Hormones Are Nature's Three Bottles

One Young Woman's Tribute Describes Unwrapping Her Cadaver's Hands And Being Brought Up Short By The Realization That The Nails Were Painted Pink. "the Pictures In The Anatomy Atlas Did Not Show Nail Polish", She Wrote. "did You Choose The Color? Did You Think That I Would See It? I Wanted To Tell You About The Inside Of Your Hands. I Want You To Know You Are Always There When I See Patients. When I Palpate An Abdomen, Yours Are The Organs I Imagine. When I Listen To A Heart, I Recall Holding Your Heart.

All Good Research-whether For Science Or For A Book-is A Form Of Obsession.

I Am Very Much Out Of My Element Here. There Are Moments, Listening To The Conversations Going On Around Me, When I Feel I Am Going To Lose My Mind. Earlier Today, I Heard Someone Say The Words, "i Felt At One With The Divine Source Of Creation." Mary Roach On A Conducted Tour Of Hades. I Had To Fight The Urge To Push Back My Chair And Start Screaming: Stand Back! All Of You! I've Got An Arthur Findlay Box Cutter! Instead, I Quietly Excused Myself And Went To The Bar, To Commune With Spirits I Know How To Relate To.

For The Scientists, They're Kind Of Puzzled And Pleased That Somebody Finds Their Work Interesting. It Makes It Fun For Me. I Feel Like I've Sort Of Turned Over A Stone That Hasn't Been Turned Over.

The Nobility Of The Human Spirit Grows Harder For Me To Believe In. War, Zealotry, Greed, Malls, Narcissism. I See A Backhanded Nobility In Excessive, Impractical Outlays Of Cash Prompted By Nothing Loftier Than A Species Joining Hands And Saying “i Bet We Can Do This.” Yes, The Money Could Be Better Spent On Earth. But Would It? Since When Has Money Saved By Government Red-lining Been Spent On Education And Cancer Research? It Is Always Squandered. Let’s Squander Some On Mars. Let’s Go Out And Play.