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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006;29:S286-S290
© 2006 Elsevier Science NL

Editorial

Stonehenge and the heart: similar construction

^a Option on Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
^b Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 62-258 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1741, USA

^_* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 310 206 1027; fax: +1 310 825 5895. (Email: gbuckberg@mednet.ucla.edu).

The first 300 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Stonehenge is a structure that originated 3500 B.C. and took 1800 years to build. Its form captures the imagination and interest of the world. The harmony of its construction transcended over 50 generations, suggesting an underlying building principle that was passed over many generations. Our fascination with its configuration may be linked to the harmonious integration of its parts. The Sarsen Circle (Fig. 1 ) comprises the outer walls that contain the inner markers of the Bluestone Trilithon Horseshoe whose arms are pointed toward the distant Heel Stone. Vision of the disc of sunrise at the first day of summer (Fig. 2 ) is possible by focus past the open part of the Horseshoe, toward a point beyond the distant Heel Stone. This focal point starts from the Altar Stone existing in a central area within these walls. This report will suggest a similarity between the basic construction of Stonehenge and the heart, thereby underscoring the common presence of a guiding principle.

View larger version (39K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Overview cartoon of Stonehenge with organization of the Sarsen Circle, Bluestone Trilithon Horseshoe, and Heel Stone. Courtesy of Christopher Witcombe, Ph.D., Earth Mysteries: Stonehenge.

View larger version (133K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Image of Stonehenge (above) and Heel Stone framed in archway at Stonehenge (below). Courtesy Döltzi, The Power of Limits, Shambhala Publications.

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