Levels of Description

All knowledge comes from the human – zak stein

Each of the scientific and intellectual disciplines, from chemistry and biology, to psychology and sociology, is a unique but partial description of the world. Our self understanding is enhanced by the ability to generate interweaving languages that interpenetrate the disciplines, so that we can refer to events and constructs that form the foundation of, or, emerge from, any reference frame. From Neurons to Neighborhoods, by Jack Shinkoff, a Harvard pediatrician specializing in childhood development, is a report on how brains wire and children learn to think, integrating the influence of environments and legislative policies. I find it encouraging to see public health recommendations address the relationship between the microscopic neurobiology and the macroscopic human experience. Every day in clinic I see the effects of a lifetime of unmet or poorly met needs on the physiologic body. Thus, am excited anytime we find a new pathway to improve health outcomes with fewer pills. By noticing how contingent sociology is upon chemistry, we can make a lot of pharmaceuticals irrelevant by improving children’s development.