About This Blog
The Collective Imagination is designed to explore some of the most compelling issues facing the world today and the ways that science and technology can help us address them. A changing cast of ScienceBlogs bloggers and GE scientists will work collaboratively to explore security and personal surveillance technology, the AIDS crisis, and the infrastructure and transmission of energy, among other topics. The blog is sponsored by GE, with all editorial content overseen by ScienceBlogs editors.
Profile
Greg Laden is a blogger, writer and independent scholar who occassionally teaches. He has a PhD from Harvard in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology, as well as a Masters Degree in the same subjects. He is a biological anthropologist, but for many years before going to graduate school to study human evolution, he did archaeology in North America. He thinks of himself as a biologist who focuses on humans (past and present) and who uses archaeology as one of the tools of the trade. Greg blogs regularly on ScienceBlogs at http://www.scienceblogs.com/gregladen/.
Profile
Dr. Joseph J. Salvo attended Phillips Andover Academy, received his A.B. degree from Harvard University and his Master and Ph.D. degrees in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. Dr. Salvo joined the GE Global Research Center in 1988. His early work focused on the development of genetically modified bacteria and fungus, for the production of novel high performance polymers. In the mid 1990's he turned his group's efforts towards developing large-scale internet-based sensing arrays to manage and oversee
business systems. Most recently, he and his team have developed a number of complex decision engines that deliver customer value through system transparency and knowledge-based computational algorithms. Commercial business implementations of his work are currently active in Europe, and Asia as well as North and South America.
Dr. Peter Tu received his undergraduate degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and his doctorate from Oxford University England.
In 1997, he joined the Visualization and Computer Vision Group at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, NY. He has developed algorithms for the FBI Automatic Fingerprint Identification System. He is the principle investigator for the ReFace program, which has the goal of automatically computing the appearance of a person’s face from skeletal remains. Dr. Tu has also developed a number of algorithms for the precise measurement of specular and high curvature objects. His current focus is the development of intelligent video algorithms for surveillance applications.
Please visit From Edison's Desk, which is Peter's home blog at GE Global Research.
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March 5, 2010
Category: Health • Question of the Day
This is the fifth daily question on the Collective Imagination blog.
Every day, respond to the question (or another commenter's answer) and you will be eligible to win a custom ScienceBlogs USB drive. We'll announce the previous day's winner in each daily question post.
Yesterday, we asked how digitized medical records have changed your experience with managed health care. The answers varies—some said they've seen no change, others said they made for faster, less error-prone communication of medical records, and one commenter said that the change actually made it for difficult to get a full annual report of lab reports.
Rodney is our randomly selected winner of the day. Rodney, please email [email protected] sometime within the next couple of days to claim your prize.
We'll be giving out USB drives daily through the end of March. To get your own, answer our next question, which many of you touched upon a couple of days ago in the comments:
How do you define adequate health coverage?
Tell us below!
For more information about health care and technology, check out GE's healthymagination.
Posted by Erin Johnson at 4:05 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 4, 2010
Category: Health • Question of the Day
This is the fourth daily question on the Collective Imagination blog.
Every day, respond to the question (or another commenter's answer) and you will be eligible to win a custom ScienceBlogs USB drive. We'll announce the previous day's winner in each daily question post.
Yesterday, we asked what is more important to you: getting the best personal health care coverage, or adequate universal coverage for everyone? Overwhelmingly, you opted for universal health care—though there were a couple of dissenting voices.
But several people pointed out that we didn't really clarify what we meant by 'best' or 'adequate.' We sense this as a daily question somewhere in the near future...
The lucky randomly selected commenter to win a USB drive today is Leofwine. Email [email protected] sometime today to claim your prize, Leofwine.
We'll be giving out USB drives daily through the end of March, so answer today's question (or comment on someone else's answer) to get your own:
Have digitized medical records changed your experience of managed health care? How?
Tell us below in the comments!
For more information about health care and technology, check out GE's healthymagination.
Posted by Erin Johnson at 10:52 AM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 3, 2010
Category:
Doctors Kwang-il Kwon and Hye Gwang Jeong of Chungnam National University studied the properties of oxygenated alcohol - booze with oxygen bubbles added - which is a popular concoction in their country. In these drinks, oxygen is added the way carbonation is usually added to soda, and the scientists wanted to know if these oxygenated beverages affected people differently than non-oxygenated ones. The answer was a resounding yes.
source, more info
Posted by Greg Laden at 7:05 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health
Hospitals and physicians in the U.S. have until 2015 to deploy comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) and the accompanying technology to meet federal guidelines and qualify for billions of dollars in reimbursements. But some health care experts are concerned that the quality of e-health systems might be at risk because of unrealistic deadlines and confusion about what to do first.
Details
Posted by Greg Laden at 6:05 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Digital security • Health
According to The Texas Tribune, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) routinely collected blood samples from newborns to screen for a variety of health conditions, before throwing the samples out.
But beginning in 2002, the DSHS contracted Texas A&M; University to store blood samples for potential use in medical research. These accumulated at rate of 800,000 per year. The DSHS did not obtain permission from parents, who sued the DSHS, which settled in November 2009.
Details
Posted by Greg Laden at 3:15 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health • Question of the Day
This is the third daily question on the Collective Imagination blog.
Every day, respond to the question (or another commenter's answer) and you will be eligible to win a custom ScienceBlogs USB drive. We'll announce the previous day's winner in each daily question post.
Yesterday, we asked whether you had ever lied to your doctor, and why. And while some of you profess to have been 100 percent truthful, the majority cop to omitting information at times, adjusting self-reported data, or downplaying alcohol and drug consumption. The risk of being dropped or rejected by health insurance providers seemed to be the number one reason to fudge the facts, followed by fear of receiving lesser care or of being negatively judged. There were lots of great answers this time - thank you, everyone!
We randomly selected commenter Keely to win a USB drive - Keely, please email [email protected] sometime today to claim your prize!
We'll be giving out USB drives daily through the end of March, so answer today's question (or comment on someone else's answer) to get your own:
What's more important to you: Getting the best personal healthcare coverage, or adequate universal coverage for everyone?
Tell us below in the comments!
For more information about health care and technology, check out GE's healthymagination.
Posted by Erin Johnson at 10:33 AM • 37 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 2, 2010
Category: Health • Question of the Day
This is the second of daily questions we will be posting on the Collective Imagination blog throughout the month of March, to draw attention to some of the emerging issues in modern health care and foster an interactive discussion around them.
Every day, respond to the question (or another commenter's answer) and you will be eligible to win a custom ScienceBlogs USB drive. We'll announce the previous day's winner in each daily question post.
Yesterday, we asked whether you use the Internet to find information or advice on your health, and to tell us why. We had 37 great responses, with the general consensus seeming to be "Yes, but only from the most reliable sources" - and much more so for information than advice.
Our (randomly selected) winner of a USB drive was....catgirl! Catgirl, please email [email protected] sometime today to claim your prize.
But if you're not catgirl, don't worry - we've got a whole month of questions coming up, which means plenty of opportunities to get your own. Starting with today's question:
Have you ever lied to your doctor? Why?
Tell us below in the comments!
For more information about health care and technology, check out GE's healthymagination.
Posted by Erin Johnson at 10:27 AM • 48 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
March 1, 2010
Category: Artificial Intelligence • Health
And I will feed it and care for it and love it. And it will be my own personal solution to the Health Care Insurance Crisis. Assuming we get all the other software and hardware in order.
Read on »
Posted by Greg Laden at 3:56 PM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Health • Question of the Day
This is the first of daily questions we will be posting on the Collective Imagination blog throughout the month of March, to draw attention to some of the emerging issues in modern health care and foster an interactive discussion around them.
And what's better, we have prizes! Respond to the daily question and you will be eligible to win a custom ScienceBlogs USB drive. We'll announce the previous day's winner in each daily question post - you can then email us at [email protected] to claim your prize.
Without further ado, here's your first question:
Do you use the Internet to find information or advice on your health? Why?
Tell us below in the comments!
For more information about health care and technology, check out GE's healthymagination.
Posted by Erin Johnson at 12:34 PM • 42 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
