The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart

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At first, the papers being published on Takotsubo syndrome described these kinds of triggering incidents linked to disaster and grief. Often, the triggers were very like those for SCD, such as bereavement and trauma.” School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe presents a 5-wk online class on co-creating speculative artificial and audiovisual entities w/ML. The heart remains extremely resilient and plastic despite its limited ability to regenerate its muscles Professor Sian Harding - Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London. Previous Head of the Cardiovascular Division and Director of the British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine Centre. With each new AI and ML related paper the field is making significant advancements, while leaving a trace of shimmering examples and goodies behind, that tell tales of great futures. But, with such developments at this rate, it can be difficult to make sense of this creative ally/muse/friend, and how we can function together. Think of this program as an artistic exploration of the multiple fields that current developments touch upon, and an opportunity to weld them together into a collaborative art piece. We’ll not only learn how words, vocals and visuals can be generated but discuss why. In the end, artificial intelligence is very much designed by us, and dependant on our direct and indirect input.

A remarkable book that presents the miraculous reality that is our heart in spellbinding clarity. Elucidating the incredible dialogue between its beating cells to the rapidly advancing realm of personalized medicine, Sian Harding draws on her vast experience as one of the world's top cardiac scientists, writing with precision, yet simultaneously creating a book that is compelling & accessible to all.” Provides valuable insights into the heart and the current state of treating heart disease, making it informative for readers interested in the subject. Roy Taylor, Professor of Medicine and Metabolism, University of Newcastle, and author of Life Without Diabetes Elisabeth Ehler, Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology, King's College London, author of Cardiac Cytoarchitecture Sian E. Harding currently holds the position of Professor of Cardiac Pharmacology at Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute.

The human heart beats with astounding precision, pulsating approximately 100,000 times every single day, propelling roughly 7,600 liters of blood throughout the body. It is a relentless performer, and its reliability is nothing short of remarkable. Due to the fact that an increasing number of individuals are expected to live beyond 100 years old, there is a growing need for cutting-edge scientific advancements in the field of heart rejuvenation.

The last couple chapters deal largely with the future of heart repair through genetic / biological means (as opposed to via mechanical hearts and technologies, which are dealt with in Chapter nine.) This is where the book gets to be a challenging read for a readership of non-experts. It gets technical and jargon- / acronym-heavy.In this book, a renowned heart researcher presents an overview of what we know (and don’t know) about the human heart: i.e. what can go wrong with it and why, how [and to what degree] it fixes itself, and what modern medicine can do to treat or replace a damaged heart. I learned the most from the middle of the book – i.e. chapters five through seven. Chapter five explores plasticity in the heart, plasticity is a concept that most people associate with the brain and its ability to rewire itself to contend with damage or changing needs. The other two chapter look at how the heart can be damaged, specifically as a result of emotional experience. A “broken heart” isn’t necessarily a misnomer. Roy Taylor, Professor of Medicine and Metabolism, University of Newcastle, and author of Life Without Diabetes The fight-or-flight response is an emergency reaction and did not evolve to be turned on all the time. Adrenaline (and noradrenaline) can also cause actual damage to the heart muscle when they are present for too long, or when their concentration becomes too high. If the calcium overload of the cardiomyocyte is too extreme or too prolonged, it triggers death mechanisms in the cell. Long-term effects of adrenaline are large-scale or patchy alterations in the heart muscle producing turbulent patterns of electrical flow.” The book also draws parallels between cardiac and brain research, highlighting the brain’s adaptability through neuroplasticity. The author underscores the heart’s impressive capacity to adapt and change in size and function to meet the body’s demands, even without full regeneration. The Framingham Heart Study started in 1948 and managed to recruit an impressive 5,209 of the town’s 10,000 adult citizens, with ages ranging from 28-62 years and, pleasingly, with almost equal numbers of men and women…The researchers drawing from its data were the first to show many things we now take for granted: that high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, or high cholesterol increase heart disease; that there are differences in cardiovascular risk between men and women; that exercise, a moderate body weight, and healthy eating are beneficial.”

Being a prominent authority in the field of cardiac research, Harding delves into the complex relationship between emotions and heart functionality. Her work sheds light on the heart’s dual role in both reacting to and influencing emotions. In her writing, she delves into medical conditions like Broken Heart Syndrome, a condition that can manifest following emotional stress or loss. Additionally, she includes personal anecdotes of people who have confronted heart-related difficulties in their lives. The book is a potpourri of many different topics and while all of them are great to read about, I found them to be a bit unstructured at times (the later chapters less so).

The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart – with Professor Sian Harding

How science is opening up the mysteries of the heart, revealing the poetry in motion within the machine. This lively account on recent advances in heart research stands out by its accessibility to a broader audience – I just loved her analogies to pastry or 'the heart as a city'!" Established in 1962, the MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. In one of the initial chapters of the book, Dr. Harding explores the incredible resilience of the human heart in the face of various insults, both ancient and modern. Despite enduring numerous challenges, including the limited ability to regenerate its muscle cells, the heart continues to function admirably.