The View from Number 80

Fastest Hug in the East - Mata Amritanandamayi, known to her followers as Amma, the "hugging saint" is visiting San Francisco. She manages to hug about about 1,200 people a day and claims to have hugged 21 million people since her childhood in India, which does seem a huge number - leaving time for little else other than hugging. This article from the SF Chronicle has some even more astounding numbers "Asked what she gets out of hugging thousands of people a day, day after day, she smiled as she replied in her native dialect. 'It's like asking a mother 'What do you get from hugging your baby?' Amma said through her interpreter, Swami Amritswarup. 'Sometimes she'll receive 35,000 people a day,' Amritswarup added. Amma turned and spoke to him, and he quickly translated 'she will do it faster' when that many show up." She will have to do it faster all right - do the calculation - even if she sticks at it for 24 hours straight without rest or bathroom breaks these have to be among the fastest hugs ever administered and 35,000 of them must be quite a spectacle!

Unbelievable Priest - Still reeling from the shock of blasphemous sandals the religious folk of Denmark have another crisis to confront - a priest who does not believe. Thorkild Grosboel, a Lutheran pastor says "There is no heavenly God, there is no eternal life, there is no resurrection." Now, 80 has no trouble with this rather obvious statement, but surely such an attitude would appear to be a bit of hindrance in carrying out priestly duties? If the unbelieving preacher tells what he believes to be falsehoods to his believing flock should he not resign? Something the currently suspended Grosboel has shown no sign of doing as yet. Members of the state-supported Church now have to ask themselves whether a belief in God is part of a priest's job description. The leader of Denmark's Theological College of Education has described Grosboel's confession as "refreshing". Such a laidback reaction is in itself refreshing - can you imagine the response in the US, where such an admission would be likely to bring at least a few death threats from the more rabidly faithful, and, as for a Muslim preacher, in say, Iran or Afghanistan, would he be called refreshing?

In the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy the late Douglas Adams introduced us to the Babel fish which if slipped alive into your ear allowed simultaneous telepathic translation. Now the Indian city of Hyderabad has been besieged by thousands of people who believe slipping a live fish down their throats, along with some herbs, will cure their asthma. This free treatment, handed out by the Goud family, also includes strict dieting. "If all these instructions are carefully followed we can guarantee a 100% cure for any patient no matter how bad their asthma" said the leader of the family, who will treat up to half a million sufferers. One drawback is that the treatment has to be followed for seven years to achieve a complete cure, according to one enthusiast. It is comforting to know the timing of the treatment is fixed each year by astrologers but there is a problem - various groups including doctors want the family to divulge the composition of the herbs, but the Gouds claim the cure would lose its efficacy if commercialized. And what role does the unfortunate fish play? Stop reading now if you a prone to queasiness "The Gouds say the wriggling fish helps clear the accumulated phlegm in the throat." Suddenly the Babel fish does not sound quite so revolting...............

..and from phlegm to poo. Archaeologists in York, England are to carry out repairs to a fossilized lump of human excrement. The piece, measuring an eye-watering 200mm x 50mm, (that's 8 inches by 2 inches) "is thought to be the largest fossilised human excrement ever found." (No kidding.... is there a Guinness Record for such things?) This unlikely historical remnant is described by Gill Snape, the student carrying out the remedial work "It's rock hard, it doesn't smell and it's certainly not squishy." Which begs the question how did the original excavators distinguish it from a regular rock? It is hoped the poo will be back on display soon as it is a most popular exhibit, particularly with schoolchildren. Unfortunately 80 can picture all too clearly the strains of Viking life upon reading these final words from Snape "It's huge - and bear in mind it's shrunk since it was deposited." (The study of fossilized poo, coprolites, from Vikings or dinosaurs, can provide vital clues as to diet, parasites and ancient vegetation. They can also make charming gifts.)


Risk Judgement - the debate in the UK about the possible cancer risk from power lines rumbles on. One of the reasons for this is that the effects, if any, are very hard to pin down. The official body investigating the matter, The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), has come up with what appear to be conflicting opinions. Back in March 2001 they announced there was a "weak association" between electromagnetic fields and increased risk of childhood leukaemia - and not just from power lines but also from " the effects of electrical power around the house." If true this would bring huge changes in a modern lifestyle. As the effect was so weak it was hard to quantify and the Board could not give a absolute opinion one way or the other but warned of the possible danger. Now the NRPB, after laboratory tests to try and recreate any measurable, harmful effects has dismissed the idea of a connection between electromagnetic fields and increased cancer risk. This conclusion is disputed by other researchers however, including Professor Denis Henshaw at Bristol University who told the BBC, " Country studies have not had enough statistical power to see an increase of childhood leukaemia near power lines. The pooled analysis of country studies has clearly shown a doubling of child leukaemia at levels well below what you get under power lines." This kind of dispute over results where a measurable effect, if any exists at all, is very small, practically "lost in the noise" of statistical analysis, should be familiar to any investigator of various paranormal claims. As you might guess money is to be made selling items such as a "radiation shield" for your mobile phone, cleverly exploiting the public's uncertainty. As the phones use electromagnetic radiation to communicate this cannot do much for their performance and may even cause the phone to boost the signal to connect - so by shielding you could in fact be increasing the radiation. There are also serious doubts about the claims made by some shield manufacturers. It would be absolutely impossible to screen out all potentially harmful radiation - in life there are certain levels of risk and a judgement has to made as to what is acceptable. When the evidence varies depending upon who you talk to, the chance of making an informed decision is equally impossible. Meanwhile a proven cancer-inducing risk factor, the naturally ocurring gas radon, present in many homes and workplaces worldwide, seems to merit only a fraction of the attention given power lines and cellphones.

July 6th 2003

Judged Unfit - all reasonable, fair-minded folk would agree there should be no place in society for religious bigotry, intolerance and homophobia - and certainly not embodied in someone presiding over a courtroom. Well, meet Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, who has been nominated for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the USA. Here is a little background on this gentleman, starting with his views on religion "the political system must remain rooted in a Judeo-Christian perspective of the nature of government and the nature of man." He has been a longtime supporter of Alabama Judge Roy Moore and his overtly sectarian displays of the Ten Commandments, declaring in a 1997 rally that "God has chosen, through his son Jesus Christ, this time and this place for all Christians ... to save our country and our courts." On homosexuality - Pryor infuriated gays with a 2003 "friend of the court" brief in support of a Texas anti-sodomy law. That brief equated freedom of sexual choice between consenting adults with "prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia." Here is a quote from Edward Tabash of the Council for Secular Humanism "President Bush has nominated current Alabama Attorney General William Pryor to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal. This is the court of appeal, just below the U.S. Supreme Court, for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Pryor is not a thoughtful moderate or even a moderate conservative. He is the worst kind of religious right wing extremist. He has been leading the defense of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in an effort to preserve the unconstitutional Ten Commandments display on the grounds of the Alabama Supreme Court. He is openly anti gay, anti choice, and sneers at the separation of church and state. The only way to defeat Pryor and to keep from becoming a federal court of appeal judge, one step below the Supreme Court, is for all of us to deluge our two United States senators with demands that they vote against Pryor. Get everyone else that you can in your state to also participate in this effort. Even if either or both of your senators are conservatives, remind them that Pryor is not a mainstream conservative, he is a right wing extremist. Please act now ; our freedoms, the very essence of the Bill of Rights, are all at stake." For those readers who are US citizens now is the time to do something - make yourselves heard by going here (scroll down) to send a message expressing your concern to your senators. For those elsewhere, like it or not, what happens in the US has an effect worldwide. Lend your moral support and work to ensure that your own country's judiciary does not harbor any Pryors.
(80, in writing the above, has borrowed material freely from The Council for Secular Humanism - but this is NOT just a threat to humanists and atheists - Muslims, Hindus, Jews and moderate Christians - to a bigot like Pryor you are all considered heathens and therefore cannot expect to be treated fairly.)
 

Holy Pane - there seems to be no end to daft Virgin Mary and similar apparitions - in fact this is the last time for a good while that 80 will bother to report such "news". Pareidolia combined with a wish to believe, gullibility, faith, call it what you will, has surfaced again this time at a hospital in Boston, Mass. A seal has failed in a glass window panel and a chemical deposit has marked the surface with what some believe is an image of Mary. (If it is the Virgin she appears be running out of ideas - she has already appeared on window glass in Clearwater, Florida.) There have been so many visitors to the Milton Hospital that " hospital officials had asked the Roman Catholic Archdiocese Boston for guidance on how to deal with the apparition and the ensuing crowds." Crowds that, at the weekend, reportedly numbered 25,000. The glass panel's seal is said to have broken 5 years ago but it is only recently that the stain has attracted attention for its supposed resemblance to the Madonna. This article in the Boston Globe quotes one Eddie Bowler, aged 8, who was there with his mother and her prayer group ''God works miracles, and I think this is one of them,'' he said. ''He wants to show people he really does exist.'' But surely even an 8 year-old must realize that this is a pretty tatty little miracle? A pillar of fire or even a party trick like water into wine would be more impressive - and in the latter case more refreshing. The chairman of the hospital had this to say ''We can't take a position on the apparition. Obviously, there has been a significant outpouring of sincere religious belief, and I want to be sure the hospital doesn't do anything sacrilegious or is in any way disrespectful to the Virgin Mary.'' Something sacrilegious? Like performing long overdue building maintenance on a defective glazing panel? Now, if it was replaced with a new panel and Mary popped up again on that one then we would really have something to talk about.

Whalemeat Again - at a meeting in Berlin the International Whaling Commission has declared itself a conservationist organization. (Perhaps a change of name is now in order). This move recognizes the existing situation as commercial whaling has been suspended since 1986, although Japan, in particular, still kills whales for "research purposes", portions of which then surface for sale as food in that country. (More on this below.) The IWC has also widened its brief to include all types of whales or cetaceans and not just those that have been commercially hunted. This move will now include dolphins and porpoises when a new conservation committee starts work. The Berlin Initiative, as it is known, has been welcomed by most members of the IWC although predictably Norway, Iceland and Japan are far from happy and are talking of leaving the organization. However, to 80 this is a refreshing change of remit and hopefully signals wider recognition that the oceans are not some bottomless food store but an environment in danger from human activities like many another. Regarding the Japanese taste for whalemeat, it seems to carry great health dangers. Research reported in New Scientist shows that some samples of whale liver on sale exceeded the Japanese government's mercury limits 5000 times over. No samples tested were below the limit. Scientists at the University of Hokkaido had this to say "Acute intoxication could result from a single ingestion." So it would now appear that consumption of whalemeat is not only indefensible on environmental grounds but also on health ones. Japan should be all too familiar with the horrific effects of mercury poisoning - see here about Minamata Disease. Perhaps Japan's love of whalemeat will fade when these levels of contamination are more widely known.

(since writing the above 80 has been made of aware of an alarming statistic that makes any single country's inroads into whale numbers seem almost trivial - 300,000 whales and dolphins are accidentally caught in fishing nets annually - something to ponder next time you sit down to a fish dinner. Although the fish may just as likely end up as fertilizer or animal feed. There would seem to be plenty for the IWC to do just addressing this issue.)

July 8th 2003

News of the Decayed - it seems 80 has only to mention the Turin Shroud (see Deceptive Duo below) for the thing to pop up in the news once more. The shroud is one of those "it's dead but it won't lie down" items - any new theory announced, especially one that claims to explain the inconvenient results of carbon-dating, means the cloth is given more publicity. Microbiologist Stephen Mattingly, believes the image on the shroud was caused by bacteria on the skin of a corpse. These bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis, infested the wounds of the deceased and their eventual decay and oxidization created the image. This may well be possible and Mattingly claims to have reproduced the effect. He took swabs of Staphylococcus epidermidis from his skin, cultured them, smeared the sticky gunk on his own face and then applied a damp linen cloth. (Would a real burial shroud be damp when used?) The cloth retained an image of his face and hands and apparently became bolder over time as the bacteria decayed. (It has been pointed out that Mattingly's image is distorted by the wrap of the cloth as opposed to the appearance of the face on the shroud itself - it seems likely the shroud image was applied to a flat surface.) So here is a new mechanism, albeit a somewhat revolting one, to print images on linen cloth - nothing too fantastic there, but Mattingly's piece de resistance is to suggest that such microbes could have affected the radiocarbon dating process - hopefully for the "pro-authenticity" sindonologists pushing the date back to the first century AD. There is no good reason why this would be so and has been described as "incredible" by one expert. Even in the unlikely event of Mattingly's assertions ever being vindicated it would still prove nothing regarding the death of a historical Jesus (if in fact such a man ever existed.) It seems like the faithful will have to rely upon what they have always relied upon - blind faith.

(also see Shrouded in Mystery)  

Climate (News) Management - the issue of global warming attributable to human activities and what possibly can be done about it elicits varying reactions around the world. A report from Australia warns of dire consequences, quoting research from Bristol University. This found a volcanically triggered runaway greenhouse effect 250 million years ago caused the average global temperature to rise by 6 degrees. This heating is fingered as the culprit for the Permian extinction, a massive dying off of 95% of the species alive on Earth. Now the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is predicting that over the next century temperatures are set to rise up to 6 degrees. (Here is a good overview of current estimates.)The implications of this in light of the findings about the Permian extinction should not be ignored. Unless perhaps you work for the Bush administration. An article in the UK Guardian states that "The White House has removed damaging references to global warming from a major US government report on the environment due to be published next week." The report, from the Environmental Protection Agency, has had references to health threats from exhaust emissions and details of a sudden increase in global warming over the last decade excised. That's one way to deal with a problem - manage the news, censor it out of existence. Meanwhile in New Zealand farmers are unhappy about a proposed methane tax to bring NZ in line with its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. What is the source of this methane and what does it have to do with farmers? According to this BBC article "In New Zealand, farm animals produce 90% of methane emissions." In total, 15 percent of global methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas, is down to the flatulence of cows, sheep and other ruminants. So while NZ tries to address the problem of global warming the US government prefers, for reasons of its own, to ignore it. Censoring unpalatable reports is no answer. (By the way, the much touted hydrogen economy is no answer either apparently - it takes energy to produce hydrogen - where would that energy come from without adding to pollution? If we had a pollution free energy source we wouldn't need the hydrogen in the first place....... To top it all recent research suggests that hydrogen could well damage the ozone layer at least as badly as the now-banned CFCs.)

Deceptive Duo - it is not good news for the more speculative wing of biblical archaeology. (Now there's an odd term - why not koranic archaeology or bhagavad-gitan archaeology? Because they would, like biblical archaeology, be centered on proving or confirming religious texts and their interpretation rather than archaeology centered on, um, archaeology.) Both the Jehoash Tablet and the James Ossuary have been denounced as fakes. The Tablet, claimed as confirmation of a biblical passage describing repair work on the first Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, is a forgery according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. "The person who wrote the inscription was a person who thinks in modern Hebrew. A person thinking in biblical Hebrew would see it as ridiculous." Not content with that declaration the Authority said the inscription on the "bone box" which some claim could be that of James, the brother of Jesus, thereby independently confirming a historical Jesus " appears new, written in modernity by someone attempting to reproduce ancient written characters." Interestingly both artifacts were revealed to the world by the same antiquities dealer, Oded Golan, currently under police investigation. The trusting among us may think that is an end to the matter, but other older, wiser observers may well mutter the words Turin Shroud...............

Update - more on Golan - Duke University archaeologist Eric Meyers, a past president of the American Schools of Oriental Research, also notes that Golan is under police investigation. "They found labeled boxes of dirt from every region of the country that was used to make and forge patina. I think he's a central figure here." But where does James Bond fit into all this? This was brought to 80's notice by the indispensable Explorator newsletter.
(also see Backwards Glance - Faking It)

July 14th 2003

Globster Alert - a discovery on a beach in Chile has led to a debate among scientists as to what it might be. The huge, gelatinous blob was originally thought to be a whale skin, far gone in decomposition, but there appears to be no sign of a spinal column. This may not completely rule out a whale as the blob may be just part of the animal. A more favored explanation is that the 12 meter (40 feet) wide, 13 ton object may be the remains of a giant octopus. (Not to be confused with the Colossus of Squids.) This is also open to question as opinions differ as to whether there is any sign of tentacles - it has been described as having "one tentacle left" or none. Detailed tissue analysis will doubtless provide the answer. Previous appearances of such remains are a popular subject in the world of cryptozoology. Various carcasses have been washed up over the years in highly decomposed states leading to great speculation - and a name for the phenomenon, Globsters. Sadly, in common with much fringe evidence, many of these Globsters appeared before modern scientific analysis was available or the object itself is lost or missing. While what little evidence there is does indeed point to a giant octopus (octopus giganteus - after a find in 1896) for the origin of a lot of these remains enough doubt exists for the armchair cryptozoologists to speculate to their heart's content.

Update - a marine biologist talks.......

Quit Your Whining - a preacher called upon the Almighty to show him a sign and ended up with more than he bargained for. "The preacher had been emphasising the importance of penance when, in the course of his prayers, he called on the heavens above." Lightning struck the church steeple, in Forest, Ohio, and then passed down a cable to the preacher's microphone which must have surprised the hell out of him. Luckily, reports indicate he was not injured but the church suffered an estimated $20000 of damage. This is certainly a change from recent apparitions and may herald a return to the fire and brimstone God of the Christian Old Testament - something the fundamentalist nuts have been praying for. Stand by for pillars of salt, plagues and good old-fashioned capricious cruelty if this trend continues....

UFO Questions - to mark World UFO Day (did anyone notice?) the BBC has a quiz to test your knowledge or ignorance of this increasingly quaint folklore.

Breathing Lies - as part of its remit to investigate new technologies and ideas NASA looks at many ideas that some would consider pretty far-out. Inevitably, now and again, the agency chooses to spend money on stuff that even a cursory examination would reveal to be, let's say, unlikely in the extreme, and not worth the time and effort. Many would say this is the case with their fruitless investigation of Evgeny Podkletnov's antigravity disk. Now they really have found someone with whom they can waste their time and money - Hira Ratan Manek also known as Hirachand - according to this article in SpaceDaily and also here. Hirachand claims not to have eaten since 1995 and survives by "eating through his eyes". It seems that Hirachand is a breatharian, which to 80 means that he survives by "lying through his mouth". Breatharianism, or inedia, as a little preliminary research by NASA would have shown, is impossible drivel and not only that, dangerous drivel - people have died following the precepts of charlatans such as Ellen Greve, also known as Jasmuheen, a liar and businesswoman who claims she has not eaten since 1993. She says she survives on Pranic Nourishment, obtained from the Universal Life Force (and on the money obtained by peddling books and CDs about her nonsense). Now, much as NASA would love to train astronauts to run on sunlight, for human beings food is not optional. Far-out research is one thing but if this report is true NASA is merely giving money and free publicity to a con artist. Here is a word from Hira Ratan Manek's wife "He has a special taste for sun energy. He believes only 5 per cent of human brain cells are used by most people. The other 95 per cent can be activated through solar energy." One wonders how many brain cells NASA allocated to investigate this claptrap.

(For further reading on Breatharians - try A Light Lunch - recommended)

Spotting Voodoo - Robert Park, professor of physics at the University of Maryland and director of public information for the American Physical Society, has a reputation for having little time for nonsense - and nonscience, pretending to be the real thing. His weekly email alert, What's New, has been mentioned here before - it is well worth signing up for this free newsletter especially for Park's take on the interface between politicians and lawmakers and science and pseudoscience, and in particular the trouble first two groups often have when differentiating between the latter. In this essay, The Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science, published by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Park has set out a primer for those who need help separating science and fact from gobbledegook and wishful thinking but it can serve as a useful guide for anyone and should be required reading for school science courses, patent examiners and politicians in charge of research funding. Park sums the aim up in his final paragraph, "I began this list of warning signs to help federal judges detect scientific nonsense. But as I finished the list, I realized that in our increasingly technological society, spotting voodoo science is a skill that every citizen should develop." Here is more on Park's book "Voodoo Science : The Road from Foolishness to Fraud" courtesy of CSICOP.

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July 17th 2003

Strings Attached - many folk were delighted (and surprised) by George Bush's (currently in Africa) offer of vast amounts of money to assist in the fight against AIDS. It is considered ungrateful to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially one worth a notional $15 billion - but this particular horse seems to be trailing a few strings. These strings lead straight to a subject 80 has mentioned before - Bush's right-wing conservative religious beliefs. In the fight against AIDS many organizations not only combat the disease but also support family planning programs to help desperately poor families, young people and others. The condom that can stop the spread of AIDS is obviously a cheap and effective way to control conception too. This seems to stick in the Bush administration's craw - it goes back to the Reagan era gag-rule which has the effect that agencies "must separate their family planning services from their AIDS prevention and treatment services in order to be eligible for this new AIDS funding." This massively complicates matters for the groups who will effectively have to run two programs - and what if an anti-AIDS condom is used for birth control too - will this be permitted and how would you regulate it? One amendment, attached to the bill, which may provide the answer, "Requires that at least a third of the program's AIDS-prevention funds be spent to promote sexual abstinence, a strategy many conservatives prefer to the distribution of condoms." Another amendment "allows medical providers and nonprofit groups to refuse to “endorse, utilize or participate in” any AIDS treatment or prevention method to which they may have a moral or religious objection." Given the gag-rule and these two amendments it would seem that in many ways the US funds will make life a bureaucratic hell for the hard-pushed agencies in Africa and the Caribbean in the front-line against AIDS. How much of the $15 billion will go on paperwork and administration to suit the religious beliefs of those in Washington? The more strings something has the more it begins to look like a snare.......

Questionable Power - anyone who is a position of power, most particularly the power of life and death over others, should be open to inquiry as to the rationale behind their decisions. But what happens if the person in question believes they receive their mandate for action directly from God? In their eyes any questions are doubly impertinent - to them and their deity. A short while ago, in February, 80 wrote about worries concerning the religious beliefs of George W Bush and the effect they have on his policies and actions - see here. Now Harley Sorenson, in this piece, The Madness of King George, has articulated those same concerns. He supplies a quote attributed to Bush, culled from the Israeli Haaretz.com, which carries a chill of its own. "God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East." If this is accurate, one wonders what his God will tell him to do next - the thought of the man with the keys to the world's biggest nuclear arsenal believing he has a hot line to the Almighty is a far from comfortable one. Let us hope during their next little chat that God reminds Mr Bush that he is the elected leader of a republic, not a theocracy, and that he is a fallible human being and not God's chosen instrument.

Quackery Museum - there are probably more practitioners of quackery and pseudo-medicine around now than there have ever been. Despite this, it is useful and instructive to study the methods and techniques of past medical charlatans - many of the tricks and scams pushed today are little but retreads of tried and true cons from earlier times. The level of some folks' gullibility certainly seems to be as high. This BBC page celebrates the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices, a fascinating collection of the most amazing contraptions including A Foot Operated Breast Enlarger, the McGregor Rejuvenator and many more. This ad for Electrovita, a specially treated health-giving water, will sound familiar - "special water" is still peddled widely. To keep abreast of the flood of nonsense masquerading as medicine do take a look at the Anti-Quackery WebRing (80 is a member) and also the excellent Quackwatch pages. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably trying to sell you some Coral Calcium or Colloidal Silver.........

Stonehengina - Certain artifacts that have been in existence for hundreds or even thousands of years whose original purpose has been forgotten tend to be reinterpreted often in the light of the values and knowledge prevailing at the time of study. The pyramids on the Gizeh plateau have attracted different explanations, most particularly the Great Pyramid, which has been variously described as a treasure house, a granary, a giant pump, a standard of measurement and even, now and again, as a tomb. (see Birthday Triangle Pyramid) Another ancient monumental artifact is, if anything, more mysterious - Stonehenge. In medieval times and likely earlier it was thought to have been built by giants. Later, Victorians and others mistakenly thought it had been built by the Druids as a temple for human sacrifice and in the technological 1960's in his book "Stonehenge Decoded", Gerald Hawkins proposed the idea it was a vast astronomical computer. Now we have a new interpretation of this fascinating monument. Anthony Perks of the University of British Columbia is a gynaecologist - so guess what he thinks Stonehenge represents? Yes, that's right, a vagina. (In 80's view Perks' ability as a gynaecologist is somehow doubtful given that he thinks one piece of convincing evidence for his ideas is " the similarity between Stonehenge seen from above and the anatomy of the female sexual organ." Perhaps he needs to get out more.) This article in the UK Observer reveals some of the thinking behind Perks' idea - which sadly must remain in the area of interesting but completely unproveable speculation. A major objection is that good old "dirt" archaeology has proved that the henge was not built in one go but over a period of many hundreds of years and involved much modification of the structure - perhaps the later builders themselves had no idea of the original intention. I suppose we can be grateful for one thing - at least Perks is not a proctologist.

(For enlightenment about real archaeology and a critical look at so-called "cult archaeology" you can do no better than visit Doug's Archaeology Site - highly recommended)

July 23rd 2003

Lending God a Hand - To a sufficiently warped mind it seems that absolutely every cloud can have a silver lining. In this case, unbelievably, it is the Bali nightclub bombing, perpetrated by those who felt that their god needed a little help from some all too human violence. A chief suspect on trial for the atrocity, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, has said the bombing had "positive aspects". He is quoted by the BBC as saying "With this incident, God willing, many people realise that they had forgotten God and neglected their worship and avoided places of worship so that mosques became empty, churches became deserted, monasteries and temples also became empty without occupants or visitors, often things we don't like are in fact good for us." I am sure those permanently crippled by the attack and those still grieving for the dead feel greatly comforted by this ridiculous and nonsensical assertion. The idea that maiming and killing to drive people into the arms of religion is anything other than totally repellent shows how deluded the religious fanatic can be. Blaise Pascal said it better than 80 can, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."
 

VMyths Demise? - One of the most useful sites on the web is in danger of folding, according to  Wired. VMyths.com, "Learn about com­puter virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hys­teria, and the impli­ca­tions if you be­lieve in them", is a great resource with a searchable database of virus myths and hoaxes and all for free - and there's the problem. Free does not pay the bills and the man behind Vmyths.com, Rob Rosenberger, is determined not to accept sponsorship from an obvious source, the antivirus software companies, for fear that it would compromise the site's independence. He also believes such companies, along with government and the press have a vested interest in keeping Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) bubbling in the public's mind. Now 80 may not go along with all of Rosenberger's ideas on this, but VMyths.com has been a great help in reassuring friends and acquaintances about the reality or otherwise of the latest virus threat to infiltrate their their often poorly protected Inboxes. It would be a shame to lose this independent voice. Now Rosenberger is off to serve in the Persian Gulf and an announcement on site says VMyths.com will cease regular operation in mid-July. A recent attempt at fundraising faltered owing to Rosenberger's distaste for marketing and the reluctance of web users to pay, even for something so obviously useful. There is still a donation link here but sadly the writing appears to be on the wall for VMyths.com in its current form, although it may yet survive on a subscription basis.

Quote of the Week -  "They're basically creating expensive urine." said of people who take vitamins for the sole purpose of preventing disease by Cynthia Morris, a researcher at Oregon Health & Science University in this article from AJC.com. (Brought to 80's notice by the print edition of New Scientist.)

Bad Science - a reminder of the UK Guardian's Bad Science page which appears Thursdays - the latest is on astrology, lapdancers and quack zinc......... (if any other newspapers run a column like Bad Science please let 80 know......this sort of thing is too rare.)

Circular Signs - some UK imports are most welcome - the Beatles, James Bond and Harry Potter spring to mind, but crop circles? Oh please.....don't take this wrong, 80 loves "agricultural graphics" many of which are amazing and beautiful to see, but please don't claim they are made by aliens, Great Ones, earth spirits or any other twaddle. (Or even mention the movie Signs - yet another Mel Gibson masterpiece.) They are made, the better ones, by some very skilful and talented artists and to insist they are supernatural instead of human-wrought is to deny credit to the artists. (Like the clowns that claim the Great Pyramid builders needed help from spacemen or Atlanteans to build the thing). Now crop circles have appeared in Solano County, California. Naturally the locals being Californians don't hold with that mystical stuff - well, excepting the hordes that turned out to see the circles, including the owners of Barney the Beagle "He's got arthritis, we thought the energy here might help." Do take the time to read this article from SFGate.com and learn how the circles affected divining rods (they wiggled) and a crystal owl, which indicated the aliens would be back - oh, and the folk with the aluminum foil hats. When you have finished with the Californian version of circles visit the Circlemakers to see how it is done in Britain (a great gallery here) and then have a look at 80's previous take on the phenomenon, The Cereal Artists.

July 28th 2003

Simpson Syndrome - the "male menopause" has become quite a trendy affliction with many men, not to be outdone by women, claiming to suffer from a variety of symptoms. These include " hot flushes, depression and a lack of libido" and are blamed on mid-life hormonal changes analogous to the female menopause. Now Professor John McKinlay has told a conference in Scotland the whole thing is a myth and that the symptoms are more likely caused by laziness and an unhealthy lifestyle. He stated "male hormones levels only declined gradually with age, by about 1% a year, and there was no evidence for the existence of a syndrome." McKinlay lays the blame on "pseudoscientists" and drug companies for misrepresenting research results in order to drum up business for hormone replacement therapy for men - a huge new market. BBC online quotes a Dr Malcolm Carruthers of the Andropause Society, who also runs a clinic offering testosterone treatment, as saying "This type of propaganda being put out is denying many men who desperately need testosterone replacement therapy." The cynical thought occurs that he would say that though wouldn't he? With treatments coming on the market that could cost £600 a year there is bound to be a lot of heated argument over this. 80 would like to contribute to the debate by naming the syndrome in honor of the icon of laziness and an unhealthy lifestyle. Instead of andropause let's call it the Homer Simpson Syndrome.

Bush Woes - sometimes everything just seems to go wrong - weapons of mass destruction that can't be found, the very real and worrying attrition of coalition troops in Iraq, shaky intelligence on uranium exports from Niger, a looming colossal budget deficit, elusive dictators and terrorist leaders, and now, to cap it all, those pesky scientists say that "Son of Star Wars" won't work. The American Physical Society has released a report basically saying "Intercepting missiles while their rockets are still burning would not be an effective approach for defending the U.S. against attacks by an important type of enemy missile." Given all the hype surrounding the far from successful tests of this technology and all the spin applied to the less than impressive results, 80 is reminded of the words of Richard Feynmann " For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." There are far more real and immediate dangers around to deal with than "rogue states" and missiles - a terrorist with a truck bomb or at the controls of an airliner. These pose a more credible threat right now.

Devil Duck - what could be more more relaxing than a nice cup of tea - especially tea made from the petals of Jasmine flowers? One man, Gilbert Walker, from Panama City, Florida, found the effect far from soothing. After drinking the infusion he smashed down a door with a brass duck (?) and then chased a neighbor with a dagger. Luckily his case came up before an understanding judge who accepted that the man suffered from a psychosis. Although 3 court-appointed psychologists offered this diagnosis none could attribute a cause. Handily the man's defense lawyer seems to have some knowledge of such substances - "Jasmine is an herb commonly taken to calm the stomach but is also used as a love potion in satanic and cult rituals, defense lawyer Mike Hunter said." Wow, satanic jasmine tea - what next? It would seem some types of jasmine can be hallucinogenic - the fact that Walker was drinking up to 10 cups a day for a stomach complaint couldn't have helped any either. It is lucky he stayed away from the twinkies and cola. 80 is now trying to figure out the satanic symbolism of a brass duck......

Nessie Found ? - at last remains of a plesiosaur have been found at Loch Ness! Four "perfectly preserved vertebrae" were found in shallow water on the banks of the Loch. A plesiosaur, a 10 meter, snake-necked sea-going carnivore, has long been favored by some as a candidate for the elusive Nessie. The finder, a Mr Gerald McSorley, had this to say "I have always believed in the Loch Ness monster, but this proves it for me." Suffice it to say there are a couple of major problems with this belief - plesiosaurs have been extinct for many millions of years and the lake that is called Loch Ness is a product of the most recent Ice Age, which ended about 12000 years ago. It is unlikely that such tedious facts will slow up the dedicated Nessie hunters or the local tourist authorities who are only too delighted at the business the lake monster attracts. For those of you unable to join in the popular summer pursuit of Nessie spotting there are a couple of sites that feature webcams, here and here, trained on the Loch, enabling you to join the ranks of the armchair cryptozoologists. Just don't go asking awkward questions such as what food source in the Loch would such a large creature subsist upon and how many of the great beasts would be needed to make a breeding population. For a comprehensive list of reasons why Nessie is NOT a plesiosaur see this page from the fascinating Plesiosaur Site. Also while you are there do take a look at this from the FAQ page concerning dinosaurs and creationism - recommended.

August 6th 2003

MMR OK - the combined Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine has been the subject of scares, particularly in the UK, which implicated the treatment with a rise in autism in children. Back in 2002 a Danish study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NJM), found the risk of autism is the same in children who had been vaccinated and those who hadn't. An earlier study from Finland had also ruled out an MMR-autism connection as well as any connection with the onset of inflammatory bowel disease which had also been suggested. Now researchers at University College London (UCL) say figures show MMR vaccine has not triggered an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with autism. Any apparent rise is more likely attributable to a greater awareness of the condition. Sadly for many people all these independent results will not be enough - the medical researchers are talking verifiable fact whilst their opponents are talking beliefs. To quote Dr Edward Campion of the NJM "Unfortunately, objective data are not likely to put an end to the controversy. Strongly held beliefs are difficult to change." Surely one would think there is now enough evidence published to settle the matter. The UCL team could not have put it more clearly "The claims that MMR vaccine is involved in the initiation of autism, and/or with regression, and/or with bowel problems associated with autism are not supported by any credible scientific evidence, while there is compelling and increasing evidence showing no association." Depressingly there is a vocal group of anti-vaccinationists, (including many chiropractors)  who peddle their ideas apparently little caring about the risk to children's health. To learn more about vaccination take a look at the Green Light - a mine of information and, like 80, a member of the Anti-Quackery Ring.

Skeptic's Dictionary Now In Print! - anyone who has read 80's maunderings will have noted much use is made of Bob Carroll's excellent Skeptic's Dictionary. Now at last the book version is available, published by John Wiley & Sons. It can be obtained online from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. "Featuring close to 400 definitions, arguments, and essays on topics ranging from acupuncture to zombies, The Skeptic’s Dictionary is a lively, commonsense trove of detailed information on all things supernatural, occult, paranormal, and pseudoscientific. It covers such categories as alternative medicine; cryptozoology; extraterrestrials and UFOs; frauds and hoaxes; junk science; logic and perception; New Age energy; and the psychic. For the open-minded seeker, the soft or hardened skeptic, and the believing doubter, this book offers a remarkable range of information that puts to the test the best arguments of true believers."
(If you purchase a copy via the Amazon links further down this page it will assist with the upkeep of the View from Number 80 website.)

Preaching to the Converted - actor/director Mel Gibson denies that his latest film, The Passion, is having trouble finding a distributor although no date has been set for a release yet.  Interestingly Gibson seems to be trailing the movie with groups that are likely to view it with sympathy. More sympathy than the groups that have accused him of anti-semitism in the work. Recent preview showings included a group of 900 evangelical pastors from the New Life Church and leaders of the Focus on Family evangelical organization. Gibson is quoted as saying “I’m not a preacher and I’m not a pastor, but I really feel my career was leading me to make this." (Lethal Passion anyone?) "The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize.” One wonders does this imply that criticism of "The Passion" is criticism of the Holy Ghost? Gibson is certainly claiming extraordinary powers for the movie "Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set converting to Christianity.” Given this hype it is no surprise the reception from the selected preview audiences was favorable. Ted Haggard, New Life Church pastor and president of the National Evangelical Association said “It conveys, more accurately than any other film, who Jesus was." Translated read this as "the film conformed more closely to Haggard's chosen beliefs and prejudices than any other he had seen."
(80 has looked at the fuss surrounding Gibson's magnum opus, his and his father's beliefs before. For an fascinating view of "Who Crucified Jesus?" do look here.)

Update - this is a good piece from the UK Guardian regarding the furore over Mel's magnum opus.
 

Naturally Good ? - there is an ever more prevalent attitude that if something is "natural" it is somehow healthier. This is particularly true with medicines and foods. But in the real world things are often not quite that simple. For example folklore from all around the world had long known that willow when ingested had pain relieving properties. Salicylic acid, obtained from willow became a commonly used treatment for pain, inflammation and fever. There was a drawback as salicylic acid itself can cause many people nausea and stomach pains. It was found that turning it into acetylsalicylic acid alleviated these unpleasant side effects and the drug we know as aspirin was launched on the market in the late 19th century. Now the very process of obtaining salicylic acid and then producing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) would seem to be taking a natural substance and making it less natural - with very obvious benefits. Given the choice between say, chewing white willow bark for a headache and perhaps suffering a gastric upset as well or taking a couple of aspirin, 80 will plump for the "unnatural" drug every time. Another tree that is a source of medicines is the neem, the so-called "blessed tree", the ultimate herb. Claims for it go far beyond the medical as this page shows "It is known to help control diseases like Malaria, Cancer and AIDS, combat desertification and deforestation, reduce excessive global temperature and even help in population control." Now New Scientist is reporting research showing that neem extracts can damage the DNA of sperm and may even be a "long term genetic hazard". Until further research is done it has been recommended that the use of neem products should be restricted. This has caused protests from practitioners of  Ayurvedic medicine who dispute the findings. On this matter, having read some of the claims made by Ayurvedic proponents, 80 will stick by the findings of science. This not to condemn "natural" products or endorse unnatural ones - it just makes good sense to find out as much as possible about any substance ingested, be it food or drug. This last word is from the Natural Resources Institute in Greenwich, UK, quoted by New Scientist "No one should be under the illusion that just because neem products are natural they are safe."

China Chimaera - not to be outdone by the Scots, especially in the tourism stakes, China's own lake monster has been putting in an appearance according to this article in the People's Daily. Appropriately enough the local director of the Tourism Bureau was on hand to confirm "It was spotted twice by hundreds of people in different parts of the lake." A local photographer, who claims to have seen the creature (oddly the article has no picture) otherwise known as the 'Lake Tianchi Monster', says it has a horse-like head. However, in this Reuter's report the beastie (or beasties - we are not sure of how many) according to a forestry bureaucrat, one of many observers "appeared only as white or black spots". Early reports say "In 1903, according to local records, a creature resembling a huge buffalo with a deafening roar sprang out of the water and attempted to attack three people before one them shot it in the belly six times. The beast roared and disappeared back into the water." Yet a more recent sighting " compared the head of the monster to that of a human - except with big round eyes, a protruding mouth and a neck 1.2 to 1.5 metres long. It also had a white ring separating its neck and torso and smooth, grey skin." Right, so to help any would-be monster spotters ready to set off to Lake Tianchi equipped with binoculars and cameras, this is what to look for - a black (or white) spot that may (or may not) have a head like a horse, or a buffalo or a human being with "big round eyes, a protruding mouth and a neck 1.2 to 1.5 metres long" and gray skin that is capable of jumping out of the water "like a seal" - and there may be "many as about 20". There, armed with all that information it should be a cinch to spot.