November 2017: Memorizing Pi to 1,000 places, Cappucino and EKG in Hand

Escapades from the month of November, 2017:

Professional

I am in the midst of a Cardiology rotation where I hope to learn how to manage post-operative cardiac complications and figure out what the heck to do with EKGs besides stare at them for 10 seconds and say “Well, I’m not really too impressed.”

Current Projects

-Building a shed out of wood pallets I got from a local automotive battery supplier. I’d post a picture but I think that would discourage anyone from working with pallets. Word of advice if you do: measure the thickness of the wood, not just the height and width. They’re not standardized.

Reading

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. Our society, and healthcare in general, has a fascination with the idea of a photographic memory and the notion that an excellent memory = intelligence. This isn’t really a self-help book, but it does substantially refute the idea of an innately photographic memory and reveals how people of average intellect memorized entire books in the Middle Ages. Today, dedicated memory champions, who also claim to have average memories, can memorize the order of multiple decks of cards in under 20 minutes, or pi to over a thousand decimal places. A truly enlightening read, and one I’d recommend to anyone who ever wished their memory was as good as that one guy who never studies and sets the curve for every exam.

Drinking

Frothed perfection in the form of cappuccinos from Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters. Freaking delicious, regardless of whether you think drinking a milk-laden beverage in San Francisco is manly.