Soc490 Week 4

Last week, we went and visited the Museum of the Mind. It was much more interesting than I thought it would be. The first test that we saw was the idea of perspective. Each of us one at a time looked into a small hole into a room and I was surprised at what I saw. The illusion made two people about the same size appear drastically different in size just by using different size door ways and using slanted tiling. I was so fascinated by the technology that they used to show us videos of people back who were patience and nurses. I loved how they had the stories, although they were in Italian, we were fortunate enough to have Danilo there with us to translate.

This week we went to the National History Museum of the Medical Arts. It was interesting to see all the instruments that they used back then. Its crazy to think how much technology has changed. Looking at the instruments that they used back then seem so barbaric and inhumane. I would be afraid to be a patient or a doctor back then.

In our Sociology class, we have two discussion questions. The first one asks if we have control over our health. I think that we do have control because we have the choice to exercise or not. We also have the choice to eat healthy or go to McDonalds four times a week. Not only that, but the U.S. has good hospitals and technology that can help cure illness and diseases. Goodman states, "patients in the United States are screened more frequently for diseases such as prostate cancer and breast cancer, and therefore have better access to preventive care." With that in mind, we can control the health of many people.

Another question that is brought up was what can we take from the Roman approach to improve our health? I think the most obvious answer would their diet. They do not eat as much fatty and unhealthy food as we do. Even when we eat what they consider "junk food" it still means healthy. The life expectancy rate is much higher in Italy than in the United States and I am sure their diet plays a big role in that.