Øyvind S. Bruland
This essay traces back in time the concept of targeting, the central theme of this symposium. The cradle of Western Medicine is generally attributed to the Eastern Mediterranean region. However, unbeknownst to most people, important concepts and beliefs, with a bearing on medicine, have roots in the Northern regions several thousand years before Hippocrates. University of Tromsø is the northernmost university in the world and University of Oslo is the oldest one in Norway. Their logos both contain symbolic elements which are of relevance to this symposium. I have attempted to explain these by making use of scientific analogies, medical terms and metaphors.