11 - Uncertainty in Medicine: How We Die
The Nocturnists12 Jun 2025

11 - Uncertainty in Medicine: How We Die

Today, we explore the paradox of mortality: something both certain and utterly unknowable. Through a haunting parable from Ursula K. Le Guin and stories from doctors and loved ones, we hear what happens when people try to plan for death—or avoid it. A daughter processes her mother's calm decision to pursue assisted dying. A physician grapples with an ambiguous advance directive. A neurointensivist weighs the line between hope and false hope. What do we do when clear answers are impossible? And what happens when our attempts to control death only bring more suffering? And in the midst of all this uncertainty, how do we find peace?

Find show notes, transcripts, and more at thenocturnists.org, and subscribe to our substack.

The "Uncertainty in Medicine" series is generously funded by the ABIM Foundation, by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by The California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Host: Emily Silverman, MD

Series Illustrations by Eleni Debo

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(227)

The Lost Aura with John Lantos, MD

The Lost Aura with John Lantos, MD

Drawing on philosophy, bioethics, and decades in pediatrics, Dr. John Lantos reflects on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the doctor-patient relationship. We explore what medicine has gained t...

24 Sep 58min

Misdirected

Misdirected

As a college student seeking an abortion, Alejandra was unknowingly referred to a crisis pregnancy center instead of an abortion provider. In this conversation, she reflects on how that experience fra...

17 Sep 39min

Failure to Treat with Peter Kowey, MD

Failure to Treat with Peter Kowey, MD

Drawing on a lifetime in medicine and the stories behind his new book Failure to Treat, cardiologist Dr. Peter Kowey explores how profit, bureaucracy, and the corporatization of healthcare have transf...

10 Sep 47min

The Body as Teacher with Giulia Enders, MD

The Body as Teacher with Giulia Enders, MD

Dr. Giulia Enders—physician, gastroenterologist, and bestselling author of Gut—joins us to discuss her new book, Organ Speak. She invites us to see the body not as a machine in need of repair, but a...

3 Sep 45min

Beyond Moral Injury with Lisa Rosenbaum, MD

Beyond Moral Injury with Lisa Rosenbaum, MD

Cardiologist Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum tells the story of how her grandfather—a physician-writer whose experience as a patient transformed his view of medicine—influenced her sense of purpose, storytelling, ...

11 Jun 1h 8min

The Memory Disco with Kaylee Glenn (Crossover Episode with Remo Health)

The Memory Disco with Kaylee Glenn (Crossover Episode with Remo Health)

In this crossover episode with Remo Health, Kaylee Glenn of the Day By Day Project shares how a childhood moment playing violin in a memory care facility inspired her to create a music-focused nonprof...

4 Jun 38min

The History of Being Sick with Susan Wise Bauer, M.DIV, PhD

The History of Being Sick with Susan Wise Bauer, M.DIV, PhD

Historian Susan Wise Bauer tells the story of how, across centuries—from ancient civilizations to modern medicine—humans have tried to make sense of illness through evolving frameworks, from divine pu...

28 Mai 51min

Beyond the Shore with Erika MacIntyre, MD

Beyond the Shore with Erika MacIntyre, MD

Dr. Erika MacIntyre reflects on her path into critical care and chronic ventilation medicine, as well as the mounting pressures she faced during COVID-19—including professional strain, loss of persona...

21 Mai 45min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
alt-fortalt
fladseth
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-herrepanelet
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-siktet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem