Freedom Four

A Friday Hodgepodge

1. "Iranian Protesters Deserve Our Moral Support," by Agustina Vergara Cid (The Orange County Register):

Supporting the Iranians is in our self-interest. A world without the Iranian theocracy will be better for everyone who cares about freedom and Western civilization. Recall that the regime defines itself in opposition to the United States (the "Great Satan") and Israel, and has vowed to end both. Since 1979, it has supported terrorism in the Middle East -- Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and various militias in Iraq and Syria. Its violence has shown up at our shores. (This is one of the reasons why military support, if carried out appropriately, shouldn't be discounted either.)

Column: 975 words/3 minutes

2. "Combating Vaccine Misinformation: Q&A With Amesh Adalja, MD," with Amesh Adalja (Patient Care Online):

Question: What communication strategies work best to address vaccine hesitancy without damaging the patient -- clinician relationship?

Dr Adalja: The approach depends on the setting. In media appearances, I'm more forceful to counter the anti-vaccine movement broadly. In the exam room, the goal is persuasion through trust. Ask patients what specifically concerns them, address that directly, and leverage the trust they have in you as their physician.

Studies show that a PCP's recommendation is one of the most effective tools for influencing health-promoting behaviors.

Interview: 725 words/2 minutes

3. "Three Low-Cost Methods To Improve Cognitive Function And Longevity," by Paul Hsieh (Forbes):

A recent study by Monash University student Emma Jaffa, Professor Joanne Ryan, and colleagues suggests that listening to music regularly was associated with a 39% decreased risk of dementia in people over age 70. Playing a musical instrument was associated with a 35% decreased risk of dementia. Doing both was associated with a 33% decreased risk of dementia. Their study included over 10,000 participants.

(I don't know why both listening to music and playing an instrument was not as effective as either alone.)

Column: 280 words/1 minute

4. "A Playbook for the Next Century of Progress," by Jason Crawford (Freethink):

The deepest roots of institutional change are cultural. Cultural change is thus the most important pillar of the progress agenda.

This begins with what our children are taught in school. Today, they are not taught the history or nature of progress. History classes focus on wars and empires; science classes teach concepts and frameworks; the story of technology and economic growth falls between the cracks. Steven Johnson, popular author of dozens of books on the history of technology, reports that in "an otherwise excellent American history textbook" covering the last 150 years, "labor" was mentioned 226 times, and "civil rights" 134 times, but "antibiotics" and "vaccines" were not mentioned once. "Something is fundamentally distorted in the emphasis here."

Book Chapter: 8550 words/30 minutes

-- CAV