PROGRAMME
1
The
Physics and Mathematics of the Life Sciences in the Universe
Implicate
and explicate order - Holomovement - Group Theory – Fractals – Structure and
Symmetry/Asymmetry – Supersymmetry - Automorphism – Pattern Without
Frontiers - Hyperspace - Thermodynamics - Dissipative Structures - Non-local
theory - Quantum Chaos – Complex Systems - Splitting reality, Superposition
and Decoherence - From Elementary Particle Physics to the New Cosmos –
Stardust – Bose-Einstein Condensates – The Quantum Hall Effect - Can the
Mind make Sense of the Cosmos? – Mind and Space-Time - What is Information? -
Counter intuition and the plasticity of the Mind – Visiting the Past - New
Foundations of Physics only Out of Nothing – Nuclear Equation of State -
Cellular Equation of State – Organic Equation of State - "Universal
Equation of State?" - Life in the Universe – SETI - …
PROGRAMME
2
Medical
Imagery and Technology
BEAM
– BMAM - CAT - PET - MRI – Functional Imagery and the Cognitive Sciences -
Functional Imagery and Psychosomatics –
Elucidating
Physiological Action with Brain Imaging - Evoked Potentials - Inverse Medical
Imagery - Non-invasive selective stimulation of a chosen cell within the brain
(including its localisation and visualisation): basic principles - Focused ion
beam - Focused laser beam - Holography - Computerised models/reproduction of
(segments of) the brain: science fiction? – Ultrashort-Pulse Lasers –
Nanotechnology – Telesurgery – The Digital World - …
PROGRAMME
3
The
Mind
The
Mind and the Universe - An Anatomo-Functional Study of the Mind - The Physics of
Consciousness – The Biological Basis and Neurophysiology of Consciousness -
Consciousness Within and Without – Awareness, Consciousness and the
Unconscious – The Mind and the Gene - The Mind and the Cognitive Sciences -
The Conditioned Mind – The Fragmented Mind – The Holistic Mind - The
Dimensionless Mind – Psychosomatics - The Suggestive Power of the Senses –
The suggestive Power of Movement - The Suggestive power of the Mind - The
Plasticity of the CNS, PNS and ANS – The Mind and Infectious Disease – The
Mind and the Neuroimmunoendocrine System – The Mind and the disorders of the
Immune System, Connective Tissue and Joints -
The Mind and Surgery - The Mind and Anaesthetics -
The Mind and Emergency Medicine - The Mind and Pain – The Mind and
Alterations in Metabolism and Body Temperature - The Mind and the Nervous System - The Mind and Ageing – The
Mind and the Circulatory and Respiratory System – The Mind and the
Gastrointestinal System – The Mind and the Urinary System - The Mind and the
Reproductive and Sexual System – The Mind and the Skin – The Mind and
Haematology – The Mind and Neoplasia – Pharmacology of the Mind – The Mind
and Genetics - The Mind and Psychiatry – The Mind and Paediatrics - The Mind
and Nutrition - Ethology and Instinct – The Mind and Politics – The Mind and
Education – The Mind and Existential Issues – Social Achievements and
Superiorities rest overwhelmingly on Cultural Conditioning -…
Artificial
Intelligence – Artificial Life Forms - Plasticity in Computer Science –
Consciousness and Computers - Humanoids - HAL: Why not? – The Mind and
Robotics - Personalised Interactive Educational Software - …
What
do we know exactly? - The
value of Degrees, Examinations and Education in general is openly questioned -
Even when the degree is fully deserved (which may sometimes not necessarily be
the case...), what does he/she "know" exactly?...and how? - I.Q./GRE
reconsidered.
I
might add that I also consider medical training in general to be quite
inappropriate (not to say detrimental) to proper patient care. Here again, the
approach is much too fragmented, the result being that I have all too often seen
specialists feeling very uneasy indeed when faced with a problem outside his/her
specialty. The patient is then sent to another specialist who has also more or
less "forgotten" what is outside his/her own specialty.... and so
forth... These fragmentary approaches often not only lack coordination but can
also be very expensive to the community (and patient). The result being that not
only the patient is confused but the doctor in charge has considerable
difficulty having a complete and thorough picture of his/her patient's case and
personality. The human brain is perfectly capable of acquiring and storing all
the information necessary from the different specialties into one single
competent doctor. The medical courses should be entirely reviewed.
And
not only medical courses...
Could
the process leading to the enculturation of the brain possibly smother/limit
it's full creative potential and render it “unintelligent”? This is of
fundamental importance not only for research but also for mankind/humanity in
general and for the years to come. What is important is what and how you
"know" (whatever that is supposed to mean...), not so much the degree
as such - What would happen if - and I don't think the idea is too far fetched -
through the use of personal computers, the Web and somewhat more adapted
personalised interactive programmes, every human being could acquire knowledge
of "good degree standard" and thereby short-circuit institutionalised
establishments of education which would therefore become obsolete?
I
am convinced that this era of multidisciplinarity and world access to
information shall give birth to a new generation: that of self-made intellectual
(and why not artistic...) chameleons.
How
could we make the Brain function more efficiently? – Cluttering the Brain with
useless material – How can thought be quiet? How can one exercise thought when
necessary and not exercise it when it is not necessary? What is intelligence? -
Cleverness and Intelligence: two different things - Assimilating and reproducing
knowledge is a mechanical process which is not intelligence: indeed, is
intelligence mechanical? Intelligence is of a completely different dimension -
I am proposing to find a language more adapted to the nervous system than that
used so far in educational institutions: this means going into the
neurophysiology of basic thought processes: a protocol enabling the study and
the unravelling of the mechanisms of understanding (in its fullest sense) and
what hampers these processes, including neurosemantics (and the neurosemantic
reactions that can bring about or take the form of powerful psychophysiological
blockages), the suggestive power of words and thoughts (conscious or
“hidden”), the reason for the
incessant and sometimes wild chattering "noise" within most of us (we
are like slaves, puppets to the mind living in a prison of our own making) which
hampers insight, reasoning and understanding, and which is sometimes just too
much for the nervous system to take. The protocol explores the possibility of
finding a common denominator in all the languages not only from a grammatical
but also from a physico-chemical point of view.
In
short, I am here trying to find the basic "code", the key principle of
learning and reasoning (the basis of research) so that the human being does not
have to waste so much time not only to acquire knowledge but even just to
understand what is seen, read or said (sometimes one third of a whole life is
given to study, or a whole life for research). In so doing not only shall the
pace in the advancement of research, in the understanding of Nature, and of the
nature of Nature be considerably increased, but also the status that is
generally given to knowledge is invited to climb down the ladder putting whatever
knowledge "in its place" as it were; perhaps much more attention
that is so urgently needed can thereby be given to the human being as such on
this planet and thus attend to the vital problem of harmony (i.e. intelligence)
within and between human beings.
Self-knowledge
is the beginning of wisdom and if one could feel the urgency of an inner
revolution, the solution to all the human problems
would
come on its own accord, without relying on any guru, book, system, belief, idea,
or what have you (including violence), since self-
knowledge
by definition cannot depend on any external agency.
PROGRAMME
4
Alternative
and Complementary Medicines
1)
Meditation (yoga,...) and Music
A
complete and thorough study of meditation – Functional analysis of the neural
networks using medical imagery - Music, Psychotherapy and other applications –
Neurophysiology of Meditation - Neurobiology of Meditation - …
2)
Chi Kung - Wai Dan - Nei Dan - Taï Chi Chuan - Ba Kua Chan – Hsing I Chuan
– Dancing
A
comprehensive anatomo-functional study with reference to basic principles of
neurophysiology, neuroendocrinology and psychiatry– a complete analysis of
movements - a study of the potential short and long term benefits through
regular practice - Why should a given succession of movements have a given
effect? – The Suggestive Power of Movement – Active Meditation as opposed to
Passive Meditation - Analysis of the mutual positive/negative feed-back
influences and of the neural networks using medical imagery whilst practising
the martial arts - Psychotherapeutic aspects - Psycho-somatic lumbalgia and
arthralgia - the "stress-immune" system - neuro-endocrine immune
interaction - Ageing – Clinical applications - …- Gestiology – Symbolism -
…
I
am interested in Chinese medicine and related disciplines.
It is important to note in this respect that the Chinese made many
fundamental clinical and theoretical medical discoveries hundreds of years ago
and which are only now finding confirmation thanks to more advanced technology
and a more open mind.
3)
Acupuncture - Chi Nei Tsang - Shia-Tsu,
A
systematic study with reference to basic principles of neurophysiology,
molecular biology and immunology - Psychiatric disorders - Clinical applications
- Why does acupuncture work with certain people and not with others - Analysis
of the meridian circuitry - Example: stimulation of point S36 followed by an
analysis of subsequent brain functions and neural circuitry involved, internal
parameters and the ensuing neuroimmunoendocrine interactions: neurotransmitters/neuropeptides,
synaptic transmission, neuroendocrine factors, lymphocyte B et T, cytokine
networks, phagocytosis, … - Comparative study between control subjects and
hospitalised patients - …
I
am quite aware of the fact that acupuncture is a controversial (to say the
least) field of study for some.
It
is hoped however that the advanced technology at our disposal shall enable a
complete, objective(!) and very thorough investigation of the physiological and
biochemical basis of acupuncture. Should acupuncture be totally rejected? Far
too many questions are still left unanswered in this field, as you undoubtedly
know.
There is also far too much pressure from laboratories and faculties to
use drugs and to directly and indirectly discourage research in acupuncture.
Acupuncture also allows the physician to decrease the administered
therapeutic doses. Could we do
without drugs altogether through a better knowledge of acupuncture? Let us give
acupuncture a fair trial.
Chi
Nei Tsang deals with "massage of the internal organs" and the
suggestive power of touch.
4)
Phytotherapy, Herbs, Homeopathy, Placebo, …
PROGRAMME
5
Internal
Medicine and The Neurosciences
Basic
Principles – A Comprehensive Discussion of Internal Medicine seen through the
Neurosciences: Genetics and Disease – Pharmacology – Nutrition – Clinical
Manifestations of Disease – Infectious Disease – Environmental and
Occupational Hazards - Neurological Disorders – Endocrinology and Metabolism
– Haematology and Oncology – Disorders of the Immune System – Disorders of
the Connective Tissue and Joints – Disorders of the Cardiovascular System –
Disorders of the Respiratory System – Disorders of the Kidney and Urinary
Tract – Disorders of the Gastrointestinal System - …
PROGRAMME
6
Surgery
and The Neurosciences
Basic
Principles – Preoperative Preparation of Surgical Patients – Anaesthesia -
Homeostasis – Shock – Fluid and Electrolyte Management – Metabolism –
Wound Healing – Infections – Trauma – Renal Failure – The
Neuroimmunoendocrine System – Transplantation – Systems
Review:
General and Specialised Surgery seen through the Neurosciences - …
PROGRAMME
7
Emergency
Medicine, Intensive Care and The Neurosciences
Basic
Principles - Clinical Anaesthesiology – Systems Review: A Comprehensive
Discussion of Emergency Situations as seen through the
Neurosciences
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – Critical Care - …
PROGRAMME
8
Biology
and Computer Science
The
Human Genome – The Anatomy of Human Gene Expression - Identification of Gene
Functions – Proteomics - Glycomics – Treating Disease without Drugs -
Endogenously Synthesised Drugs on Demand – Doomsday for Pharmacological
Companies? - Genetic Engineering – DNA/gene chips – Protein arrays – Gene
Therapy - Targeted Gene Replacement - Biohybrid Devices - Genetic Screening –
Cloning - Cultivation of Stem Cells - Genetic Vaccines – Edible Vaccines -
Computing with DNA - Probing the Soul? – Plasticity in Computer Science –
Robotic Life Forms – The Mind and Robotics – Synthetic Consciousness - A
Common Cyberlanguage for the Life Sciences – Wholesale Computation –
Creating Convergence - Optical Switching – The Ultimate all-optical Network -
Personalised Interactive Educational Software - The World of Biomics -
Hypercomputers - Nanotechnology - Nanoelectronics - Nanomedicine …
PROGRAMME
9
Space
Life
sciences in the space program: Biomedical research – Medicine in Space –
Emergency Medicine and Critical Care in Space – The Drug Problem: Solution = ?
- Radiation - Crew factors - Systems engineering – Operational medicine -
Gravitational biology - Controlled ecological life support systems - Biosystems
research - Exobiology - Flight programs - Program administration –
Applications - …
PROGRAMME
10
Synthesis
This
programme systematically integrates all the afore mentioned material developed
in the preceding sections.
The
mind in and by itself contains all the essentials of the history of humanity. It
is an invaluable "book", an inextinguishable source of inspiration
which is forever changing, never coming to an end and which contains a wealth of
information: a memory of the past and of the future… If one is able to read
that "book" (which is the main difficulty), you do not need any other
books on psychology, philosophy… The solution is not "out there" but
within. It is interesting to note that a few Far Eastern “Philosophers” are
able to talk (in their own words) about the Essence (= Quintessence?) of the
Universe - which is an extremely complex issue – without having studied
Physics… Could the study of our minds possibly reveal much more than the
basics of psychology and philosophy...? Could I think of a predetermined gene,
understand its mechanism, or “tell”
it to start making another protein because I need it to get rid of an
infection…? Can Consciousness understand itself?
The
dynamic plasticity of the CNS, PNS and ANS demonstrates that self-knowledge
associated with multidisciplinary experiences, training, “education” and way
of life can be undoubtedly beneficial for many reasons: medical, political,
sociological, research…and last but not least: for the individual him(her)self.
The educational and institutional systems, however, must be entirely revised.
The
Neurosciences and Cognition – Education – The Savant Syndrome – Autism -
The Interblending between Cognitive Sciences and the Neuroimmunoendocrine
System: this integrated approach forms by far one of the most complex issues in
the Neurosciences.
Medicine
and the Neurosciences: A Holistic Approach – Clinical applications -
Psychosomatics - Classical and Alternative/Comparative Medicine: an integrated
approach - Problem: How are you going to deal with a patient who finds
him(her)self in a (critical) medical condition
(disease/inflammation/trauma/…..functional or organic
problem…/…surgery…) when drugs may not be available (i.e. long
distance/duration space flight, so-called "under-developed” countries in
Africa, Asia, ...)? - The Drug Problem - Health without Drugs: Science Fiction?
– Wound healing - Africa and the AIDS Crisis – Peritonitis on a long
distance space flight: you’ve got a problem!
Population
genetics - Comparative ethnopsychiatric studies - Epidemiological studies on
resistance to infection and drugs – Disease elimination and eradication.
The
Neurosciences and International Relations – Politics – Economics – The
Neurosciences and Religion – The Neurosciences and The Arts.