Albert Einstein's Last Words
On this podcast episode, David Eagleman shares with Brene Brown that our brains continue to change over time. They talked about his new book Livewire: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain (I will definitely be reading this over the holiday). They start the episode with this game changer: We are evolving in every moment, so much so, that we are different after having every conversation and…listening to every podcast.
Confession: I usually listen to podcasts at 2x speed, but this one…THIS one…1.5x speed. I wanted to soak in every word. They talk about the short window of time humans have for language development, how muscle memory is not really muscle memory, and Albert Einstein’s last words.
In 1955, Einstein was lying in a hospital bed in Princeton, New Jersey. He spoke his last words and his nurse heard him, however his nurse didn’t speak German. Dr. Eagleman talks about how many people revert to their childhood selves, and their childhood tongue, at the end of their lives. We’ll never know what the genius said in 1955 and in 2020, we still have so much more to learn about the brain.
What does this have to do with pharmacy?
For me, this podcast episode reminded me how much I love science, how much I appreciate my curiosity, and how grateful I am for my ~3lbs of gray and white matter. This episode helped me understand why my memories of conquering biopharmaceutics help me feel brave. This episode encouraged me to keep asking questions and try new things for it has short-term and long-term benefits.
We are not the same person after graduate school. We are not the same person after a patient yells at us. We are not the same person after working with an inspiring pharmacist.
Our brains are molding and adapting and improving and mapping – while we’re awake and while we sleep. It is functional and mysterious – much like my old biopharm notes – and we know it will continue to change only if I commit to changing.
If you have time to listen to a great conversation, check out that podcast episode. If not, I'll share one of my favorite Einstein quotes: “Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”
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Until next week,
brooke
