LAUSR

In his 1956 novel The Naked Sun, biochemist and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov described Solaria, a planet whose inhabitants communicate almost entirely through holography. As communities throughout the world implement social distancing to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), his descriptions of individuals working and socializing solely through remote video connections are unsettlingly familiar. Clinics have replaced in-person appointments with video visits, all but the most urgent surgeries have been postponed, and teaching hospitals have reduced resident and faculty time on site, in some cases eliminating it altogether. Across the country, academic pathology departments have rapidly pivoted toward remote learning through broadcast sign-outs, didactics, and digital teaching slides. Here, we take the opportunity to reflect on the subtle yet effective differences between in-person and remote experiences. The Socially Distant Environment