Unraveling the Narrative: Dick Moberg Beyond the Numbers
Happy Birthday to our CEO and Founder, Dick Moberg!
We’re celebrating Dick Moberg‘s birthday today by giving him the day off and relieving him of editorial responsibilities. He will regret it, we’re sure. He probably doesn’t want it public, but he’s turning 73! Age is just a number, but it turns out that, like Dick, ‘73’ has somewhat of a cult following, primarily due to its appearance in the television show “The Big Bang Theory.“
In the show, the character Sheldon Cooper claims that 73 is the “best number” because 73 is the 21st prime number, and its mirror, 37, is the 12th prime number, and its mirror is 21, the product of multiplying 7 and 3. If that weren’t enough, in binary, 73 is a palindrome, 1001001, which backwards is also 1001001. Funny enough, It turns out that Jim Parsons (the actor who plays Sheldon Cooper) was born in 1973 and this the 73rd episode of the series.
In the realm of medicine, numbers often reign supreme. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and others are meticulously recorded and serve as the foundation of diagnostic assessments and treatment plans. In the complex world of neurocritical care, we add ICP, PbtO2, CPPOpt, PRx, and many more. The same numbers that dictate prognosis and prognostication are highly influenced by the context in which they were taken. Was the family in the room when the heart rate spiked? Was the EVD open or closed? Is a nurse moving the patient? Ironically, this context is rarely considered when evaluating measurements from multimodality monitoring.
On the flip side, as we reflect on Dick’s life as measured by years on a calendar, we start thinking back to the memories we made with this outstanding, insanely caring role model. Whether it’s to specific meetings in some European city thousands of miles away or private events held at company headquarters, I’m sure all of us carry a similar genuine sentiment about who he is. At Moberg Analytics, we have personally never met someone whose heart is so close to earth yet whose mind is so far in the clouds—in a good way, of course. His daydreams, after years of dedication, do eventually turn into a reality, and the world is better because of it.
Dick always finds a great balance between work and play. As an example, here he is being a professional goofball.
All smiles for our CEO!
As human beings, we understand the importance of narratives to explain numerical observations, like age. There is a need to shift our perspective in neuromonitoring from a fixation on numbers to a focus on narratives. By recognizing that each numerical value represents a unique and multifaceted story, we can provide more precise and personalized care. We’re beginning to see this shift in a limited way; fewer neurointensivists are treating a high ICP “according to the guidelines,” but instead allowing high ICPs to sometimes persist if the brain is well-oxygenated.
Here's to Dick Moberg!
Raise a toast!
As we wish Dick Moberg a happy 73rd birthday, we can’t help but draw parallels between his age and the quirky fascination surrounding the number 73. Just like the intricacies of prime numbers and binary palindromes, Dick’s life has been woven with unique threads of experiences, turning daydreams into tangible realities. While the medical world may be entrenched in numbers dictating diagnoses, let us take a moment to appreciate the stories behind the statistics—the memories, the shared laughter, and the indelible mark Dick has left on our lives. In a realm where context matters, Dick’s journey is a testament to the beauty of narratives.
So here’s to Dick—may his heart stay close to the earth and his dreams continue to dance among the clouds, enriching our world with his unique and inspiring story.
Happy Birthday, Dick Moberg!
~ Moberg Analytics
