17 thoughts on “Feynman’s Razor: “Explain it like you’re talking to an imaginary child””
There is a page on Instagram called Science Optics. From the opening information, I surmise that it is run by Canadian scientists from Western University, Queen’s University, and the University of Toronto. I believe its purpose is to explain the human body in layman’s terms, so that we can all understand and take ownership for our health.
There was a recent post entitled “Heart attack under microscope”.
I must’ve watched it at least 10 times with the growing realization that I finally understand why it is so important to rebuild and strengthen my healthy heart muscle to compensate for the damaged cells.
It was explained in simple, non-medical language. Not once in four years, through repeated tests, cardiology visits, and cardiac rehab did I get that kind of clarity on how to save my own life.
Hence, the gist of your blog post. Again, thank you thank you thank you, for all you do to teach your community.
Hi Helene – thanks for that tip about Science Optics. I’m not on Instagram but here’s the link for readers who are.
This is my favourite kind of patient resource – because it’s backed by scientists and researchers whose entire careers focus on evidence. The fact that it’s also in “simple, non-medical language” actually makes it usable!
Congrats Science Optics experts!
Another expert is cardiac researcher Dr. Sian Harding, author of one of my favourite heart books called “The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart. I’ve written about her a number of times – this link is specifically about how she “fell in love” with a heart muscle cell! I think you’d like it.
PS By the way, I think it’s criminal that in four whole years, you were not appropriately informed about what had happened to your heart!
My immense frustration with what I was going through led me first to your blog, and then your book.
I read your book 3x. First time right through, completely entertained by your sense of humour. Second time with a highlighter. Third time making margin notes of the highlighted passages and adding sticky notes.
Along with Cardiac College, your book and blogs are my go-to resources!
Hello again Helene – you just made my day with your story of reading my book three times – and so thoroughly (highlighters, margin notes and Post-it!?!) That’s such a terrific endorsement. I love to hear that women are finding my book useful during such an overwhelming time.
I was recently interviewed about women’s heart health for a podcast and was asked WHY I’m doing what I’m doing (i.e. writing and speaking). My answer was: “You wouldn’t be inviting me to speak had I not been misdiagnosed in mid-heart attack and sent home from the Emergency Department!”
Like you, it was that “immense frustration” I felt once I realized that being dismissed and not being believed by the doctors we turn to for help (despite my textbook ‘Hollywood Heart Attack’ symptoms!) was happening to women far more often than to our male counterparts – and worse, continues to do so! This made me furious!
Just today, I read a review of a new book called “All In Her Head” about the appalling history of women’s health care!
I don’t want to read yet another “ain’t it awful?” book. I just want it to STOP!
Take care. . . thanks again for your kind words. ❤️
Now I remember how I explained this phenomenon: I did a 10 second video holding up an EKG reading and saying – “you (meaning the doctor) can read this (EKG printout) and know that my heart…… but you can’t read THIS (pointing to my face showing a complete blank stare) when you tell me about it!”
Hello Bethany and Hannah! – love that video concept! I wonder how many ‘blank stares’ some cardiologists face day to day while delivering all that medical jargon. . .
The trouble is that many (most?) patients are too polite to interrupt the stream of medical jargon in order to ask doctors to repeat what they’ve just said but in a simplified way so we can understand. My late mother was a perfect example of this unfortunate politeness. I’m sure she smiled and nodded during her doctors’ appointments, and even if the doctor asked her “Do you have any questions?” at the end of the appointment, she would have said “NO!” – because she did not want to appear stupid in front of such a busy man!
❤️ I suspect that doctor-patient relationships have moved beyond those days – at least, I HOPE they have!
Reminded me of an incident when I was a lowly student nurse in an exam room with a young resident physician asking an old man from the streets when he last urinated, last voided his bladder, etc. I listened for as long as I could stand it and then asked the fellow: “When did you last take a leak?” He answered, “About half hour ago” – while the resident turned beet red.
Hi Sara – “When did you last void your bladder?!?!” Absolutely no regular person talks that way! I wonder if turning beet red may have convinced that resident to talk normally to future patients?!
That choice of words reminds me of a public presentation on women’s heart health that I did along with a cardiologist who used the term “lipid panel” more than once when talking about cardiac risk factors.
Like you, I listened to this for as long as I could stand it, but the next time she said the words “lipid panel”, I couldn’t help myself: I blurted out loud to our audience: “CHOLESTEROL TEST!”
I know she must have thought it was quite rude for a lowly patient to interrupt her talk like that, but I also know that “lipid panel” is a term used by physicians, not by regular people!
I don’t think I ever heard of Dr Feynman until I started watching The Big Bang Theory on TV. The ultimate science hero. I remember one episode where all the characters even went to visit Feynman’s grave together.
So interesting how you can take a past story of a physicist and somehow weave it nto something that makes perfect sense to help our patients today. So creative & so awesome! 🙂
Hello RN – thank you! I had fun writing this post, and I also learned a lot about this “science hero” that I didn’t know before.
It’s not about physics for me – it’s more about Dr. Feynman being a solid example of a brilliantly smart guy – smart enough to know that truly smart academics, doctors and scientists deliberately avoid using jargon-heavy language around listeners or readers who cannot understand them.
Take care. . .❤️
Thank you Carolyn for this very insightful article. I have experienced this more times than I’d like to admit.
If possible I ask my husband to come along since after the first few minutes of listening to the doctor, I completely zone out. If I’m alone I will put my phone on video and record the conversation so I can listen back later.
Obviously they don’t want you to do this, so I sit it in my purse and have it running. It would be nice to have things explained in a way that made sense.
Honestly none of this heart stuff makes much sense. Just keep trying our best to move forward on the right path.
Hello Linda – it is sad that we have to resort to hiding a recording device in our purse to make sure we can later assess what that doctor was actually saying.
I’ve had readers who told me that they don’t hide the phone, but they take it out and place it on the doctor’s desk while explaining that they need to do this to make sure they could explain today’s conversation to the rest of the family later on. I like this suggestion because it does two things: it does ensure that you can replay the visit with family, plus it likely makes the doctor’s own explanations at the time more patient-friendly because they know their words are being recorded.
Here in Canada (for those who are wondering if secretly recording is legal in this case) – it’s not illegal to record someone without their knowledge so long as YOU are part of the conversation.
The point here is not the recording itself: no patient would need to record (secretly or openly) if they did not believe (usually through unfortunate prior doctor-patient experience) that this conversation could be a jargon-filled nightmare.
Until my sibs started accompanying my late mother to her many doctor visits, for example, her version of “what the doctor said” was not at all what the doctor had actually said. Bringing along another adult – as you sometimes do – does address that issue too.
Take care. . . ❤️
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters 
Heart Sisters 
There is a page on Instagram called Science Optics. From the opening information, I surmise that it is run by Canadian scientists from Western University, Queen’s University, and the University of Toronto. I believe its purpose is to explain the human body in layman’s terms, so that we can all understand and take ownership for our health.
There was a recent post entitled “Heart attack under microscope”.
I must’ve watched it at least 10 times with the growing realization that I finally understand why it is so important to rebuild and strengthen my healthy heart muscle to compensate for the damaged cells.
It was explained in simple, non-medical language. Not once in four years, through repeated tests, cardiology visits, and cardiac rehab did I get that kind of clarity on how to save my own life.
Hence, the gist of your blog post. Again, thank you thank you thank you, for all you do to teach your community.
LikeLike
Hi Helene – thanks for that tip about Science Optics. I’m not on Instagram but here’s the link for readers who are.
This is my favourite kind of patient resource – because it’s backed by scientists and researchers whose entire careers focus on evidence. The fact that it’s also in “simple, non-medical language” actually makes it usable!
Congrats Science Optics experts!
Another expert is cardiac researcher Dr. Sian Harding, author of one of my favourite heart books called “The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart. I’ve written about her a number of times – this link is specifically about how she “fell in love” with a heart muscle cell! I think you’d like it.
PS By the way, I think it’s criminal that in four whole years, you were not appropriately informed about what had happened to your heart!
Arrgh!
❤️
LikeLike
Thank you for your insight, Carolyn.
My immense frustration with what I was going through led me first to your blog, and then your book.
I read your book 3x. First time right through, completely entertained by your sense of humour. Second time with a highlighter. Third time making margin notes of the highlighted passages and adding sticky notes.
Along with Cardiac College, your book and blogs are my go-to resources!
LikeLike
Hello again Helene – you just made my day with your story of reading my book three times – and so thoroughly (highlighters, margin notes and Post-it!?!) That’s such a terrific endorsement. I love to hear that women are finding my book useful during such an overwhelming time.
I was recently interviewed about women’s heart health for a podcast and was asked WHY I’m doing what I’m doing (i.e. writing and speaking). My answer was: “You wouldn’t be inviting me to speak had I not been misdiagnosed in mid-heart attack and sent home from the Emergency Department!”
Like you, it was that “immense frustration” I felt once I realized that being dismissed and not being believed by the doctors we turn to for help (despite my textbook ‘Hollywood Heart Attack’ symptoms!) was happening to women far more often than to our male counterparts – and worse, continues to do so! This made me furious!
Just today, I read a review of a new book called “All In Her Head” about the appalling history of women’s health care!
I don’t want to read yet another “ain’t it awful?” book. I just want it to STOP!
Take care. . . thanks again for your kind words. ❤️
LikeLike
Now I remember how I explained this phenomenon: I did a 10 second video holding up an EKG reading and saying – “you (meaning the doctor) can read this (EKG printout) and know that my heart…… but you can’t read THIS (pointing to my face showing a complete blank stare) when you tell me about it!”
LikeLike
Hello Bethany and Hannah! – love that video concept! I wonder how many ‘blank stares’ some cardiologists face day to day while delivering all that medical jargon. . .
The trouble is that many (most?) patients are too polite to interrupt the stream of medical jargon in order to ask doctors to repeat what they’ve just said but in a simplified way so we can understand. My late mother was a perfect example of this unfortunate politeness. I’m sure she smiled and nodded during her doctors’ appointments, and even if the doctor asked her “Do you have any questions?” at the end of the appointment, she would have said “NO!” – because she did not want to appear stupid in front of such a busy man!
❤️ I suspect that doctor-patient relationships have moved beyond those days – at least, I HOPE they have!
LikeLike
This article is why we love you – and need you! Great job!
Very interesting and effective.
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Thank you Hannah & Bethany! I’m so glad you liked this article – it was fun to write and I learned a lot while looking stuff up.
Keep up the good work you two do! ❤️
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Another great read! Thanks again.
Reminded me of an incident when I was a lowly student nurse in an exam room with a young resident physician asking an old man from the streets when he last urinated, last voided his bladder, etc. I listened for as long as I could stand it and then asked the fellow: “When did you last take a leak?” He answered, “About half hour ago” – while the resident turned beet red.
I restrained my laughter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Sara – “When did you last void your bladder?!?!” Absolutely no regular person talks that way! I wonder if turning beet red may have convinced that resident to talk normally to future patients?!
That choice of words reminds me of a public presentation on women’s heart health that I did along with a cardiologist who used the term “lipid panel” more than once when talking about cardiac risk factors.
Like you, I listened to this for as long as I could stand it, but the next time she said the words “lipid panel”, I couldn’t help myself: I blurted out loud to our audience: “CHOLESTEROL TEST!”
I know she must have thought it was quite rude for a lowly patient to interrupt her talk like that, but I also know that “lipid panel” is a term used by physicians, not by regular people!
Take care. . . ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sara – So excellent!
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I don’t think I ever heard of Dr Feynman until I started watching The Big Bang Theory on TV. The ultimate science hero. I remember one episode where all the characters even went to visit Feynman’s grave together.
So interesting how you can take a past story of a physicist and somehow weave it nto something that makes perfect sense to help our patients today. So creative & so awesome! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello RN – thank you! I had fun writing this post, and I also learned a lot about this “science hero” that I didn’t know before.
It’s not about physics for me – it’s more about Dr. Feynman being a solid example of a brilliantly smart guy – smart enough to know that truly smart academics, doctors and scientists deliberately avoid using jargon-heavy language around listeners or readers who cannot understand them.
Take care. . .❤️
LikeLike
Adding to RN in NYC – I love that show!! It made me understand so much.
LikeLike
Thank you Carolyn for this very insightful article. I have experienced this more times than I’d like to admit.
If possible I ask my husband to come along since after the first few minutes of listening to the doctor, I completely zone out. If I’m alone I will put my phone on video and record the conversation so I can listen back later.
Obviously they don’t want you to do this, so I sit it in my purse and have it running. It would be nice to have things explained in a way that made sense.
Honestly none of this heart stuff makes much sense. Just keep trying our best to move forward on the right path.
Thank you!
Linda
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Linda – it is sad that we have to resort to hiding a recording device in our purse to make sure we can later assess what that doctor was actually saying.
I’ve had readers who told me that they don’t hide the phone, but they take it out and place it on the doctor’s desk while explaining that they need to do this to make sure they could explain today’s conversation to the rest of the family later on. I like this suggestion because it does two things: it does ensure that you can replay the visit with family, plus it likely makes the doctor’s own explanations at the time more patient-friendly because they know their words are being recorded.
Here in Canada (for those who are wondering if secretly recording is legal in this case) – it’s not illegal to record someone without their knowledge so long as YOU are part of the conversation.
The point here is not the recording itself: no patient would need to record (secretly or openly) if they did not believe (usually through unfortunate prior doctor-patient experience) that this conversation could be a jargon-filled nightmare.
Until my sibs started accompanying my late mother to her many doctor visits, for example, her version of “what the doctor said” was not at all what the doctor had actually said. Bringing along another adult – as you sometimes do – does address that issue too.
Take care. . . ❤️
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Totally with you, Linda! We bring someone and we tape as well. I zone out, especially if they utter the words ‘heart transplant’.
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