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Ann Thorac Surg 1996;61:1601-1602
© 1996 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
President, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
If one considers such a profound question as what separates man from beast (and in today's world I am not entirely sure we can separate them), in my opinion the most significant difference between the two is the ability of humans to communicate. The dog, lovable and trainable as it is, has no ability to transmit, accumulate, or archive information apart from certain inherited instincts. The ape is still swinging from the trees for the same reason. However, holding a pen or a knife, humanity's gift for transmitting thought brings forth miracles from the hand of Mozart, Shakespeare, or Robert Gross. Communication leads to accumulated knowledge, which permits each new generation to build on the achievements of the prior one. And communication provides humans the means to accumulate knowledge far beyond the confines of their immediate family or culture.
We are at the threshold of the single greatest leap forward in communication since Marconi invented the radio. As so eloquently described by Dr Chitwood [1] in the accompanying editorial, the Internet is upon us and this revolutionary technology will permanently change our private and professional world-this is not hyperbole; it may even be understated! We have been accustomed to using the print, radio, or television media to bring us our information, and many of us have begun to develop a deep and cynical distrust of these media as we observe bias, disdain for the truth, and blatant propaganda. The meteoric rise in popularity of talk radio has been the direct result of the frustration of the public to gain direct access to straight news reporting. The Internet, still young and with all its warts and blemishes, is going to enable people all over the world to communicate directly with one another instantly, inexpensively, and free of editing by anchor moguls. The relative ease of establishing an educational outlet will permit like-minded groups to share information, data, and techniques and will permit interactive and instant questions and responses.
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons must participate in the Internet, recognizing the impact that it will have on education, organization (both political and professional), and international sharing of information and data. The changes brought about by the airplane, making the world seem smaller, will pale in comparison to the merging of cultures and the availability of international friendships that will follow implementation of the power of the Internet.
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is blessed with an abundance of talent necessary to get up and going in this area. Dozens of members responded to a questionnaire distributed at the annual meeting in Orlando requesting expressions of interest in collaborating in the effort. Everyone who desires to get involved will be able to do so; there is an enormous effort required! To get things moving rapidly Drs David Campbell, William Nugent, and Peter Greene, assisted by their consultant, Ms Kim Alley, have defined the requirements for the initiation of the Web page and have selected a company to provide the necessary services. Smith-Bucklin, our association managers, through Mike Thompson have recruited Brian Senecal to be the informational manager to handle the day-to-day activities.
We have discussed this project with leaders of most of the major thoracic surgical associations throughout the world and have received enthusiastic responses from South America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to join with us in a collaborative effort to bring together the thoracic surgeons of the world on one site on the Internet. All the cardiothoracic surgeons in the world will be able to communicate directly, sharing ideas, information, and data and extending their cumulative knowledge freely and easily.
We can have the thoracic surgical curriculum on the Net; advertise job opportunities; provide information on outcomes, management methods, and new techniques; and provide meeting programs, schedules, and registration forms for meetings all over the world. Doctor Ferguson, at The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, will have the table of contents, with abstracts of forthcoming issues of The Annals, on the Web page. We plan to have three or four scientific articles featured each month, perhaps chosen from various journals around the world, to trigger free discussions, led by a moderator, similar to the discussions at our annual meeting. These discussions, conducted on the Net, will be even more informative and free-wheeling than ever before, particularly because they will include participation by colleagues all over the world. With the advent of telecommunications and real-time audio, in the near future, these interactions will assume even more immediacy. Cheer up friends, it's a great time to be alive! Don't be caught with the epitaph on your headstone, suggested by our beloved ex-president, Dr Vincent Gott, "NEVER GOT ONLINE." Get yourself a computer, have your 12-year-old child or grandchild teach you how to turn it on, get the "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" tutorial (as I did), and get with the program! The Society of Thoracic Surgeons will help by providing seminars, tutorials, and teaching aids, and we will set up a hot line to answer your questions.
Footnotes
Address reprint requests to Dr Replogle, Ingalls Memorial Hospital, One Ingalls Dr, Suite W536, Harvey, IL 60426.
Reference
This article has been cited by other articles:
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  B. E. Keogh CTSNet: building bridges between national societies Ann. Thorac. Surg., July 1, 1998; 66(1): 294 - 295. [Full Text] [PDF]
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