Scientists Grow Cool to Global Warming

December 4, 2011 in General Science by askeptic | 2 comments

‘Political scientists’ with questionable ethics that is.

Barry Cooper is at it once again. His opinion piece entitled Climategate 2.0 clouds global warming threat in the November 30, 2011 Calgary Herald builds on the groundless, and I would add mindless, accusations made in Scientists grow cool to global warming theory, in the June 29, 2011 Herald.

As a political ‘scientist’, Dr. Cooper evidently considers himself qualified to comment on the scientific validity of climate science research declaring anthropogenic global warming moribund while slanderously labeling climate scientists as a strange little cult, adding that because of so called Climategate (the hacking of scientists email on a server at the University of East Anglia in Britain),  We now know that climate scientists, particularly if they work for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, like to cook their data. Well, at least we know where Dr. Cooper stands on the ethical issue of media hacking of private emails and telephone messages currently sinking the Murdoch empire.  Read the rest of this entry »

When emotion prevails over cold, hard science.

December 3, 2011 in General Science, Health & Medicine by askeptic | No comments

John Allemang of the Globe and Mail gets it right

A recent piece by John Allemang at the Globe and Mail does a truly exceptional job of dealing with a truly difficult subject, balancing the emotions and rationality in healthcare decision making. He touches on recent decisions in Liberation Therapy (discussed at length here at ASkepticRTN) but his focus is on recent recommendations made concerning breast cancer screening, a more difficult subject. Mr. Allemang handles the statistics deftly, providing an excellent example of the role the media should play in clarifying and explaining the science behind social and health policy issues. The graphic designers at the Globe and Mail did a pretty good job at representing risk and deserve some credit here as well.

The only questionable conclusion readers should be aware of is that, for every 2,100 women between the ages of 40 to 49 at average risk of breast cancer screened every two years for 11 years . . . 1 woman would escape a breast cancer death. I think the figure is actually a maximum of 1 woman, meaning the figure could well be zero.  Well worth a read. Do so <HERE>

 

National Institutes of Health Research abandon science.

November 27, 2011 in Health & Medicine by askeptic | No comments

I returned home from vacation to a surprise. My inbox contained a letter from Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research responding to my letter of  July 12 concerning the reversal of recommendations concerning the clinical trials into so-called Liberation Therapy (see ASkepticRTN: Letter to Dr. Beaudet of Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Minister of Health).  That letter requested three things: Read the rest of this entry »

Two Months Away

November 27, 2011 in Uncategorized by askeptic | No comments

Evidently, there was a glitch somewhere in ASkepticRTN. The post regarding my upcoming vacation never made it and seems to have been lost among various backups, transfers etc. Anyway, I am back after two months of running around Europe. Plenty of material across the pond for a skeptic to sink his teeth into but for the most part I satisfied myself with traveling, seeing the sites and sampling the local wine. Well, more than just sampling. In any case, for those that wrote and posted comments only to find no response, my apologies. I’ll do a better job next time.

ASkepticRTN does a backstepping double take

August 3, 2011 in Education, General Science, Religion, Skeptic News, Uncategorized by askeptic | No comments

What the hell happened to The Calgary Herald?

I love Sunday mornings’. Sitting in my comfy chair or parking myself on the deck with a hot latte. The morning light over my shoulder allows me to settle into my newspaper. Newspapers actually, as I never seem to find the time to read the Saturday editions before Sunday morning. What’s that saying?, Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures. That describes my Sundays.

So on Sunday July 31, I started with the Saturday July 30, 2011 edition of the Calgary Herald and came across an editorial entitled: Silencing scientists: Modern governments are muzzling scientific free speech. It was without doubt the most positive editorial I have read in the Herald on a matter of science. Read the rest of this entry »

Politics and marketing drive the science agenda on MS

August 1, 2011 in Health & Medicine by askeptic | No comments

Liberation therapy becomes the new final solution

The news of a second Canadian dying from Liberation Therapy couldn’t have come at worse time for Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq. News of the death of Maralyn Clarke, age 56, of a brain hemorrhage, came only a week after Ms. Aglukkaq announced  federal funding of clinical trials into the controversial multiple sclerosis treatment.

Death, particularly as a result of a brain hemorrhage, is a predictable, if relatively rare, outcome of the procedure. AskepticRTN, for one, predicted Canadians would die as a result of the unholy alliance of  medical miracle promoters  and gutless politicians. For the miracle cure promoters, such as Synergy Health Concepts Inc., where Ms. Clarke was treated, this is a good business. There is, after all, a pent up demand and at $12,000 a pop, a profitable one at that. Legal releases protect the doctors from any fallout. To rake in the big bucks you only have to abandon medical ethics and, make no mistake, doctors and surgeons selling unproven treatments is an abandonment of medical ethics. It’s also good politics. Politicians gain by appearing sensitive, caring and responsive to those suffering from a debilitating disease.  A win-win as they say — as long as you, you know, ignore the body count. Read the rest of this entry »

Accomodating Religious Belief in School

July 15, 2011 in Education, Religion by askeptic | 1 comment

Susan Martinuk gives a demonstration of the narrow minded persecution complex dominating Christian thinking.

It started with the Islamic prayer services Toronto’s Valley Park Middle School conducts  in its cafeteria every Friday afternoon. Previously, Muslim students  conducted services at a nearby Mosque but principal Nick Stefanoff noticed that students tended to dawdle returning to school, some taking hours and some not returning at all. Really? Students skipping out on Friday afternoons? Sounds like these newly arrived Muslim students are adapting well to this country. In any case, to resolve the dawdling issue, Friday afternoon prayer sessions conducted by a local imam in the school were initiated. Mr. Stefanoff is quoted as saying: We’re doing something that’s working. No one in our community has complained. Read the rest of this entry »

Letter to Dr. Beaudet of Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Minister of Health

July 12, 2011 in Health & Medicine by askeptic | 2 comments

Dear Sir,

Recently, the federal government announced approval for clinical trials of so-called Liberation Therapy on the basis of recommendations made by the a scientific working group appointed by Health Minister Aglukkaq. The recommendation stands in contrast to one made earlier that had previously recommended against clinical trials. Read the rest of this entry »

More panic over cell phones

June 10, 2011 in Health & Medicine by askeptic | No comments

This is getting stupid.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that they had upgraded cell phones to a 2B (to be or not to be) classification as possibly carcinogenic. Possibly carcinogenic is another way of saying probably not carcinogenic. The latter phrase tends to generate fewer headlines and research grants, so I’ll wager the WHO will continue to stick with possibly carcinogenic for a while. Read the rest of this entry »

Calgary Herald Goes Apoplectic (Again)

June 8, 2011 in Religion by askeptic | No comments

There are few things more entertaining than watching the editorial board of the Calgary Herald (Canada’s Largest Christian Daily) go into fits of apoplexy anytime people exhibit the good common sense to separate church and state, particularly when the church is demanding taxpayer’s dollars. The separation of church and state is a foundation of our democracy but the Herald is against it because it means Christians can’t promote their religious beliefs at taxpayers expense. Read the rest of this entry »

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