FTL is becoming anti-science

[libertylover]

@gibson042  I mean that the theory has been tested and shown some statistical validity scientifically.   I feel sorry for you if you take things so literally that you didn't realize the use of the word magic was humorous and not seriously intended as a validation of belief in magic.  Are you sure you aren't schizophrenic because viewing everything literally is one of the symptoms.   

[sillyperson]

WRT Law of Attraction, I don't understand how they can attack religion and embrace what is essentially...religion.

+1

[Scott in Winnipeg]

The placebo effect has been scientifically studied. 

Placedos are limited in what they can affect. They do not heal third degree burns as the caller claimed.

[/quote]

[AL the Inconspicuous]

Many aspects of medicine study the diversity of the human body from the top of the bell curve downward, which is of course the rational way to do it, but they're still missing the infrequent phenomena that may arise as the result of genetic variations, diet, and so forth.  (The existence of those variations is what makes evolution possible.)  Every so often a combination of those factors may result in remarkable ability of a person to heal from third degree burns - perhaps not entirely, but still remarkably enough to inspire the talk of "miracles", which tend to get amplified each time the story is told.

This is yet another reason why all patients must be treated individually, and must be allowed to act in their self-interest, rather than being forced by the guns of the state!

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

Libman there is a difference between population genetics and individual genetics.

[AL the Inconspicuous]

Libman there is a difference between population genetics and individual genetics.

That's one way to sound like you know something about science without actually saying anything substantive...

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

Libman there is a difference between population genetics and individual genetics.

That's one way to sound like you know something about science without actually saying anything substantive...

Just making sure you understand some basic genetics facts.  I don't feel like writing another dissertation on vaccines nor do I feel like writing a dissertation on anything for this forum.  I'm too burned out from finals.  On the plus side I did get an A in upper division genetics.

[libertylover]

The placebo effect has been scientifically studied. 

Placedos are limited in what they can affect. They do not heal third degree burns as the caller claimed.

Just to be clear I did not say or validate her claims of total healing for burn patients with remote healing.  I said any improvement these patients may have had was due to a placebo effect.  I linked to an article in Scientific America about a study on the placebo effect.  That study demonstrated there is some validity to the placebo effect actually resulting in real medical improvement or healing.  Don't confuse a link with an article on the scientific study of the placebo effect as my stating a belief in the callers claims.

[Scott in Winnipeg]

The James Randi Education Foundation had a blip about the fire burn healing on their blog today.

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/816-on-the-instant-painless-healing-of-burns.html

[AL the Inconspicuous]

After my experience on the James Randi forums, I believe they expose quacks for the same reason the Catholic Church or the Communists exposed quacks - to gain credibility for a new generation of quackery that they're pushing.  They love to bully harmless "faith healers" while doing nothing to discourage -- and thus encouraging -- people's blind faith in government instead!

[Scott in Winnipeg]

After my experience on the James Randi forums, I believe they expose quacks for the same reason the Catholic Church or the Communists exposed quacks - to gain credibility for a new generation of quackery that they're pushing.  They love to bully harmless "faith healers" while doing nothing to discourage -- and thus encouraging -- people's blind faith in government instead!

If you think "faith healers" are harmless then you have a problem.

[AL the Inconspicuous]

Yes, billions of lives are ruined by armed faith-healers subjugating humanity to their tyrannical rule, forcefully taking half your income for services you don't want, and maintaining a tight grip on what you're allowed to keep as well, brainwashing your children in public schools, and so on...

In totally unrelated news, all governments are good and anyone skeptical of them is a quack.

[Rillion]

Yes, billions of lives are ruined by armed faith-healers subjugating humanity to their tyrannical rule, forcefully taking half your income for services you don't want, and maintaining a tight grip on what you're allowed to keep as well, brainwashing your children in public schools, and so on...

In totally unrelated news, all governments are good and anyone skeptical of them is a quack.

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up!  Only 5 cents to see the man congenitally incapable of recognizing a false dichotomy! 

[AL the Inconspicuous]

Rillion's business plan to profit from exhibitions of my wisdom, which I freely give away into the Public Domain, is as dim-witted as anything else she ever came up with. 


I never claimed that there existed a contradiction between one's dislike for medical quacks, for example, and my Anarcho-Capitalist philosophy, it's just a matter of priorities!

For example, I was driving with someone recently and when another car failed to signal she went on for like 5 minutes about how black people are bad drivers, to paraphrase it mildly.  It's not the first time either, she just seems to be overly fixated on what ethnic group other people happen to be.  And she's not that great a driver herself, and her son crashed his car while driving drunk - twice!  But apparently the biggest problem in the world, according to her, is black people!  Well, I think your priorities are just as screwed up!

[Rillion]

Rillion's business plan to profit from exhibitions of my wisdom, which I freely give away into the Public Domain, is as dim-witted as anything else she ever came up with. 


I never claimed that there existed a contradiction between one's dislike for medical quacks, for example, and my Anarcho-Capitalist philosophy, it's just a matter of priorities!

It's an internet forum, douchebag-- people are going to talk about what interests them, and contrary to popular opinion bitching about one thing 90% of the time and another thing 10% of the time does not amount to furthering a solution to either problem.  And that includes bitching about the people who are doing the bitching. 

Faith healers suck.  So does tyrannical rule.  You can hold and espouse both views simultaneously-- try it!  If it seems hard, try watching Penn and Teller for a bit.