The 'Mathematical Bridge' connects the older half of the college (affectionately referred to by students as The Dark Side) with the newer half (The Light Side), and is one of the most photographed scenes in Cambridge (the typical photo being taken from the nearby Silver Street bridge). According to popular fable the bridge was originally designed and built by Sir Isaac Newton without the use of nuts or bolts, and at some point in the past students (or fellows, depending on which version you hear) attempted to take the bridge apart and put it back together. The myth continues that the over-ambitious engineers were unable to match Newton's feat of engineering, and had to resort to fastening the bridge by nuts and bolts. This is why nuts and bolts can presently be seen in the bridge. This story is false: the bridge was built in 1749 by James Essex the Younger (1722–1784) to the design of William Etheridge (1709–1776), 22 years after Newton died. It was later rebuilt in 1866 and 1905, albeit to the same design. 1642 marked the death of Galileo and the birth of Sir Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, England on Christmas day.

CAUTION Potassium citrate requires frequent checking of blood potassium by your physician to stabilize the dose. Perhaps every other day for a week.Then once a week for two weeks;then once a month for three months; then once every six months. Potassium rises within our body's in response to diminished kidney functioning. It also rises with certain blood pressure lowering medications. And it can rise from eating potassium rich foods. Lastly it can rise from supplementing with either over the counter potassium citrate or prescribed potassium citrate.

I liken Potassium Citrate PKD Researchers, Judy and George Tanner to a young Galileo trying to refute a thousand year old theory first established by a Greek named Aristotle. We know it is true, because we have experienced it. It is true at least for ourself alone within a private set of circumstances within our own particular body. We are akin to the ancient Romans, the Italians, wishing to conduct a practical clinical trial to see if potassium or sodium citrate works well with humans with cystic organs or if it does not, why not?

Perhaps a few nephrologists are having leanings toward prescribing potassium citrate to PKD'rs much like the famous leaning tower? Galileo is said to have dropped a bag of feathers and a ball simultaneously from the top of the leaning tower of Pisa - Italy. This was the beginning of the science of free fall acceleration. Galileo Galilei was condemned for his theories by his church for promoting a Copernican cosmology. Aristotle's theory proclaimed that the heavier object would fall and hit the ground at a much faster rate. In 1992 scientists at the University of Pisa confirmed the correctness of Galileo's theory. Even today Galileo is still capable of provoking controversy. Read about Pope Benedict XVI has canceled a planned visit to a prestigious Italian university after a protest by academics and students attacked his views on Galileo.

Galileo was born in 1564, the same year as Shakespeare and the year in which Michelangelo and Calvin died. Benedetti Giambattista had already published a comparable experiment as Galileo’s in 1553. Another similar test had been completed by the Flemish engineer Simon Stevin in 1586. According to Aristotle, whose writings had remained unquestioned for over 1000 years prior to Galileo’s birth, not only did heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones, but also an object that weighed twice as much would fall twice as fast. This seemed logical with none willing to practically attempt to discover which was true.

Galileo's interest in disproving Aristotle's theory about falling objects, came about during a hailstorm, by having observed that both large and small hailstones hit the ground at the same time. If Aristotle were correct, this was possible only if the larger hailstones were dropped from a higher point in the clouds and at the same time – or that the lighter ones started falling earlier than the heavier ones – neither of which seemed at all probable to Galileo.

Galileo did perform some ingenious experiments on gravity while at Pisa. In fact, for his approach to science, that of using math in analyzing the results of experiments, he is credited with initiating the current style of scientific research. Galileo is also known for his thought experiments. These are carried out entirely in the mind using reasoning and logic to help explain complex ideas. (Einstein is another great thinker who used thought experiments effectively.)

Our careful observations within our bodies with cystic organs are the kindling that gives the spark that fuels many contemporary medical scientific thought PKD experiments.

Modern day Italian medical studies contain numerous practical answers to long held theories:

For infants who are allergic to cow’s milk, can rice formula be substituted to replace soy? Yes without detrimental effects.
When an Italian village had a near zero incidence of heart disease, Italians performed genetic testing and discovered villagers held a gene that produced no heart disease.
Will eating calcium rich foods and taking calcium supplements cause kidney stone formation? No, but eating too much protein will increase future kidney stone attacks.
Will Octreotide diminish both kidney and liver cysts? Yes for kidney cysts. Clinical trials for liver cysts are not yet completed.

I really love the Italian scientific mind. This practical inquisitiveness may date further beyond the 16th century. Perhaps traveling through time we can listen in on the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. The Greeks were great philosophers. They enjoyed passionately debating an issue throughout the day and sometimes taking it long into the night. The Romans were more practical. They were the doers. They debated a topic for a seemingly short time. Then they wished to settle the debate conclusively. If two objects were dropped from a high tower at the same time, what might hit the ground first? A bag of feathers or a metal ball? Perhaps the Romans tried these experiments initially much like Galileo and others before him. Greece through Aristotle’s writings by debating came to different conclusions that withheld for 1000 years. I have a kinship with the Italians, with the Roman scientific mind, with mathematics, and with thought experiments that lead to trials.

For a fun experiment try this website:
Scroll down to
Galileo's Experiments (160K)

Through observations while living in a body with cystic kidneys and liver, I have discovered some interesting things, possibly a means of keeping my cystic kidneys working optimally. Potassium citrate eliminates spilling of protein in my urine. Proteinuria is the first symptom doctors look toward as an indicator that kidneys are beginning to slow down in their functioning. I attributed this increase in proteinuria to the passage of time, to aging. I tried atacand and cozaar, two high blood pressure medications known to reduce proteinuria. Each successfully got rid of protein in my urine. Both were prescribed for the sole purpose of abolishing proteinuria not for high blood pressure. I found that by following a low sodium alkaline diet (less than 1200 mg / day), these medications gave me an uncontrollable craving for salt. I wanted to eat ham sandwiches on rye with a dill pickle for breakfast lunch and dinner. I stopped the atacand and the craving left. I started the atacand once again and the craving for ham on rye returned (followed by crunching a huge dill pickle). I am normally a vegan vegetarian.

The above ACE diagram helps explain my overwhelming craving for salt

I experimented by eliminating all blood pressure medications. My blood pressure is well controlled by diet and daily walks. I took (6) six OTC (over the counter) potassium citrate capsules with 18 ounces of water. I tested my urine for protein with albustix. Zero protein was the result. I stopped the potassium citrate, continued with the alkaline diet and I was again spilling protein in my urine. I took (6) six potassium citrate and protein in my urine vanished once again. Now you see it; now you don’t.
The above experiment is said to be empirical knowledge as opposed to scientific knowledge. It is what we experience within our bodies. This is how we know it is true, at least for ourself alone within these private set of circumstances and within this particular body. I have become more diligent with my diet and no longer spill protein in my urine as long as avoid all animal proteins including broths and soups and egg yolk and beef tea.

Commander David R Scott (2 August 1971, lunar surface): "Well, in my left hand I have a feather; in my right hand, a hammer. And I guess one of the reasons we got here today was because of a gentleman named Galileo, a long time ago, who made a rather significant discovery about falling objects in gravity fields. And we thought: 'Where would be a better place to confirm his findings than on the Moon?’”

[Camera zooms in on Scott's hands. One is holding a feather, the other a hammer. The camera pulls back to show the Falcon ­ the Apollo 15 landing craft ­ and the lunar horizon.] Scott: "And so we thought we'd try it here for you. The feather happens to be, appropriately, a falcon feather for our Falcon. And I'll drop the two of them here and, hopefully, they'll hit the ground at the same time." [Scott releases hammer and feather. They hit the ground at about the same time.] Scott: "How about that! Mr. Galileo was correct in his findings."

Objects of different mass fall at the same rate in a vacuum, is associated with a single person (Galileo) and a single place ­ the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The culprit is Vincenzio Viviani, Galileo's secretary in the final years of his life. To read more about potassium citrate and for frequently asked questions about potassium citrate click here.

Last updated Monday, February 11, 2008 4:50 AM