Mike Magee “When we think about the past, we think about history. When we think about the future, we think about science. Science builds upon the past, but also simultaneously denies it.” These are the words of Jim Secord, a Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. His research and […]
Mike Magee This Fall, I am teaching a 4-week course on “How Epidemics Have Shaped Our World” at the President’s College at the University of Hartford. It is, of course a timely topic, but also personally unnerving as we complete a third year under the shadow of Covid-19. Where does one begin on a topic […]
Mike Magee As the saying goes, “History repeats!” This is especially true where politics are involved. Consider for example the past three decades in health care. It is striking how many of the players in our nation’s health policy drama remain front and center. And that includes President Biden who recently commented on the 12th […]
Mike Magee John Lennon‘s Imagine was released as a single today 51 years ago. Many of the comments in response to last week’s Hcom question (“How civilized are we humans?”) focused on aspirations for hope, peace, and mutual understanding. Yesterday was the 8th national holiday on our calendar – originally Columbus Day, now Indigenous Peoples Day. […]
Mike Magee “These are unprecedented times.” This is a common refrain these days, from any citizen concerned about the American experiment’s democratic ideals. Things like – welcoming shores, no one is above the law, stay out of people’s bedrooms, separation of church and state, play by the rules, fake news is just plain lying, don’t […]
Mike Magee “The key is trust. It is when people feel totally alienated and isolated that the society breaks down. Telling the truth is what held society together.” Those words were voiced sixteen years ago in Washington, D.C. It was October 17, 2006. The HHS/CDC sponsored workshop that day was titled “Pandemic Influenza – Past, […]
Mike Magee Tomorrow begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This is the time when Jewish people ask God for forgiveness for their mistakes and errors over the past year and commit to learning from those mistakes as to not repeat them in the year ahead. The emphasis then is not on suffering, but on […]
