A Conversation for Ask h2g2
Useless Facts
Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am... Posted Jun 3, 2012
I'm not even going to dignify that with a reaction.
Incidentally there is a thread on acupuncture now, because it's up to the community whether it's worth discussing. If the thread dies then we will know it wasn't, because it was actually given a fair chance.
Useless Facts
Vestboy Posted Jun 3, 2012
There is now a thread for things that don't need to be discussed
http://www.h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/brunel/A87760911?s_fromedit=1
Useless Facts
~ jwf ~ scribblo ergo sum Posted Jun 3, 2012
The Royal flotilla almost didn't have a Canadian war canoe
because some bright light on the British bureaucratic porch
was afraid it would not be safe and sea-worthy.
~jwf~
Useless Facts
Rod Posted Jun 3, 2012
Something similar with the Maori canoe - Waka Taua
>>A Traditional Maori war boat has been banned from taking part in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee river pageant for fear it may capsize or lose control in strong currents.<<
Yeah, right...
They were there.
Useless Facts
Jabberwock Posted Jun 3, 2012
Baron G. - It does not make me feel good or 'superior' in any sad way to point this out, because I find your posts on the whole to be fresh, refreshing, original and interesting - no matter what the matter at hand is.
But do you not find that you have spent up to the last two weeks discussing a matter which you feel, quite rightly in my view, (even though the topic's interest may be a subjective one), to be not worth discussing?
Jabs
[ps. I'm not trying to be sarcastic or nasty at all.]
Useless Facts
Baron Grim Posted Jun 3, 2012
The reason I didn't want to discuss acupuncture, especially in this thread, one that I love, is that I knew it would lead to personal animosities and I wanted to avoid that. Obviously, I failed. So, I'll just shut up now.
Useless Facts
Jabberwock Posted Jun 3, 2012
Thanks for your reply, Baron. But, after all that, I feel I'd be missing a lot if you stopped posting on here.
Your decision - of course.
Jabs
Useless Facts
Z Posted Jun 3, 2012
I disagree BG: I think acupuncture is worth discussing. I don't think it's worth doing a large trial of it's efficacy as treatment for server sepsis. (Though I'm amazed at the amount of trials that seem to have been done.) But it is worth discussing because it's educating people about the nature of science. It's given me a chance to discuss biological plausibility, about systematic reviews, and about blinding in RCTs.
It's important that we do discuss it, it gives a chance to put the arguments to those people who are yet to make up their mind. Lots of people are confused about acupuncture, and the experimental results are equivocal? Why is that? Well perhaps we could go on to discuss bias in randomised controlled trials, we could discuss regression to the mean, and the placebo effect.
Arguing about alt-med on the internet was what made me a fully evidence based practitioner and a clinician scientist. It really changed my life, without it I would have been a GP by now, instead I'm earning far less doing a PhD, but pushing medical knowledge forward, very very slowly.
Useless Facts
Florida Sailor All is well with the world Posted Jun 3, 2012
I have been avoiding any reply to this latest exchange for fear of violating the spirit of "Useless Facts". If I had replied it would have been along the lines of;
Any study of the ancient practice of acupuncture is obviously, to the modern educated reader, as absurd as herbal remedies and the use of leeches to cure wounds!
This would obviously be out of line so please ignore the above post.
FS
Useless Facts
Vestboy Posted Jun 4, 2012
The CNN news center in Atlanta was completely devoid of working people when I paid $15 for a guided tour yesterday.
Useless Facts
Eveneye--Eegogee--Julzes Posted Jun 4, 2012
Well, I don't want to discuss it either, but there is nothing placebo-like that has not done better than a placebo in a study if it has been tested in many studies.
Useless Facts
~ jwf ~ scribblo ergo sum Posted Jun 4, 2012
How about them canoes, eh?
I'm sure the Canadian story of rejection
was not heard in NZ any more than I would
have heard that the Moari warcanoe was also
rejected at first for health and safety concerns.
In a way that is not a useless fact, but it does
illustrate how useless the media is for giving us
facts of any kind which they decide are not suited
to their national or corporate agenda.
Up the empire! Closest thing we ever had to a true
working whirled government.
~jwf~
Useless Facts
Rod Posted Jun 4, 2012
That's true ~jwf~, I heard nowt about your canoes. But then I didn't hear about Oxford & Cambridge boats not being safe at sea.
>> [empire] ... a true working whirled government<<
Aha! there's a thought, albeit a pretty useless one
Useless Facts
Yelbakk Posted Jun 4, 2012
Here is one:
It is physically impossible.....
... wait for it....
It is physically impossible for accupunctured shark to vomit underwater.
There.
Y.
Useless Facts
Yelbakk Posted Jun 4, 2012
And...
It is physically impossible for accupunctured shark to vomit into a Maori war canoe.
There, again.
Y.
Useless Facts
Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am... Posted Jun 4, 2012
"as absurd as herbal remedies and the use of leeches to cure wounds!"
Well you say that, but a lot of herbal remedies *are* effective - I would never have been able to manage my IBS without ginger and peppermint - quite a few of our modern pharmaceuticals are based on the chemicals which made those herbal remedies so effective, and leeches actually have genuine medical uses too for such things as subdermal bleeding.
The problem with the science vs. superstition debate is the assumption on the part of many that everything from Ye Olden Dayes is automatically bunk.
Key: Complain about this post
Useless Facts
- 8801: Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am... (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8802: Vestboy (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8803: Baron Grim (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8804: ~ jwf ~ scribblo ergo sum (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8805: Rod (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8806: Jabberwock (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8807: Baron Grim (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8808: Jabberwock (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8809: Z (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8810: Z (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8811: Z (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8812: Florida Sailor All is well with the world (Jun 3, 2012)
- 8813: Vestboy (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8814: Eveneye--Eegogee--Julzes (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8815: ~ jwf ~ scribblo ergo sum (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8816: Rod (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8817: Yelbakk (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8818: Yelbakk (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8819: Rod (Jun 4, 2012)
- 8820: Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am... (Jun 4, 2012)
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