“Think Microscopically” – The Birth of Cell Theory.

Mike Magee If there was an All-Star team for 20th Century Medicine, two members of the roster would likely be William Welch and William Osler, two of the “Big Four” founders of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. (The other two were surgeon William Stewart Halsted and obstetrician Howard Atwood Kelly.) Welch served as the […]

The Most Profitable Convenience Store Product? Caffeinated, but not coffee.

Mike Magee If you enter a Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts on any given day, it is more than likely that you will exit with roughly half the maximum recommended daily dosage of caffeine in a hot or cold coffee beverage. No surprise here. But you may be surprised to know that your caffeine hit is […]

The World’s Most Widely Used Psychoactive Drug?

Mike Magee Question: What is the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug? Answer: Caffeine In the U.S., caffeine is consumed mainly in the form of coffee, tea, and cola. But coffee dominates. Worldwide, humans consume over 10 million tons of coffee beans a year. Roughly 16% (1.62 million tons) is devoured by Americans. The daily […]

Vital Signs Are Vital: How We Learned To Measure Blood Pressure.

Mike Magee It has been estimated that a medical student learns approximately 15,000 new words during the four years of training. One of those words is sphygmomanometer. the fancy term for a blood pressure monitor. The word is derived from the Greek σφυγμός sphygmos “pulse”, plus the scientific term manometer (from French manomètre). While medical students are quick to memorize and […]

Do You Know Your Blood Type?

Mike Magee Medical Science has made remarkable progress over the past 100 years, fueled by basic scientific discoveries, advances in medical technology, improved diagnostic testing, and public health programming to support, inform, and empower patients. Progress has been sequential, with each new discovery and advance building on those preceding it. These have combined to lengthen lifespan in […]

Science as a Tool of Diplomacy. The Brief History of Balloon Angioplasty.

Mike Magee “Navigating Uncertainty: The recently announced limitation from the NIH on grants is an example that will significantly reduce essential funding for research at Emory.” Gregory L. Fenes, President, Emory University, March 5, 2025 In 1900, the U.S. life expectancy was 47 years. Between maternal deaths in child birth and infectious diseases, it is […]

Echoes of Apartheid: The Case for Tesla Divestiture

Join the “Tesla Divestiture” Movement Send this link to all your friends and contacts. Speak up! Push back! ___________________________________________________ Mike Magee For aging Boomers, it is impossible not to hear echoes of Apartheid re-emerging with force 3/4 of a century after the battle for social justice here and in far away lands was fully engaged. […]

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