Clive James talks scepticism

To Quote:

'What remained constant was my scepticism, which is surely, as a human attitude, more valuable than gullibility'

Clive James

You can read the full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8322513.stm

Regards,

Dennis Thompson

Unnaceptable conduct?

The following link was brought to my attention on a martial arts forum, discussing an apparent videotaped murder of a mentally disabled African American in a karate dojo.

http://www.martialedge.net/forum/martial-arts-talk/unacceptable-ma-misconduct-%28discression-advised%29/12/0/

Now the problem I have here and always will have is the distinct lack of critical thinking applied to the youtube video. Lets remember anyone can post almost any content video to you tube with no verification checks as to it's authenticity.

You tube at best shows a snapshot of what is going on at any particular time and as we all know after watching a Michael Moore movie, the camera and the video does lie, more often than we could possibly imagine in fact.

To quote directly from Jamie Clubb, the most rational person speaking on that thread:

"A little something from the "grown-ups table" on this very sad and unfortunate incident that is now getting way out of control in the imagination of many. This report seems to be most sobre and best researched.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/30/AR2009083002251.html

My point was that these things end up taking on a life of their own without anyone really questioning the whole story. It's instant trial by media. Then new things get added. Suddenly it's a murder - a murder that went unreported, but yet was video-taped in front a witnesses, surfaced in the 1990s and then was posted again on the internet by the "murderer". And everyone is happy to buy into this. Next footage surfaces of the "murderer" telling his students they can do what they want in his dojo etc. It catches the news. So what? You will note that the news is careful to question whether or not it is a hoax"

I absolutely second Jamie's take on this subject, we are far too quick to accept the horror stories, it's as if we are walking round switched off, when most decent martial arts tell you to be switched on.

This lack of critical thinking and basic questioning of the facts, is what leads many people to believe weird things blindly. Sure if you're watching the latest superhero movie or Bond for instance, suspend bel;ief and enjoy it, but a you tube video surely demands more attention than blind acceptance.

Recall the events of 9/11 when someone posted anti semitic propoganda to the internet implying the jews played a major role in the attacks and thousands bought in to that uncritically. This is absolutely insidious and we must learn to wake up and question authority.

As Jamie said he took about 2 minutes to google the other side of the story, it's not rocket science people, we must take more care before we judge others on the flimsiest of evidence.

Regards,

Den.

Holosync et al,

Holosyn is just one of the more famous companies that use 'Binaural Beats' on cd at prices well over £100 per level, 12 levels at last count, that claim to 'train the brain'.

While it is true neuroscience are able to pick up these 'beats' the statements of 'scientifically proven' that many websites use to sell such merchandise are patently lies, downright quackery if you will.

Claims of doubling your brain power, making you smarter, sexier, more intelligent, eradicate neuroses, depression, anxiety and other psychological problems are simply outright lies, there is absolutely no supporting evidence in science to support these claims, it is a web of lies based on one slender strand of truth.

To quote Steve Novella, "Brain wave entrainment is a real phenomenon and is useful as one method of investigating how the brain works. But there is no evidence, nor any theoretical basis, for any long lasting effect on brain function or that there is any benefit of any kind. Despite this, there is a huge industry of devices that claim to train your brain waves and have a beneficial effect. I wouldn’t waste a dime on any such device."

To quote Brian Dunning: "So, in summary, binaural beats certainly do not work the way the sellers claim, but there's no reason to think they're any less effective than any other music track you might listen to that effects you in a way you like. If they make you sleepy (like they all do for me), use them to go to sleep. If they relax you or get you amped, use them for that. But don't expect them to be any more effective than regular music. If someone you know claims that they are, put them to the test, and bust the myth."

It really is a shame that people with a PhD should prostitute themselves for a quick buck, Im not even sure what Bill Harris has a PhD in, if it's even real but as founder of Holosync technologies, he and others similar are screwing millions of pounds of of people most in need, it's disgusting and should be stopped,

Regards,

Undercover sceptic.

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=287#more-287

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4147#

Vaccines without the Hypodermics.

Well its been a while but I am back and talking about vaccines, without the hypodermic needles we all hate.

Firstly vaccines are a pain, we all know that, the liquid vaccine is at best temperamental requiring cold storage from factory to clinic or things get a bit icky and to top it all off hypodermic needles cannot deliver the vaccine to the best place in the body.

The way vaccines work is by triggering the immune system, they meet up with antigen presenting cells which the vaccine then attacks and carries it off in little pieces to the rest of the bodies immune sytem so they recognise the alien invader if it ever returns.

This allows the immune system to recognise the virus if it should attack and respond faster to defend itself. A vaccine contains only a dead or attenuted form of a pathogen allows the body to learn about the disease without the body having to undergo the infection.

So no vaccines do not give children autism and flu vaccines do not give you the flu virus, honest!

However a hypodermic needle ends up in muscles, where it is needed is the lungs, where pathogens congregate.

New research typically against measles which kills about 200,000 children a year and enters the body via the respiratory sytem, Dr Ziver has produced an atomization vaccine to inhale the vaccine and hence delivered directly to where it is needed, the lungs.

Human trials are expected to begin next year but up to now it works on animals.

This does away with the hassle of moving liquids and cold storage.

Another technique is a self applicating patch covered with tiny needles that is applied to the skin, but does not puncture. These needles are coated with vaccine and can be posted out to people, leaving the vaccine in the skin layer is also far better than injection in to muscle.

Regards,

Den.

synesthesia

About a hundred years ago people were very sceptical about synesthesia, now there are no sceptics about the subject.

In fact even though admittedly we are just scratching the surface of the inner workings of the human brain, neurologists are making marvellous in roads in to the wonderfully exquisite subject of synesthesia.

Synesthesia is where the brain is wired up ever so slightly wrongly which leads to rather strange things happening inside the brain.

For instance the word 'Derek' may cause the subject to taste ear wax; or as in the case of one artist, he would blast music and paint the colours of that music directly to the canvas.

So the next time someone argues black is white, maybe they're not argumentative at all, just suffering from synesthesia.

Be sceptical,

Den.

Basic anatomy 'baffles Britons'

A recent report has suggested that many people in the UK have a disgraceful lack of knowledge of the most basic anatomy.

I myself am no Phd in Human Biology but people not knowing where in the body vital organs such as heart, Kidneys and pancreas are located are an absolute disgrace to our schools education sytem.

It doesn't stop at basic anatomy, mathematics, English and science are all subjects a growing number of students are lacking when they leave school. The current education sytem is not working and has not been working for a very long time.

I myself left school with only 2 GCSE passes, both in English and have had to self educate through books and going back to college/university to gain academic qualifications in later years.

I am very lucky in that I was raised a voracious reader and my attentions have turned to knowledge rather than novels; however there are thousands of illiterate, innumerate and scientifically ignorant people in the UK that are being screwed over by all sorts of political spin and conmen everyday, without their even realizing it.

Obviously the individual has to take a share of the blame but the education sytem is badly in need of a shake up.

My proposal which will no doubt be hated by many teachers is pay on results, your students meet the standards you get the set pay, they excel, you gain a bonus, they fail you get penalised; money I have found in life, is an excellent motivator.

Of course schools have been known to 'fudge' exams to get a better placing in the league tables, stories of answers being left on blackboards, teachers fiddling results etc; this was wonderfully explored in 'freakonomics', so oviously protocols and fundamentals must be put in place however...............

Anyway what we can learn is since the education sytem is pants it is down to us parents to spend more time educating our kids. We do this by exciting our children about education, not reciting dry academic facts, get a chemistry set and experiment together, make a game of anatomy.

Cut out a human shape and shapes of organs and try to get them right, awarding points etc, or buy 'operation' and call out the organ as you play etc.

No doubt you can think of tons of ways to make education more exciting, if not visit science museums etc and ask for advice on how to make things fun for kids to learn.

Many of these museums are now very kid friendly and interactive, the buck stops with us people!

If were all grown up and hated school drop that idea, enrol on a college course, you get treat like an adult if you enrol on the adult courses, theres loads of courses from guitar to poetry and many free.

Get in touch with your passion, if you love martial arts, read the history of your art like Iain Abernethy with his Karate, if you love japanes martial arts, read the history of Japan, it's culture, it's military history, really immerse yourself; whatever your passion theres a book out there somewhere that will deepen your knowledge of the subject.

Im not trying to say we should all be Graduates, all I am saying is education is a priviledge that some people are denied access to, lets not waste our rights to a fountain of knowledge that can be obtained freely by walking in to any library.

Reading not your cup of tea, get the DVD, watch the science/history/knowledge channels, whtever takes your fancy, it can only improve you and when the nect person comes along with bad information, you may be just a little more wiser when weighing up the evidence.

Be sceptical,

Den.

Ghostbusters returns!

I am proud to say 25 years ago, when I was you and you were probably younger, I sat at my local cinema and watched Ghostbusters.

That movie to my mind is still as funny and fresh as the time I first saw it, and I did watch it at the cinema umpteen times with friends and family, it was seriously that good.

Who could ever forget slimer, the complete stealer of the show!

Then the special effects, a giant stay puft marshmallow man of all things, pure brilliance that will anchor that movie in my mind for a lifetime.

I must admit I felt disappointed at the second movie, something about it just did not gel with me; maybe because I was older, maybe the first movie set the bar too high, or maybe it simply succumbed to the curse of the sequel being worse than the original. (Obvious exception 'aliens').

No matter after 25 years im ready for another dose and yes I will be taking my children to see it at the movies, even if it is an excuse for me to view the pure comedic brilliance of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis once again, getting Sigourney weaver and Rick moranis back would be a bonus and I am sure slimer will be returned, possibly in 3d format, although I haven't quite jumped on the 3d movie band wagon yet.

It's good to note original director Ivan Reitman is also returning to the franchise. This I feel had to be the way forward for number 3, which is set for a release date in 2012.

Now if you're like me, someone with little patience and eager to enjoy Ghostbusters in high quality at my own home you will be pleased to know that 'Ghostbusters' has a release on Blu-ray this coming Monday 15th June.

For all you game fanatics out there look out for Ghostbusters -the game, on wii, ps3 and likely other consoles also.

It brings back fond memories of My Amstrad, I bought Ghostbusters on cassette for £10 a lot of money since most games were £2 or £3 in the 'good ol' days and I only had 50p per week pocket money, I digress.

The game was fantastic driving around hunting slimer and the boss fight, fantastic! Ah happy days, some people are so easily pleased.

Be sceptical,

Den