Analysis of the discovery of insulin from gardner’s perspective: a qualitative perspective on scientific success

• Luz Maritza Reyes de Suárez School of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Zulia
• Geritza Urdaneta School of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Zulia
• María Suárez School of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Zulia
• Luis Suárez-Acosta Cardiology Department, Hospital General del Sur, Maracaibo, Venezuela, Interventional Cardiologist, INCOR Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
• Luis Suárez-Urdaneta School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zulia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21087127

Keywords: insulin, multiple intelligences, Howard Gardner, qualitative research, survival of people with diabetes

Abstract

This article analyzed the discovery of insulin in 1921 through the lens of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The objective was to examine how diverse cognitive profiles helped overcome the impasse in diabetes treatment, transforming a death sentence into a chance at life. Through qualitative documentary research, the contributions of Banting, Best, Macleod, and Collip are studied. The findings reveal that success was not a chance occurrence, but rather the convergence of a “collective intelligence.” Banting’s kinesthetic skill, Best’s logical rigor, Macleod’s linguistic eloquence, and Collip’s spatial vision made it possible to purify the pancreatic extract and standardize its clinical use. It is concluded that the survival of diabetic patients is the result of a synergy of biopsychological abilities and an ethical commitment, manifested in the transfer of the patent that enabled the global distribution of the drug. This review highlights the importance of collaboration among divergent minds in contemporary medical research.

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