TED Talk: Keith Barry

This was an entertaining TED Talk, if you like magical illusions!

Morality Beyond Legalism

Although it’s been released for almost a decade, I only just saw the movie ‘The Cider House Rules’.

I found the movie engaging, thought-provoking, and tasteful, but inconclusive. It’s a coming-of-age story – a genre that I am consistently drawn to. I am moved deeply by stories that tell of lost childhood innocence and the subtle discovery of evil and mortality. Growing up is falling from grace, departing from Eden. A quote from the movie:

Adolescence, is it the first time in life we discover that we have something terrible to hide from those who love us?

In ‘The Cider House Rules’, Homer’s place of innocence is one with ideals. He follows a moral code that is absolute. After setting out from an orphanage to “discover the world”, Homer’s moral philosophy becomes fuzzier. He lands himself in twisted situations where he is forced to break his ideals to “do the right thing”.

In the apple orchard’s cider house where Homer works, a set of rules nailed to the wall serves as a metaphor for the absolute moral code implemented from above. The cider house rules are often irrelevant and unhelpful. A single set of rules lacks any versatility to function within the changing complexities of real-world decisions. One character says of them:

Well, someone who don’t live here made those rules. Those rules ain’t for us. We are supposed to make our own rules. And we do. Every single day. 

The message is one that I agree with – that morality must go far beyond an absolute list of rules or ideals. There exist decisions that have no right answer, with which legalism will be useless. We need something else guiding our decisions for when the rules aren’t appropriate.

What’s missing from the movie (why I said it was inconclusive), is a suitable alternative to legalism. What then, should we base a moral philosophy upon? Homer opts for civility, generally trying to do what is useful and beneficial for those around him. But I find that somewhat flakey, because whose benefit comes first, and what is considered useful?

When up against a moral dilemma, what guides your decision? Do you follow an absolute set of rules; do you believe that it is possible to do so? What’s the magnet pulling your moral compass?

Jools Holland

For those who like swing and/or blues music, I highly recommend Jools Holland’s ‘Best of Friends’ album. It has a great mix, with some totally swing-able dance beats, and other slower blues classics. Featured on the playlist are guest duets with KT Tunstall, Bono, Sting, Norah Jones, Eric Clapton, and others (21 tracks!).

My favourite track is #10: an interpretation of Willie Dixon’s “The Seventh Son”. In the fifties, Dixon made links between blues and rock-and-roll. Jools Holland stays true to that ambition with a wonderfully foot-tapping rhythm, and superb vocals by Sting. I also just love the lyrics!

TED Talk: Frans Lanting

The story of Earth’s origin captures my imagination. It is the grandest of epics, a comprehensive myth (in the sense of ‘myths’ being stories that define who we are), the most dramatic story ever told.

I strongly believe we need to tell this story more often! It surprises me how few people know its major scenes or actors – even among those who study the life sciences. Origins are more than history, they are more than biology – they define who we are. In our unavoidably secular, globalized society, here’s a myth that embraces us all. Children should grow up learning this tale, and re-tell it to their own children with all of the modifications added by modern science.

This particular telling is orchestrated by Frans Lanting, a photographer for National Geographic. Although humans are his heroes/heroines (he ends with a focus on mammals and primates), he draws satisfying attention to plants, insects, invertebrates, and algae – the players of any real consequence in this drama (humans appeared too late to matter much). I was a little disappointed that he gives air-time to the KT extinction (non-avian dinosaurs), but not to the much larger end-Permian extinction.

TED Talk: Vilayanur Ramachandran

If you haven’t yet discovered TED.com, go check it out! But choose sometime when you don’t have much to do, because it is highly addictive. On this website, the world’s brightest minds give ‘TED Talks’ on their most creative ideas. Topic areas are unlimited – whatever your subject, you can find a TED Talk right up your alley! Seriously, check it out.

From time to time, I’ll feature a TED Talk here on my blog – one that I found particularly interesting / creative / inspiring. 

Vilayanur Ramachandran is a neuroscientist. In this TED Talk, he uses psychiatric case studies to explain some aspects of how the mind works.

@ Introduction: Now that’s a fascinating paradox! Can a human brain ever be fully understood… by a human brain?

@ Phantom limbs: Ramachandran’s idea of how important optical input is to “programming” the nervous system (seeing the phantom limb moving was enough to convince the brain that it was no longer paralyzed) made me think of another example from my anatomy professor. Stroke recoverers sometimes have trouble initiating muscle contraction. To walk, they can throw a crumpled piece of paper (or other aide) in front of them. Having the visual cue of a target to aim for for helps to initiate the muscle movements needed to get there.

@ Synesthesia: That’s a creative definition for creativity!

Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance

By Atul Gawande, 2008

I recently purchased this book for a friend of mine, and sneeked a read-through before passing it on. The variety of topics addressed was impressive, ranging from the need for healthcare professionals to be more diligent about hand-washing, to medicine of the battlefield, to the standardization of care in obstetrics.

Gawande’s surprising (and somewhat reassuring) message is that above-average performance in any area of medicine is not dependent on being a genius or on technical expertise, but rather on the persistent desire to do diligence, do good, and do better.

Of particular help to me was the final chapter, in which Gawande makes five broad suggestions on how to be a positive deviant from the norm.