Primum Non Nocere

Thank you for your comment. As you may have notice...

2012-01-30T12:15:28.643+01:00

Thank you for your comment. As you may have noticed I have had little time to write new post. Will explain more in a seperate post but suffice it to say it involves emigrating and becoming a parent. :-)

Cheers

With regards to your first point, the character Gr...

2012-01-13T23:09:22.239+01:00

With regards to your first point, the character Gregory House is a board certified specialist in nefrology and infectious diseases. His previous team consisted of Foreman (neurology), Chase (cardiologist and intensive care) and Cameron (immunologist). Still, this does not cover most specializations that are relevant to the series, so you do have a point.

For the second point, House often takes cases no other doctor has been able to solve. He usually assumes they have excluded the likely diagnoses. Then again, House also assumes that most other doctors are intellectually inferior and basically morons, so he contradicts himself by not testing for the most probable things first.

"The sad thing is I expect powerful factio...

2011-09-21T23:53:38.279+02:00
"The sad thing is I expect powerful factions to mislead in order to gain money and power, I have been turned into a cynic by Il Principe "

This kind of cynicism is nothing but good.

Unrealistic idealism is the cause of much pain and suffering in this world.

Good post. Those who engendered tobbaco agnotolog...

2011-09-07T16:47:13.914+02:00
Good post.

Those who engendered tobbaco agnotology went on to develop climate change denial. Seriously.

The picture is not mine (see update I), but if you...

2011-09-05T22:47:37.854+02:00
The picture is not mine (see update I), but if you want to use it be sure to mention its maker: http://galileospendulum.org/2011/08/16/i-call-on-the-resting-soul-of-galileo-to-whup-your-behind/

I freaking love that image. Can I steal it?

2011-09-05T19:14:32.824+02:00
I freaking love that image. Can I steal it?

Thank you both for the kind words.

2011-08-31T18:46:34.683+02:00
Thank you both for the kind words.

Very intellectually stimulating entry. Also, thank...

2011-08-31T18:25:00.962+02:00
Very intellectually stimulating entry. Also, thanks for the link.

I know this deep down to be true but you have arti...

2011-08-29T19:52:31.377+02:00
I know this deep down to be true but you have articulated my intuition to perfection. Thanks a million.
Charles

I think its a great work done. Medical Find doctors
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It’s a great pleasure to read your blog. I find yo...

2011-08-25T19:17:43.049+02:00
It’s a great pleasure to read your blog. I find your post very informative. Thank you for sharing your insights.
As a reader, I consider your writing to be a great example of a quality and globally competitive output. It would be a great thrill and honor if you could share your genuine ideas and knowledge to our community, Physician Nexus. With this you can gain 1000 physician readers from over 62 countries on Nexus.
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Thank you for those links, hadn't seen them.

2011-08-23T20:36:04.667+02:00
Thank you for those links, hadn't seen them.

Just today I saw the attack on nanotech research. ...

2011-08-23T19:16:27.012+02:00
Just today I saw the attack on nanotech research. This was actual bombs: http://chronicle.com/article/Nanotechnologists-Are-Targets/128764/

And there was the legal-threat shutdown of the stem cell information clearing house:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43760409/ns/health-health_care/

It's going to become impossible to get quality information out there.

I always thought homeopathy was just about the wei...

2011-02-21T23:13:10.125+01:00
I always thought homeopathy was just about the weirdest form of altmed.

But at a birthday party last Saturday I was instructed on the blessings of colour therapy. Colour therapy is really wonderful, it can cure anything, even cancer, but only if you believe in it. When I tried to explain why this is all complete nonsense, they told me I was a closed minded cynic and too rational for my own good, so it wouldn't work for me anyway. I got the impression they thought it served me right too.

What a wonderful world we live in. My mind still hasn't stopped boggling.

I admit it is somewhat of a conundrum... :-)

2011-02-03T19:29:05.840+01:00
I admit it is somewhat of a conundrum...
:-)

Thank you. If not the laundry what else? :)

2011-02-02T22:24:44.167+01:00
Thank you. If not the laundry what else? :)

Seems you had a very nice trip. I'm sorry abou...

2011-02-02T21:19:06.488+01:00
Seems you had a very nice trip. I'm sorry about your clothes, although it did make me laugh. Are you sure it was just the washing? ;-)

I'm keeping a list of positive responses to th...

2011-01-10T00:05:47.722+01:00
I'm keeping a list of positive responses to the BMJ (Yes Wakefield is a fraud, and here are the implications...) and negative responses (Wakefield's research IS TOO valid and vaccines cause autism anyway) at A roundup of responses to the BJM & Wakefield's research was motivated by fraud.

Some observations
1. The positive responses come from a broad range of sites -- politically left and right; people who are skeptics/ people who have heretofore (to my knowledge) never commented on vaccines or autism before, and so on. The negative responses are from a predictable set of sites and people.
2. The news coverage in the US has (perhaps inadvertently) perpetrated the idea that all parents of children with autism believe in the vaccine causation myth. It is a complete falsehood. Many parents of children with autism and adults with autism robustly reject the myth.
3. Kev Leitch, whose daughter has intense autism, has a moving post on how Wakefield's actions have damaged everyone affected by autism

The 2 examples of basic principles of reasoning ar...

2011-01-05T01:04:27.409+01:00
The 2 examples of basic principles of reasoning are nutty ... you cannot get to "true" ... you might get highly likely and reasonable to assume ... but "true"?

eg everyone assumes cigarettes cause cancer ... and yes many contract cancer from smoking ... or so it appears ... but since many who smoke do not ... one cannot say the statement is true ... However modify the claim to: Cigarettes are (reasonably likely ... or some legit % average) to cause cancer and that would be a bit more accurate ... thing is one can never prove that someone who smoked would not have contracted cancer had they not smoked ... there's so much polluted air we breathe .. who's to say what is causal ... Better still to say Cigarettes increase your risk for cancer ... I look at it as playing a kind of russian roulette .. where you don't know whether you hold a fully loaded gun or an empty one ... why shoot yourself in the head to find out?

medicina servatrici

2010-12-14T18:46:41.286+01:00
medicina servatrici

Responded here: http://contusio-cordis.blogspot.co...

2010-11-05T15:40:13.410+01:00
Responded here: http://contusio-cordis.blogspot.com/2010/11/freedom-of-speech-clarification.html

Interesting suggestions you make there. As for the...

2010-11-03T23:59:52.108+01:00
Interesting suggestions you make there. As for the first one, it seems most of the idiotic ideas you speak of come from religious or new-age type groups, who get their ideas from dangerous books like the Bible, The Koran, The Torah, and so on, so those books would need to go first. Then we'd need to go after all the Buddhist stuff, which is clearly unscientific, and... hmm... That's a lot of work. And that's just the written word. Pretty big project. And where would we draw the line, exactly? And after it's all said and done, how would that make us any different from the numbskulls who wanted to shut us up?

And as for the second -
I write an essay advocating what I believe is a clear, compelling, moral case for suicide. Someone reads it and is so convinced by it that he attempts suicide, fails and suffers horribly. If I take your point properly, he would then have grounds to sue me for reckless endangerment. Is that the world you'd intend? Again, where would you draw the line?
Whom would you have in charge of enforcing these rules? How would it be decided? You know the history of science - remember one day the same rules could be applied to you, only wielded by different powers. It's a fatal path you lay out there.

What all your examples clearly show me is the decline of basic education and the shocking lack of critical thinking skills in the US. Of course, having more fools has many uses, so I often question the motivation to actually invest in improving the system as it stands. Having all information is the same as having no information if you lack the skills to analyze it, refine it, and put it to good use. Pundit dependency is an easy habit to enable for the lazy, undeveloped mind. And as I said earlier, it does have its uses.
So whose fault is that? Who is accountable? Who is accountable for your bad habits, boneheaded decisions or thoughtless reactions? As a responsible adult, you know the answer.

Here is an interesting even though anonymous supposed quote from a European by way of the Czech Republic: "Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
Not using that to try and dis Obama, merely illustrating a larger context for your (and my) point. And as for consequences, well, we're seeing them. Best turn our attention to learning from them somehow, even if it seems too late. Personally, I don't think giving out the power to restrict what people say is the answer.

It may be more difficult than simply offering bett...

2010-11-03T18:21:58.197+01:00
It may be more difficult than simply offering better-looking websites, or eloquent defenders of science (we already have several of them). Probably there is a psychological explanation for why people are not susceptible to science: http://contusio-cordis.blogspot.com/2010/10/freedom-of-speech.html

In short, when confronted with evidence contradicting their view this will make them believe the anti-science movement even more.

Dr. N, can you point your readers to ... well, mom...

2010-11-03T04:39:36.361+01:00
Dr. N, can you point your readers to ... well, moms who are doubtful about the risks and benefits of vaccines?

http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/111781/autism_vaccines_what_i_dont

HOW can we reassure fearful moms that vaccines are (a) safer than the illnesses they prevent (b) safe overall -- safer than being in a car-- (c) not causal in autism, asthma, and a host of other childhood conditions?

It seems to me that vaccine advocates have to be better storytellers...

Thanks for the add. -Skepacabra

2010-10-22T05:49:43.253+02:00
Thanks for the add.

-Skepacabra

Primum Non Nocere

Thank you for your comment. As you may have notice...

With regards to your first point, the character Gr...

"The sad thing is I expect powerful factio...

Good post. Those who engendered tobbaco agnotolog...

The picture is not mine (see update I), but if you...

I freaking love that image. Can I steal it?

Thank you both for the kind words.

Very intellectually stimulating entry. Also, thank...

I know this deep down to be true but you have arti...

I think its a great work done. Medical Find doctorsEmr vendor reviews

It’s a great pleasure to read your blog. I find yo...

Thank you for those links, hadn't seen them.

Just today I saw the attack on nanotech research. ...

I always thought homeopathy was just about the wei...

I admit it is somewhat of a conundrum... :-)

Thank you. If not the laundry what else? :)

Seems you had a very nice trip. I'm sorry abou...

I'm keeping a list of positive responses to th...

The 2 examples of basic principles of reasoning ar...

medicina servatrici

Responded here: http://contusio-cordis.blogspot.co...

Interesting suggestions you make there. As for the...

It may be more difficult than simply offering bett...

Dr. N, can you point your readers to ... well, mom...

Thanks for the add. -Skepacabra

I think its a great work done. Medical Find doctors
Emr vendor reviews