Happy Study Time

The waiting room was full. Some patients were scrolling on their phones, others tapping on tablets, a few reading. Then, suddenly — one patient coughed. Just once. A dry cough. The silence that followed was insane. Then the discussion began. Doctor A : “That cough sounds deep. You should sit down, elevate your feet, and you will need a chest X-ray, CT scan and PET scan, immediately. I had a cough like that once — turned into a nine-month investigation. No one ever found the cause, but I still feel it sometimes. For example, right now.” Doctor B : “You need to go to the ER right now. Dry cough, possible shortness of breath — classic start of a PE, anaphylactic shock, or even cancer. I read a paper last night about a disseminated TB that started with this exact cough. Honestly, you should call your parents.” Doctor C : “Can we just relax? Maybe it’s dust, or a mild allergy, or stress. You look stressed. Are you stressed? No problem, take the day off. Wait — no, if you take the day, you’l...

First stage (5 months old - Chew) : Every king has a beginning. It starts with the obsession of eating, chewing, biting. And he is very happy hearing himself while doing that. His favorite toys to bite are “Malleus” and “Incus.” And his favorite playground — the Eustachian — filled with different cells like panels of bees, where he can hide, but obviously guarded by the royal army divisions V2 and V3. The rules says that the son of the king, despite his young age, be present in the external auditorium (where the people decide about the city). This auditorium has only one entrance — no more clefts ahead. Second stage (7 years old - smile):  Then the king must learn to express himself. It’s time to train his facial expressions, giving rise to smiles, frowns, and royal tantrums. And he must smile with style — make a big, big U with his lips. Hear them stretching while doing so. It is important, because here in the palace we have rules — and some of them are very difficult to swallow a...

If I could talk to Otto (if you don´t know who Otto Jírovec is, but you know Taylor Swift ... stay calm and keep reading. Old school), I’d start by telling him that a lot of things have changed since his days of describing that “interesting rare pneumonia in children” back in the 1930s. I’d mention the internet, AI, the Human Genome Project… and of course, Instagram. But then I’d have questions — serious ones . How is it possible that 40+ years later, with all our technology, Pneumocystis jirovecii is still unculturable? Yes, Otto, we named a bug after you. And second surprise: it’s a fungus. And to be fair, it’s a weird fungus — no ergosterol, lots of glucans. Then I’d explain that today we have four treatment options: ( SPOILER ALERT: not antifungals ) TMP-SMX (oral or IV) — Gold standard  Atovaquone - an inhibitor of mitochondrial Complex III Clindamycin + primaquine Pentamidine - a.k.a. Thanos  [ No Otto,  I wont even try to explain that ] Oh, I al...

I will be honest: I did not know what to write about, but as a “miracle,” this letter arrived at my house. Dr. Jonathan, My name is Arthur, and I do not agree with the superstition called “educational research.” I should clarify this early, because many people could get confused. This is not dysfunction; it is refinement. I work as an editor in a newspaper and as a writer, but I do not write every day. In fact, I let the pressure accumulate. I allow the anxiety to ferment. And when the deadline is close enough to threaten my dignity, I sit down and produce something disturbingly good. According to educational research—which I skimmed a few minutes before writing this to you—this behavior is considered “poor self-regulation.” Apparently, functional adults are supposed to distribute effort evenly, structure their environment, evaluate themselves calmly, and reward small progress. Isn’t this adorable? The same literature claims that excessive self-evaluation without healthy self-cons...

For decades, nutrition education was built like a pyramid: solid, hierarchical, and reassuring. Eat this first, limit that, count these nutrients, and health will follow. It was elegant, stable, and very Egyptian. The USDA 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines draft quietly flips this structure upside down . Instead of placing nutrients at the base, it places context there: culture, access, time, behavior, and the food environment. Nutrients are still important, but they no longer hold the structure. The old model assumed people eat rationally, have access to ideal foods, and follow rules consistently. Clinicians know better. Patients eat under stress, within cultural traditions, and inside systems that often work against healthy choices. We now have not only an inverted—unsteady—pyramid, but one that is carb-shamed, pro-dairy, and productivity protein-driven . Bread, rice, grains: the fuel of civilizations. Then obesity and diabetes rates climbed, and we needed someone to blame. Carbs were con...