Paper #13: Medical science and evolution
1. Huge debt of gratitude to medical science:
We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to medical science.
In my view, medical science has done more to benefit humanity than all other fields of endeavour put together.
In a period of less than 200 years, medical science has lifted average life expectancies in the developed parts of the world from 40 plus years to 80 plus years. And it has given us a much better quality of life.
As a result of this enormous leap in longevity, we have been able to make great advances in all fields .. that is, had it not been for the progress in medical science, many of those who were responsible for making these advances would have failed in making them because of their premature death or serious illness.
It is for this achievement, and for its dedication to helping others, that I place medical science at the pinnacle of all human endeavours.
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2. Today's unsolved health problems:
Obviously, many health problems today remain unsolved.
The ideas in these papers are very different to those currently (2014) held by medical science. This is because:
(1) The ideas in the papers are based on an understanding of our human evolution that differs greatly from the understanding currently (2014) held by medical science .. which different understanding leads to
(2) An understanding of how today's human body works that differs greatly from the understanding currently (2014) held by medical science .. which different understanding then leads to
(3) An approach to the cure and prevention of many health problems (both physical and mental) that differs greatly from the approach currently (2014) being taken by medical science.
I therefore think the answers to many of today's unsolved health problems will come from medical science gaining a better understanding of our human evolution and, in the light of this, reexamining its understanding of how today's body actually works.
Medical science should not just look at the body as it is today. It should also look at how the body became what it is today, as a result of our evolution. In other words, medical science needs to understand properly the evolution of the human body, including the evolution of each of its parts, systems and processes.
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3. Human body seen as a machine:
In exploring this deeper understanding of how our evolution has resulted in today's human body, I think it is useful to see the body as a MACHINE .. that is, a machine which has evolved over a very long period of time to become what it is today and which does the following:
(1) It takes in inputs .. air through the nose and mouth; food, water and other fluids through the mouth; nutrients through the hair including the very fine hair on most parts of our skin; and sunlight through the skin; (but it also takes in toxic inputs), and
(2) It processes the non-toxic inputs into usable nutrients .. our natural microorganisms (microbiota) play a key role in assisting with this processing; and it expels, or tries to expel, the toxic inputs, and
(3) It uses the nutrients from the processed inputs, and
(4) It expels, in various ways, the waste products from this processing and use, as well as the surplus products, and
(5) It acts as host to our natural microorganisms (microbiota) .. as stated in Point 1 of Paper #3, it is estimated that our natural microorganisms comprise about 1% to 3% of our total weight and that their cells outnumber our body's cells by more than 10 times, and
(6) It permits our natural microorganisms (microbiota) to use the nutrients which they need by obtaining them from the waste products and surplus products in our body, and
(7) It defends itself, or tries to defend itself, against foreign microorganisms that cause harm (pathogens) by killing some of them and by pushing others out of the body, and
(8) It defends itself, or tries to defend itself, against our natural microorganisms (microbiota) when they have multiplied too greatly and their excess numbers then become harmful, by killing some of the excess ones and by pushing others out of the body, and
(9) It defends itself, or tries to defend itself, against other things that could interfere with its smooth operation, or could cause it to malfunction, or could cause it cease operating altogether, and
(10) It has various parts, systems and processes that enable it: to exist, to grow into adulthood, to decline into old age, to receive information from the world around it, to process and analyse this information, to think and form views, to communicate, to move, to take other actions, to reproduce, to defend itself, to repair itself, and to do a range of other things.
The various parts, systems and processes of the body that are involved in (1) to (10) above are the result of our evolution. And they can only be properly understood by understanding the evolution of each of them. They cannot be properly understood by simply looking at them as they are today.
A summary of all of this is that, if medical science gains a better understanding of our evolution .. that is, a better understanding of the evolution of each of the parts, systems and processes of our body .. it will gain a better understanding of how today's body actually works. And this will then enable it to find answers to many of today's unsolved health problems (both physical and mental).
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That concludes Paper #13.
Next is Paper #14, in which I deal with the future direction of medical science.
Please go to Paper #14 ...
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Love one another and care for our planet,
Gee
Gee Ryan (Gerald)
16 November 2014
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Care For Our Planet Couple (in greys), Gee Ryan (Gerald), 2016. H 36 inches x W 48 inches (91.44cm x 121.92cm). Mixed media on canvas. Art email address is gee@geeryan.com and art website is geeryan.com
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