Human Nature, the Tendency to OBEY, Bad Incentives, and the U.S. Medical System (Part 3/4)

Part 3 of 4 of the series When Life and Death is “A Matter of Policy” In part 2, I examined some of the bad things that can happen when people in medical settings apply “the rules” strictly, unmodified by the patient involved or the dictates of conscience. Now I’ll look at the what and why … Continue reading “Human Nature, the Tendency to OBEY, Bad Incentives, and the U.S. Medical System (Part 3/4)”

The “Effect or Affect?” Conundrum

When should the word “affect” be used rather than “effect?”  Despite my English-Majorness, I’ve never mastered this rule. I understand affect as noun that are refers to someone’s countenance (e.g. “he has a flat affect”) or as a transitive verb meaning “to make a false display of” (e.g. “he began to affect a British accent”) … Continue reading “The “Effect or Affect?” Conundrum”