Author Archives: Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

Artificial Intelligence Outsmarts Past Practices that Predict Patient Outcomes

Google's "Medical Brain" can even predict how long a hospital patient has to live
Posted on January 21, 2019 by Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

Google has been playing a guessing game with the human race for quite some time now. Its Smart Replies, which is built into Gmail, reads the message our colleague has sent to us and suggests a number of short, plausible answers. … Continue reading →

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“Undertaker” by Patricia Smith

A poet responds to gun violence
Posted on January 7, 2019 by Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

Like bards long ago, the poet Patricia Smith is often inspired by the news of the day. Often it’s unwelcome news that takes place in her Chicago neighborhood. In “Undertaker” she  tells the story of a local boy shot in … Continue reading →

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U.S. Life Expectancy Decreased for Third Year

While life expectancy in most developed nations has moved steadily upward for decades, it's on a slow but steady decline in the U.S.
Posted on January 4, 2019 by Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

In the not so happy news of last year, U.S. life expectancy decreased once again, establishing a disturbing three-year trend. Close to two years ago SevenPonds reported that U.S. life expectancy had dropped to the lowest it had been in 20 years … Continue reading →

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“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

After the death of a college roommate the future First Lady changed her career path from corporate law to community service
Posted on December 28, 2018 by Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

As 2018 draws to a close, “Becoming” by Michelle Obama tops the New York Times’ non-fiction best-seller list. Deep within the memoir lies a 1990 story of personal loss that was as much a turning point in her life as meeting her future husband, Barack … Continue reading →

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Van Gogh Saw the Promise of Christmas in his “At Eternity’s Gate”

Even in darkness the troubled artist found light
Posted on December 23, 2018 by Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

An old man slumped in a chair holding his head in his hands appears in a number of Vincent Van Gogh’s lithographs and paintings. At first, the figure, dressed in work clothes and worn leather shoes, seems bent in total despair. But … Continue reading →

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MAD Magazine Gets Serious as it Advocates for Stricter Gun Laws

Can its dark humor help achieve what the movement for sensible gun reform has not?
Posted on December 14, 2018 by Laura B Hayden (Blog Writer, Sevenponds)

Ever since the Sandy Hook School shooting — which took the lives of 20 six and seven-year olds and six adult staff members  six years ago today — more and more Americans have been advocating for stricter gun laws. Still, little has changed due to the powerful NRA’s … Continue reading →

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