WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 15 Apr 05 Washington, DC
WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 15 Apr 05 Washington, DC
1. KANSAS: AAAS TURNS DOWN AN INVITATION TO DEBATE EVOLUTION.
Last Friday, the Kansas State Department of Education invited the
American Association for the Advancement of Science "to provide
expert opinion regarding the mainstream scientific view of the
nature of science," at a hearing on evolution. Drawing from the
Santorum report language accompanying the No Child left Behind
Act, the invitation says the curriculum "should help students
understand the full range of scientific views that exist." Of
course. The problem is that there is only one scientific view of
the origin of species: Darwin's "natural selection." The hearing
will be nothing but elaborately staged theater, with intelligent
designers portrayed as scientists. The AAAS CEO, Alan Leshner,
quite properly declined, "We see no purpose in debating a matter
of faith." Neither does WN. But wait, isn't this the same Alan
Leshner who defends the AAAS Dialog on Science, Ethics and
Religion? In an editorial in the 11 Feb 05 issue of Science,
Leshner argued that getting together with religious leaders to
discuss the relation of scientific advances to other belief
systems is helpful http://www.aps.org/WN/WN05/wn021105.cfm.
2. EPHEDRA: FEDERAL JUDGE IN UTAH LIFTS THE FDA BAN ON EPHEDRA.
In 1998 WN exposed "Vitamin O" as ordinary salt water. The FDA
was barred from taking action because salt water is a "natural"
supplement. Later that year a UCSF study reported serious side
effects from ephedra http://www.aps.org/WN/WN98/wn112798.cfm.
Sold on the web as "herbal ecstacy," the FDA said ephedra, was
also protected by the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act
(DSHEA). It's estimated that there are more adverse reactions to
ephedra than all other herbal supplements combined, but not until
a young major league pitcher became a victim did the FDA ban it
http://www.aps.org/WN/WN04/wn010204.cfm. Ephedra was the only
supplement banned since passage of DSHEA. Now there are none.
The judge lifted the ban because the FDA had not determined a
safe level. The FDA had not determined a safe level because it
would be unethical to test a substance on people if it's known to
be harmful. Once again there are calls to change DSHEA.
3. HOMEOPATHY AT 250: THE POWER OF MEDICINE THAT DOES NO HARM.
My mail box has been crammed full of homeopathy stuff all week.
Sunday was the 250th birthday of Samuel Hahnemann, the German
physician who founded homeopathy in an age of purging and blood-
letting. Hahnemann's "law of similars" would be a disaster, had
he not come up with his "law of infinitesimals." His diaper rash
cure, for example, is rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy). Lucky for
baby, the law of infinitesimals says to dilute it 200C, i.e.
there isn't any. We excuse Hahnemann, who didn't have Avogadro's
number (neither did Avogadro, it was determined 50 years later),
but homeopaths know it, which goes beyond stupid. And homeopathy
has its own DSHEA. In 1938 Senator Royal Copeland, a homeopath,
exempted homeopathy from the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. After
all, it would be like trying to show holy water had been blessed.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
---
.
Relevant Pages
- Re: Materials Scientist BLASTS Anti-Homeopathists
... Pharma paid science is labeled as being an idiot, ... Homeopathy has ENOUGH problems in the supposed mechanisms of how it ... "scientists" who offer idiocy instead of evidence. ...
(misc.health.alternative) - Universities are duping students with homeopathy science degrees
... By Steve Connor, Science Editor ... British universities offering science degrees in homeopathy and other forms ... of complementary medicine are accused today of duping students into ... Nature says many scientists and advocates of ...
(misc.health.alternative) - Re: FDA Scientists Pressured
... CONTACT: Union of Concerned Scientists ... FDA Scientists Pressured to Exclude, ... political influence of science at the Food and Drug Administration ... compromise the agency's ability to protect public health and safety. ...
(alt.gathering.rainbow) - FDA Scientists Pressured
... CONTACT: Union of Concerned Scientists ... FDA Scientists Pressured to Exclude, ... political influence of science at the Food and Drug Administration ... compromise the agency's ability to protect public health and safety. ...
(alt.gathering.rainbow) - Re: Homeopathy is bunk! So whats new?
... >Hey guys all I'm doing is quoting scientists from a book written by the ... >former science editor of the Washington Post. ... How has the FDA ... Thanks to political pressure from homeopaths (note that: ...
(misc.health.alternative) |
|
