updated August 21, 2023
Years ago, one of my Sunday traditions was reading Parade, a magazine included in the newspaper. One of my favorite parts was the “Ask Marilyn” column where Marilyn Vos Savant answered complex questions on a wide range of subjects- math, science, medicine, technology, economics, games, sports, and just about any topic you can imagine.
I wondered how she did it, imagining it must take hours and hours of research.
But then I learned her history. She has one of the highest IQs in the world. She is the world’s smartest woman, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, having one of the highest IQs ever recorded.
Parade published an article about how she met her husband. She is married to none other than Dr. Robert Jarvik, developer of the artificial heart.
He called her after reading a magazine article about her, and they had a long-distance courtship lasting one year.
At their wedding, science fiction author Isaac Asimov walked her down the aisle; the best man was the 7th recipient of one of the Jarvik artificial hearts! How’s that for romantic. They have been happily married since 1987.
Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1
Books by Marilyn Vos Savant
Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood
The Power of Logical Thinking
exploring the HEART of health by Marilyn
After she and Dr. Jarvik married, she became Chief Financial Officer of Jarvik Heart, Inc. But she also addressed health issues in the questions she answered in her Parade column and online. Here is a sample of some of them. (I have paraphrased her answers. )
question
Why do some drug side effects wear off and some don’t?
answer
Our bodies respond to drugs in different ways, positive and negative. Sometimes the effects are positive, relieving symptoms or curing an illness. Negative effects range from bothersome to dangerous. Either way, effects may increase or decrease depending on our genetic ability to respond to that particular drug. So sometimes drug dosages need to be changed to continue being effective or the med stopped if side effects persist or worsen.
question
Can you catch a cold from your cat?
answer
Not likely. Viruses that affect dogs and cats are different from those that affect humans, plus humans are susceptible to many more. But mutations can occur and cause animal viruses to infect humans, such as the swine flu.
question
Why do men burn more calories than women?
answer
A person who weighs more will burn more calories. However, men typically have more muscle mass and women have more fat mass; muscle burns more calories than fat.
question
How much of our brain do we use; is it true we only use 10%?
answer
No, it is not true. We use nearly all of our brains. Different parts are more active at times, depending on what we are doing. Only a small fraction of our billion brain cells are active at a time.
(These and some other links in this post are to affiliate sites that may pay this blog a small commission. )
My love story
My husband and I shared a romantic dinner on vacation in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Read about our romance at the link below the photo
Two Words That Changed My Life
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Dr Aletha
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