Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Weekly Themes Occam's Razor
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
I'm not sure how it applies to the example given, except perhaps in the context of hypochondria, i.e., the explanation being a nonexistent illness? Hi, Robert, and welcome. Well--in the W.A.D. Anu stated: Medical students are told, for example, "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." Barring countries where one is actually likely to hear zebras, it essentially means look for the most common cause(s) of symptoms first, rather than immediately running through the literature on obscure diseases. Absent special circs, such as the patient having recently traveled to some exotic place.
I remember one episode of Untold Stories of the E.R. where a young woman came in complaining, iirc, of severe headaches and nausea. I'm not a medical person [shudder] so I won't try to list what was done first, second, etc. But the doc, on visit after visit, tried all the standard tests and pain relievers, etc., and could never find anything; finally they sent her to Psychiatric, which also didn't help. She decided to try leaving for college on scehedule anyway, and I guess for sentimental reasons--he felt guilty about not being able to help her--the doc decided to walk her to her car. It was something several decades old which someone had restored. He accepted her offer of a short ride, and he began to get a headache. They rushed back and got blood tests: it turned out that carbon monoxide was leaking into the interior of the car. Mystery solved.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Occam's Razor Miedvied 05/17/10 01:10 PM Re: Occam's Razor zmjezhd 05/17/10 01:40 PM Re: Occam's Razor diamondon 05/24/10 01:47 AM Re: Occam's Razor Jackie 05/24/10 02:07 AM Re: Occam's Razor Faldage 05/24/10 10:57 AM Re: Occam's Razor Robert 05/24/10 01:25 PM Re: Occam's Razor Jackie 05/25/10 02:29 AM Re: Occam's Razor Faldage 05/25/10 12:03 PM Re: Occam's Razor doc_comfort 05/26/10 02:14 AM Re: Occam's Razor Jackie 05/26/10 03:16 AM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,912Posts229,283Members9,179 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 17
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613tsuwm 10,542wofahulicodoc 10,510LukeJavan8 9,916Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org