[at-l] Voodoo Science

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

"Voodoo Science" has crept up several times in the last few months.  Usually
over some hiking "hint".  But sometimes "voodoo science" turns into real
science.

At one time, "science" poo-pooed the idea of using ground up willow bark as
a remedy for aches and pains.  But, willow bark contains the same chemical
that is the active ingredient in asprin.  Science use to state the the speed
of light was infinite.  Now science says it is 186,000+ Miles per second
(they keep refining it).  Science even laughed at the idea of a workable
atom bomb.  Science once laughed at "witch doctors" use of spider webs for
bleeding. But now they have developed artificial "spider webbing" for
bleeding and abrasions.

Science often speakes before it has all the facts.  Or before it can have
all the facts -- the reason they use to think light speed was infinite was
that they did not have the tools or the methods to properly measure the
speed of light.  Sometimes science does not understand why X works with Y
and not with Z and they may lay it too the wrong reason -- sickle cell
anemia is a good example.

So while we should not run off and rub ourselves with chicken s**t and
feather so that we can fly because The Turtle said so, we also should beware
of poo-pooing an idea that someone has labeled Voodoo Science.  After all,
there is now "scientific" studies that say voodoo practioners probably did
and do make zombies (and I don't mean the kind you drink, or students after
an "all nighter" for an exam).  Though they are not exactly like the zombies
of myth, legend, and Hollyweed.

William, The Turtle

PS   I read that the Cold Fusion Voodoo may not have been entirely voodoo,
but that because some errors in the original report and some errors in the
follow-up experiments, it did not work.  And so Cold Fusion (sp?) was tossed
out like the baby in the bathwater.

-----Original Message-----

We have had some fun with dhmo, but it is amazing what tripe of tripe the US
government pays good money tro research.  This is call Voodoo science and
their is an e-mail newsletter sent out pointing out the things that get
published as science.