Read A Brain for Free Online

rays,” said Martin.
    â€œIt will read them,” said Michaels, “but there could still be bugs in the program. What you have to do now is run the program against as many skull X rays as you can find that you have read in the past. If there are problems, I think they will be in the area of false negatives. Meaning the program will say the X ray is normal when pathology is really present.”
    â€œThat’s the same problem with radiologists,” said Philips.
    â€œWell, I think we’ll be able to eliminate that in the program,” said Michaels. “It’s going to be up to you. Now to work this thing, first turn it on. I think even a doctor of medicine will be able to do that.”
    â€œWithout doubt,” said Philips, “but we’ll need a Ph.D. to plug it in.”
    â€œVery good,” Michaels laughed. “Your humor is improving. Once the unit is plugged in and turned on, you insert the cassette program into the central unit. The output printer will then inform you when to insert the X-ray film into the laser scanner.”
    â€œWhat about the orientation of the film?” asked Philips.
    â€œDoesn’t matter, except the emulsion side has to be down.”
    â€œOkay,” said Philips, rubbing his hands together and eyeing the unit like a proud parent. “I still can’t believe it.”
    â€œI can’t, either,” said Michaels. “Who would have guessed four years ago that we could have made this kind of progress? I can still remember the day you arrived unannounced in the Department of Computer Science, plaintively asking if anyone was interested in pattern recognition.”
    â€œIt was just pure luck that I bumped into you,” returned Philips. “At the time I thought you were one of the undergraduates. I didn’t even know what the Division of Artificial Intelligence was.”
    â€œLuck plays a role in every scientific breakthrough,” agreed Michaels. “But after the luck, there’s lots of hard work, like what’s facing you. Remember the more skull films you run with the program, the betterit will be, not only to debug the program, but also because the program is heuristic.”
    â€œLet’s not pull any big words on me,” said Philips. “What do you mean ‘heuristic’?”
    â€œSo you don’t like some of your own medicine,” laughed Michaels. “I never thought I’d hear a doctor complain about incomprehensible words. A heuristic program is one that is capable of learning.”
    â€œYou mean this thing will get smarter?”
    â€œYou got it,” said Michaels, moving toward the door. “But it’s up to you now. And, remember, the same format will be applicable to other areas of radiology. So in your spare time, as if you’re going to have any, start the flow sheet for reading cerebral angiograms. I’ll talk to you later.”
    Closing the door behind Michaels, Philips went over to the worktable and eyed the X-ray-reading apparatus. He was eager to begin to work with it immediately, but he knew the burden of his daily routine proscribed it. As if in confirmation, Helen walked in with a pile of correspondence, telephone messages, and the cheerful news that the X-ray machine in one of the cerebral angiography rooms wasn’t functioning properly. Reluctantly Philips turned his back on the new machine.

4
    â€œLisa Marino?” asked a voice, causing Lisa to open her eyes. Leaning over her was a nurse named Carol Bigelow, whose dark brown eyes were the only portion of her face visible. A flower-print hat contained her hair. Her nose and mouth were covered by a surgical mask.
    Lisa felt her arm lifted and rotated so the nurse could read her identification bracelet. The arm was replaced and patted. “Are you ready for us to fix you up, Lisa Marino?” asked Carol, releasing the brake mechanism on the gurney with her foot, and pulling the