Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Much of the material is the same as in Sokal and Bricmont’s earlier book. But there is some new material as well. I especially found the stuff on hindu nationalism and pseudoscience interesting, and the stuff on pseudoscience in nursing. Never heard of that before, but it wasnt totally unexpected. All health related fields hav large amounts of pseudoscience. It is unfortunate that the most important fields are those most full of pseudoscience!
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Part III goes on to treat weightier social and political topics using the
same lens. Chapter 8 analyzes the paradoxical relation between pseudo
science and postmodernism, and investigates how extreme skepticism can
abet extreme credulity, using a series of detailed case studies: pseudosci
entific therapies in nursing and “alternative medicine”; Hindu nationalist
pseudoscience in India21; and radical environmentalism. This investigation
is motivated by my suspicion that credulity in minor matters prepares the
mind for credulity in matters of greater import — and, conversely, that the
kind of critical thinking useful for distinguishing science from pseudoscience
might also be of some use in distinguishing truths in affairs of state from
lies. Chapter 9 takes on the largest and most powerful pseudoscience of all:
organized religion. This chapter focusses on the central philosophical and
political issues raised by religion in the contemporary world: it deplores the
damage that is done by our culture’s deference toward “faith”, and it asks
how nonbelievers and believers can find political common ground based
on shared moral ideas. Finally, Chapter 10 draws some of these concerns
together, and discusses the relationship between epistemology and ethics as
they interact in the public sphere.
surely this is true.
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#115 The idea that theories should refer only to observable quantities is called operationalism.-, far
from being postmodernist, it was popular among physicists and philosophers of physics in the first
half of the twentieth century. But it has severe flaws: see Chapter 7 below (pp. 240-245) as well as
Weinberg (1992, pp. 174-184).
i thought this was a part of logiclal positivism, and it seems that it was. i knew about operational definitions.
plato.stanford.edu/entries/operationalism/
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When all is said and done, the fundamental flaw in Merchant and Hard
ing’s metaphor-hermeneutics is not exegetical but logical. Let us grant for the
sake of argument that some of the founders of modem science consciously
used sexist metaphors to promote their epistemological and methodological
views (this much is probably true, even if Merchant and Harding have exag
gerated the case). But what would that entail for the philosophy (as opposed
to the history) of science? Apparently the critics wish to claim that sexism
could have passed from metaphor into the substantive content of scientific
methods and/or theories. But if modem science does in fact contain sexist
assumptions, then surely the feminist theorists ought to be able to locate and
criticize those biased assumptions, independently of any argument from his
tory. Indeed, to do otherwise is to commit the “genetic fallacy”: evaluating an
idea on the basis of its origin rather than its content.
Putting aside the florid accusations of rape and torture, the argument of
Merchant and Harding boils down to the assertion that the scientific rev
olution of the seventeenth century displaced a female-centered (spiritual,
hermetic, organic, geocentric) universe in favor of a male-centered (ratio
nalist, scientific, mechanical, heliocentric) one.21 How should we evaluate
this argument?
To begin with, one might wonder whether the gender associations claimed
for these two cosmologies are really as univocal as the feminist critics
claim.22 (After all, the main defender of the geocentric worldview — the
Catholic Church — was not exactly a female-centered enterprise, its adora
tion of the Virgin Mary notwithstanding.) But let us put aside this objection
and grant these gender associations for the sake of argument; for the princi
pal flaw in the Merchant-Harding thesis is, once again, not historical but log
ical. Margarita Levin puts it bluntly: Do Merchant and Harding really “think
we have a choice about which theory is correct? Masculine or feminine, the
solar system is the way it is.”23
The same point applies not only to astronomy but to scientific theories
quite generally; and the bottom line is that there is ample evidence, indepen
dent of any allegedly sexist imagery, for the epistemic value of modem sci
ence. Therefore, as Koertge remarks, “if it really could be shown that patri
archal thinking not only played a crucial role in the Scientific Revolution but
is also necessary for carrying out scientific inquiry as we know it, that would
constitute the strongest argument for patriarchy that I can think of!”24
true story :D
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Of course, the feminist science-critics are not only archaeologists of
300-year-old science; some of their critique is resolutely modem, even post
modern. Here, for instance, is what Donna Haraway, professor of the history
of consciousness (!) at the University of Califomia-Santa Cruz and one of
the most acclaimed feminist theorists of science, says about her research:
For the complex or boundary objects in which I am interested, the
mythic, textual, technical, political, organic, and economic dimensions
implode. That is, they collapse into each other in a knot of extraordinary
density that constitutes the objects themselves. In my sense, story telling
is in no way an ‘art practice’ — it is, rather, a fraught practice for narrat
ing complexity in such a field of knots or black holes. In no way is story
telling opposed to materiality. But materiality itself is tropic; it makes us
swerve, it trips us; it is a knot of the textual, technical, mythic/oneiric,
organic, political, and economic.2
As right-wing critic Roger Kimball acidly comments: “Remember that this
woman is not some crank but a professor at a prestigious university and
one of the leading lights of contemporary ‘women’s studies.’ ”26 The saddest
thing, for us pinkos and feminists, is that Kimball is dead on target.
women’s studies is nearly completely trash. reminds me of the article about black studies in the US: chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/the-most-persuasive-case-for-eliminating-black-studies-just-read-the-dissertations/46346
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This theory is startling, to say the least: Does the author really believe
that menstruation makes it more difficult for young women to understand
elementary notions of geometry? Evidently we are not far from the Victorian
gentlemen who held that women, with their delicate reproductive organs,
are unsuited to rational thought and to science. With friends like this, the
feminist cause has no need of enemies.
the worst enemy of women: women.
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[after quoting Lacan]
Mathematicians and physicists are used to receiving this sort of stuff in
typewritten envelopes from unknown correspondents. Lacan’s grammar and
spelling are better than in most of these treatises, but his logic isn’t. To put it
bluntly, Lacan is a crank — an unusually erudite one, to be sure, but a crank
nonetheless.59
interesting. i will ask Sokal to expand on that theme.
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So, if we look critically at realism, we may be tempted to turn toward
instrumentalism. But if we look critically at instrumentalism, we feel forced
to return to a modest form of realism. What, then, should one do? Before
coming to a possible solution, let us first consider radical alternatives.
surprisingly true.
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[after quoting Plantinga]
Let us stress that we disagree with 90% of Plantinga’s philosophy; but if he is so eloquently on
target on this particular point, why not give him credit for it?
i was surprised they quoted him, but then, they make that comment. perfect play!
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Let me stress in advance that I will not be concerned here with explaining
in detail why astrology, homeopathy and the rest are in fact pseudoscience;
that would take me too far afield. Nor will I address, except in passing, the
important but difficult problems of understanding the psychological attrac
tions of pseudoscience and the social factors affecting its spread.28 Rather,
my principal aim is to investigate the logical and sociological nexus between
pseudoscience and postmodernism.
footnote 28:
For a shrewd meditation on the former question, see Levitt (1999, especially pp. 12-22
and chapter 4). The latter question is indirectly addressed by Burnham (1987), in the context
of a fascinating history of the popularization of science in the United States in the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries.
For my own part, I have been struck by the fact that nearly all the pseudoscientific systems
to be examined in this essay are based philosophically on vitalism: that is, the idea that living
beings, and especially human beings, are endowed with some special quality ( “life energy”,
elan vital, prana, q i ) that transcends the ordinary laws of physics. Mainstream science has
rejected vitalism since at least the 1930s, for a plethora of good reasons that have only become
stronger with time (see e.g. Mayr 1982). But these good reasons are understood by only a tiny
fraction of the populace, even in the industrialized countries where science is supposedly held
in high esteem. Moreover — and perhaps much more importantly — the anti-vitalism charac
teristic of modem science is deeply unsettling emotionally to most (perhaps all) people, even
to those who are not conventionally religious. See again Levitt (1999). Of course, none of these
speculations pretend to any scientific rigor; careful empirical investigation by psychologists
and sociologists is required.
vitalism -.-
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Sokal mentions the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Rosa experiment.
the proponents must really feel bad… even a child can disprove their beliefs. how study are they??? hopefully, it was only a fringe idea, right, right?
When I first heard about Emily’s experiment, I admired her ingenuity but
wondered whether anyone really took Therapeutic Touch seriously. How
wrong I was! Therapeutic Touch is taught in more than 80 college and uni
versity schools of nursing in at least 70 countries, is practiced in at least
80 hospitals across North America, and is promoted by leading American
nursing associations.32 Its inventor claims to have trained more than 47,000
practitioners over a 26-year period, who have gone on to train many more.33
At least 245 books or dissertations have been published that include “Thera
peutic Touch” in the title, subject headings or table of contents.34 All in all,
Therapeutic Touch appears to have become one of the most widely practiced
“holistic” nursing techniques.
sigh!
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cited from pseudoscience source:
[0]ur intuitive faculty is nothing other than a source of sound premises about the
nature of reality…. [T]here exists within us a source of direct information about
reality that can teach us all we need to know.
top #1 reason not to teach Plato’s nonsense.
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But of course, those who believe in Genesis or transubstantiation do not
consider these ideas to be crazy; quite the contrary, they think that they have
good reasons to hold their beliefs. Indeed, Harris argues convincingly that
whenever any person P believes any proposition X — at least in the ordi
nary sense of the English word “believe” — this requires, first of all, that P
must believe X to be true, i.e. to be a factually accurate representation of
the world; and secondly, that P must think he has good reasons to believe
X, in the sense that he envisions his belief as caused, at least in part, by
the fact that X is true. As Harris puts it (p. 63), “there must be some causal
connection, or an appearance thereof, between the fact in question and my
acceptance of it.”
this kind of causal reliabilism will not work. cf. plato.stanford.edu/entries/platonism-mathematics/#EpiAcc
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I forgot to mention that i hav riten a post about polymathy and copyriet reform over at Project Polymath. Reposted below. Direct link to post.
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Introduction
Polymaths are people with a deep knowledge of multiple academic fields, and often various other interests as well, especially artistic, but sometimes even things like tropical exploring. Here I will focus on acquiring deep knowledge about academic fields, and why copyright reform is necessary to increase the number of polymaths in the world.
Learning method
What is the fastest way to learn about some field of study? There are a few methods of learning, 1) listening to speeches/lectures/podcasts and the like, 2) reading, 3) figuring out things oneself. The last method will not work well for any established academic field. It takes too long to work out all the things other people have already worked out, if indeed it can be done at all. Many experiments are not possible to do oneself. But it can work out well for a very recent field, or some field of study that isn’t in development at all, or some field where it is very easy to work it things oneself (gather and analyze data). Using data mining from the internet is a very easy way to find out many things without having to spend money. However, usually it is faster to find someone else who has already done it. But surely programming ability is a very valuable skill to have for polymaths.
For most fields, however, this leaves either listening in some form, or reading. I have recently discussed these at greater length, so I will just summarize my findings here. Reading is by far the best choice. Not only can one read faster than one can listen, the written language is also of greater complexity, which allows for more information acquired per word, hence per time. Listening to live lectures is probably the most common way of learning by listening. It is the standard at universities. Usually these lectures last too long for one to concentrate throughout them, and if one misses something, it is not possible to go back and get it repeated. It is also not possible to skip ahead if one has already learned whatever it is the that speaker is talking about. Listening to recorded (= non-live) speech is better in both of these ways, but it is still much slower than reading. Khan Academy is probably the best way to learn things like math and physics by listening to recorded, short-length lectures. It also has built-in tests with instant feedback, and a helpful community. See also the book Salman Khan recently wrote about it.
If one seriously wants to be a polymath, one will need to learn at speeds much, much faster than the speeds that people usually learn at, even very clever people (≥2 sd above the mean). This means lots, and lots of self-study, self-directed learning, mostly in the form of reading, but not limited to reading. There are probably some things that are faster and easier to learn by having them explained in speech. Having a knowledgeable tutor surely helps in helping one make a good choice of what to read. When I started studying philosophy, I spent hundreds of hours on internet discussions forums, and from them, I acquired quite a few friends who were knowledgeable about philosophy. They helped me choose good books/texts to read to increase the speed of my learning.
Finally, there is one more way of listening that I didn’t mention, it is the one-to-one tutor-based learning. It is very fast compared to regular classroom learning, usually resulting in a 2 standard deviation improvement. But this method is unavailable for almost everybody, and so not worth discussing. Individual tutoring can be written or verbal or some mix, so it doesn’t fall under precisely one category of those mentioned before.
How to start learning about a new field
So, suppose one wants to learn something about a given field of study. Where to begin? Obviously, the best place to begin almost any study is the internet, especially Wikipedia. When one has read the article about the field on Wikipedia, one can then proceed to read the various articles referred in that article, or jump right into some of the sources listed. However, it is better to get ahold of a good textbook and learn from that. After all, textbooks are exactly the kind of book that is written to introduce one to a field of study. It would be very odd indeed if some other kind of book was better at introducing people to a field. That would mean that textbook authors had utterly and completely failed in their mission. I hammer this point through, because for some people, perhaps including some polymath aspirants, this fact is not obvious. Especially with philosophy, people have some strange idea that the best way to begin is reading huge, incomprehensible works (say, Being and Time), or just ‘start from the beginning’ with the pre-Socratics. See my post here. But it applies equally well to other fields. The best way to start learning physics is not to read Newton’s Principia.
Now, since polymaths need to learn a lot, and the preferred method of learning is reading, it follows that they need to read a lot. However, this can be an economic problem: Information is still costly to acquire. Polymaths are often dedicated to learning and spend their entire day learning (I spend >10 hours most days). So this means that having a job is not a viable solution. There isn’t enough time available. Thanks to the internet, there is now a wealth of information freely available. However, not all the information is freely available, and this presents a problem for would-be polymaths and already established polymaths who want to expand to another field of study. One could buy the material oneself, but this can quickly get expensive. One could lend the material from a library, but this requires that one reads paper books, which is not optimal, and also one cannot keep them around for future reference.
Primarily, there are two kinds of written sources that are not completely freely available yet, 1) journal articles, 2) books. Another less important source is newspaper articles.
Journals
Many polymath or stud.polymaths are university students or teachers and thus usually have access to academic journals through their university. However, often the university does not have access to all of the journals, and so if one stumbles upon an interesting paper which happens to be published in some obscure or perhaps defunct journal, it can be hard to find it. One can always try to ask the authors for the paper by email, and this often works, but again, not always. The authors may not want to help, they may be dead, or the email address mentioned out of order. This is clearly unsatisfactory for the polymath, whose curiosity is often insatiable. I know it annoys me very much whenever this happens.
Fortunately, journals are moving in the direction of open access, and the scientific community is increasingly unhappy with the way journals operate or used to operate. Usually researchers want their papers to be read, not hidden away behind a paywall. Even mainstream newspapers are writing about the issue. Countries and universities (Danish) are forcing their researchers to publish in open-access journals, or upload their papers to sites like arXiv or SSRN, where they can be freely downloaded. Internet activist Aaron Swartz also tried to liberate millions of papers recently, but was apparently unfortunately caught in the act. The absurd legal consequences of this act probably contributed to his reason to commit suicide. Still, the situation is improving quickly with respect to getting free access to the information in the journals.
If we legalized non-commercial copying of copyrighted works, then the situation would change almost instantly. Very quickly, companies like Google would make access to all academic papers ever published, at no cost at all to the user. This enormous improvement would of course not only help (stud.)polymaths, it would help anyone wanting to learn more. Most people are not university students or teachers, and so don’t have access to the academic journals. People who are unaffiliated with a university, polymaths or not, stand to win the most with such a change. A huge benefit to society at large.
Books
A lot of good information still exists only in paper book form, and books are prohibitively expensive for a non-wealthy polymath. I don’t consider myself extreme among polymaths, but I read something like >30 nonfiction books a year (reading list). Buying all of these is out of the question – much too expensive. Rare academic books can cost hundreds of dollars to buy in a paper copy. An absurd situation, and extremely unsatisfying for a polymath. It is possible to fight back, however. One can buy books and set them free. Either ebooks, crack the protection and spread them. Or paper books, scan them or have them scanned for you, and then release them.
Of course, a lot of books can be found in ebook versions for free, either legally or not. However, the situation has recently deteriorated due to the copyright industry (in this case, the book publishers) successfully shutting down several of the best illegal ebook downloading sites (specially library.nu was very good). Due to the way torrents work, they are ill-suited to handle the sharing of thousands of different books, although several sites have tried (and shut down again, perhaps due to legal pressure). Still, one can find millions of ebooks torrent, either in huge compilations of books about a given subject (e.g. this one is of interest to polymaths, or this, or this), or books in single torrents. Single book torrents are usually only for famous books. Useful at times, but not satisfactory at all.
To be sure, books that are out of copyright can often be found and downloaded legally at great sites such as Project Gutenberg. Surely, if the copyright duration was released, Gutenberg and other similar projects would immediately start working on making millions of more old books freely available. Getting books from Gutenberg and other sites like it is mostly useful for historical studies, and fields where the dating of the books matter less. E.g. in philosophy, there is still much to learn from reading Hume, or John Stuart Mill. But there isn’t that much to learn in empirical science from reading papers from the 17th century, except out of historical interest.
Google have already scanned millions of books. They are made somewhat available for free via the Google Books service, but copyright law demands (and settlements with the publishing industry) that parts of the books are left out. However, if copyright were changed tomorrow, what would happen is that Google would quickly unblock these parts of the books, making the information therein completely freely available. Google has already collaborated with various large libraries in scanning their books. When it comes to freedom of information, the internet pirates and libraries are on the same team. The internet is the world’s greatest library of culture and information. It will get much better when copyright law changes.
Summary
When copyright law changes, both books and academic papers will be free, and we will enter the true information age. The question is only a matter of time. This will benefit almost everybody, including polymaths. The losers will be the now obsolete middle-men. It will be much easier, especially for poor people and people not affiliated with a university to become polymaths, and of course for others to learn as well. At that time, only time, interest, and abilities will set the limit – not money.
Why Not Epistocracy (i fixed the PDF found on google)
Previusly mentioned, but its pretty good, and right to the topic.
Also, the Wiki page about meritocracy sucks.
The impact of genetic enhancement on equality found via another paper: The rhetoric and reality of gap closing—when the “have-nots” gain but the “haves” gain even more (Stephen J. Ceci and Paul B. Papierno), which i was reading becus i was reading varius papers on Linda Gottfredson’s homepage.
Abstract:
There apparently is a genuine possibility that genetic and non-
genetic mechanisms eventually will be able to significantly en-
hance human capabilities and traits generally. Examining
this prospect from the standpoint of equality considerations is
one useful way to inquire into the effects of such enhancement
technologies. Because of the nature and limitations of compet-
ing ideas of equality, we are inevitably led to investigate a very
broad range of issues. This Article considers matters of distri-
bution and withholding of scarce enhancement resources and
links different versions of equality to different modes of distri-
bution. It briefly addresses the difficulties of defining “en-
hancement” and “trait” and links the idea of a “merit attribute”
to that of a “resource attractor.” The role of disorder-based jus-
tifications is related to equality considerations, as is the possi-
bility of the reduction or “objectification” of persons arising
from the use of enhancement resources. Risks of intensified
and more entrenched forms of social stratification are outlined.
The Article also considers whether the notion of merit can sur-
vive, and whether the stability of democratic institutions based
on a one-person, one-vote standard is threatened by attitude
shifts given the new technological prospects. It refers to John
Stuart Mill’s “plural voting” proposal to illustrate one chal-
lenge to equal-vote democracy.
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Nevertheless, it is conceivable that, despite rigorous division of
labor, there may be political and social equality of a sort. Different
professions, trades, and occupations and the varying aptitudes un-
derlying them might be viewed as equally worthy. The “alphas”
may be held equal to the “betas,” though their augmentations (via
the germ line or the living body) and life-work differ. Perhaps
(paradoxically?) there will be an “equality of the enhanced” across
their categories of enhancement. But do not count on it.
sort of. at least one study showed that nootropics have greater effect the lower the intelligence of the population. so, in theory, it is possible that at some theoretical maximum M relative to drug D, the drug wud hav no effect. and everybody under that M wud be boosted to M, given adequate volumes of D.
i did come across another study with this IQ-drug interaction effect once, but apparently i didnt save it on my computer, and i cant seem to find it again. it is difficult to find papers about exactly this it seems.
below is a figure form the study i mentioned abov. it is about ritalin:
somthing similar seems to be the case with modafinil, another nootropic. it wud be interesting to see if ther is any drug-drug interaction between ritalin and modafinil, specifically, whether they stack or not.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil#Cognitive_enhancement
here is the best study mentioned on Wikipedia: Cognitive effects of modafinil in student volunteers may depend on IQ
as for the topic of cognitiv enhancers in general, see this somewhat recent 2010 systematic overview. it appears that ritalin isnt a good cognitiv enhancer, but modafinil is promising for non-sleep deprived persons. Modafinil and methylphenidate for neuroenhancement in healthy individuals a systematic review
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a. Enhancement and democratic theory: Millian plural voting
and the attenuation of democracy.
i. Kinds of democracy; is one-person, one-vote a defining char-
acteristic of democracy? Most persons now acknowledge that there
are stunning differences, both inborn and acquired, among individu-
als. Not everyone can be a physicist, novelist, grandmaster, astro-
naut, juggler, athlete, or model, at least without enhancement, and
those who can will vary sharply among themselves in abilities.
For better or worse, these differences make for serious social,
economic, and political inequalities. The question here is what ef-
fect these differences in human characteristics ought to have on
various matters of political governance. If we are not in fact equal
to each other in deliberative ability, judgment, and drive, why do we
all have equal voting power in the sense that, when casting ballots
in general elections, no one’s vote counts for more than another’s?
We are not equal in our knowledge of the issues, our abilities to as-
sess competing arguments, the nature and intensities of our prefer-
ences, our capacities to contribute to our social and economic sys-
tem, our stakes in the outcomes of particular government policies, or
even in our very interest in public affairs.
this topic was the primary reason i started reading this paper.
i also found som other papers dealing with Millian meritocracy, i suppose one cud call it. i came upon the idea individually, but was preceded by JS Mill with about 200 years.
his writing on the subject is here: John Stuart Mill – Considerations on Representative Government
another paper i found is this: Why Not Epistocracy
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i hav riten about it befor, but here is som mor i came acros.
Found via:
www.techdirt.com/articles/20130117/03040821712/scientist-explains-why-putting-research-behind-paywall-is-immoral.shtml
For general public:
www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2013/jan/17/open-access-publishing-science-paywall-immoral
www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=417576&c=1
www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jul/15/free-access-british-scientific-research
Background material for the curious:
Blog series:
svpow.com/2009/06/01/choosing-a-journal-for-the-neck-posture-paper-why-open-access-is-important/
svpow.com/2011/09/29/researchers-stop-doing-free-work-for-non-open-journals/
svpow.com/2011/10/17/collateral-damage-of-the-non-open-reviewing-boycott/
svpow.com/2012/01/30/what-is-a-private-sector-research-work/
svpow.com/2012/03/30/my-rcuk-submission/
svpow.com/2012/05/17/see-this-is-why-publishers-irritate-me-so-much/
svpow.com/2012/05/18/publishers-versus-everyone/
svpow.com/2012/10/16/publish-means-make-public-paywalls-are-the-opposite-of-publishing/
Other:
drvector.blogspot.dk/2007/02/reason-317-to-be-depressed-journal.html
www.scottaaronson.com/writings/journal.html
www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=911
Miguel-Lamas-Establishment-of-Autonomous-Ocean-Communities-English FIXD
Found via the Seasteading Institute Blog.
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Abstract
“Establishment of autonomous ocean communities: current options and their future
evolution”
Dissertation presented as a requirement to obtain a Doctoral Degree in Naval Architecture
and Ocean Engineering.
The idea of establishing floating cities in the oceans has been addressed in the past within the
ambition of both science and art, though rarely with rigor or detail.
The objective of this dissertation is to provide an orderly framework around this idea as to
why humanity has sought out to establish such cities. To this end, we have established a more
ample definition to the term “Oceanic Colonization” which we define as “The establishment of
autonomous communities in the oceans aboard artificial platforms”. Additionally, we distinguish
four forms of ocean colonization for four distinct purposes: 1) to expand landholdings; 2) to
provide mobile settlements; 3) to allow for semi-permanent mobile settlements in order to have
access to marine resources; 4) and for the creation of micronations. It is this fourth concept that
will serve as a departing point to review the whole idea of oceanic colonization.
Thus, the objective of this dissertation is to analyze all the possible options (both present and
future) permissible within the scope of Naval Architecture and Oceanic Engineering for the
establishment of autonomous offshore oceanic communities which would allow for the creation of
oceanic micronations. At the same time, we shall try to project the evolution of the other three
forms of oceanic colonization.
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Sustainable Energy Production: wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermic, tidal, marine currents,
OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, which produces fresh water as a by-product). These
sources can be located on the platform itself or on “satellite” platforms around the colony.
one annoying and recurring feature is that the author does not mention nuclear power. it is especially strange given that Russia is already building floating reactors – with excess energy production, not just using it for its own propulsion. nuclear energy is surely the future. the fuel can also be extracted from seawater (uranium, thorium).
see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_floating_nuclear_power_station
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Oasis of the Seas
This vessel was commissioned by Royal Caribbean international in February 2006 and
launched in late 2008. It set a new record, accommodating over 6,000 passengers. It is also the
first ship to incorporate the concept making a cruise ship with seven themed areas called
neighborhoods45, a concept similar to that used in the planning of theme parks, providing
passengers with a wide variety of experiences based on their personal preferences and styles. in
this sense, it is practical concrete application of a themed cruises, but in this case seven different
themes opposed to the single themed cruise ships mentioned earlier.
crazy. 6000 passengers?!
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The rhetoric and reality of gap closing—when the “have-nots” gain but the “haves” gain even more.
Abstract
Many forms of intervention, across different domains, have
the surprising effect of widening preexisting gaps between
disadvantaged youth and their advantaged counter-
parts—if such interventions are made available to all stu-
dents, not just to the disadvantaged. Whether this widening
of gaps is incongruent with American interests and values
requires an awareness of this gap-widening potential when
interventions are universalized and a national policy that
addresses the psychological, political, economic, and
moral dimensions of elevating the top students—tomor-
row’s business and science leaders—and/or elevating the
bottom students to redress past inequalities and reduce the
future costs associated with them. This article is a first step
in bringing this dilemma to the attention of scholars and
policymakers and prodding a national discussion.
interesting points no doubt.
Has a good discussion of the nature of science. som interesting discussions of varius dodgy and otherwise untested ideas in clinical psychology.
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about the book:
As Bob Dylan wrote, “The times they are a-changin’ .” Over the past sev
eral decades, clinical psychology and allied disciplines (e.g., psychiatry,
social work, counseling) have borne witness to a virtual sea-change in the
relation between science and practice. A growing minority of clinicians
appear to be basing their therapeutic and assessment practices primarily on
clinical experience and intuition rather than on research evidence. As a
consequence, the term “ scientist-practitioner gap” is being invoked with
heightened frequency (see foreword to this volume by Carol Tavris; Fox,
1996), and concerns that the scientific foundations of clinical psychology
are steadily eroding are being voiced increasingly in many quarters
(Dawes, 1994; Kalal, 1999; McFall, 1991). It is largely these concerns that
have prompted us to compile this edited volume, which features chapters
by distinguished experts across a broad spectrum of areas within clinical
psychology. Given the markedly changing landscape of clinical psychology,
we believe this book to be both timely and important.
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Similarly questionable practices can be found in the domains of psy
chological assessment and diagnosis. Despite well-replicated evidence that
statistical (actuarial) formulas are superior to clinical judgment for a broad
range of judgmental and predictive tasks (Grove, Zald, Lebow, Snitz, &
Nelson, 2000), most clinicians continue to rely on clinical judgment even
in cases in which it has been shown to be ill advised. There is also evidence
that many practitioners tend to be overconfident in their judgments and
predictions, and to fall prey to basic errors in reasoning (e.g., confirmatory
bias, illusory correlation) in the process of case formulation (Chapter 2).
Moreover, many practitioners base their interpretations on assessment in
struments (e.g., human figure drawing tests, Rorschach Inkblot Test,
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, anatomically detailed dolls) that are either
highly controversial or questionable from a scientific standpoint (see Chap
ter 3).
the cite is: Grove, W. M., Zald, D. H., Lebow, B. S., Snitz, B. E., &c Nelson, C. (2000). Clinical
versus mechanical prediction: A meta-analysis. Psychological Assessment, 12,
19-30.
abstract:
The process of making judgments and decisions requires a method for combining data. To compare the accuracy of clinical and mechanical (formal, statistical) data-combination techniques, we performed a meta-analysis on studies of human health and behavior. On average, mechanical-prediction techniques were about 10% more accurate than clinical predictions. Depending on the specific analysis, mechanical prediction substantially outperformed clinical prediction in 33%-47% of studies examined. Although clinical predictions were often as accurate as mechanical predictions, in only a few studies (6%-16%) were they substantially more accurate. Superiority for mechanical-prediction techniques was consistent, regardless of the judgment task, type of judges, judges’ amounts of experience, or the types of data being combined. Clinical predictions performed relatively less well when predictors included clinical interview data. These data indicate that mechanical predictions of human behaviors are equal or superior to clinical prediction methods for a wide range of circumstances.
seems interesting.
What are the primary sources of the growing scientist-practitioner gap? As
many authors have noted (see Lilienfeld, 1998, 2001, for a discussion),
some practitioners in clinical psychology and related mental health disci
plines appear to making increased use of unsubstantiated, untested, and
otherwise questionable treatment and assessment methods. Moreover, psy
chotherapeutic methods of unknown or doubtful validity are proliferating
on an almost weekly basis. For example, a recent and highly selective sam
pling of fringe psychotherapeutic practices (Eisner, 2000; see also Singer &
Lalich, 1996) included neurolinguistic programming, eye movement desen
sitization and reprocessing, Thought Field Therapy, Emotional Freedom
Technique, rage reduction therapy, primal scream therapy, feeling therapy,
Buddha psychotherapy, past lives therapy, future lives therapy, alien abduc
tion therapy, angel therapy, rebirthing, Sedona method, Silva method, en
tity depossession therapy, vegetotherapy, palm therapy, and a plethora of
other methods (see also Chapter 7).
….
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The major criticism of the Smith and colleagues (1980) meta-analytic
study is that it is too inclusive; using all studies necessarily requires that
good and bad pieces of research are taken into account (e.g., Howard,
Krause, Sanders, & Kopta, 1997). Nevertheless, Smith et al. compared ef
fect sizes on the basis of research quality. The rigor of the research had lit
tle or no impact on effect size (Smith &c Glass, 1977; Smith et al., 1980).
The results, thus, were not artifacts of including methodologically weak in
vestigations in the meta-analysis.
As efficacy research has burgeoned, so have the number of meta
analyses. The primary findings of Smith and colleagues (1980) have been
repeatedly affirmed (Wampold, 2001). Not only does psychotherapy
appear to be effective, but there is little evidence that one therapy is signifi
cantly better than another. The most comprehensive meta-analysis (Wam
pold et al., 1997) and a meta-analysis of 32 meta-analyses (Grissom, 1996)
have corroborated the conclusion reached 65 years ago by Rosenzweig
(1936). He characterized the apparent uniform efficacy of psychotherapies
at the time as the Dodo bird verdict, after the Dodo’s observation at the
end of a race in Alice in Wonderland that “Everybody has won and all
must have prizes” (p. 412). This conclusion bears profound implications
for the field of psychotherapy, which for the past five decades has been pre
occupied with unearthing the essential, specific findings of behavior
change in the form of the best therapy. The verdict so far is that psycho
therapies appear to share common, not specific, therapeutic features.
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Recovered memory therapy (RMT): Therapists operate on the as
sumption that their client’s psychological distress, lack of success, failed re
lationships, and so forth are due to traumatic experiences, typically under
the control of their parents. RMT often involves the belief that the inten
sity of the childhood trauma was so great as to cause dissociative “ split
ting” into multiple personalities, now known as dissociative identity disor
der (see Chapter 5). In RMT, the process of therapy often consists of
diverse methods of recovering the “ lost memories,” including hypnotic in
duction, administration of “ truth serum” (sodium pentathol), group ther
apy, guided fantasies, religious-based prayer, and assertions by therapists
that the client’s symptoms could only have been caused by a traumatic
event (see Chapter 8, for a critique of these and related methods). Given a
New Age therapist’s belief in RMT, therapy becomes unending as the client
is taken back into earlier past lives, additional alien abductions, and addi
tional split-off personalities (known as “ alters” ; see Chapter 5). Alien ab
duction therapy, one variation of RMT, holds that extraterrestrials landed
on earth and abducted and then molested the individual, thereby causing
the past trauma. Past lives therapy, another variation of RMT, holds that
all of life’s travails are due having lived a series of past lives and having
“ unfinished business” from past lives invading one’s current life.
such ideas seem to dovetail beautifully with blank slate ideas. if it isnt genes or the persons own fault, it has to be somthing els. past traume fits the role nicely, yes?
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Satanic Ritual Abuse: The Case of Patricia Burgus, the
“Satanic Princess”
The most widely publicized case of SRA is that of Patricia Burgus, who
won a $10.6 million settlement (Acocella, 1999; Ofshe & Waters, 1993b;
Pendergrast, 1996). In 1995, Frontline, a national TV documentary, aired
a program titled “The Search for Satan.” The program chronicled Ms.
Burgus’s treatment with Dr. Bennett Braun. She originally sought treatment
for postpartum depression, but was hospitalized for 3 years by Dr. Braun
in the Dissociative Disorders unit of Rush-Presbyterian Hospital in Chi
cago. Ms. Burgus was labeled as a “ satanic princess.” At Braun’s sugges
tion, her two sons, ages 4 and 5, were also hospitalized for over 3 years.
Each son was told that he was a multiple personality (see Chapter 5), that
he had been in his mother’s satanic cult, that he had eaten babies, and that
he had felt what it was like to bite into a baby while it was still alive. As
part of therapy, both sons “ learned” that they were practiced killers. Ms.
Burgus was led to believe that she had molested them. While in treatment
with Dr. Braun, she was led to believe that she (1) had 300 personalities,
(2) had been raised in a satanic cult, and (3) was a “ satanic princess” in
charge of a nine-state region, and (4) had eaten more than 2,000 dead bod
ies per year in whole or part. Dr. Braun instructed her to have her husband
bring a hamburger from a family picnic to the hospital so that it could be
tested for human tissue. After 3 years, when her insurance was almost ex
hausted, she was released from the hospital. The insurance carrier paid
over $3 million in hospitalization costs for Ms. Burgus and her two sons.
Acocella (1999) indicates that other patients of Dr. Braun initiated similar
lawsuits based on similar grounds.
wtf
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Space Aliens: Myra
Myra was referred to a psychologist for relaxation training by her treat
ing physician. The referral was to a psychologist who specialized in pain
relief. During Myra’s initial visits, the psychologist took virtually no his
tory. Nevertheless, after hypnosis, the psychologist informed Myra that
her back problems were a result of her having been molested by her fa
ther. The psychologist further informed Myra that she mentioned visiting
her favorite uncle while she was hypnotized. The psychologist shifted to
saying that her uncle had molested her. While in a normal waking state,
Myra had no memories of abuse, either by her father or her uncle and
took issue with the therapist’s claims of such abuse. At her next session,
the therapist indicated that, during another hypnotically induced state,
Myra had remembered being abducted by a UFO while at her uncle’s
home. The UFO descended into her uncle’s backyard and had taken her
onboard a spacecraft that looked like the white “ inside of an eggshell.”
There, she was reported to have been sexually examined by aliens. This
examination and subsequent examinations, performed while she was ly
ing on an table, were the cause of her back problems. The psychologist
hypnotized Myra in each of her sessions, maintaining that hypnosis was
necessary with clients abducted by space aliens because the aliens hypno
tized humans to force them to forget their alien encounters. Over the
next 3 years, the psychotherapist focused on uncovering all of Myra’s al
leged encounters with aliens. Myra felt that the therapist only seemed in
terested when she cooperated by producing information concerning these
purported encounters. She reported that she began “ to feel foggy, tired
all the time, and out of touch with my feelings about anything.” The
psychologist significantly enlarged the boundaries of the therapy, eventu
ally seeing her in 3-4 hour sessions held 3 days a week. The psychologist
also forbade her from taking medications prescribed by her physician be
cause the medications would interfere with her “ recalling all the experi
ences on the UFOs which were central to the therapy.” When Myra’s
savings were depleted, she was forced to terminate therapy. After she re
flected on what had occurred in her therapy, she sought out legal coun
sel. After a lawsuit was filed, the therapist settled out of court.
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ther ar mor cases than the abov, equally disturbing and insane.
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Hypnosis
Like many guided imagery procedures used in clinical situations, hypnosis
often involves eye closure and relaxation and, when used to recover memo
ries, guided imagery or mental review of past events. Accordingly, many of
the concerns that have been raised with respect to guided imagery apply to
hypnosis. However, an added problem associated with hypnosis is the pop
ular (Loftus & Loftus, 1980; Whitehouse, Dinges, Orne, & Orne, 1988)
yet mistaken belief that hypnosis can improve recall. This belief can result
in the tendency to overvalue the use of hypnosis for purposes of memory
recovery. Survey research (Poole et al., 1995) reveals that approximately
one third (29% and 34%) of psychologists in the United States who were
sampled reported that they used hypnosis to help clients recall memories of
sexual abuse. In contrast, this figure was only 5% among British thera
pists.
USA -.- even their sycologists ar wors
-
Although the popularity of dream interpretation has, along with psy
choanalysis, waned in recent years, survey research indicates that upwards
of a third of psychotherapists (37-44%) in the United States still use this
technique (see also Brenneis, 1997; Polusny & Follette, 1996). These statis
tics are of particular interest given Lindsay and Read’s (1994) observation
that no data exist to support the idea that dreams accurately reveal auto
biographical memories that fall outside the purview of consciousness.
When dreams are interpreted as indicative of a history of child sexual
abuse (Bass & Davis, 1988; Fredrickson, 1992), the fact that the informa
tion is provided by an authority figure can constitute a strong suggestion
that abuse, in fact, occurred in “ real life.”
-.- dream interpretation.
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The “ thought field” is posited to be both the locus of psychopatholo
gy and the vehicle for therapeutic change. It has been described thus (I.
Callahan, 1998):
A “ field,” in scientific terms, is defined as “ an invisible sphere of influ
ence” ; magnetic fields and gravitational fields being familiar examples. In
this case, when we think about a situation a Thought Field (a manifestation
of the body’s energy system) becomes active. Effectively, the Thought Field
has been “ tuned in” to that specific thought. The body responds to its in
fluence by reproducing, to a greater or lesser extent, the nervous, hor
monal, and cognitive activity that occurs when we are in the real situation.
If that Thought Field contains perturbations then the body response is in
appropriate.” (p. 2)
derp, fucking technobabble.
-
The discrepancy between the meager research support and the exten
sive promotion of EMDR, TFT, and CISD may be due in part to improper
allocation of the burden of proof. McFall (1991) argued that the burden of
proof of positive effects should rest squarely on those who implement and
promote novel therapies (see also Chapter 1). Thus, it is reasonable to ex
pect proponents of new treatments to answer clearly and convincingly such
questions as:
• “Does your treatment work better than no treatment?”
• “Does your treatment work better than a placebo?”
• “Does your treatment work better than standard treatments?”
• “Does your treatment work through the processes you claim it
does?”
decent overview of the perhaps four most important questions to ask and answer about any proposed treatment.
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For both antidepressants and herbal remedies, the relatively small dif
ferences between placebo and active substances do not necessarily mean
that these treatments are of little value. If we define the usefulness of a
treatment only in terms of (1) the difference between this treatment and
placebo and (2) the direct and indirect costs of the treatment versus the
costs of the untreated disease, as is implied by the conventional definitions
of efficacy and utility, then some could conclude that both antidepressants
and phytotherapeutic substances are only of relatively modest value. How
ever, what matters is not only the relative size of the effect, but also the ab
solute size compared with baseline, or, in other words, the magnitude of
specific and nonspecific effects combined. The provision of a good explan
atory myth and a convincing therapeutic ritual are among the common fac
tors of all efficacious therapies (Frank, 1987). Hence we can hypothesize
that for certain people, the potential for nonspecific effects is greater in
herbal treatments than in standard treatments. This is particularly true of
people who have a worldview compatible with the application of “ natu
ral” products and who have a belief system favoring complementary and
alternative treatments. For others, who subscribe to a more rational and
mechanistic approach to diseases, conventional medical treatments are
likely to be more effective. For still others, psychotherapy might elicit the
greatest expectancy effects, and thereby the greatest therapeutic benefit.
It would be intriguing to determine whether patients requesting an
herbal treatment experience greater benefits than do those who are either
opposed or indifferent to this treatment. Our prediction is that the differ
ence would be statistically and clinically significant, precisely because the
nonspecific effects can be better harnessed in believers. Indeed, this effect
has been demonstrated in a comparison of the use of hypnosis versus
nonhypnotic treatment with clients who either did or did not request hyp
notic treatment (Lazarus, 1973).
this is an interesting idea. surely one shud check for correlations between g, five factor factors, and varius stated beliefs, and these outcomes. perhaps beliefs do play a mor activ role in placebo effects. perhaps it is just personality. who knows. lets find out! :)
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Whereas the Feingold Diet implicates an entire class of food sub
stances in the occurrence of ADHD, refined sugar is a specific substance
presumed to cause hyperactivity and other child behavior problems (Smith,
1975). Despite the popular support for this proposition among parents,
teachers, and some mental health professionals, well-controlled studies
have not demonstrated an effect of sugar on children’s behavior.
Milich, Wolraich, and Lindgren (1986) reviewed studies and found no
consistent, significant effects of sugar on a variety of behavioral measures
across studies, even among subjects who were thought to be “ sugar sensi
tive.” Similar conclusions have been reported in controlled studies of
aspartame on behavior. As one example, Wolraich and colleagues (Wol
raich, 1988; Wolraich et al., 1994) compared three controlled diets (high
sucrose-low sweetener, low sucrose-high sweetener, and placebo) in two
groups of children presumed to be especially vulnerable to the effects of
sugar ingestion (i.e., preschool and school-age children nominated by par
ents as highly adverse to sugar). The diets were presented in 3-week blocks
using a counterbalanced, double-blind, crossover design. Results showed
no differences among the three diets on any of almost 40 behavioral and
cognitive measures. Shaywitz and colleagues (1994) also found no effect
on cognitive or behavioral measures with children with ADHD who con
sumed unusually high amounts of aspartame over a 4-week period. There
is little evidence, then, that either sugar or aspartame ingestion have appre
ciable effects on children’s behavior.
see also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperactivity#Sugar_consumption
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Proponents of FC claim that the experimental studies conducted are
inappropriately designed and do not accurately measure performance.
Silliman (1995) asserted that the studies were conducted out of the sub
jects’ normal social context, creating an unfamiliar environment that hin
ders performance. Duchan (1995) states that, “The context of interaction
is not a naturally occurring one, but one that is tampered with in a variety
of ways” (p. 208).
yes… thats what an experiment IS.
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Dolphin-Assisted Therapy
Dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) has attracted many parents of children
with autism. DAT received significant attention after it was presented on
Cable News Network (CNN, March 28, 1998; www.cnn.com/
HEALTH/9803/28/dolphin.therapy/index.html#op). The basic procedure
of DAT was depicted, with the child completing a one-to-one teaching ses
sion with a therapist and then being given the opportunity to swim with a
dolphin. The child’s interaction with the dolphins was described as moti
vating the child to participate in therapy sessions (www.nextstep.com).
Dolphins are currently the only nondomesticated animals used regularly as
treatment partners with children with autism.
The website of the Human Dolphin Therapy Center in Miami reports
a success rate of 97%, which is not defined with respect to the assessment
instruments and measurements utilized (www.cnn.com/HEALTH/
9803/28/dolphin.therapy/index.html#op). The average cost for dolphin
therapy is $2,600 per week (www.nextstep.com/stepback/cycle9/
109/dolphin_therapy.btml). Families have reported raising over $10,000
for the small number of sessions. This cost excludes airfare and lodging
(www.cnn.eom/HEALTH/9803/28/dolphin.therapy/index.html#op).
The time and cost of this treatment may foster an expectation of positive
results.
According to Christopher Peknic, founder and executive director of
the Dolphin Institute, the use of dolphins as treatment partners for autism
and other childhood disorders is a natural and positive therapeutic tech
nique (www.dolpbininstitute.org/text/cp.htm). He believes that “ dol
phins have a very special bond,” and are “ attracted to young children”
(.http://www.dolphininstititute.org/text.cp.htm). In addition, supporters of
DAT suggest that dolphins possess an uncanny ability to “ understand and
respond to the needs of special people” (www.dolphininstitute.org/
iscltextle_smith.htm).
what the fuck
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If the 1970s represented a decade during which psychologists tried to “ give
psychology away,” unencumbered by concerns over the therapeutic value
of their gifts, then the following two decades represented a time when mar
keting strategies were refined, programs proliferated, and data remained
sparse (Rosen, 1987, 1993). We found support for this appraisal by log
ging on to the Web, at www.amazon.com, where 137 self-help books were
listed for just the letter “A.” Among the titles listed by www.amazon.com
were A.D.D. and Success, Access Your Brain’s Joy Center: The Free Soul
Method, Amazing Results o f Positive Thinking, and The Anxiety Cure: An
Eight-Step Program for Getting Well. There also were many titles with the
word “Art,” as in The Art o f Letting Go, The Art o f Making Sex Sacred,
and The Art o f Midlife. Findings were similar for the letters B through Z.
i really hate this use of punctuation INSIDE quotes! it makes no sense.
There also were many titles with the word “Art,”
shud be:
There also were many titles with the word “Art”,
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Unlike the self-help advisors who came on the market in the early and
mid-1990s, Gray is less scolding, more “ supportive,” and he found his
niche by smoothing out gender conflicts. His bromide is that conflicts be
tween men and women arise from their inherent differences, which should
be honored. This more acceptance-based doctrine links him to earlier,
more “ therapeutic” incarnations of the self-help movement. This therapeu
tic slant (along with its remarkable simplicity and spiffed-up sexism) is the
source of much of the controversy surrounding his popularity. In Mars and
Venus in the Bedroom (1995), for example, Gray gave advice about what
he believes to be effective communication skills: To “ give feedback in sex,
it is best for women to make little noises and not use complete sentences”
because “when a woman uses complete sentences, it can be a turn off” (p.
57). Additionally, he instructed readers about the meaning of women’s un
derwear. He explained that when “ she wears silky pink or lace, she is ready
to surrender to sex as a romantic expression of loving vulnerability” (p.
106) and that a “ cotton T-shirt with matching panties . . . may mean she
doesn’t need a lot of foreplay” (p. 107). Moreover, according to Gray such
clothing indicates that the woman wearing it “may not be in the mood for
an orgasm” but rather might be “happy and satisfied” by feeling her part
ner’s “ orgasm inside her” (p. 107). Offering such opinions is part of what
Gray states he does “ best,” which he believes is to “ save marriages, create
romance and passions and relationships” (Adler, 1995, p. 96).
seems legit lol
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Worldwide health effects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident
Abstract
This study quantifies worldwide health effects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on 11March
2011. Effects are quantified with a 3-D global atmospheric model driven by emission estimates and
evaluated against daily worldwide Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
measurements and observed deposition rates. Inhalation exposure, ground-level external exposure, and
atmospheric external exposure pathways of radioactive iodine-131, cesium-137, and cesium-134
released from Fukushima are accounted for using a linear no-threshold (LNT) model of human
exposure. Exposure due to ingestion of contaminated food and water is estimated by extrapolation.We
estimate an additional 130 (15–1100) cancer-related mortalities and 180 (24–1800) cancer-related
morbidities incorporating uncertainties associated with the exposure–dose and dose–response models
used in the study. We also discuss the LNT model’s uncertainty at low doses. Sensitivities to emission
rates, gas to particulate I-131 partitioning, and the mandatory evacuation radius around the plant are
also explored, and may increase upper bound mortalities and morbidities in the ranges above to 1300
and 2500, respectively. Radiation exposure to workers at the plant is projected to result in 2 to 12
morbidities. An additional 600 mortalities have been reported due to non-radiological causes such as
mandatory evacuations. Lastly, a hypothetical accident at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in
California, USA with identical emissions to Fukushima was studied to analyze the influence of location
and seasonality on the impact of a nuclear accident. This hypothetical accident may cause 25% more
mortalities than Fukushima despite California having one fourth the local population density due to
differing meteorological conditions.