field notes

If I had to pick, I would tell you that I’m more of a left-brain thinker than right. I was ready to dive into an art degree in college when the practical side of my brain told me that I had a better sense for business. But I’ve always had a passion for the arts, which has put me at odds with this polarization. Knowing vs believing. Reality vs imagination. Words vs images. Where do I belong?

Walk around the floor of a big orthopedic conference like AAOS and you could easily think you’ve wandered into the hardware aisle at Home Depot. Rows of metal screws, mallets, drills and electric saws are neatly arrayed on display stands. It’s a reminder of just how manual and physically demanding surgery can be.

Just north of Silicon Valley and just south of Napa, Fruition Sciences is using real-time sensors to monitor the hydration levels of grape vines. Farmers in dryer climates like California are quickly adopting this technology to create perfectly hydrated grapes and save thousands of gallons of water per year.

I hesitated, then showed him my legs. Ever since I was a kid I’ve hated the little pocket of fat on the inside of each knee. “What about these?”

If you Google “uncomplicate your life” you’ll get over 2,200,000 results; change the search to “simplify your life” you get 11,100,000. These numbers suggest a yearning for an easier way, but also that most believe the answer to “complicated” is to simplify.  But is this really true?