*new* 14Oct14 NCAA allows team to move game so terminally ill player can play http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2014/10/14/ncaa-terminally-ill-basketball-player-lauren-hill-mout-saint-joseph
*new* 10Oct14 "What is a Good Death?" from The Really Big Questions
http://trbq.org/topics/death/
This podcast could have come from our course. You already know that the big questions are really about how to live well. Listen in to others who are having conversations like ours.
*new* 10Oct14 "What's Your Story?" from The Really Big Questions
http://trbq.org/topics/stories/
check out especially the third podcast from E.O. Wilson -- whom you just read about in Chpt 10 on Darwinism.
7Oct14 Terminally diagnosed 29 year old takes her own life
http://www.cincinnatibell.net/tv/3/player/vendor/CNN/player/cnn/asset/cnn-terminally_ill_29yearold_to_end_her_life-cnn
'I am not a spy. I am a philosopher.' - The Chronicle of Higher Education
An Iranian philosopher's writing about being imprisoned:
Diminished sense of smell may indicate imminent death, study finds | The Rundown | PBS NewsHour
The Life and Death of My Muse: My Cat, Gracie | Next Avenue http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2014-10/life-and-death-my-muse-my-cat-gracie
I found the article on the diminished sense of smell may be a symptom of imminent death to be very interesting. The study didn't direct correlate the diminished sense of smell to death, but rather as a sign of cellular aging. The explanation sis make sense. The health and ability of cells diminish as we age. So it makes perfect sense that the sense of smell diminishing reflects old age, and since people usually die at an older age, the diminished smell would reflect death as well. A very interesting article.
ReplyDeleteThis really is a fascinating article! It provides an interesting insight into cell aging and the physical indications of it. But now, if I ever start to lose my sense of smell, I am going to freak out! Hopefully that never happens.
DeleteI also found this article extremely interesting! I like how the article explained this topic using facts rather than hypothetical theories because it gives the topic a foundation and makes it more believable. I would have to agree with Craig as well; If I ever lose my sense of smell, I will definitely freak out!
DeleteThe article about the philosopher was extremely interesting. It is probably not very often that someone lives to tell the tale after being put in prison as a suspected spy, and his story made for a very interesting read. I can't imagine having to lie about my true beliefs and motives because that was the only way I might have a sliver of hope of being free. It is crazy to hear how backwards the thinking of Ramin's interrogators is, especially with their ideas about the Holocaust and Jews in general. The whole ordeal that he went through sounds terrifying and he is definitely lucky to be alive and free. It is truly sad that the philosophers and other thinkers are seen as such a threat to people in positions of power that they have to intimidate and condemn them as traitors. He says that signing his confession, though completely untrue, made him feel ashamed and a coward, but I am sure that most people would do the same in his shoes. Overall, this was a very interesting story, definitely worth the read to get the background and perspective of someone who spent time in an Iranian prison.
ReplyDeleteI also read the article about the diminishing sense of smell being a possible indicator of death. This is very interesting, especially the idea posed at the end of the article that said that perhaps scent tests could be used to determine overall health.
Kristin,
DeleteI also agree that many people would sign a false confession if it would save his or her life. Although the confession was completely false, Ramin knew that was his only chance of survival. Since survival or preservation of life is a human instinct, it stands to reason that the majority of people would sign a false confession to save his or her life.
However, would agreeing to false accusations make us less of who we are or demonstrate a weakness in our values? For example, I read a story in which man came into a church during a Sunday service and held the members of the congregation at gunpoint. He then said I am going to kill everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Some people left (to save their life) but some stayed. The gunman then gave another chance to the congregation stating that if anyone who believed in Jesus and loved him and stayed were going to be killed. Still more people left the church. Only a few people remained. The gunman said to the few people who remained are you really willing to die over Jesus Christ, and they replied yes. The man then proceeded to drop the gun and cry and said 'good, I want you to help me find Jesus so that I can be saved'
The whole point of the story is the gunman actually wanted to be saved and taught by the people who truly believed in God. He knew that holding people at gunpoint and telling them he was gong to kill believers and giving them the chance to leave would only leave the true believers and that these people were the best people to help him be saved. So while Ramin did lie to save himself, as most people would, I think it is important to question the degree of his beliefs and how invested he was in them.
As a cat fearing person myself, reading the article about Gracie the cat was something I would not normally do. But, the author does a great job incorporating how even the death of a pet can be a meaningful and powerful event. One thing we can all learn from the short life of Gracie is to take advantage of all moments. Gracie led an adventurous and full life even though it was cut short.
ReplyDeleteI do not fear cats, but I have always preferred dogs. I think my preference comes from the general personality difference between dogs and cats. The author of this article sums up that of cats pretty well. When describing his cat, he says “Gracie, like many cats, gave attention on her terms, which meant not very often. But she was endlessly entertaining.” I prefer dogs because (depending on the breed) they are usually very attentive to their owners, in addition to being entertaining.
DeleteThe relationship between a pet and an owner can be a very strong one. I know that it will be very traumatic for me when my Chihuahua dies, as it was with the various pets I had growing up. I remember everything about all of my pets and where we shared my favorite memories.
I thought it was funny and sweet how the author of the article adopted Gracie only because his wife wanted a cat. He never really desired to have a cat, but when she died he seemed to take it the hardest. The message I take from this is to give everything/everyone a chance. You never know how much something/someone could end up meaning to you.
http://6abc.com/health/why-29-year-old-brittany-maynard-is-choosing-to-end-her-life/340551/
ReplyDeleteThis is an article I saw on Facebook. Brittany has stage 4 brain cancer and is choosing when she wants to die. In Oregon there are right to die laws which allow terminal patients like Brittany to choose when they want to end their pain and suffering. I thought it was really interesting as she points out she doesn't believe what she's doing is suicide.
I found the article of the 29 year old woman choosing her time to die very interesting. She knows that death is inevitable, especially with her stage 4 brain cancer. One thing that stood out to me is that she said that choosing her own time to go is able to allow her to feel more comfortable with and more accepting of the idea of death. I also like how she is spending her final days raising awareness for those in similar situations as herself.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn, one thing that I want to point out with this is that one could look at this logic and say that they want to be able to choose their time to go and be in charge of their death at any point in life since death is inevitable for all of us. While her situation is obviously a little different from a healthy person, no one can truly know when they will die or whether or not it will be painful. It could be argued that anyone might want to use this method so they can choose their time to die and not have it be on anyone else's terms. This would present a difficult moral dilemma for physicians if people wanted to be prescribed a deadly medicine to carry with them in case they get into a situation where a painful death or death in general may occur and they want to be in charge of their own death.
DeleteI read the article about the diminished sense of smell prior to death. I was shocked at how strong the correlation was between diminished olfactory functioning and upcoming death. I am curious as to the physiological reasoning behind this phenomenon, but just the finding itself is astounding. In a broader sense, this speaks to the fact that terminally ill patients usually have a sense of when they are going to pass. When my uncle passed away about 4 years ago, he was in his late seventies and was moved to hospice after a week's stay in the hospital for pneumonia. Originally, the plan was for him to go to rehab after the hospital and then back home. However, when the nurses explained this plan to him, he replied, "you won't have to worry about that because I'll be gone by next tuesday." It was shortly after that when he was moved to hospice and passed away the following monday. I am not claiming that he had some psychic insight (and neither did he). But, I have heard other stories like this and feel that people often know with accuracy when the end is near if they are expecting it. Something in their body tells them, I suppose. I feel that this article speaks to this fact and I really enjoyed reading the study. I would be interested to read the article in full in the PLoS publication and hear possible medical explanations, but I feel there may not be one just yet.
ReplyDeleteI watched the video on the 29 year old who wants to decide when to die. I stated in class that I would do the same thing and I will keep to that, more than likely I will not change my mind. My parents and close friends tell me that I act more like an adult than a 19 year old and I believe them. For her to have that control to me is like having control of any other aspect in our lives. When driving we do not know if something is going to happen to us and not come home or not be able to walk again. We do not know what is planned out for us and we should not look down on a person who is diagnosed with a terminal illness to want to have control. When it seems like nothing is going your way wouldn't you want a little control? I know most people would not agree with me, but this is my opinion and why shouldn't I be able to state it.
ReplyDeleteDiane, it is amazing that at 19 years old you know what you want when it comes to death already! I am the complete opposite until this class i have never thought about it. As of right now i know what i want but i am sure that will change with more information i learn about death. Even with the multiple deaths i have experienced in my family you would think that i would know what i want with being around it so much. Those deaths never made me think of my own death though. This class has truly changed my perspective.
DeleteI particularly liked the article about the 29 year old who chose to take her life. I liked this article because of how sure of herself the woman was. She knew that she wanted to be with her family and close friend when her life came to an end, and I agree that those are the people that should surround you in your last moments. It can be hard to make a decision like this because you don't want your family and friend to see you so weak and helpless, but I think it's important to let them know that you want to be with them because they are so important to you.
ReplyDeleteAubrey,
DeleteI too thought it was astounding how sure the woman was of herself. She decided what it was she was going to do and plans to stick to it. I think it would be extremely difficult to make this kind of decision. T make this kind of choice, a person has to put a lot of thought and time into it, as well as know his or her own values and what they hold to be important. This decision would be way too difficult for me. I am the worst decision maker. I have hard enough time deciding what I want for dinner let alone if I want to end my own life or let a disease kill me. However, this might be because I am young and still have things to discover about myself.
I completely agree that this would be a tough decision to make and that she is so brave in order to do this. I think she made a decision that was best for her but also for her family. She wanted her family to remember her as a fun and lively person and not a person who was suffering.
DeleteThis article about the terminally ill basketball player had me in tears. It really puts my life in perspective. All of the things I worry about that feel like life or death like test really are not that important. This girl who is so close to my age is fighting a terminal illness so she can play her last game of basketball and reach her dream is inspiring. Her will to live out her last days in a positive way putting everyone before her self is truly amazing. She is someone to really look up to I am glad her story has been shared to not only bring awareness about her cancer but also about her strong spirit.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. It is amazing to see all the good in the world in order for her to live out her dream. It is great that she is here to share her story to bring awareness but to also show others to live your life to the fullest and do the things you want most in life.
DeleteI completely agree Emily! This is so moving and it's amazing what is being done so she can live out her dream before she is too sick to play anymore. It is great to see someone so positive about their final days and looking forward to fulfilling her dream rather than dreading her death. This young woman is so strong, it would be so disheartening to be told that your life is almost over and you have no control over it but instead of being angry or scared she is determined and inspiring to all of us!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that we should all go to her game on November 2nd to show support for her!
Emily and Kristin I agree with both of your guys post about Lauren Hill. The article about 19-year-old Lauren Hill gave me goosebumps and had me balling my eyes out. This specific incident really has made me think about life and what I would do if I were in her shoes. Also, just like Lauren I would probably assume that I wasn't playing basketball so good because I was tired and was out of shape, not because of an illness. Although I do not personally know Lauren my heart goes out for her and all her friends and family. Lauren seriously is an inspiration to me. The reason why she is such an inspiration to me is because she is so strong/brave and is always still trying to put others before herself even though she should be putting herself first since she doesn't have that much time left. Honestly I would love to go to this game because basketball is one of my favorite sports to watch but, the main reason is to go see Lauren play and fulfill her life long dream.
ReplyDeleteRachael, I agree with what you have said. Lauren Hill is an amazing young woman, who never fails to amaze me with what she can do and has done. I recall, that Lauren said she wanted to be remembered as a hero. I already to look up to her, I wish I could be as courageous as she is now. She is one brave woman!
Deletehttp://www.people.com/article/man-beheads-woman-nyc-kills-himself
ReplyDeleteA really sad article about a woman who was beheaded by her son before he committed suicide. We talk about ISIS being something we assume is far away from us with the beheadings but this is the second incident that has happened on US soil in the last 2 months. A woman was beheaded in Kansas I think it was just a few months ago after an altercation happened at work.
Wow Meghan, this is absolutely crazy! I can't believe that things like this go on in the United States, this is really disturbing. I feel like we do tend to focus on problems in other countries because they are more prominent and often we just don't want to admit to ourselves that a lot goes on right under our noses.
DeleteOriginally posted: October 17, 2014
ReplyDeleteTitle: "Scientists have found “hidden” brain activity that can indicate if a vegetative patient is aware"
http://sciencealert.com.au/news/20141710-26359.html
Interesting article. Has a decent backing from http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003887.
Kind of goes back to what we were talking about earlier this semester as far as what the parameters of death are.
I found the research in the olfactory article to be every interesting. I have never heard of such a thing until now. I that it is neat that researchers have found a link between a decrease sense of smell and death. I would love to see how the researchers further their research and the possible discovers to come.
ReplyDelete