Category: VeriBlog
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When Humans Thrash
In computer science, thrashing occurs when the process of data transfer prohibits the execution of operations. When your computer is thrashing, it’s perceived as slow, sluggish, on the verge of crashing. Remember when you tried to open that PDF on…
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Galactic Grammar and Interstellar Syntax
A Linguist’s response to the film Arrival There’s been some hype about the new film Arrival, and some newfound attention to the field of linguistics. Rather than point out all of the inevitable liberty-taking that comes with projecting an everyday…
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Talking Taboo: Opioid Abuse on the Rise
The “opioid epidemic” is a growing problem in the United States. The state of Virginia declared a public health emergency relating to abuse of such substances, Google search data shows a higher rate of searches for the heroin treatment Suboxone…
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Social Desirability and The Donald
Very few people saw this coming. You could argue that undecided, silent voters are to blame, or maybe it’s the “overconfidence” of the Democratic party. Sure, those were factors, but it could also be a bit of a chicken and…
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Coming Up Next: How do Doctors Talk about the Drug Pipeline?
When we talk about the drug pipeline, we’re talking about the future. Pipeline drugs are often the newest medical advancements that scientists are still in the process of testing for safety or efficacy. As doctors can’t generally prescribe pipeline drugs,…
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Zombie, Walkers, and The Walking Dead: Exploring In-Office Constructs of Meaning
The impending return of AMC’s The Walking Dead on October 23rd, with its portrayal of flesh-eating, swarming zombies, or “walkers” as they’ve been coined, has me thinking about how we use that term in our daily lives. Or more specifically,…
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Are new drugs really that bad for patients?
In his article “New Drugs are Often Bad for Patients, Great for Pharma”, Allen Francis, Professor Emeritus at Duke University, makes the following statements: “Pharma research has failed to produce much real progress in fighting disease, largely because curing disease…
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The Power Behind Hope: Magic versus Miracle
What is the “magic pill”? Does it exist? The (very) short answer is no. But don’t worry- “miracle pills” might! So what’s the difference between a magic pill and a miracle pill, and how do doctors and patients feel about…