Friday,, February 7, 1986 45
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS -
BY ZECHARIA HIN
Special To The Jewish News
computer desk, all of which he de-
signed with the aid of a computer.
As a medical resident, he started
using computers "purely for pleasure,"
he said, and taught himself the BASIC
computer language. He has since ex-
panded his knowledge to use it in his
astronomy calculations, and to write
magazine articles for astronomy, sci-
ence and medical publications. On
some of his articles, he doesn't even
create a paper draft; he sends them via
electronic mail. He even reviewed a
computer for Computing Physician
magazine.
Many of his articles are free-lance
and unsolicited, although he 'was
commissioned byPopular Science to do
a piece on Halley's Comet. He strongly
points out, however, that he does not
use his degree or title (M.D. or Dr.)
when contributing an item to a publi-
cation. "It's not submitted as a physi-
cian," he asserts, but rather as an
amateur woodworker or astronomer,
when writing for other than medical
publications.
Shumaker said he doesn't want
his title to influence or prejudice an
editor, adding he is more proud of writ-
ing articles separate from his profes-
sion.
Dr. Hetzel calls Shumaker's
enthusiasm "unbelieveable." He's a
driven man, "but in a good sense,"
Hetzel suggests.
A typical day for Shumaker be-
gins with a 7 a.m. meeting at the hos
pital, followed by rounds, a stint in the
operating room, teaching conferences
with the residents, hospital committee
work, clinical research and post
operative evaluations.
He also appears in five-minute
"Health Talks," hospital-produced
videos seen on local cable stations. The
segments usually consider a general
topic on health, such as cosmetic
surgery, sun-tanning or nutrition.
Shumaker was even profiled by
WXYZ-TV newsman Jerry Stanecki
as a result of his cable TV experiences.
But the real love of his life is his
work in urology. Attorney Larry Pep-
per, a fraternity brother from
Shumaker's Wayne State University
s Comet is here, creat,
ndable excitement. For
it is a once in a lifetime
nos
accompanied by an ava-
eve
Ianche of books and articles dealing
with 'all its aspects, including an
enumeration of its past visitations,
when its appearances were deemed
to be celestial omens foretelling
major turns in the course of human
events.
Nowhere has it been mentioned
thus far that Halley's Comet was
associated with major events in
Jewish history.
The principal reason for the
omission must be the fact that until
very recently, the only sources for
recording the periodic appearances
of comets, some of which must have
been reappearances of Halley's
Comet, were European and
Chinese.
Edmond Halley, Britain's sec-
ond royal astronomer, first ob-
served the cornet that would come to
bear his name in 1682. He con-
cluded that it was the same comet
that had been seen in Europe by
Kepler in 1607 and by Apian in
1531, and predicted that it would
appear at the end of 1758. When
Zecharia Sitchin, a linguist and
Biblical scholar, is author of "The
Twelfth Planet," "The Stairway To
Heaven," and most recently "The Wars
of Gods and Men."
days, recalls that Shumaker always
wanted to be a doctor.
Pepper recalled that Shumaker
often left fraternity socials to go to
work at an area hospital.
Shumaker said he went into the
field for a number of reasons. He liked
surgery and he could see all types of
patients — old people, kids. "You can
see a population mix," he said.
Beyond that, he said urology was
a specialty in which he felt he could
really help people. "It's also a specialty
where people get better a lot of the
time. You can cure them, and help
them. In urology, you can help people
who are miserable and uncomfortable.
There isn't a lot of chronic illness and
disease as much as in some of the-other
specialties."
Added to his post as senior
urologist at the hospital, Shumaker
also is the pediatric urologist, but
much of his time is spent in research-
ing treatment for bladder cancer.
He is involved in using a new
treatment technique with lasers,
called photo-dynamic therapy. One 'of
about a handful in the country to use
the new technique, Shumaker ex-
plained that it is still experimental.
this did come to pass, the periodicity
of the comet (between 75 and 80
years) was recognized, and earlier
records of such appearances were
studied with that discovery in mind.
Until recently, the earliest re-
cord of this comet was in Chinese
astronomical observations. These
included the appearance of a bright
comet in 467 B.C.E. (also possibly
recorded in Greece), and again in
240 B.C.E. There were Chinese and
Roman observations in the year 12
B.C.E.
Until earlier this year, the re
turn of Halley's Comet. in 164
B.C.E. was assumed on the basis of
very vague Chinese records. But it
was in April 1985 that three schol-
ars re-examining Babylonian as-
tronomical tablets that had been
lying in the basement of the British
Museum since their discovery in
Mesopotamia more than a century
ago, found that the tablets referred
several times to the appearances of
extraordinary celestial bodies, ap-
parently comets, in the years 164
B.C.E. and 87 B.C.E. — a periodic
ity of 77 years!
The three, F.R. Stephenson,
K.K.C. Yau and H. Hunger, re-
ported their, discovery in the
presitigious scientific magazine
Nature. Other scholars who have
since examined the clay tablets
from over 2,000 years ago tend to
agree that the recording of the
So far; says Shumaker, the results
have been encouraging. Some patients
have gone 'up to two years without a
tumor. "These were all people who
were ready to have their bladders re-
moved," he said. He has received a re-
search grant for his work and has pre-
sented papers at professional medical
conferences on the subject.
With 'his hospital work and out-
side activities, one would think that
Shumaker has little time for his wife
and children. However, according to
Suzanne Shumaker, being married to
him is exciting. -
"He's a Multi-dimensional person.
Continued on Page 68
You learn a lot from a person like that.
He keeps you on your toes." -
Mrs. Shumaker said that most of
his activities are in the house and
when he's home, he tries to involve the
children in his projects.
Being so involved in so many ac-
tivities is old hat for Shumaker. He
recalled that he learned to budget his
time when he attended Wayne State
University, There he was a full-time
student, had a hospital job, was active
in fraternity programs, was vice
president of his fraternity (Alpha Ep-
silon Pi), was vice president of the
senior class, on the sailing team, on
the Student-Faculty Council and a
member of university search commit-
tees.
When Shumaker undertakes a
project, he goes full-speed ahead.
Friend Lori Roth said he was unusual
in that he "really researches" a project
before he becomes involved. Dentist
Dr. Chuck Taylor said his enthusiasm
for new things is boundless. "He's a
pretty adventurous guy. He's willing
to try anything." Oral surgeon Dr.
David Bloom marvels at the way he
has time to get everything done.
Shumaker attributes his ability to
get it all in to organization. "I'm pretty
efficient at what I do. I don't waste a lot
of time."
For that, Dr. Bryan Perry
Shumaker should thank his lucky
stars.
.
,
Ile said the process involves in-
jecting a dye into cancerous tissue,,
that which can be reached by the laser '
light: By concentrating the proper
wavelength of laser light on the can-
cerous tumor, the dye will become un-
stable and kill the cancer: cells.
sightings describe a slow moving ce-
lestial body — too slow to be a
meteor and thus probably a comet.
The year,164 B.C.E., as none of
the scholars and newsmen preoccu-
pied with Halley's Comet have
realized, is of great significance in
Jewish history.
It was in that very year that
the Macabbees, under the leader-
ship of Judah, recaptured
Jerusalem and purified the defiled
Temple. The rededication cere-
mony -- commemorated in the
Festival of Chanukah — had thus
taken place just when "Halley'
Comet" was reaching the peak o
its brightness, for all, Jew an'
Gentile, to see.
The year 66 C.E. is considered
by astronomers to have been an-
other one in which Halley's Comet
had made an appearance: this is
based on at least two Chinese ob-
servations. But 66 C.E. was the year
when the Jews of Judea launched
the Great Revolt against Rome!
Indeed, Josephus (Wars of the
Jews, Book V!) blamed the fall of
Jerusalem and the destruction of
the Temple on the iiiisinterpreta-
tion by the Jews of the heavenly
signs that preceded the revolt: "a
star resembling a sword, which
stood over the city and a comet
that continued a whole year."
The ancient Greeks readily
Scotty and Lauren Shumaker join their
father. as he observes the stars.
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