Eight years ago a physician appeared in my office in Dallas, Texas and said,
“Bill, I am in charge of the program next year for the International Society
for the Advancement of Humanistic Studies in Medicine (now known as SHIM,
the Society for Humanism in Medicine). It’s an organization of physicians from
all over the world who gather each year at a ski resort to discuss a topic relevant
to our work, and next year the subject is ‘the brain.’ Next winter the meeting
will be at Aspen. We have invited some of the world’s top cognitive neuroscientists
to speak, including Michael Gazzaniga from Dartmouth, and we would like
for you to give a lecture on the brain as well.” I said, “Henry, I know absolutely
nothing about the brain,” went home and told my wife who replied, “That’s
never stopped you before!”
“Bill, I am in charge of the program next year for the International Society
for the Advancement of Humanistic Studies in Medicine (now known as SHIM,
the Society for Humanism in Medicine). It’s an organization of physicians from
all over the world who gather each year at a ski resort to discuss a topic relevant
to our work, and next year the subject is ‘the brain.’ Next winter the meeting
will be at Aspen. We have invited some of the world’s top cognitive neuroscientists
to speak, including Michael Gazzaniga from Dartmouth, and we would like
for you to give a lecture on the brain as well.” I said, “Henry, I know absolutely
nothing about the brain,” went home and told my wife who replied, “That’s
never stopped you before!”