Although face transplantations have been technically possible for some
years, the first surgery of this kind was only carried out in November
2005 in Amiens, northern France, by a team lead by maxillofacial
surgeon Professor Bernard Devauchelle with post-operative medical care
provided by transplant surgeon Professor Jean Michel Dubernard in Lyon.
In the operation, tissues, muscles, arteries, and veins taken from a
suitable donor were attached to the 38-year-old female patient's lower
face, which had been gravely disfigured after a dog attack.
Three tsunamis shook science in the twentieth century: First, Albert
Einstein's famous equation E=mc2, the formula for the atomic bomb (and
the reason the sun shines). Second, the discovery, by Francis
Crick, James Watson, and Rosalind Franklin, that all life descends down
a dual spiral staircase - the dance of the double helix. Third,
the discovery, by a young Austrian mathematician, that we can never be
certain 1 is not equal to 0 - a statement that is deceptively disarming
in its seeming unimportance. The name of this mathematician was
Kurt Gödel. And April 28, 2006, marks the centenary of his birth.
bridges vol. 10, June 2006 / OpEds & Commentaries
by Robert Huber
Careers in science are truly strange and slippery beasts. Principally,
a doctorate in the natural sciences attests to competence in analytical
thinking consistent with the scientific method. With such a degree in
hand, recipients may subsequently find themselves in jobs as diverse as
directing applied biomedical research groups in the private sector,
balancing research and teaching expectations in college departments, or
managing decision-making processes in organizations with a stake in
scientific discoveries. Achieving success in any of these career paths,
however, demands expertise that goes well beyond a mere talent for
methodical thinking. Critical skills include the ability to teach and
mentor students, to manage and motivate a team of research associates,
and to acquire research funds from government and private sources.
Careers in science are truly strange and slippery beasts. Principally,
a doctorate in the natural sciences attests to competence in analytical
thinking consistent with the scientific method. With such a degree in
hand, recipients may subsequently find themselves in jobs as diverse as
directing applied biomedical research groups in the private sector,
balancing research and teaching expectations in college departments, or
managing decision-making processes in organizations with a stake in
scientific discoveries. Achieving success in any of these career paths,
however, demands expertise that goes well beyond a mere talent for
methodical thinking. Critical skills include the ability to teach and
mentor students, to manage and motivate a team of research associates,
and to acquire research funds from government and private sources.
