My guess is that the first half of the article is attempting to setup the reader using the argument: “drug inventors don’t get rich.” In theory, how do you incentivize smart people to change health care?

This is supposed to be the crux of the piece. And Four suggestions are made to accomplish this.

1. De-emphasize drugs. While I agree that drugs should not be the focal point of medicine, this doesn’t support his argument. If consumers consume less drugs, how will inventors get rich? That would actually hurt the industry as a whole, with less money flowing in.

2. Innovate toward disruption. Sure. But what does this even mean? Can you truly shorten the time it takes to develop a drug without impacting success rate (already extremely low)? Even if drug development moves to the smaller “nimble” companies who then sell/license/partner with big pharma, the cost will still remain high. You’ve just shifted some of the cost burden off big pharma and onto the VCs and angels who back these smaller biotech companies. Large scale clinical trials are still costly no matter who does them. Once again, this boils down to money.

3. Make more research “pre-competitive.” I don’t know what “pre-competitive” is supposed to mean, but this is a good idea nonetheless. Big pharma has already started doing this, tapping into a pool of academics and industry scientists. The free exchange of data works for tech, but will it work for medicine? Still, how are inventors supposed to get rich off of this? If you find a new way to use an existing compound, you’re not going to reap the full rewards if that drug makes it to market, it’s big pharma that does.

4. Change the way patents work. I don’t agree with the point made here. Patents may expire after 20 years, but biotech and big pharma have found ways around this by tweaking the molecule or building additional patents off the initial filing. The article states, “We would be far better off if drugs kept their patent protection long.” No. Drugs are expensive enough as is; if you extent the patent life span, people who rely on generics are hurt. Additionally, the monopoly that firm holds gives them more power to price drugs, potentially putting them out of the reach of those who need them most. But I will concede that this might make you rich.

Ironically, the first point calls for a de-emphasis on drugs while the following three points focus on drug discovery and commercialization. I guess this makes it paradoxical… if there is a de-emphasis on drugs, to maintain profitability, companies will have to squeeze more money out of those who do rely on them. How does that make health care better?

Link to article

I’ve since had a little more time to play around, and I’m not sure it’s better than tracking progress via notebook.

The first thing that strikes me is that it’s kind of hard to use/get the hang of. Ready to track my workout, I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of exercises available in the list. Yes, there are a lot out there, but I do give them credit for a fairly good search and sort. My problem is that sometimes I don’t know the name of the exercise I’m doing and who has time to read the description when they’re working out? Yes, this is mainly my fault for not knowing, but how many gym-goers truly know the name of every exercise they do? The list that Fitocracy provides only shows how many there are… and it’s impossible to have all of them! Some of the listed exercises (probably the more obscure ones) don’t even have descriptions.

I’m not sure how plausible this would be, but I do wish that the description included a picture or animation of the exercise. Off the top of my head, this would help in at least two ways. First, you could double check that the exercise you think is a Romanian deadlift really is just that. Second, you could potentially check your form. The description does help a lot in this regard, but it’s often more helpful to see it.

Another issue that I have with the UI/UX is the following. I haven’t given this enough though to offer a comprehensive solution, but my reaction is that the steps needed to input exercises is far too complex and tedious. Once you find and add an exercise, you obviously then have to add the weight, reps, etc. depending on what you’re doing. I think the designers tried to mimic how Apple does time via what I call “rolling numbers.” If you have an iOS device, you should know what I’m talking about. This part of the interface, in my opinion, is particularly unwieldy. Maybe not as pretty, but definitely more efficient would be a simple number pad to input values.

For example, I was doing intervals on a treadmill where you run say… 6 mph for 1 min then 10 mph for 1 min for a total of 10 mins. Inputting this via the Fitocracy app might take longer than doing the actual set. Time, speed, and incline all have to be set for each individual interval. I’m also unable to input a “total distance run” because of this. I realize this is a unique use case, but everyone works out differently, and this just illustrates the challenges that Fitocracy faces.

Couple cools things I did notice. You can save routines to avoid some of the hassles of inputting data; however, it’s static and if you’re trying to push yourself, you’ll have to edit the routine to reflect your progress anyhow. The ability to track your progress on a specific exercise is also really useful. The next step might be adding graphics to help visualize progress. Turning fitness into a game via achievements and quests is also helpful in motivating some people to work harder. I think it works better if you have a workout buddy, but friends who are competing with you is the next best thing.

Ultimately, I think that if you really want to track your progress at the gym, it’s best to stick with the notebook. Alternatively, you can transfer that info into Fitocracy via their webpage, avoiding some of the app’s shortcomings.

While there may be behavioral research showing that people are less likely to read an entire piece if the block of text is too wide, it would be nice if websites were designed to be able to take advantage of the additional screen real estate. For all the talk about the death of PCs and the rise of mobile, it’s still nicer to read on a 24″ monitor than a 3.7″ iPhone.

This brings me to my idea… What if there was an icon placed at the top right corner of a piece that allowed you to push/widen the column? I imagine it would look like a cleaner version of either doodle depending on implementation.

Clicking on the icon would trigger some animation whereby the column of text widens in a “normal/wider/widest” way which can be determined by the website displaying the content. There are already some sites out there that allow users to adjust font size without relying on a browser’s zoom, which gives content providers at lease some measure of control over how their website changes. Utilizing a browser’s zoom function does “widen” a column of text but that’s coupled to an increase in font size. Separating the two would be a nice touch, no?

Right now, Readability assumes that I will either remember the title of the article or have starred/marked it as a favorite. The longer I use the service, however, the more articles and favorites accumulate.

My initial reaction is that this would be an interesting way for patients to get in touch with their doctors if they have non-urgent questions. As a patient you can sign up for a time slot that your primary care physician has marked as free. And as a doctor, you could charge a small fee if you choose to do so. Implemented or integrated well, this would increase the accessibility of doctors to their patients, which I think is a good thing.

It’s also of note that the product is web-based and sign up is via Facebook login. Accessibility is maximized without the need to download an app, facilitating access for both doctors and patients alike.

A while back, I was looking to buy a book from Amazon. If you must know, it was Eric Topol’s “The Creative Destruction of Medicine.” I do like owning the physical book, but I also own a Kindle. That being the case, I didn’t really know which version to purchase.

I ended up purchasing the physical version. I’ve had this dilemma many times, and I thought to myself, “Why does it have to be such a difficult decision?”

So my knee-jerk solution is this: If you purchase the physical copy of a book, the digital version should be available at a discounted price… say $3? Here’s my rational, I love the feel of reading physical media. At the same time, I appreciate the convenience that ebooks offer. They can be accessed pretty much everywhere. And wouldn’t this model net publishers more money? You’re essentially getting someone to pay more for the same thing. Maybe it’ll even boost print sales a bit.

This gives me another idea. If you’ve ever used a Kindle, you know that page numbers don’t exist. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were reading the print version and could translate that bookmark into a location in the ebook? Say I’m on page 75 and need to put the book down for whatever reason. If I could somehow input that page number into the Kindle (whichever version) and it would jump me to the corresponding location… how nice would that be?

Anyhow, enough rambling… back to reading.

This is of course based on the browser Windows Phone demo at “ak.ms/wpdemo”. I have played with a windows phone in the past, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t do the “swipe right” part.

Image Cropped from aka.ms/wpdemo

I don’t use Bump myself, but from what I can tell, both parties must have Bump running in order to share contact info, photos, etc. I think the idea is pretty cool, but I just think it would get more use if it was integrated into Facebook.

Say you meet some cool new friends during a night out. At the end of the night, you propose exchanging contact information. If you want to use Bump, you now have the awkward task of asking “Hey, do you use Bump?” And then fumbling though the rest of the conversation when they reply, “Nope, what is it?” On the other hand, most people with smart phones already have the Facebook app. Instead of texting numbers back and forth, or looking for someone who’s hidden their profile on Facebook, imagine just “bumping” phones and approving a friend request. You should be able to take it from there, right?

It’s not that I wouldn’t like Bump on its own… I just don’t see the point of having an app to share contact info when there are existing ways to do so.

Simply put, I wasn’t going to bore them with complex exercises, program designs, and movement patterns in my short speech; I only wanted to suggest five bite-sized adjustments they could easily digest and bring home that night.

Here were my five tips:

When I say, “watch what you eat,” I’m not warning you against fast food, carbohydrates, or sugary snacks; I’m recommending you literally watch your food and drink intake with this method:

Buy a small notebook and write down exactly what and how much you eat and drink.

That’s it.

Studies show that maintaining a food diary can almost double the weight-loss people achieve while dieting. Double! Because of ink and paper?! But there’s no secret: its power comes from awareness and retrospection – if you know what’s going in, you can control and change it. With a food diary, your intake is crystal clear. And if you keep a journal, it creates accountability because it encourages you to remain consistent with commitments.


It’s simple, cheap, and amazingly effective.

Step 2: Walk Barefoot More

Do you wear your shoes at home?

I never do. Firstly, my Mom would’ve killed me. Secondly, (all sarcasm aside) it’s a Japanese custom common in the Orient; if you’ve noticed, East Asians typically remove their shoes at home. Step 2 suggests that we be a little more Japanese.

Walking barefoot develops the smaller muscles of your feet, which gives you the stability you need in everyday life. Barefoot walking also increases the range of motion of your ankle; many people have extremely restricted ankles because of lack of exercise and, frankly, lousy footwear. Just by increasing ankle mobility, you can reduce knee and hip pain.

So when you’re at home, walk barefoot or in socks. If you’re looking for a pair of running shoes, try something that simulates barefoot running.

Step 3: Drink More Water

Now this, everyone knows. It’s straightforward, but many people still don’t drink enough. Why?

During exercise, people can suffer from “voluntary dehydration” and underestimate how much water they actually need to replenish their fluid levels. Usually, if we wait until we’re thirsty to drink, it’s too late.


Here’s a nice way to reverse that: every morning, upon waking up, drink a tall glass of water. It rehydrates you after you sleep, wakes you, and improves your metabolism and muscle function.

Step 4: Stand More

Chances are, you sit too much: you sit at work, while driving, while eating… hell, you’re probably sitting right now.

Too much sitting drastically reduces the calories a body burns. Certain studies suggest that people with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease as people with standing jobs. Excessive sitting also shortens your hip flexors, resulting in back pain and glute dysfunction. Plus, hours of hunching over your computer causes a rounded upper back; another trait of poor posture.

So stand up! Walk around, get a glass of water, stretch, and get moving!

Step 5: Get Some Sun

Scientific American noted over 75% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. Although there remains debate about the exact recommended level of Vitamin D (and therefore, the actual amount of Vitamin D deficiency), its importance should not be understated – it’s a problem that’s linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and bone disorders. Yet, while it’s found in some foods, 80 to 90 percent of the Vitamin D produced in our bodies comes directly from sun exposure.


The really awesome thing is you only need about ten minutes per day of sunlight to get a great dose of vitamin D.

Not bad, huh?

Who knows? Those simple steps may very well motivate them to pursue even more health improvement in their lives.

Let me know how these tip works for you! Or feel free to spread them around! Leave a comment, hit me up on Twitter, or add me on Facebook.

Sure this may be just a guy’s opinion, but come on. Upon loading the site, I’m bombarded with tons, I mean tons of images that people have pinned, each with its own running comment thread. What do you call this sort of layout? A collage? I call it Organized Chaos!

For me, there’s so much going on, I don’t know where to start or what to do. The signup process was also particularly odd. I was asked to select some of my “interests” and out popped recommendations of people to follow. Now I’m okay with that, but can you at least tell me what makes this person the person to follow? Maybe in my haste, I missed that. Or maybe that’s not important.

Just as puzzling is how difficult it is for me to get a list of whom I’m following. Sure the homepage is filled with stuff from Pinners I follow, but who’s on that list? It’s possible that Pinterest wants to be agnostic in this respect, but then why even bother asking me to link Facebook and follow my friends? In the end, it must be because I’m a guy, and I just don’t get it.