World Science Forum

1
World Science Forum Budapest 2003
Knowledge and Quality of Life Hans
Wigzell President, Karolinska Institutet
2
Quality of Life defined
- at micro and individual levels   - at pheno
and group levels   - at social levels   - at
national, regional, global levels   gives rise
to measurement challenges, communication and
understanding
 
3
Knowledge in some form drives Quality of Life
Evolutionary knowledge implies self-organization  
Managed knowledge implies power -
implying opportunism, technology,
innovation   - implying forms and distribution
of Quality of Life
4
Knowledge defined as coded information in the
brain
- but 100 billion neurons, synapses in the
brain   - and the working of the brain only
partially known   - and we have evolutionary
learning and hidden knowledge (interaction
brain and environment over time)   - hence
always limited knowledge - hence behaviour is
always systematic and random
5
Knowledge in Quality of Life-Contexts

•  Evolutionary knowledge (learning, tacit
  knowledge, experience)
• Very broad scope the winner in the
  end?
• Knowledge by intuition and power
• Middle range scope
•  
• Knowledge produced by scientific methods
• Limited scope?

6
Knowledge and science create value and reduce cost

• Uncured diseases ranked by cost to society
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Alzheimers
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Stroke
• Osteoporosis
• The expected benefits from investment in medical
  science are enormous and will remain so

7
Quality of Life Cancer Survival Rates

• Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia
• 1964-66 4
• 1994-96 89
• BBreast Cancer
• 1964-66 65
• 1994-96 84
• PProstate Cancer
• 1964-66 45
• 1994-96 72
• TTesticle Cancer
• 1964-66 49
• 1994-96 95
• Lung Cancer women men
• 1964-66 11 8
• 1994-96 10 10

(Source The National Board of Health and Welfare)
8
Knowledge allows control of ones destiny?
9
A PREVENTATIVE LIFESTYLE IS BETTER THAN ANY
CURE
DON'T Smoke Have sex without
protection Stress
DO Educate yourself Eat balanced
food Sleep Be physically
active Vaccinate yourself
Strengthen your social life
10
Knowledge about brain function
Better insight into the processes of brain
function ? New strategies for improving and
restoring brain function ? Therapy for children
with ADHD Therapy for patents with stroke ?
Improved Quality of Life
11
Living in the Information Society

• The knowledgeable and demanding patient
• Easy access to information/knowledge
• Rapidly information turnover/transfer
• Patient wants involvement in treatment
• Interest in self care/home care

12
Accessibility to useful information is a
bottleneck
13
Artificial self-assembling information systems
are badly needed
14
Scientific knowledge is built on logic
Seemingly logical assumptions can create major
errors in knowledge Example Allergies are
increasing all over the world Earlier considered
reasons Allergy is caused by bad indoor milieu
etc Increasing hygiene is good advice! New
facts Early contact with micro organisms and
allergens give protection!
15
Will increased knowledge always improve quality
of life?