Discarding logic: 2008 Ancel Keys Memorial Lecture.

T hank you. The comments I am about to make are my own personal views. They are not the views of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute or the US Department of Health and Human Services. I have no conflicts of interest to disclose. There once was a king who had 2 servants. 1 One day, he asked the servants to take buckets down to the well, which was located just outside the palace. He told them to draw water into the buckets and bring them back to him. The loyal servants did exactly as they were told, but when they reached the well, they noticed something rather strange. The buckets the king had given them were porous, full of holes. The first servant said, " The king must have made a mistake. It makes absolutely no sense to me why I should draw water into a porous bucket. I won't do it. " The second servant said, " I agree that it does not make sense, but nonetheless I will do as the king asked. " The servant drew water into the bucket, and sure enough within a few minutes all the water had drained out. When the servants returned to the king, he asked them whether they had carried out his orders. The first servant explained that he discovered holes in his bucket, and logic dictated to him that he should disobey the king's order. The second servant admitted that he too felt that it logically made sense to disobey the king's order, but he nonetheless drew water into the bucket as he was told. The king looked at the second servant and said to him, " You did right. You see, what I wanted was for you to clean my buckets. " 1 This is a story that was told over 2000 years ago. Yet, the lesson from the story is one that has plagued people throughout history. As powerful as human logic is, often it misleads us. Perhaps no area of human endeavor better illustrates the failings of human logic than modern biomedical research. I am deeply honored to be given the opportunity to deliver the 2008 American Heart Association Ancel Keys Lecture. This honor is a testament to the many blessings that have been bestowed on me, most especially the chance to learn from and work with many outstanding people in several outstanding institutions. …