> > as medicine and science are usually miles apart...
>
> I was surprised by this comment by MK -
Me too. To biologists medics are their closest kin.If you study
biochemistry, biophysics, physiology, electron microscopy, radiation
biology to name but a few then medicine is the same writ on the human
scale. Could you not find a biology list that would pick up your very
worthwhile topic, especially in view of similar errors in giving injections
on the TV programme on Doctor's mistakes? The emphasis there was that bad
medical processes inevitably result in doctor's mistakes and airing such
processes is safer than maintaining a culture of blame.
does anyone remember what channel that was on?
another way out is to relate to the Arts and the Sciences and for
journalists not to use the phrase "scientists make a breakthrough". Why not
geologists or chemists as we would painters and musicians?
Barbara
> Do journalists generally see a significant divide between these
> two camps? If so, then perhaps it just reflects that
> journalists are presumably rather more likely to have
> had a "science" background than a "medical" one.
> However, those of us in medicine see medicine as an applied science,
> where any technology which could be useful is fair game (including
> mathematical ideas too of course). You only have to read the
> science journal "Nature" to see that medicine is much in evidence
> even there.
> In fact we don't have to go too far down this line before we
> end up discussing whether medics are scientists or not --- I guess
> the public conception is that medics are not scientists ---and here we
> have a fundamental problem regarding how we use these key words;
> words which tend to divide us rather than bring us together.
> So, in my view, journalists should try and avoid the "S" words
> (Science, and Scientist)
> and, if labels have to be used then we should use ones which
> more clearly describe what particular line of activity we are
> dealing with.
>
> Dick
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Dr RWD Nickalls
> Department of Anaesthesia, TEL: 0115-9691169 Ext45637
> Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust, +44-115-9691169 Ext45637
> Hucknall Road,
> Nottingham, NG5-1PB, FAX: 0115-9627713
> UK. +44-115-9627713
>
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