[who_would_fardels_bear]

Ask a cosmologist something simple like "What's the shape of the universe?" and he'll tell you it's too naive a question.

But if they can't even tell you what the universe kinda sorta looks like then are they even trying to communicate to the rest of us?

[paterfamilias]

There is a difference between precise technical language and jargon.

So, the thigh bone is precisely called femur, and a heart attack is precisely called myocardial infarction.

Because laymen’s terms are not precise, they can lead to confusion: a “stroke” includes cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral embolism, cerebral thrombosis, transient ischemic attack, and similar events in other parts of the brain, e.g., brainstem, thalamus, etc. So, doctor-to-doctor, we try to use very precise terms so that the patient’s condition is clearly and compactly expressed and understood.

Jargon is usually the use of common words in an uncommon way - interestingly, the “uncommon way” is often the original meaning of the word.

For example, in medicine, we use the word “attend” to mean “to pay attention” (the original Latin meaning) and “articulate” to describe how joints fit together (again, from the original Latin). These usages simply represent the way doctors are trained to talk to each other with precision.

Now, Mr. Alda is correct inasmuch as we should be trained to speak to patients in terms that are precise and understandable. Usually this means translating the terms for the patient, for example:

“Your wife had a thrombotic stroke in the distribution of the left middle cerebral artery - that means that this artery (pointing to a picture) developed a blockage in the artery the feeds blood to the part of the brain that can affect speech and motion of the right side of the body. This is not the type of stroke that is caused by bleeding or by a clot that travelled from the heart.”

No do you see why “thrombotic Left MCA CVA” is the term that doctors use when speaking to other doctors?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Does he want it clear and concise like the Obamacommiecare bill?

[dfwgator]

"Right, kick ass. Well, don't want to sound like a dick or nothin', but, ah... it says on your chart that you're f----d up. Ah, you talk like a fag, and your s--t's all retarded. What I'd do, is just like... like... you know, like, you know what I mean, like..."

[onedoug]

“Ah, Bach.”

[Nifster]

in other words...I am too stupid to ask you what you mean so please dumb it down for me....he is an actor after all

[ozzymandus]

That commie turd is still alive??

[Mike Darancette]

Like Dr. Park on “Monday Mornings” explaining why surgery was necessary: “Not do, dead”.