How do you feel when your feet hit the ground in the morning? Do you feel good and go for a stretch, walk or jog? Do you put together your favorite breakfast, drink a tall cool glass of fresh water? Do you feel ready to go? Do you hug those you love and venture off to make a difference in the world all day long? This is what you were naturally made to do. Every cell in your body generates health and vibrancy, all of them working together, making you work well and feel great.

If this is not your experience, at least most of the time, then what part of you prevents you from feeling this way? Whatever reason you give, you can be sure that the culprit almost certainly comes back to damage in some part of your body. Something is preventing your body from working correctly. Perhaps it is a hormonal imbalance causing mental stress, drowsiness or depression. Perhaps it is an infection or pain from some physical part of you, maybe it is stress from a difficult emotional issue, a relationship. Emotional pain is a manifestation of imbalanced body chemistry. Maybe it is a stress or toxin in your environment. Any of the thousands of parts and systems in your body are damaged in some way can affect the health of everything else.

Here is the good news, it does not have to stay that way. The body is built to fix itself. Your cells are perfectly capable (if given the needed time, materials and supplies) to repair the damaged cells and rebuild the tissues, restore chemical balance, and relieve the stress. This capability has been built into all living organisms over the hundreds of millions of years life has existed on earth. Significant healing has been here long before modern science discovered how it works, these are things that we have only known for the last 20 years, and even so we only understand maybe 1% of it now.

The patterns we can see from the science of healing on the molecular level that we understand show us that in almost all cases, the best we can do to accelerate healing is to give our cells the materials and conditions needed to heal themselves and adequate time needed to do their job. What supplies do our cells need to fix us? They need ample water, a supply of about 30 micronutrients and minerals found in the plants and animals we eat. Cells need sugars, fats, or keytones for fuel, with oxygen, they need to burn fuel, and be utilized and exercised. What conditions do they need to do their job? An environment with manageable amounts of stressors (such as minimal toxins, infections, stressful emotions), a working communication network, a connection to the ground, plenty of good bacteria in the environment, and the down-time needed to repair everything during deep sleep.

To summarize, to heal us, our cells need:

• Ample fresh water
• Adequate amounts of micronutrients, minerals, oxygen, and fuels
• Plenty of activity and exercise
• Connection to natural microbiome (walk barefoot on a beach, put hands in soil, play with a pet)
• Supplements when not naturally available (cell signaling, hormones, gut restore, stem cells, etc.)
• An environment with minimal stress and toxins
• At least 7 hours of restful sleep

For more information, try Googling some of these terms.

Is this really all our cells need to heal us? What about the “incurable” issues?
As far as we know, the above is a somewhat complete list of those things that are absolutely needed from nature by the cells for efficient healing to take place, they encompass the laws of nature relative to cellular healing that have been in force for millions of years. If our cells lack any of these elements, it is well documented that they cannot be completely healthy and cannot work well and heal as efficiently. I plan to further flesh out and substantiate these points. Efficient healing makes the difference between whether we are healthy or not. If our cells are losing the battle and cannot heal the body as fast as it is degenerating, then our health is lost.

As far as conditions that are “incurable”, many individuals have had documented recovery from conditions that are classified as “incurable”, as such there is more hope for healing than commonly believed. Keytonic and balanced diets, for example, have helped people with diabetes to restore natural insulin regulation. People diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis have resumed active lives through diet and enhancing cell signaling. Many battles with cancer have been fought and won by utilizing diet and the cell’s signaling ability to detect and eliminate tumors, immunotherapies that strengthen the natural immune system are finally coming to be studied and utilized. It should not be surprising that our cells can win. If our body maintains the capacity to repair or kill the damaged cells and regenerate healthy cells there is nothing that is incurable.

Even though there are several documented cases of recovery from “incurable” diseases, the medical community still treats these cases as unexplained exceptions, these “exceptions” are not given much attention in the literature. As an example, there is 95% mortality for those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This is normally interpreted as, “If you have pancreatic cancer there is a good chance that you will die”. A much better attitude would be, “Show me what can I do to be in the 5% who survive”. This approach focuses on finding the factors that increase the chances that the body will recover.

Looking at the physical laws that govern healing, as we discussed above. What did the people do who survived? What was their diet, were they active, was it in their genes, what was their emotional state, did they have a positive mindset? How much do environmental or emotional factors influence the outcome? I would love to be informed.

More than not, I have heard that when a medical professional sees of a case of “miraculous” healing, their response is either that there must have been an incorrect diagnosis, or they will dismiss it and say that the patient should keep on doing whatever they are doing. It is arrogant and ignorant to suppose that our medical knowledge is complete, and anything unexplained is inconsequential. I venture to say that it really is the other way around. No modern procedure or medicine has ever healed the body. Stitches and ointments close a wound only to create an environment where the body can better heal itself. A good medicine creates the environment or supplies the materials needed for efficient healing. The cells in the body itself do the healing. There is no exception to this rule. The greatest doctor or most skilled surgeon only creates the conditions that allow the cells to better heal themselves. What we think is very important. Every double-blind, placebo-based scientific study in the history of modern medicine shows that what we believe to be true has a significant effect on actual healing.

How much do we really understand?
Next time we really want to feel better, let us first focus our efforts on the true principles of healing.

This past month I had the opportunity to spend time just with my wife and children and leave the cares of the world behind for a moment.  Being with those that really matter to me has given me a renewed perspective of what I desire for the world this year.  As an atomic physicist, trained in observation of the laws of nature, I struggle to find the true principles that govern all things in nature.  These past two years we have invested heavily on a secure social media system called Atlus Blue that serves to help people work together safely on any project big or small.  Since this vision is global and touches the whole world, I feel I need to declare my personal intention and resolution this year.  I hope this resonates with good people who are still searching:

It is my purpose and stewardship to use the talents, resources and abilities that I have been given to aid individuals, families, communities, institutions and governments to find solutions to overcome the greatest obstacles facing us at this time in history. This is not a solitary task, but a matter of integrating the communities and resources that already exist into a viable system. I have come to realize that only through engaging many can this vision have any possibility to come to fruition.  Here is the key to do so.

There are none of us alive that have not felt the need and desire to belong to a family and community. The evidence of human contact and caring within our sphere (or lack of it) seems to have no rival in its power to motivate us to act or to discourage us from acting. It is of no use to deny ourselves of this very real aspect of the human nature. We have the desire to feel warmth and belonging. We crave the love of family. Whatever societal or governmental system is to persist, it must take these spiritual and immutable motivational factors into account. No government in this sense is truly sterile and objective.

A totalitarian regime, as demonstrated time after time, holds no lasting promise and has a good chance of turning rotten in time. In such a regime, more and more energy is focused on total devotion toward a single leader who is content to receive affection, power and glory but who may not find within his heart to return such devotion to those so governed. In this system, personal sacrifices and individual initiatives from factions in society, especially those with real ambitions to build the community, are suppressed, regulated, or opposed to a greater degree. History has proven incessantly that the totalitarian system does not work, it requires almost immortal or unrealistic qualities in the leaders to sustain it and often subjugates everyone else.

Entirely on the other end of the spectrum is the “everything goes” philosophy, entertained in the 60s by the “free love” or “hippy” societies. It was shown that this philosophy by itself does not have the power to sustain a system of government. These philosophies have given rise to a self-absorbed generation, where entitlements and instant gratification are expected and where requirements for real excellence or self-sacrifice are considered undesirable. As everyone feels there is power in showing their views, an extraordinary amount of energy is often expended on publically expressing strong grievances about injustice and victimization.

On any side of the political spectrum, the person with the loudest opinion is not always right. Instead of fostering unity or building community, the embattlement philosophy often polarizes society into sides (right, wrong, left, right, conservative, liberal). Over time, one side demonizes the other to the point where the principles of unity and domestic tranquility are forgotten. We forget that by our very nature all of us have individual viewpoints, ambitions and desires that can each can contribute greatly to the strength of our society. It is best when the vast majority agree to adhere to the set of true principles that, when internalized, govern our society.

The ironic thing is that today we have more opportunity and potential as a society than has ever existed in all history. So what system has the power to best govern a society of us humans in this era? Unity in mission and purpose is central to coherence in our communities. But unity to what set of principles provides us with the best system of government? The answer already exists and has soundly been proven in practice.

True principles exist and when understood resonate deep within our breast. They are the same principles that operate in all successful families and that have in latter centuries been integrated into the constitutions of many nations. “We the People…, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…do establish this Constitution…”. The principles of Justice, Tranquility, Defense, general Welfare and Liberty to All tend to be the back bone of great governments. Whether they be instilled in our own families or govern our nations, such principles, when followed and enforced, allow us to live and work side by side with people that have differing viewpoints, ambitions and desires and accept the contributions of all. This is certainly true in my own family and has been a factor in my country.

There might be a perceived threat when we have different societal beliefs, music, dress or ideas than others do in the community. By the way, these sorts of perceived threats and conflicts are even common in our families where brothers, sisters, uncles cousins etc. have different viewpoints and beliefs, it really isn’t anything new. We learn that finding a way to work around differences is something that we must realize if we wish to insure domestic tranquility in our communities and families.

Did we learn anything from the United States Civil War? In this incredibly bloody conflict, it was seen that brother fought against brother, father against son on the battle field due only to what side of a political issue they favored. Will we still see such strong divisions, based only on differences on societal beliefs? What price will we have to pay before we can learn. Subjugation of any people in society leads to eventual conflict and injury. Unity under true principles is the only pathway to strength and great power for all so governed.

I suppose that we must eventually learn the true principles that govern societies on a global scale as the natural limits on world population and availability of resources test the sustainability of our societies, and as world connectivity gives us the unprecedented view into all cultures and societies on earth. There really is no other alternative. We will find these true principles by design or by massive suffering, either way.

It is my intention to work to provide global society with the systems needed to help unity happen, especially for those kind people that love learning and aspire toward truth. For the first time in history, we can form social networks that transcend boundaries. The ability to share resources is also unprecedented. The systems I seek must respect and protect all established existing agreements and relationships, promote research and excellence and liberate the human spirit. I hope that within our hearts we can find these principles early enough to avoid the terrible conflicts that otherwise would occur. The stakes are too high to ignore.

Redox signaling weaves the fabric of one of the most fundamental cell communication networks that exist in nature.  We have examined, in this blog, how cell communication networks coordinate and orchestrate the activities of life on the cellular level for all types of life on earth.  When redox signaling networks are working, living tissue can maintain its own healthy state.  When something threatens the health of our cells and tissues, the cells talk among themselves and work out how to repair or replace the damaged communities of cells.  This is how healing is done on the cellular level.

We have available an external liquid source of these redox signaling carriers that in over 22 years with over 30 good studies have proven to be extremely safe and effective.  I have personally run analysis that shows the stability of this redox signaling source in simulated gastric fluids that allows them to survive the harsh acidic environment of the stomach and be absorbed.  Dr. Nieman, a sports physiologist from the North Carolina Research Institute, Appalachian State, has run studies that show shifts in metabolism in human athletes that prove that the active components of this redox signaling liquid is absorbed, passes through the stomach and cell membranes with measurable effects over 24 hours after ingestion.

The following video presentation is from a dedicated, accomplished athlete, health coach and veteran Shawn Burke, that explains in his own language how applications of this redox signaling have made a difference for himself and some of the athletes he trains.  If maintaining health is important to you, then what he has to offer is well worth the time it takes to listen.  Many thanks.

The webinar this month was on Autism.  Dr. Samuelson and Maria Corral (leader and contributor to several organizations in the Autism communities and mother of three autistic children) offer their knowledge and experience with Autistic Children and how redox signaling can factor into this complex issue.  Hope you enjoy it, it runs about 1hr 24min and is packed with information.

Due to the demand I have posted a recording of a call that was done to explain, in part, the results of the Affymetrix Genetic Testing done on 60 individuals to determine genetic expression when ingesting a redox supplement.  Please click on the link below to play the video recording.

Redox Genetic Results Call

What are in the Final Chapters of human development?
I believe and hope that due to the importance of adaptation, we will eventually find a way to thrive with an evolving system that has the power to adapt the new and emerging technologies to our benefit. The realization of this vision is already in the air. We hear conversations all the time among informed people that involve sustainable green environment, diet, recycling, organic, health solutions, etc., and the need for answers to global problems. We are all are inherently concerned and feel the need for solutions as the problems come closer and closer to home. Products that offer even just the slightest perception of health, like vitamin waters, are growing into multi-billion dollar industries overnight while there are sharp declines in consumption of sugary, carbonated beverages. There is a real shift towards healthy sustainable solutions.
As a whole, we are ready for the technologies that offer real solutions. The fuse is lit. And the truth of it is that many of these solutions already exist and have been shown to work but are not yet widely available or accepted on the market (for reasons we have already discussed). We are primed for a literal explosion of health and agricultural technologies. As soon as we have adapted an open reliable way to prove out emerging technologies so that we can compare results and advertise available options, there will be a literal explosion of health solutions, similar to the personal computing markets of a generation ago. I imagine industries emerging overnight to answer the demand for necessary technologies and systems. Unlike the information technology explosion, though, there is a psychological element involved in motivating people to change lifestyles that will need to be addressed, as well as local agricultural solutions for organic foods, possibly even produce grown in the home. These things are doable and certainly more alluring than the consequences we face if we cannot find solutions.
The technologies that offer this type of advancements to the world will be based on the laws of health, exercise, nutrition, restorative rest, and hydration. They also will be built on our knowledge of how natural, safe solutions function in cellular biology. Imagine that after you have been diagnosed with a health problem, you could go to the Internet and have access to data for millions of people, comparing different solutions they have used for similar problems, like we can do when shopping for a computer or cell phone today. Suppose we could compare prices, safety, and efficiency for these different solutions. Active competition between them gives you the best price and increases the efficiency of these solutions so that they are effective and affordable. Imagine viewing advertisements from health care organizations constantly claiming better success rates, prices, and service for their customers. Imagine that an explosion of solutions was available for almost all health problems that exist. There are quite a few things that we could have with a little imagination. Imagine what all of this would mean for the quality of your life.
Imagine a world where you wake up after a great sleep to fresh, clean air and walk down to your little personal greenhouse, filling your lungs with oxygen. You sprinkle some nanonutrients into the fish tank, check your solar panels, check the pump that circulates the fish water through your garden trays, and reach over to pick a few of the fresh veggies and fruits growing there to juice for breakfast. You drink your Redox water and nanonutrients and smile knowing that cancer and infectious and degenerative diseases are a thing of the past as your body heals so quickly now that none of these have a chance to take hold. Your family gathers around. “Happy 95th birthday”, grandchildren and great-grandchildren say as they call you. You pick up some tennis rackets and go out to exercise with your spouse and friends. You have the luxury of taking off work as you have small grocery bills and your environment, power, and heat, is self-sustainable. What will you do with your free time? Maybe write a book or go skydiving? If this is not the future you imagine for yourself, then what is?

Nothing in life can be attributed to just one thing alone, the same can be said for the genes. When we think of genes, the most common perception is that genes are responsible for eye and hair color, bone structure, body shape and the chance of having certain health issues. This is a very limited view. The genes are much more than just a static blueprint that is perhaps needed only during the formative years. In reality genes are expressed millions of times a minute inside each of our 10’s of trillions of cells. Genes in cells are very active all the time. What is gene expression and how are the genes expressed?
Genes in a cell are like apps on a cellular phone or a computer. When you want an app to start, you touch or click on an icon button, this starts up the app, or in genetic language starts the “expression” of the app. Each app is programmed to do something different just as each gene in your cells is programmed to do something unique. If you want to make a phone call on your smart phone, you press the phone app, for example, this brings up a dialer that lets you look up a name or dial a number. Inside your body’s cells, the genes (apps) have coding that makes specific molecules called proteins out of amino acids (lego-like building blocks). The proteins that are made can be used to build parts of the cell, like muscle fibers, or can be used to do something, like make antioxidants or hormones.
Every time you blink an eye, think a thought, feel a breeze, twitch a muscle, feel the sun, or take a breath, genes are being expressed to help it to happen. Genes are very active. And just like cell-phone-apps, these genes require something to press the buttons to start them or express them. A smart phone or computer has lots of buttons, keyboards full of them, each button “expresses” a different app to do something. If you do not press the buttons on your device, generally nothing will happen. The cells in your body are the same, if nothing presses the gene buttons, not much will happen. Thousands of the gene buttons are being pushed in your cells every second. Your cells have close to 20,000 genes and about as many “buttons” that start these genes to do their work. The question might come to mind, “How does a cell know which of all the gene buttons to press (express) to keep everything working correctly in our cells?” The answer might surprise you.
Almost everything in the environment of the cell pushes genetic buttons (expresses genes): molecules from the food we eat, the thoughts we think, the muscles we flex, the things we see and feel, the hormones, the nerves, the temperature, the water, the air, all body systems, the blood, cell signaling messengers, messages coming from surrounding cells, and so on. Just a few examples: sugar in the blood sends messages to express the “insulin producing” genes in pancreatic cells. The Insulin, in turn, pushes the buttons to burn more sugar, convert sugars to fats and store fats. Even visual stimulation expresses genes. When looking at something beautiful, our mind pushes the buttons to make “feel good” hormones in our brain, or when looking at something scary, it produces stress shock hormones in the brain. If we pay attention, we can certainly feel and experience the effects when these genetic pathways as they are activated, these experiences are very common in our daily life.
The study of what pushes the genetic buttons is called “epigenetics” (beyond genes) and it is a very hot topic in biology. Biotech companies, such as Affymetrix, have created little microchips that can measure the genetic buttons pushed in most all of our genes. From a blood sample, each microchip can monitor 10’s of thousands of the genetic expressions. This is a great tool that allows us to peek inside the cells of our body and monitor which gene buttons are being pushed. Since there are so many buttons, the analysis of these data can take some time and requires vast experience and large databases. Many genetic databases have been compiled over the years and we are using them to see how our genes respond to different foods, supplements and environmental factors.
Recently an Affimetrix panel was run by a credible genetics lab on 60 people to determine what happens to human genetic expression (which gene buttons are pushed) when people drink a certain safe formulation of redox signaling molecules. An experiment was designed to determine which genes are expressed when these signaling molecules are orally ingested. A group of people (25) drank only salt water (the placebo group), another group (25) drank the redox signaling molecules with salt water (the study group), and a third, smaller group (10), did not drink anything different than the usual (the control group). The people did this over a period of 8 weeks.
The results showed moderate but significant differences in genetic activity between the study group and the placebo and control groups over 8 weeks. Five gene expressions were identified as different, the results were significant and very interesting for a variety of reasons. It was found that the genetic buttons pushed by these redox signaling molecules express some of the most important signaling apps available inside the cells. Some types of genes are more important than others. The signaling genes (the ones that cause messages to be sent) are of utmost importance, just like the dialing and call transmission apps on your smart phone; they allow the cells to effectively talk to one another. The signaling channels (or pathways) in our cells can be very complex; signals are passed from cell to cell, from cells to nerve cells, from nerve cells to nerve cells, and back to cells all throughout the body. These signals in turn help express the genetic buttons that make everything in the body work the way it should. The five genes identified by the study have substantial applications to many of the most important signaling channels, they provide important components that are critical to the signaling pathways all throughout our body.
For example, the “ERG1” gene registered a highly significant response in the study. It produces an important transfer factor that connects several important cell signaling channels, including G-proteins that are critically involved in sending and receiving hormone messages between cells, such as reception of insulin to help control blood sugar, serotonin the “feel good” hormone that contributes to mental relaxation and balance, and the regulation of hormones that balance sleep and wake cycles. Among the hormonal pathways are also those which help regulate reproductive systems and metabolic balance through the ovarian and thyroid hormones. Additionally, EGR1 also connects to the NRF2 pathway that is involved in setting up the cell defense network by increasing antioxidant production. These processes help in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which in turn helps the cells better identify the “malfunctioning cells” to switch on the genes (apps) that eliminate dysfunctional cells and repair and replace healthy cells. The ERG1 gene can be thought of as a “router” app that helps keep important networks up and running. As computer and phone networks become more prevalent, it is easier for us to understand the role and importance of these “router” genes that help keep everything connected.
If we look at some of the other genes expressed in the study there are those that help repair blood vessels and that others that create important digestive enzymes needed to break down and digest the foods we eat. Isn’t it interesting that the expression of just one signaling gene can affect so many different genes and functions in our body? The signaling pathways are complex and interconnected networks. As we study it out, it becomes clear that if just one of the signaling “router” genes goes down in our body, it will disrupt multiple systems and communication pathways as well.  If just one of the “router” genes is restored, it helps to reconnect everything again to regain functionality of systems all across the body.
Many of the results from this recent genetic study support years of prior studies that have shown indications of reduction of oxidative stress, such as the reduction oxidized glutathione and reduction of oxidized LDL cholesterol from previous human studies . Some of the results, though, open new areas of understanding, such as activation of genes that improve the elasticity and tone of blood vessels and the expression of beneficial digestive enzymes in the stomach. These new results correlate with observations made by thousands of people that are drinking the redox cell signaling supplement who report regularly that vascular tone is improving, circulation is improving and digestion is improving. We now have the added benefit of being able to better identify the genetic pathways that help explain what makes this all happen. It certainly opens our mind to the understanding that technologies that improve cell signaling can be universally beneficial to the entire body.

All of us have played games at one point or another: soccer, tennis, football, basketball, monopoly, blackjack, foot races, checkers, volley ball, it seems like the varieties are endless. Each game we play is defined by a set of rules. The rules and boundaries are set at the start, all the players understand and accept the rules and boundaries. In truth, it would not make sense or be much fun to play a game without such rules and boundaries and it often invokes anger, frustration or disappointment when an “idiot” decides to ignore the rules and boundaries or attempts to change them during play.
Not all rules and boundaries in life are made up by us. Nature imposes rules and boundaries that must be there to allow life to exist. Each of the trillions of cells and bacteria in our body are governed by such rules and boundaries. The game of life played out in every one of us is defined by these rules and boundaries. Each cell has a membrane boundary that separates the inside of the cell from outside and it has rules (such as those imposed by the receptors on the boundaries) that determine which of the molecular players are allowed to go across the boundary into or out of the cells. The DNA and messenger molecules determine which molecular players are manufactured inside the cell. All these molecules play by the rules of physics that governs them. The sum total of all of these rules and boundaries make us what we physically are.
Supernal wisdom is evident in the rules and boundaries that make us who we are. How much more fun we can have if we learn to play our best within the rules and boundaries that nature has provided. We cannot change nature’s rules and boundaries anyway. If we pretend we can, it tends to work against us. We can learn many of these rules by just playing. My mother taught me that if I ate 10 candy bars all at once I would get “sick”. She was right, I learned from experience. I suppose I did not believe at that time that she could really have known. Later on, when I had learned the rules of cellular biology, I learned that eating so much digestible sugar violates the rules and boundaries for health set by the nature of my cells. On a much sadder note, I have lost good friends who at one time tried to convince me that psychosomatic drugs were harmless and later found that some of my friends were dependent and literally were not able to live without them. A few of them did not to stay in the game of life. Others lost much of the vitality of life when they attempted to redefine the rules nature to conform to their own beliefs and pleasures.
As I study and understand the rules and boundaries of life, all this makes a lot more sense to me. There are many things we can influence, especially in ourselves and our society as we strive to understand the rules that govern life and play well within them. The more we understand these, the better we can play and enjoy the game. I have also noted that those that learn how to play the game of life well can inspire others to live up to their full potential. We are not alone in this life, we all have almost infinite capacity within our natural bounds. Let us learn how to play life within the rules and bounds that are set by nature. Why not give our bodies the nutritious food, exercise, rest and a reason to work for the greater good that it requires. We may not understand the rules and boundaries very well at first, but we certainly find out quite a bit along the way. May we be wise and aware as we continue together on this incredible journey of discovery.

It is difficult to describe the emotional terrain of my heart right now. I moved to Charlottesville, VA only a year ago. It felt like home. I was greeted with a diverse variety of people, mostly peaceable and happy, many had dreams, influenced by the University atmosphere and Thomas Jefferson’s vision, many are well educated and somewhat opinionated. It is fertile ground for positive growth in all areas; it invited me in, it was hopeful and upbeat, promising, a great place for my family.

As I was traveling internationally the last few weeks, I saw quite the opposite as events happening in my hometown were flooding the national and international news. Faces inflamed with hate, carrying torches, driven by mob mentality, stories of mass violence that might have been written 160 years ago during the US Civil War, were coming from my town, published for all to see. Embers of hate that should have long gone out were fueled and fanned into frenzied flames. In the world eye, the small college town of Charlottesville was made synonymous with civil unrest and hatred. How did this happen?

Was this staged, was it done on purpose? The faces of the mobsters on the news were not those of the people found on the streets of Charlottesville. Was it the intention of the leaders of Charlottesville to transform our town into a showplace of racial controversy and bigotry?  If so, they did a great job; if not so then they must be ready to carefully examine the factors that allowed this to happen.  The statue of a respected confederate general that has stood in Charlottesville for generations, a simple monument to local history, not even remotely offensive to the vast majority of the local citizens, was somehow allowed to be turned overnight into a symbol of subjection and racial supremacy. Who allowed this to happen?

Last month a handful of people dressed up in sheets and pointy hats walked through the historic downtown mall of Charlottesville to protest of the plans to remove the statue. Instead of the pointing fingers, chuckles, and a few angry shouts that I would think this kind of a “protest” deserves, it was met with a large-scale mobilization of police force and crowd control that of itself is worthy of media attention. If only a few people with the embers of hate burning in their heart can gain such a stranglehold on a community by walking down a street, this only serves as an open invitation to embolden those who still carry these embers of hatred to fan the embers into a flame. Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.  Listen to this counsel.

With such an attractive invitation, hate groups came from afar in greater numbers, murder in their heart, the fuel was ignited, blood has been spilt. It will be hard to clean up the ashes. My heart is saddened. Why did we have to sacrifice our Charlottesville of all places at this time to such an awful cause.  Please, let us learn from our mistakes.

After the mobsters boarded their buses and left Charlottesville, from all exterior appearances, it is still the vibrant community it was before they came.  Let us strive to keep it that way, along with all the great communities we have built across our country.  Time to read up on history…

     Since my youth, I have always marveled at how fast science and industry are moving.  I was born in the age where massive powerful cars with “horsepower” had grown more popular than horses from the generation before, highway systems were being built, rocket ships were going to the moon, big jet airplanes were all the rave, and scientists were still figuring out fundamental theories behind matter and space.  Black and white TV’s with heavy glass picture tubes and vacuum tubes were considered almost magical with more than five channels to pick from during the day.  There was a wide scope of progress seen all around and an awesome feeling that nothing is impossible.  For perspective, this was all happening in an age when I would be typing this book on a mechanical typewriter on type paper and would have to go to the library and search through shelves of books to do my research.  Medical science was just starting to explore the mysterious things found inside living cells; the function of DNA and mitochondria were not well understood.  Discoveries were featured in the news as important new science and medical technologies were being developed.

     During my life, I lived through the time where personal computing devices were first developed and marketed. I owned one of the first Radio Shack TRS80’s and Apple 2e’s with 80×124 pixel screens and with more than 4K of memory.  Rotary phones were replaced with touch-tone, satellite and cell phones emerged (the stuff of science fiction), different types of color TV’s became popular, and data storage devices were becoming smaller every year.  I can say today that I have seen more technological development in my lifetime, so far, than has been seen in all of history before me, and this is just the beginning.  As I have witnessed the amazing panorama and emergence of knowledge, I have often paused to wonder what might have been the cause of it all. Where did it all come from?  Why have we seen such an overwhelming advance in the last 50 years that has not even been thought possible before?  What does this all really mean for my future and to our systems and society?

     In an analogy to living organisms, I could also ask what makes living organisms grow and thrive under certain conditions.  The fundamental laws of nature and such principles as discussed above seem to have an air of familiarity to corporate structures and may hold some of the answers that will help us shape our future.  I wonder why the corporations that have led the technological advancements (Apple, IBM, Intel, and many others) are respected and venerated as living entities.  They seem to possess a life of their own; their own culture, mission, personality, etc., even though they are comprised of a bunch of individual people working together.  Corporations are thought to possess many of the traits of living organisms.  They have set up systems that govern and define them. These systems, if they are inspirational and viable, seem to take on a life of their own.  If I were to work for such a corporation, I would need to “fit” into this system and perform a role that would promote the mission of the company, or I would eventually be “fired”, having proven useless or even counterproductive to the corporation.

     Doesn’t this sound to you a little like some of the processes of life that we have been exploring so far?  When considering our bodies, we are composed of trillions of cells that work together toward the mission of sustaining our life.  If a cell is to form part of our body, it must “fit” into the system and perform a role that promotes the life of the body, or eventually it will be proven damaged, even counterproductive, and will be eliminated from the body.  We have seen that this system is absolutely essential to preserving the health and vitality of the organism as a whole.  Possibly the only real difference between corporations (coming from the Latin root corpus or “body”) and the organization (organs and systems) of our body is that we can make conscious decisions about the organizations and systems we place in force inside our corporations, but we are pretty much stuck with the systems nature has placed inside our body.  Biological systems, however, are truly wonderful, functional, and instructional.

     We know that if we are successful in setting up viable corporations, with all of their component organizations, we can create systems that can sustain themselves and even thrive.  It is very obvious, however, that if a corporation starts to violate the laws of life, then it will soon lose the ability to sustain itself and eventually it must die.  The analogies between corporations and living organisms are much too strong to ignore and are of interest to study.  Recall that we considered homeostatic balance between supply and demand to be one of the principal laws of life.  The importance of this law can easily be seen in business.  A corporation must systematically take in the supplies it needs to perform its mission (no more, no less), and expend resources and energy (money) judiciously for vital activities necessary to carry out the mission.  Then when the mission is fulfilled, it must generate a profit (excess energy), that in turn fuels the ability to obtain the supplies needed to sustain it through the next cycle (with perhaps a little left over to put aside for contingencies).  It is easy to see that if a corporation violates any of these principles for long, it cannot thrive.  In this way, corporations are very much like living entities.  They are comprised of systems that work together to accomplish a mission that thereby assures the survival of the whole.

     One of the most crucial systems we have set up for the benefit and survival of society is that of the medical or healthcare system.  The mission of this system is clearly to acquire medical knowledge through science and apply this knowledge in order to sustain the health and well-being of individuals.  The real benefit to human society is obvious.  A good medical system generates healthy, strong, capable individuals that have the ability to contribute to society.  The initial establishment of this system, by the Ancient Greek states, is inspirational.  The Greek physician Hippocrates, attributed as being the father of western medicine, established and promoted a mission statement for the medical system that is widely adopted, in principle, today.  Physicians who have learned the art of medicine– when they gain a license to practice medicine– take an oath to follow this mission, which is known as the Hippocratic Oath. It includes the following:

I will…respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow…apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required [regardless of social or economic status]…remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug…I will not be ashamed to say “I know not,” nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient’s recovery…remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability…my responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick…prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure…remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings…If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

Excerpts from the Hippocratic Oath adapted in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, and used in many medical schools today.

The mission of the western medical system is implied in this oath; it is to obtain, respect, and pass on medical knowledge, and to use this knowledge to prevent and relieve human suffering and sickness in all of its forms, and to practice this art on all who need it regardless of status.

     Many generations have benefited from this medical system, including the generation in which we live.  As part of the law of homeostatic balance, it is understood that the fulfillment of this mission will bring honor and economic benefit to its practitioners.  We have seen that the laws of life require that energy (money) be expended to provide the supplies needed to fulfill this mission.  If the physicians are to selflessly serve society, then society must look after the needs of the physicians and provide the supplies they require in order to sustain a viable medical system.  Please note that the laws of life require that in order to have a living viable system, fulfillment of the mission must necessarily be aligned with the ability to provide the supplies and energy needed to continue the cycle.  If this alignment and balance is not maintained, then the system inevitably will die as it runs out of supplies and energy or loses the ability to fulfill its critical mission and purpose.  The system must be able to maintain homeostatic balance.

     It is surprising how in tune we are to the laws of life, often without even recognizing it.  I have asked several people lately (some of them with high social status), “What is the mission and purpose of our medical system?”  Almost all of them have responded without delay, “To make money” or “To sell drugs”.  This, in my opinion, is a somewhat sad evaluation of the mission and purpose of the medical system.  As a result, many are of the opinion that the medical system is failing its true mission and purpose; it is becoming far too costly.  It is becoming ever more obvious that the medical system is set up so that the energy spent in maintaining the system is not aligned with the true mission of eradicating disease and healing individuals.  The current medical system prospers most when people are partially sick; not well enough to stop going to the doctor and buying medications, but are still well enough to pay the bills.  So, if this perception is true, then by the laws of life, the medical system is no longer viable or sustainable, nor is it fulfilling its purpose. 

If these trends persist, the system will turn toward making more money, even at the expense of the individual’s health, and will shun new technologies just because they are disruptive or unprofitable, regardless of how promising they are.