Happy Easter from the University of New Hampshire! I’m so excited - we got the vaccine, and it was Moderna. I feel like I am part of medical history! I keep saying to my students, this mRNA technology is moon-landing significance, or maybe more appropriately, discovery of antibiotics-significant. Out of necessity, we are undergoing a massive natural experiment with the technology and we will have proof of concept very soon. I feel like this is the moment we will look back on in history and say, it was during the Great COVID-19 Pandemic that we laid the groundwork for the cure for cancer, AIDS, and who knows what else. Maybe finally malaria. We’ll see! I am convinced it will be transformative, and I am proud to have been part of it. The first “read” I have talks about the future of mRNA technology - definitely read the addendum.
Image is a sketch of the West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, Maine. I’m dreaming of traveling again and wouldn’t mind seeing this lighthouse in person this summer!
Thanks for reading and enjoy the links!
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Read
What: Reason Magazine, Covid-19 Should Be Our Last Pandemic
https://reason.com/2021/04/04/the-last-pandemic/
Why: This is an optimistic take on the lessons we should learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the issues we had around warning systems, testing, and treatment, and how each could have been done better and how they could be improved in the future. There is a good interview with the author here, and don’t miss the short addendum about the future of mRNA technology here.
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What: Evil HR Lady, DEAR REWORKER: I JUST CAN’T FIND A MENTOR. HELP!
https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/rework/dear-reworker-i-just-can%E2%80%99t-find-mentor-help
Why: Another short but poignant advice piece from the Evil HR Lady. Yes, get a mentor if you can. But think about what you are actually looking for. I mentioned my mentorship talk last week - we covered many of these same topics. Mentorship can be deconstructed into different needs - and you can get those needs met from many sources. Evil HR Lady puts it together nicely.
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Watch
What: TED Talk, Caroline Catlin: Why I photograph the quiet moments of grief and loss
Why: Moving and personal talk. Catlin trained as a photographer, then she came down with incurable brain cancer. She talks about bringing these two things together, and how she works with patients and families as they face death, and how this has affected her own perspective.
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Listen
What: Free Thoughts Podcast, Who Messed with Texas's Electricity? (48 min)
https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/who-messed-texass-electricity
Why: Texas recently went through a complete melt-down, or maybe a complete freeze, of its electrical supply as a result of highly unusual cold weather. Some crazy things happened where individuals received insane electric bills - like $10,000 - while other people had no heat and had their pipes burst. There are some odd things about the Texas market, and its fascinating how the outcomes can play into your preferred narrative (not enough government oversight vs. not enough free market movement of prices). This is a thoughtful, admittedly market-oriented, discussion of the situation. It’s easy to find pro-government regulation versions - so this is a counter point.
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What: People I (Mostly) Admire, Sal Khan: “If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People.” (44 min)
https://omny.fm/shows/people-i-mostly-admire/sal-khan-if-it-works-for-15-cousins-it-could-work
Why: Fun interview with Sal Khan of Khan Academy. I’ve used Khan Academy for my own learning, and I have directed my students to it. It’s a fabulous free service. I love the Khan Academy story, and I admire Sal Khan’s mission of making high quality education free to the world. There are some great lessons to be learned here. If this can be done for education, what about health? I feel like in so many ways we are really just at the beginning of a revolution.
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What: Persuasion, What The West Misses About China (58 min)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/-what-the-west-misses-about-china
Why: A thoughtful discussion about China, but especially the political motivations of the Chinese Communist Party, and why the people of China are willing to put up with the lack of freedom the CCP imposes. The discussion hinges on the desire for certainty. Imagine if you were 60’ish and living in China - you would have lived through a terrible series of events (mostly created by the CCP) that would have left you with a great deal of uncertainty. Now the CCP seems to promise certainty and predictability, which is better than chaos. It’s an interesting conversation throughout.
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line at mark.bonica@unh.edu , or you can tweet to me at @mbonica .
If you’re looking for a searchable archive, you can see my draft folder here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jwGLdjsb1WKtgH_2C-_3VvrYCtqLplFO?usp=sharing
Finally, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://markbonica.substack.com/welcome
See you next Friday!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
'It is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.' - Gandalf (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)