In a late December 2021 Nature article, Mallapaty et al. highlight the impact that the discovery and implementation of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have had globally. As the authors note, the development of dozens of vaccines – including novel platforms, followed by clinical trials, regulatory approval, manufacturing, distributing, and eventually administering doses to 4.4 billion people – represents an amazing “triumph for science and research.”

The brain under anesthesia is a marvel to behold. Although the electroencephalogram (EEG) is not a routine part of clinical anesthesia care, there is growing evidence that readily visible changes in the anesthesia-induced EEG are intimately linked to perioperative brain health.

This column was written in February, that exciting time of the year when most publicly traded companies submit Form 10-K to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The 10-K is a comprehensive report filed each year to inform potential investors about a firm’s financial condition. So, the Curious Economist reviewed the 10-Ks of the largest publicly traded health insurance companies to learn about their financial health.

This month, we will think outside the box of most of our collective experiences and outside the borders of our own country at the same time. We will explore international medicine and medical humanitarian outreach, a topic hugely important for reasons of conscience and ethics, especially as we are seeing the gap between the “haves” and “have nots” increase at both the individual and national levels.