20. september 2003

Censorship in Sweden Swedish media has, even more than Norwegian, been blatantly anti-American, and especially on the topic of the war in Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli-conflict, there are few voices off dissent from the prevailing leftist opinion. Yet, there is freedom of speech in both countries, so the one-sided coverage is more attributed to the dominance of leftists in the media than a particular sinister agenda from the state. Or so I thought, at least, until Sweden's broadcasting watchdog decided to censure Swedish TV4 for broadcasting an Oprah Winfrey talk show which it considered "unbalanced", that is, unlike the overwhelming majority of programming, it was biased towards the opinion that the US should attack Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Bjørn Stærk blog has more. 11:53:32 PM    comment []  trackback []

Modern science (sometimes) confirms traditional medicine Doctors sometimes confirm that traditional medicines work. In one recent case, British and Ghanaian researchers investigated whether African tulip tree and the Secamone afzelli, frequently made into a paste applied to wounds, had any positive effect. Both were highly effective against the yeast Candida, they were antibacterial, and they also had antioxydant qualities. Professor Peter Houghton, who led King's College research team, said: "Medicinal plants complement more orthodox medicines and it has to be accepted that there is little alternative for many people in countries like Ghana. "We are aiming to identify those plants that have a scientific rationale for their reputation, and this should help local people to know which plants to recommend." This welcome find, and a good examples of cooperation between science and traditional healers, highlights a common misconception about the conflict between 'orthodox medicine' and so-called alternative medicine. It is a common belief that orthodox medicine is opposed to traditional treatment, and that real doctors only prescribe products that are developed in laboratories. It is quite possible that 'orthodox' medicine has sometimes been too eager to dismiss traditional treatment, for economic or other reasons. However, it is important to note that the power of modern medical science is not in any single medical discovery, important as it may be. The great breakthrough in medical science is a methodology of applying rigurous testing to any treatment or medicine.  The most important discovery in modern medicine is arguably not antibiotics, but the double blind test. This is a test where a proposed treatment or medicine is compared statistically to the effect of a placebo (e.g. sugar pills with no real effect) while the researchers and the patients do not know who receives which. Only at the end do scientists de-anonymise the tests and will then have to prove to a pre-determined level of statistical certainty that the medicine was more effective than the sugar pill. This study will then determine whether the medicine merits further study, and finally introduction on the market, or if it is junked (ie. sent to the 'alternative' doctor across the street) . So-called "alternative medicine" is whatever has failed such tests, repeatedly and quite consistently. Science have rejected homeopathy and countless other treatments because studies show that these medicines do not work, and the theorietical model that explains why they should work is contrary to what science knows about the body and the universe. Whether the medicine under study is carefully developed in a laboratory or grows on a plant in the jungle is irrelevant. If double-blind tests fail to confirm a medicine or treatment, it is a reasonable conclusion that it does not work. Reasonable, that is, unless you believe in 'alternative medicine.' 10:00:43 PM    comment []  trackback []

Earthquake in Tokyo, half predicted A moderate earthquake shook Tokyo at 12:55 today Saturday, injuring a number of people and causing some damage. The quake measured in at 5.5 on the Richter scale. Tokyo is well prepared for a quake of significantly more destructive potential. What is rather astonishing, is that the well-known self-taught astronomer Yoshio Kushida had predicted a large earthquake to hit Tokyo this very week, based on his controversial idea that the build-up to the quakes produces disturbances on the VHF range of radio waves. Seismologers said there was no method for predicting earthquakes, more or less dismissing his predictions. Kushida's predicted quake would be at a magnitude of 7 or greater, so clearly he was not right about that. But maybe, just maybe, his methods deserve a closer look, as well as some refinements. 5:33:58 PM    comment []  trackback []

Religion impacts income Tell me what you believe, and I can tell you the size of your wallet. Not exactly true, but a US study of the relation between income and religious affiliation showed dramatic differences. Conservative protestants were the poorest, while Jews were far and away the best earners in the study. Lisa Keister, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University, analyzed longitudinal surveys of nearly 5,000 Americans. She found the median net worth of Jewish participants to be $150,890. Conservative Protestants--including Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and Christian Scientists—were worth an average of $26,200. Catholics and mainstream Protestants--including Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Unitarians and others--fell in between at about $60,000. Keister explained the connection between faith and pocketbook by pointing to the role that religion plays in the family. “Families have a big impact on future wealth accumulation, and religion is a big part of family life," says Keister. The study took into account age, education, race and other factors that influence wealth, such as inheritance. Why were Jews worth so much more, on average? For one, Jewish participants were much more likely to invest in financial versus real assets, meaning stocks and bonds instead of houses. They also began investing much earlier than non-Jews. A strong emphasis on education and good financial habits in Jewish homes contributes, as well as more and better opportunities to increase “social capital.” Many conservative Christians, on the other hand, denounce education and high-paying jobs. They may seek rewards in the afterlife instead of this life and also be negatively affected by high birth rates. 5:13:55 PM    comment []  trackback []

Hypnosis and false memory The idea that memory that is lost or suppressed can be recovered through various therapautic processes, typically hypnosis, is strong among many therapists and even psychologists. These practices are extremely dubious from a scientific point of view, and empirical evidence tells us that such techniques are more likely to create false memories than to dig out real ones. Check out this article: Steven Jay Lynn, Elizabeth F. Loftus, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Timothy Lock: Memory recovery techniques in psychotherapy. Skeptical Inquirer, July/Aug 2003 I picked this off The Reason Blog, a great resource that deals with these topics extensively.. 2:00:06 AM    comment []  trackback []

Internet 101: First lesson I just love this picture. Save for future reference! 12:58:14 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.10.2003; 02:25:01.