Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson tapped into primal fears when he penned “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” a 19th century novel about a sinister physician, raising the question, “Can evil and good exist in the same person?”
IBM’s Watson computer has been making headlines these past few years. It was put to the test on the game show Jeopardy and routed 2 of the most successful contestants in the show’s history. If the past is any indication of performance, Watson’s involvement in the field of oncology could prove beneficial to both patients and practitioners. Originally the size of a large room, IBM managed over time to successfully reduce the size of Watson to that of a pizza box. Improvements weren’t only made to its size, but also its processing speed, which has increased by an astonishing 240%.
The world’s first enduring civilization may have arisen in Egypt; some scholars suggest that the fertile Nile Valley had been settled as early as 10,000 BC. But it wasn’t until the advent of the Old Kingdom, about 2600 BC, that modern historians can begin to form real figures from the dim outlines of a past shrouded in mystery and magic.
Angelina Jolie’s recent announcement that she had a prophylactic double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer has cast a very public spotlight on what is often a very private issue.
Early detection is paramount in the successful treatment of cancer. Colonoscopies and Pap smears have long been known to considerably lower mortality rates. However, improved screening methods are always needed. For example, lung cancer has a survival rate of about 15% because it is too often detected in the latter stages, which limits treatment options. Currently, imaging and sampling of blood, fluid, and tissue are the staples of diagnosis, but the future may also include a furrier option.
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