Thursday, July 2, 2009

my medical malady

I am a law student addicted to medical dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy and House MD.
Ironic isn’t it? Aside from the personal issues of the characters, the dramas give me an insight as to how doctors now save lives through the various medical technologies such as robotic surgeons.

I recently came by this article in DiscoveryNews entitled “Robot Surgeon Finds Shrapnel.” It said that “a robotic surgeon at Duke University has successfully found and guided a needle to a sliver of steel shrapnel, completely without human help. The technology could reduce the cost and time necessary to complete a biopsy and other surgical operations.” With this, I now believe that anything is possible –like performing a simple operation anywhere and without any down time. If only this kind of technology reaches third world countries where they are needed the most!

I’m trying to find something as interesting that could happen in the field of law. How about autonomous robotic judges? We do have robotic judges in a sense that they are or should be devoid of feelings but autonomous? That’s tough. Some, if not most, succumb to corruption. Can we have both-one that can decide without human? Perhaps not, as there as still cases that should be decided based on particular sets of facts and circumstances surrounding it. I am still awaiting something as exciting that as applied in law. I find that the human mind is still the most advanced “technology” there is. We just need to wield it wisely as to prevent another influenza A(H1N1) virus outbreak.

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