The Revolutionary Minds Think Tank series points out the unexpected and beneficial relationship between two seemingly different disciplines, astronomy and medical imaging. Pulling a quote from the Astronomical Medicine page at Harvard, it says
While astronomy and medical imaging seem very different, both fields search through large amounts of image data looking for meaningful patterns. For example, a physician may inspect a patient's MRI scans looking for signs of disease, while an astronomer will analyze radio telescope image data to find evidence of a new star being born. The two sciences have separately developed many techniques to analyze, visualize, and catalog complex multi-dimensional imaging data, but seldom have experts from the two areas worked together.
It's one of those unexpected pairings that is the basis of what the IdeaFestival is all about. An ability to creatively combine and recombine knowledge to produce such beneficial outcomes is the future of knowing. It should be celebrated.
Wayne
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