Get ready to play “Where’s Murphy?” at Vision Expo East!

Hello all! Tomorrow is the big day, the start of Vision Expo East 2013! I am the VEE correspondent for Review of Optometry magazine and will be at Expo Thursday March 14th through Saturday the 16th live tweeting and tweet pic-ing from some of the CE classes, exhibits and the showroom floor! I wanted to really reach out to the readers of Review of Optometry mag so we came up with a little game called “Where’s Murphy?”

Similar to “Where’s Waldo?” except that instead of searching the crowds for a handsome young man in glasses and a red and white striped shirt, you will be looking for me, Dr. Cheryl G. Murphy! A picture of what I am wearing that day at Expo will be posted by Review of Optometry early in the morning. (I will try to wear bright colors or something that will stand out as you are visually searching a crowd.) Then, when you see me at Vision Expo East in between classes, out on the exhibit floor or even in line for coffee come and say hi! I will ask you for a quote along with your name, practice name, town and email and your quote may be tweeted by Review of Optometry, shared through their facebook account or used in my Vision Expo wrap-up article in an upcoming issue of Review of Optometry! With over 6,000 followers, that’s a lot of press!

Have your voice and opinions heard! Take a chance and Play “Where’s Murphy?” and you just may have your quote about Vision Expo shared with our wide audience!

Today is the day! It’s the opening day of Optometry’s 1st virtual conference, Seeing is Believing 2013! If you haven’t heard of SiB yet, it is a online extravaganza of courses, exhibits and networking for eye care professionals and it’s the first of its kind. Unlike other expos and CE events, you can attend this one from the comfort of your own home and save on travel expenses, hotel stays and schlepping to and from the event. You also won’t become a “conference zombie” because you do not have to take all of the courses at once. If you register for SiB2013, you will have access to watch the pre-recorded courses at your convenience over the next 30 days! Of course, there is an advantage to watching them at their regular scheduled time and that is a live chat and Q&A with the speaker and other attendees. 

I came up with just a couple of other tips for those attending today! The virtual doors (yes, there are literally virtual doors) open TODAY at 1 pm so read through these tips now and come prepared (and with an open mind) to this new cutting edge conference, I’m sure it will prove to be a fantastic experience.  

Tips for those Attending Seeing is Believing: 

• Check out the list of speakers ahead of time, look at the topics they will be present and begin following them now on facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. Get a jumpstart on networking with them even before the conference begins, many of them already have professional social media accounts and welcome the interactions.

• Read the course descriptions ahead of time and select which ones you would like to attend live during their air time in order to take advantage of the interactive chat with that speaker to gain immediate clarifications, feedback or answers to questions that may arise. 

• While taking the class online, jot down notes and any questions you have so that you can obtain more information through the chat or by contacting the presenter later.

• If you are unable to attend the online class during its scheduled time, don’t fret, many of the speakers have made their email addresses and contact information available to you so that they can answer any and all of your questions that may pop up even after the live presentation of their topic. 

• Consider having a pair of headphones handy if needed while you attend Seeing is Believing. This will help block out any background noise around you and allow you to be more focused and less easily distracted. 

• Set up some sort of schedule. After choosing which classes you would like to attend during their live air time, make a list of other classes you want to be sure to see. In your free time, go down the list and watch these classes with a goal in mind of maybe seeing 7 topics or so each week for four weeks. By making a list and having a set goal in mind, you’ll become organized and get ‘the most bang for your buck’ out of the experience.

While unconventional, Seeing is Believing 2013, like successful virtual conferences in other industries, is an awesome new way for us all to approach education and networking. It is convenient, collaborative and cost-effective. But don’t believe me, come and see for yourself! After all, Seeing is Believing! 

To register or for more information you can visit the website: http://www.sib2013.com 

And if you attend my class today at 5 pm, Navigating your Way through Science Communication, be sure to say hello! You can find my professional social media accounts: on facebook http://www.fb.com/drcherylgmurphy on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/murphyod or on Google Plus. 

Behind the Scenes at
‘Science Hidden in Plain Sight’
(image courtesy Gotcha! by Erica)

Hey all,

I just updated my portfolio here on the blog to include my september publications. Last month over on Review of Optometric Business, I spoke about how it is important for docs to keep their passion for science alive and their skills sharp by choosing continuing education courses that excite them.

I also wrote an article for Review of Optometry magazine on the first successful, functioning bionic eye implant performed by researchers in Australia.

And for those of you getting into the halloween spirit lately or for those of you who just enjoy a good scare, I wrote What was that! The Science of Fearful Eyes for Huffington Post Science. This was the first time I have ever blogged there but you can expect more Science Hidden in Plain Sight on Huffington Post Science again soon since I have been invited back.

I have also been brainstorming for my presentation on online science communication that I will be giving at Optometry’s virtual online conference, Seeing is Believing 2013. This is a conference for those in the eye care industry that is really cool, the first of its kind. You can hear lectures and see presentations online from great speakers all from the convenience of your own home. No traveling to and from, taking off of work, schlepping involved! The conference is January 30 and 31st, 2013 from 2:00-10:00 pm EST but the beauty of the conference is that the lectures can be accessed for up to 30 days after they air so you don’t have to sit there at those particular times and watch them, you can do so when it is convenient for you! Sweet! For those who do watch the lectures at their scheduled times, they will benefit from a live chat with the speaker at the end! I really like the idea of an online conference. I am a strong believer in networking online and have met some incredible scientists, doctors, editors and writers because of it. People I would have never “bumped” into on the street or may have been a little too shy to approach at a  gathering of 1000 people plus.

So, back to my presentation! I am really honored that they asked me to be a speaker!  I want my presentation to be really fresh and interesting. I am thinking about different formats aside from the normal powerpoint slide presentation and narration. Any ideas? It is pre-recorded which takes some of the pressure off and gives me the chance to possibly do some really extraordinary things that you might not be able to do or access in a live, in-person presentation. Any suggestions or thoughts just shoot them my way, please!

So, lots of excitement going on! Just wanted to update you all on what’s happening behind the scenes here at Science Hidden in Plain Sight! Don’t forget to keep in touch via facebook and twitter as well!

My heart and books have always been connected, but ever since temporarily losing my ability to read during a transient ischemic attack, the connection has grown even stronger!

Ok, so recently  an incredibly interesting paper came out of the journal, Neurology. It was a very descriptive account of the bizarre experiences of two people with Balint Syndrome. According to the authors’ of the paper, Balint Syndrome is “a rare neurologic disorder…” and is “characterized by one or more ischemic strokes to the parietal and occipital cortices.” Reading about the extraordinary things that they experienced during their strokes and thereafter reminded me of my own TIA experience and how I temporarily lost my literacy because of it. Losing my ability to read for those few hours really shook me. It is something we learn to do at 5 years old and now it had somehow been erased from my mind. I could see words on the page and letters but I could not comprehend them. It was as if I was looking at a foreign language. After going through that experience, I have been inspired to pursue the ‘writing career’ I had put on the back burner for so long. To hear more on my own personal story, you can read the full article here. I feel quite connected to this topic, obviously, so I may write a blog on Balint Syndrome in the near future. I will absolutely keep you posted of that.

In the meantime I urge you to read the paper in Neurology and to never chalk off “something weird” that may be happening to you, it may be your body’s way of giving you a warning sign that there is a immediate threat to your health present. In the case of a stroke, the quicker you reach out for and receive medical attention, the better. I am very lucky to have had no residual effects and to have had the congenital hole in my heart fixed so that I will be less likely to have another incident in the future. I want other people to become familiar with the signs of a stroke or TIA and seek treatment promptly if they ever experience any of those warning signs.

If you would like to learn more about TIAs and strokes, visit the National Stroke Association.

Full Steam Ahead!

Well, when I first started this little blog about four years ago, I had no idea where it would take me. All I knew was that I liked writing, I loved science and I immensely enjoyed talking to patients (and anyone who would listen for that matter) about vision and the world around us. I am happy to announce that this blog has now over 50,000 views, a reach I never could have even imagined would be possible. I remember writing my first post and seeing it get over 20 views and being so happy. I never thought it would take me as far as it has.

I have been able to write for Scientific American Magazine’s guest blog a dozen times, became a regular blogger for Review of Optometric Business, became a Contributing Editor for Review of Optometry magazine, was featured as a guest blogger on Scientopia and won a national writing contest to become the Guest Editor-in-Chief of 20/20 magazine and have continued to write for them.

But perhaps one of the best parts about having this blog has been finally listening to that little voice inside of me, which I think all writers have, telling us to write, write and write some more. I have found inspiration in famous quotes and from bloggers, writers, photographers, artists, scientists and editors that I have met. Their words keep me going, giving me hope and encouraging me to do what I love and the rest will fall into place. Sometimes, you just have to follow your heart and go for it.

That said, despite ongoing freelance writing projects to be published elsewhere I have decided to write here at least once a week. I have been focusing so much on other channels of social media (my facebook and twitter account) that I have left my blog a bit dusty. Time to shake it off and start anew!

So, you’ll be hearing from me on a more regular basis. I will also of course always update my portfolio on here to keep you posted on what I am having published elsehwere. I have some exciting new projects coming up and am always looking for more, so feel free to contact me with science writing opportunities. I am also open to public speaking events or running continuing education classes for optometrists on science writing or blogging. I am looking to expand the number of projects I am working on and will be committing a large chunk of my time to science writing and related projects from here on out.

So thanks for the encouragement!

And I hope you continue to enjoy the ‘Science Hidden in Plain Sight’ I strive to uncover! 

Cheryl Murphy OD

When our minds play tricks on us (image by Martine Lemmens/stock xchng photo)

This week I am over at Scientific American talking about a topic that just fascinates me, Charles Bonnet Syndrome. This is a condition that I happened to stumble upon while researching something else. I have never seen a patient with it but know of other eye docs who have and the stories that their patients tell are really amazing. One eye doc said that one of their patients had seen pink chickens, another’s had seen babies crawling and their late wife.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome is a condition which affects people who have suffered visual field loss. These people sometimes see images in their vision, images that are sometimes pretty wild and fantastical. In my research I read that some compare Charles Bonnet Syndrome to phantom limb syndrome in that both have neurological sensations that are produced when function is lost but not to worry, the frequency of these phantom sensations (or in the case of Charles Bonnet, haunting imagery) tends to decrease over time.

People with Charles Bonnet syndrome are “psychologically healthy” and their hallucinations involve no other sense (taste, touch, smell, or sound) as in other types of hallucinations. Also, those afflicted are very much aware that what they are seeing is not real though they hasten to tell others about it for fear they might be seen as having cognitive decline or mental impairment which is not the case.

Those with Charles Bonnet should be encouraged to tell others of the unwanted images so that their medical professionals can provide help and reassurance. The hallucinations won’t last forever, once the brain gets used to the newly acquired defects in the visual field the uninvited “visions” will subside.

Oliver Sacks gave a wonderful TED talk on the subject of Charles Bonnet Syndrome in which he quoted Charles Bonnet speaking of visual hallucinations saying that he wondered how “the theater of the mind could be generated by the machinery of the brain.”

How hauntingly complex the visual system is!

Which orange circle is bigger, the one on the left or the right?

If you were playing golf and the orange circles were the holes on the putting green, which hole would you put money on that you could make in one shot? Bigger is better, right? Well, would you believe the orange circles are both the same size? Yes, they most certainly are. This is a popular size illusion, our perception of the center circle is influenced by the context of its surroundings. Today I am over at Scientific American talking about a recent study that uses this very size illusion to change a person’s athletic performance. Interesting how one’s perception might make or break whether or not they get in the winner’s circle.

Out On the Open Road...

As my eyes peer into the rearview mirror, I can not believe how far I have traveled. It was a year ago this month that I made the decision to drive off the beaten path of my blog and see what else is out there. I submitted an article to Scientific American, my article on Chocolate, not Carrots, with a wish and a dream that perhaps they would publish it and it would reach a wider audience. Well, it didn’t get published in print but they did say that it was perfect for their guest blog online. I soon found myself slowly stepping on the accelerator towards my dream of professional writing with a friendly editor at my side in the passenger seat, his foot hovering over his instructor brake. I began listening, learning and sharpening my skills. I felt more and more confident behind the wheel and started to enjoy the scenery that whirled passed my window.

Sometimes the best part of the journey is the people you meet. As I branched out to other publications, I met more and more of the scientific community and the publishing industry. They showed me different roads. I heard all about the trips they have taken, their own goals with writing and spoke with some of the bigshots who were involved with pioneering the trails and maps we are all so desperate to decipher and navigate.

The editors soon let me know it was their stop ahead. And with a polite wave and a nod I left them behind the white line on the side of the highway. Sure, they said they would be back to check in and they would certainly sit shotgun again sometime but the instructor brake vanished before my very eyes.  I have to admit, at times I have missed having a traveling companion and have occasionally found myself staring at the empty seat.

Sometimes in life, you don’t know where the trip will take you. You just set out driving in one direction and hug the double yellow lines, feeling deep down that somehow someway, you’ll get there. To that destination that only seems like a mirage. Inch by inch as the pavement sails beneath you, you are getting there.

Trust in the journey. Trust in yourself. Keep your foot firmly on the accelerator but know when to brake and let someone in for the ride. Enjoy the scenery. The traveling is the best part of the trip. The excitement, the anticipation, the unknown. Savor the stars above you, feel the breeze as you cruise. I like to imagine myself in my dad’s GTO, when it used to be lightning white. The echos of the radio bursting through the tin sounding speakers.

All Revved Up and Ready to Roll...

So, for those of you who think I have forgotten all about my blog, I reassure you I haven’t. I have just been riding down other streets, in other neighborhoods. I love writing and am so grateful for the chance I have gotten to meet people and see places I never dreamed I’d see.

And really my travels have only just begun, so keep following me (but don’t tailgate) and watch me take off.

In the Rearview:

• I just passed (so watch for) my last articles for 20/20 magazine which will come out in the May issue, The STAYing Power of Lisa Loeb and her glasses and Inspiration of Gigantic Proportions.

Hindsight:

• my previous work

Through my windshield now (currently working on):

• Freelance writing and editing for Review of Optometry magazine.
• Writing my first blog post for Review of Optometric Business online as I am happy to announce I have been hired as a regular blogger there.

That’s all I have to report for now. I will be sure to check back in with you later. If you can’t wait until then, feel free to keep tabs on me via Facebook and twitter.

Until, then, the checkered flag is waving….Watch Me Go!

Me and the 20/20 mag crew, photo taken by James Spina, EIC.

I officially served as Guest Editor in Chief at the 20/20 magazine offices today! Had a great time seeing everyone again and spending the day together. I even got to help with some editing for the April issue which was cool for me since I usually only self-edit or look over what other editors changed in my own articles. It was an awesome experience! And it doesn’t end here, I have 4 more days to hang with the 20/20 mag staff at Vision Expo. I will also be writing 3 more articles for 20/20 ‘s May, June and August issues! Yay!

Over the next four days I am taking continuing education classes at Expo on everything from Botox to Glaucoma to Diabetes to Contact Lenses. Not to mention I will be interviewing Lisa Loeb! Exciting days ahead! I am definitely tweeting a ton, I will try to blog as much as possible on here too. Off I go, wish me luck!

"Extra! Extra! My first time published in print! 'Hit Me with Your Best Shots' for 20/20 magazine, hot off the presses!"

In February I “clocked in” as 20/20 magazine’s Guest Editor in Chief for the very first time. They invited me to one of their sun wear photo shoots and it was a blast! While there, James Spina (the actual EIC) told me if I would like to write a quick 200 word piece on my experience at the shoot, he’d publish it for their March issue and I jumped at the chance! You can read the piece entitled ‘Hit Me with Your Best Shots‘ here or in print! He told me to have it for him by Monday but I found myself so rev’d up I wrote it that night and had it in the next morning.

I find that writing comes easier when you are enthusiastically inspired and I was! The people at 20/20 rocked! Literally! From the moment I walked in, I knew I was going to have a great time. Everyone was really nice. The atmosphere oozed creativity and outreach, people flipped through magazines for trend spotting and tweet-pic’d as much of the shoot as possible so readers could see things through their eyes. They danced to their favorite tunes pumping out of the stereo and openly shared ideas and insights on what adjustments needed to be made to showcase the eyewear and models with their best fashion and faces forward.

I am grateful to get to see this side of the eyewear industry that I might have never experienced otherwise. I wanted to share with you my essay, at first I was hesitant but I spoke with everyone at 20/20 about it and they said I could and should and so I will. I really look forward to visiting the offices of 20/20 magazine at the end of March and spending the day in their shoes. I also can not wait for Vision Expo! Here it is:

Out with the New, In with the Old: Styles return us to Innocence

by Cheryl Murphy

Do you remember when people would ask each other ‘how was your day today?’ instead of scrolling through status updates? When tweeting was something only birds did? When ‘words with friends’ literally meant having a conversation with your friends, face to face, in person, instead of on Facebook? When diaries were kept instead of blogs? When you didn’t go to the computer to check the news and weather for the day, you went to the paper on your front door step?

Technology has brought us many cool gadgets and conveniences. It’s expanded our knowledge and made it all easier for us to stay connected to one another and to the world but yet, something seems missing. There is a certain warm nostalgia that seems lost, ‘the good old days,’ a simpler time when things went a little slower and everything seemed a little more pure.

Little reminders and glimpses of yesteryear can be spotted in the comeback of the Cat Eye, Horn-Rimmed, and geek-chic glasses. I love that these have rebounded back into pop culture. It helps me to recognize the times have changed, but the hearts of people haven’t. 

Accompany me on my journey as I “take over” 20/20 magazine at the end of this month, follow me on twitter and facebook and here as I may even do some live blogging?? Would you guys like that?

Thank you for all of your kind congrats and support! I plan to make the most of this amazing opportunity!