So far, in our series on the architecture of thought, we’ve dissected the conductive power of neurons and the vast interconnected web of the peripheral nervous system. The nervous system is an incredibly complex machine, so you may be feeling overwhelmed by now (if you’re not overwhelmed, consider this: your nervous system is currently trying to understand the nervous system). Before we dive into the next section, let’s take a moment to ground ourselves using my favorite grounding exercise. Take a deep breath and settle into the space around you. Now, look around you and name five things you can…
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For most of history and the long origin story of vaccines, we have known very little about the mechanics of how bodies defend against disease. The practice of variolation—purposefully exposing individuals to dried infected material to stimulate immunity—was borne out of the simple observation that people who survive sickness don’t tend to get sick again. The science of immunity didn’t really fall under much scientific scrutiny until the 19th century after Edward Jenner made his pivotal cowpox/smallpox vaccine discovery. Cowpox and smallpox were clearly different diseases with differences in severity, animal host, and mode of transmission. But, despite these differences,…
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