judgment or evaluation. “Counterfactual” thinking, however, goes beyond. “Counterfactual thinking, commonly exemplified by the expression “what might have been” […]
A New Surgical Option for Children with Erb’s Palsy?
In the past, children with Erb’s Palsy were typically offered three surgical options: nerve grafting, external neurolysis, and nerve transfers. There were, and are, other procedures available, but these are three of the most commonly performed. Nerve grafting. Nerve grafting involves harvesting a nerve from one part of the body and grafting it onto the […]
