The Weekly Dose...

... the latest from Dr Karan

  Here is your weekly dose...  

Hi all!Here is your weekly dose of the Sunday Six! A list of what I'm pondering and exploring. If you enjoy this please feel free to forward this to friends. families and enemies alike!**You'll find more in depth analysis of some of these subjects on my social platforms in the links just below, including Dr Karan Investigates! for deep dives into interesting topics on my YouTube channel.**

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What I've Been Thinking 

Have you ever wondered what the perfect version of human evolution would look like?

Ostrich knees, frog-like skin and a dogs heart are just some of the components that Professor Alice Roberts believes make the perfect version of a human. Although these sounds strange, she has strong reasons for each of these choices. So, why ostrich knees? Well ostrich legs are bipedal; making them much better runners than humans who have complex knee joints that are prone to accidents. Frog-like skin would allows humans to change shades based on their environment. And a dogs heart has more connected arteries than humans, meaning there is a lower risk of heart disease. 

Sounds strange? Well Professor Roberts had more animal hybrids in mind to make the perfect human, including the eyes of an octopus, bird-like lungs, bat-ears and a marsupial pouch. Now if you’re curious to see what the “perfect human” looks like I don’t blame you - take a look at a full article here. The Perfect Human 

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What I've Been Listening Too...

Lex Fridman Podcast - Magnus Carlsen, Chess Master 

I've never been more than a keen amateur (and a very average) chess player at best but I find professional chess fascinating. So listening to Magnus Carlsen, who is arguably the greatest chess player ever on Lex Fridman's podcast was eye-opening!

The battles with himself rather than his opponents, how prodigies are modules and the intricacies of drunk chess! If you enjoyed the Queens Gambit on Netflix then this is worth a listen whether you're a chess fan or not.

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What I've Been Watching...

Boiling Point - Netflix

Drama starring Stephen Graham as a head chef in a high energy, stressful and often combative professional kitchen. Aptly named Boiling Point and filmed in one take, this brilliant movie reminds me a lot of a busy surgical on-call shift where a lot of things can go wrong. Craft professionals are rarely about just the craft, interpersonal relationships and managing them are key!

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Unusual Sleep Tips:

I touched on the fact recently that a lot of us don't change our mattresses and pillows as much as we should, despite spending a third of our lives on them! Pillows and mattresses gradually accumulate dead skin cells, dust mites, beg bugs and sebum from our skin surfaces. All of these in combination can act as irritants and allergens that can affect our breathing during sleep!

If it's been more than two years since you last changed your pillow, and more than five years for your mattress, then it may be in your health's best interests to invest in new ones.

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Fun Fact

Most people assume that to work or study a quiet place to get their heads down is required. But some research done by Edith Cowan University shows that random noises may actually improve studying/working performances. So next time you have a deadline or need to do some cramming remember to have my videos on in the background. After all, science said so! 

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The Future of the NHS... 

Before I start, allow me to reaffirm that these opinions are my own. I work for the NHS and fully understand it's importance, but also how difficult it is to manage how it does.

I've been a part of the NHS for almost a decade now and in this period of time I've seen significant changes-

1. Attrition Of The Workforce.  Many members of staff, nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals are becoming more and more disillusioned by the NHS and often find that the grass is in fact greener elsewhere. Be it in the USA, Canada or Australia, or even working in the private healthcare sector.

2. Staff Retention. Staff are continually become more undervalued (like being made to pay for parking to go to work), this coupled with poor pay (for the jobs they do) is making staff look elsewhere. Even away from the healthcare industry which is worrying considering the training they have put in to do such a role.

3. Waiting Times. The waiting times for routine operations and even just clinic appointments is becoming worryingly long, and it looks like this won't change anytime soon.

Certain elements of the NHS have already become privatised too, and I can only see this continuing until we end up with a two tier system similar to the USA where most healthcare is privatise with a "free" system sitting in the underbelly.

Perhaps I'm being too cynical, but my years in the organisation observing the inner goings on have made me so! The NHS is great, but contains many inherent flaws that are inevitable in such a grand operation where people pull in different directions and where there isn't an obvious point of leadership.

As always, please give me feedback on Twitter. Which of this weeks Sunday six is your favourite? Is there something you want more, or less of? I'm open to any suggestions so please let me know! Just send a  tweet to @drkaranrajan and use the hashtag #theweeklydose at the end so I can find it!

Have a wonderful week, all.

Much love,

Karan