The Present

I don’t know about you, but recently (it’s late May, 2010) I’m feeling like the wheels are falling off this wagon (oil spills, inept government, scandals, politics, climate change, economic collapse, Wall Street, more scandals, etc.). I’m going to take a break from reading the papers and listening to the news…

Text of message to: Robert Wright: The Evolution of God. Little, Brown and Company, 2009

April 30, 2010

Robert-

I decided to read your book after seeing you interviewed on "Bill Moyers Journal" on PBS. While I'm a scientist and think of myself as being guided by rational thoughts I have been "studying" religion since first going to college in 1968. Since then I have been wondering, sometimes out loud, if God exists? Many years ago I decided the answer was "no" and yet I have wondered why the vast majority of people in this world do believe in God. I think I understand that God is within the individual and the evolution of God seems terribly logical to me in the Darwinian sense; as humans' brains, and accordingly their thoughts, evolve with the selective pressures that we experience over the course of our lives. I believe that "being spiritual" is not the same thing as believing in God. I know, probably many people, who either don't believe in God or they are skeptical of God's existence, and yet they would call themselves "spiritual". The problem that I have had is while I don't believe there is a God, I don't seem to have a sense of spirituality either. This is puzzling to me but having read your book I am starting to "figure this out". My thinking about religion has also been shaped in a major way by Joseph Campbell, also interviewed by Moyers, just before his death. I make it a point to listen to some of Campbell's interviews with Moyers, at least once a year. Campbell's books and interviews, as has your book, have given me a profound (note: I rarely use the word "profound") insight into questions I've had about religion and God. Thank you for one of the best books I've ever read. More importantly, thank you for allowing me to learn a good deal about myself. Having just turned 60 the other day I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my conclusions although I will continue to "study" religion and God. You would probably understand that if I am asked: "Is there god or gods" I would answer "yes". If I am asked: "Is there God" I would answer "no". My next search is to understand why I don’t seem be spiritual. Your book has helped me to start sorting this out. Many thanks!

Regards,

Andy McDonough
mcdonoan@shu.edu

On Making a Mistake

Let me preface this essay by noting that I am a nostalgic person. I enjoy remembering things in my past, especially my friends and neighbors I went to school with, in some cases as far back as kindergarten. I don’t dwell in the past but from time-to-time thinking about “the old days” is a pleasant past-time. The other thing that’s pertinent here is that I’ve moved into my “Third Chapter” of life (see Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot: The Third Chapter passion, risk, and adventure in the 25 years after 50. link: http://web2.bccls.org/web2/tramp2.exe/do_keyword_search/guest ) The third chapter is a time for among other things, reflection as well as thrusting yourself into the future.


A little over a year ago, just after Thanksgiving in 2008, I went to my 40th high school reunion. One of our classmates sponsored the event at his nightclub: thank you Brian! As an aside, the things you realize about reunions after about the 20th is that they are largely solo events. For the first few reunions spouses, mates and significant others attend – probably more out of a sense of obligation rather than actually wanting to be there. As time goes by the spouses et al., understanding that they don’t know, or don’t want to know, your old friends politely decline. So, by the 40th a good many of us show up unaccompanied.


It was great to see old friends, some I hadn’t seen for years and in a few cases, not since graduating from high school. That was 1968! There were people I had gone to kindergarten with in Watchung. As the night wore on we talked and drank and listened to Brian’s band – it was a great time! And of course, there were many remembrances of the good times: school dances, old flames, winning seasons and the like; and the bad times like the day we almost beat North Plainfield in a football game, our arch rival. Most of us agreed it was a bad call by the refs and Wes did actually break the plane of the goal line – I guess a few things will never be forgotten…


On my way home that night it occurred to me that I wanted to keep in touch with some of my old friends and not wait five or ten years for the next reunion. And periodically over the next year I made attempts to contact people – Brian’s original email invitation handily provided me with addresses. I was successful in a number of cases. Sometimes via email, sometimes by phone and a few times I had lunch or dinner with old classmates. At the end of each encounter we agreed that we’d keep in touch. Then, months later, it occurred to me that I hadn’t heard from people even after a little, and sometimes a lot, of prodding. I wasn’t hurt by the lack of response, but I was surprised. Thinking about it I guess it was hard for me to believe that others didn’t share my interest in re-connecting – surely you’d want to stay in touch fresh from a class reunion – the 40th no less.


I mulled this over for months and I’ve come to realize I had made a mistake. I realized that most of us really don’t want to stay in regular contact – we’ve grown up and moved on with our lives. Our current and future evolved from the past – the past is gone – we can’t go back. And for a nostalgic person like me it was a bit of a shock. Our memories are pleasant things we reflect back on once in a long while – that’s what reunions are for – they are one-night stands that bring us back to the old days – just for a little while. We enjoy the connection and then, just as fast as it came, it leaves us and we’re back to reality - moving on with our lives. The mistake I made was thinking reunions are a starting point. They are really anniversaries of an ending point that for us, happened in 1968. It took me a time to figure this out but I’m finally catching on.


And so, if you owe me a drink or lunch when we last met and you’d like to settle your account, by all means that would be great. After that, maybe when the next reunion comes around, we can say hello.


I wish everyone the best during our Third Chapter…take care…

On Why Drawing Helps You Learn Human Anatomy

While memorization sometimes gets chided as mundane and less than scholarly, committing information to memory is an essential element of all learning whether in the cognitive, motor or other domains. We know that there are at least two types of memory: short- and long-term and there is a critical link between them. In order to commit an idea, concept, image, sound or experience to long-term memory, successful short-term memory processing is required. Over the last 30 years I have been teaching human anatomy to a variety of students, mostly in the health professions. I am absolutely certain that drawing and re-drawing anatomical structures leads to a “visual image” (in your “mind’s eye”) that will be successfully instilled in long-term memory. I should add a disclaimer that this was not originally my idea. While in physical therapy school my own anatomy instructor, a physical anthropologist, drew everything we learned about in anatomy lectures. From the start, when I first began teaching at the university level I adapted this perspective; from day one of my teaching I drew virtually everything I taught.

Students often remark that when they first attend my classes they “can’t draw.” I respond that they’re missing the point. I tell them that the act of putting your pencil to paper, and NOT using a laptop computer to take notes, plays a significant role in converting information into long-term memory. In fact, whatever they are drawing only has to make sense to them even if someone looking over your shoulder doesn’t have a clue what you’ve drawn.

Students note that I rarely use notes when I teach anatomy. They ask me: “How can you do that?” I reply that whatever I am drawing on the board comes from a “mental image” of what I’m thinking about. I am drawing what I see in “my mind’s eye.” Admittedly, repetition has played an important role in what and how I teach it. Over the past 30 years I’ve probably taught anatomy courses of one sort or another hundreds of times.

While memory has been studied for years, the physiological connection between short-term and long-term memory has been illusive. In recent years, however, neuro-physiological mechanisms are starting to be understood. It’s clear that in order to store an idea or image in long-term memory there must be a significant “event” that “inspires” short-term memory (usually lasting only several seconds) enough so that those signals can be successfully stored and later recalled. “Events” are varied. Almost everyone in my generation can recall the time of day, where we were and the circumstances requiring us to be there the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For me, I was sitting in Miss William’s music class in 7th grade. My whole class stayed after school that day as punishment for misbehaving in class. I was sitting on the top riser slightly to the left of center in the room. Around 3:30PM that afternoon an announcement came over the PA system from our principal that John Kennedy had been shot. The room went silent and a girl in our class named Sally, sitting in the front row, a little to my right began sobbing after hearing the news. I’m 59 now and I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I’m sure others vividly recall the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded during the Reagan administration. Clearly “events” like these play a critical role in linking short- to long-term memory. What is not understood is the physiological nature of the “event”.

Recently, experimentation in neuroscience has started to identify a possible biochemical link between a triggering “event” and long-term memory. A molecule called PKN beta (phenyketnuria beta) may represent such a trigger. At least since Bernstein’s work on redundant neural pathways was introduced to the west (Bernstein was a Russian physiologist) in the 1960’s it has been understood that certain neuro-synaptic pathways appear to be selected for amongst the millions of potential pathways that exist in the nervous system. In the fields of motor control and motor learning there is substantial evidence that repetitive physical practice (“time-on-task”) is an important factor in selecting out a specific pathway that becomes used over and over again. Conceptually, this may be a neuro-physiological explanation for remembering a motor act and being successful at it after long periods of practice. It now appears that PKN beta or a similar molecule may play a role in selecting out a specific, efficient neural pathway. When an impactful “event” such as drawing a picture, deemed to be important (presumably by an anatomy instructor) occurs, PKN beta connects to a synapse. At this point it’s not clear if it’s the pre- or post-synaptic membrane. In any event the connection of PKN beta seems to serve as a signal to the nervous system that the pathway currently being utilized is special and perhaps represents a neuro-physiological explanation for committing an image (or concept) to long-term memory. Therefore, the physical act of drawing (again, putting pencil-to-paper) may represent the “trigger” and “event” leading to successful storage in memory and recall.

For years I have told students that the best way to learn and retain anatomy is to draw it. I’ve often said that staring at a bunch of words in a textbook is not likely to lead to successful mastery of anatomic structure – “you need to draw it – over and over again!” While my experience over the years has brought me to this conclusion, I’ve never been able to articulate what I know, in a neuro-anatomical or neuro-physological context. Maybe PKN beta is pointing in that direction. Nonetheless, if you’re going to learn anatomy – START DRAWING – it works!

Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3410/01.html

Essay - On Why Drawing Helps You Learn Human Anatomy

While “memorization” sometimes gets chided as mundane and less than scholarly, committing information to memory is an essential element of all learning whether in the cognitive, motor or other domains. We know that there are at least two types of memory: short- and long-term and there is a critical link between them. In order to commit an idea, concept, image, sound or experience to long-term memory, successful short-term memory processing is required. Over the last 30 years I have been teaching human anatomy to a variety of students, mostly in the health professions. I am absolutely certain that drawing and re-drawing anatomical structures leads to a “visual image” (in your “mind’s eye”) that will be successfully instilled in long-term memory. I should add a disclaimer that this was not originally my idea. While in physical therapy school my own anatomy instructor, a physical anthropologist, drew everything we learned about in anatomy lectures. From the start, when I first began teaching at the university level I adapted this perspective; from day one of my teaching I drew virtually everything I taught.

Students often remark that when they first attend my classes they “can’t draw.” I respond that they’re missing the point. I tell them that the act of putting your pencil to paper, and NOT using a laptop computer to take notes, plays a significant role in converting information into long-term memory. In fact, whatever they are drawing only has to make sense to them even if someone looking over your shoulder doesn’t have a clue what you’ve drawn.
Students note that I rarely use notes when I teach anatomy. They ask me: “How can you do that?” I reply that whatever I am drawing on the board comes from a “mental image” of what I’m thinking about. I am drawing what I see in “my mind’s eye.” Admittedly, repetition has played an important role in what and how I teach it. Over the past 30 years I’ve probably taught anatomy courses of one sort or another hundreds of times.

While memory has been studied for years, the physiological connection between short-term and long-term memory has been illusive. In recent years, however, neuro-physiological mechanisms are starting to be understood. It’s clear that in order to store an idea or image in long-term memory there must be a significant “event” that “inspires” short-term memory (usually lasting only several seconds) enough so that those signals can be successfully stored and later recalled. “Events” are varied. Almost everyone in my generation can recall the time of day, where we were and the circumstances requiring us to be there the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For me, I was sitting in Miss William’s music class in 7th grade. My whole class stayed after school that day as punishment for misbehaving in class. I was sitting on the top riser slightly to the left of center in the room. Around 3:30PM that afternoon an announcement came over the PA system from our principal that John Kennedy had been shot. The room went silent and a girl in our class named Sally, sitting in the front row, a little to my right began sobbing after hearing the news. I’m 59 now and I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I’m sure others vividly recall the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded during the Reagan administration. Clearly “events” like these play a critical role in linking short- to long-term memory. What is not understood is the physiological nature of the “event”.

Recently, experimentation in neuroscience has started to identify a possible biochemical link between a triggering “event” and long-term memory. A molecule called PKN beta (phenyketnuria beta) may represent such a trigger. At least since Bernstein’s work on redundant neural pathways was introduced to the west (Bernstein was a Russian physiologist) in the 1960’s it has been understood that certain neuro-synaptic pathways appear to be selected for amongst the millions of potential pathways that exist in the nervous system. In the fields of motor control and motor learning there is substantial evidence that repetitive physical practice (“time-on-task”) is an important factor in selecting out a specific pathway that becomes used over and over again. Conceptually, this may be a neuro-physiological explanation for remembering a motor act and being successful at it after long periods of practice. It now appears that PKN beta or a similar molecule may play a role in selecting out a specific, efficient neural pathway. When an impactful “event” such as drawing a picture, deemed to be important (presumably by an anatomy instructor) occurs, PKN beta connects to a synapse. At this point it’s not clear if it’s the pre- or post-synaptic membrane. In any event the connection of PKN beta seems to serve as a signal to the nervous system that the pathway currently being utilized is special and perhaps represents a neuro-physiological explanation for committing an image (or concept) to long-term memory. Therefore, the physical act of drawing (again, putting pencil-to-paper) may represent the “trigger” and “event” leading to successful storage in memory and recall.

For years I have told students that the best way to learn and retain anatomy is to draw it. I’ve often said that staring at a bunch of words in a textbook is not likely to lead to successful mastery of anatomic structure – “you need to draw it – over and over again!” While my experience over the years has brought me to this conclusion, I’ve never been able to articulate what I know, in a neuro-anatomical or neuro-physological context. Maybe PKN beta is pointing in that direction. Nonetheless, if you’re going to learn anatomy – START DRAWING – it works!

Link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3410/01.html

Essay - On Professional Dress

While I in no way claim to be an expert in what should be considered proper attire. I do think professionals, and professional students especially, do need to attend to a style of dress, that while entirely acceptable be “casual,” should be to some extent restrained. I’m making my comments based on observations I’ve made while walking across our campus, teaching in classrooms and other venues. No one who knows me would consider me prudish but there are just some things happening out there that I feel compelled to comment on. Remember, I am the anatomist on staff here. Maybe it’s just because I am getting older…but…

I will partition this essay into two parts: one concerning male students and one, at some risk of being called a chauvinist, concerning female students.

Male Students

I start with the question: Why do guys feel the need to wear baseball caps in class and other academic venues indoors? More specifically, why do they insist on wearing them backwards and cocked or rotated a ¼ turn to the right or left? Personally, I cannot conceive of a situation in which a professional program student would be compelled to look like, what people in my generation would be called, in more polite circles, a jackass? (Please contact me if you would to discuss synonyms for “jackass.”)

Secondly, our young male students apparently need to be told that wearing short pants, or any pants in general, so that the waist hangs down around their knees with either their butts or underwear hanging out is unacceptable. Regarding butts: I was thinking about using the word “ass” (call me for additional synonyms) – as in “…their ass is hanging out” but I decided against it so as to fall within the bounds of acceptable professional language. When I see this behavior, which I see and I’m sure you see, all the time these days, one realizes that such an approach makes the person essentially one-armed. Why? Because to prevent the pants from falling down around their ankles, they have to use one hand constantly to hold their pants up. This makes the concept of bilateral prehension a non-event and relegates the male to being essentially one-handed. Notwithstanding the dress issues, young male efficiency is reduced by half and renders whatever claim we have to being evolutionarily successful…null and void..

Female Students

My comments at this point, do give me some pause. Being a male myself I understand entirely that making the observation I am about to make may, in some circles, make me seem like the proverbial male chauvinist pig. Nonetheless, because this is an experience I am having more and more in the classroom, I feel compelled to comment on it.
The issue here is: How much cleavage may be acceptably revealed until it is considered in bad taste? Cleavage is of course, from an anatomist’s point-of-view, the space between the breasts. Now, I had considered using the word “boobs” in place of “breasts”. I hear many of my female friends and colleagues, my wife and even my daughter use this term when the topic comes up. I also find that when a male uses this alternate term it is implied that we are using it in a derogatory way (call me to discuss alternate synonyms that I am aware of – I’ve heard of many). And, while I don’t necessarily agree that this is true I am nonetheless refraining from referring to breasts as “boobs”, especially in mixed company. I do perceive an implicit double-standard here but I don’t intend on going down that road in this essay.

That said, what is the problem? Again, I will state this as a question. Let me preface it by saying that this situation that I encounter involves female students who tend to sit in the front row when I am giving an anatomy lecture. The question: At what point do we, as professionals, teaching professional students, deem it inappropriate to see most of both breasts essentially lying on the table in front of me while I attempt to answer a question? While I try to look at this woman’s face it is very difficult not to ignore the other human tissue that is being exposed. What’s a guy to do? Now…at other venues, being a normal male, I am perfectly happy to look at naked breasts. It just seems to me that in a classroom filled with “ostensibly professional students” it is not appropriate to reveal so much of one’s anatomy. From my own personal experience, I can tell you that this is distracting and the longer I teach the more it seems to be a problem. It seems like someone should be setting standards here and it can’t come from me or any other male (especially if I don’t want to be verbally or physically beaten up).

Finally, I realize I run the risk of offending both the readers of this essay and the students of which I speak. However, I have chosen to take this risk because the anatomist in me argues that these comments fall somewhere within my domain – you will have to judge.

For the guys I say: “Suck it up! Stop looking like a jerk” (call me to discuss synonyms for “jerk”). Take off the hat and pull up your pants where, in times past, they used to reside. For any male student who wishes to argue with my observations and comments I would be happy to engage you in a real-time face-to-face discussion. Be prepared, however, for me to be right in your face.

For the gals, it’s clear to me this is not my domain nor place in public/social discourse. I will have to rely on my female colleagues to make corrective comments, if they agree with my thesis.

On What I Want My Photographs to Do and Impact

As some who know me may be aware I am a serious photographer and have been for many years. At this point I could probably be classified as semi-professional. I sell at least a few images on a stock site (www.shutterstock.com/g/alm3photo) almost every day and I manage to sell some mounted and framed images (www.andrewmcdonoughphotography.com) as well. Photographs can elicit all sorts of responses. And, while I take my share of images that mix color and composition to provoke a sense of well-being and happiness, some of what I consider my best work impacts viewers on the dark and sometimes a disturbing side of life. What I’m trying to achieve is impact – a sense that somehow I’ve stirred a viewer’s emotions.

A recent series of photos I’ve just completed were shot at the World War II Veterans’ Memorial in Washington DC. The memorial is situated between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial at the end of the reflecting pool. The site boasts a series of overwhelming tailored marble or granite masses accentuated with American flags around its perimeter. In the center is a lighted pool with fountains gushing high into the air. Other smaller fountains lie at the Atlantic and Pacific theatre ends providing bands of cascading water from one collecting pool to another ultimately emptying into the central pool. Underneath lighting highlights the water flow at dusk making the bands dance. The two days that I shot at the monument were very close to Veterans Day and hence the flags there, and around the Washington Monument were all at half-staff. There were many vets, many I assume, seeing the memorial in person for the first time in their lives. Some walked, some used canes or walkers and others were in wheelchairs being pushed along by family members. Their caps announced their units and service branch. They seemed as old as the vets themselves.

It is said that World War II veterans rarely talk about their experience in the war. Some of the memories are probably too painful even 60 years later. Others probably say that the war had to be fought – they enlisted, did what had to be done and came home and moved on with the rest of their lives. Most asked little in return for their heroic service to the country. Many did not return and there seemed to be a sense of this when you looked at the vets faces – grateful that a memorial to their service had finally been erected but also sad about their sacrifice and loss of friends.

As you walked around the monument the presence of all these vets made an impact on you. You felt that their being there was important. The stunning architecture of the memorial was made even more stunning by the vets themselves, their families and other visitors. Capturing these scenes as images and making the viewer understand honor, courage, dedication, sorrow and happiness were what I hoped my pictures would convey – the impact was palpable. That’s what I try to capture – that’s what photographs should do. They should make a difference, an impact, in what you’re looking at. I hope I succeeded. That’s what photographs should do.

Launching of A McDonough's Blog

Welcome to my Blog: Essays and Other Matters A McDonough. From time-to-time I plan on posting essays and other thoughts about observations I make at work and at home. Within the next few days I plan on posting several essays I've written recently as a way of getting started with this venture. I encourage your comments and hope you will provide an honest response to my writings - both when you agree and don't agree with my point-of-view. Here's hoping for a successful endeavor - we'll see...