The View from Number 80

August 8th 2003

Sham Surprise - here is a sequel, from the Boston Globe, to the "James Ossuary" and "Jehoash Tablet" stories that 80 has been following with interest. (see here, here, here, here and phew, here to follow the saga). Apparently Oded Golan, the man who revealed these artifacts to the world, has been arrested on suspicion of forgery. An Israeli police spokesman said that when investigators searched Golan's home ''They found storage rooms with antiquities they suspect were forgeries and very advanced equipment to make forgeries.'' This cynical observer is not in the least surprised by these developments.

Update - the row about the authenticity of the James Ossuary continues - Golan, now out on bail claims the inscription anomalies are explained by the fact his "his mother partly cleaned and scrubbed the inscription, perhaps with hot water."  That sounds very convenient.

Haunting Proposal - 80 has mentioned the fascinating work of Richard Wiseman and colleagues before and in particular their study of the factors that can make a building seem haunted. Recent work in the UK reveals that many, often very subtle, physical environmental effects can give rise to the feelings which many interpret as spooky. Now the ever inventive and resourceful Wiseman would like to put his discoveries into practice by building a haunted house. The idea is to "build in" the very effects discovered by the previous study so as to produce to order the psychological sensations associated with hauntings. Amongst the armory of ghostly triggers are low-frequency vibrations, strong electromagnetic fields, subtle air currents and sudden temperature changes. Chris French, a specialist in the psychology of paranormal phenomena, told the UK Guardian "If Richard is actually able to create some kind of artificial environment in which people get the same sensations they typically get when walking around a haunted house, then that would be a big step forward in understanding the psychology of those kind of experiences." He also cautions "it may be that Richard will not be successful in his attempt. This will still be of scientific interest, as it would undermine some of the psychological theories that are currently under consideration." Wiseman reckons he needs about £50,000 for the project "I'd imagine it'd have to be a commercial backer, probably tied in with the media." 80 is sure if he can mount a successful small scale, proof-of-concept demo any number of theme park operators would be delighted to stump up the necessary funding.
 

Thank God? - here is a piece from Wired about the 25th anniversary of the birth of the first IVF (test tube) baby and has an interesting quote from the mother of the second child born this way. After four years and and two IVF attempts she eventually and happily gave birth to a healthy son. On the difficulties and odds against success she had this to say "Sometimes I can't believe I was so, so lucky in the very early days. Alastair was more than a miracle. Not just because of the treatment, but in every way. I always keep saying you were absolutely meant. There was no way God didn't want me to have you." This would be the same God that made the whole IVF treatment necessary isn't it? Why did He block the woman's fallopian tubes in the first place? Why did He not miraculously unblock them saving everyone a lot of time and trouble? Perhaps He was just "moving in mysterious ways" again. The great skill and persistence of the doctors would seem to have been more use than any imaginary deity. Why do we so often attribute good results to miracles and God when it is human hard work and ingenuity that deserves our praise? Another and more extreme example is the two year-old Sudanese boy, sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 116 people and left him with severe burns and half a leg missing. The child is in London receiving specialist (human) medical treatment. Sudan's aviation minister, Mohammed Hassan al-Bahi, said it was a "miracle dictated by God" that the child survived. Fourteen of the 116 dead in the plane crash were also children, four of them babies. The child's own mother also died. Some miracle......

(For some more on religion James Randi's Weekly Commentary "Why I Deny Religion, How Silly and Fantastic It Is, and Why I'm a Dedicated and Vociferous Bright." is definitely not to be missed)

August 13th 2003

Heart of the Beholder - as a welcome counterpoint to the hype surrounding Mel Gibson's The Passion here is the tale of a very different movie but one that also may have problems finding a distributor - if and when it gets made (and that may well be up to you). The subject matter is of interest to any regular reader of these pages - the fanaticism of the religious right and the tactics they use. Billed as "the movie Hollywood is afraid to make" Heart of the Beholder (slow loading page) purports to tell the true story of how a family was almost destroyed by bigotry. It tells how "a young couple was ruined by a group of religious fundamentalists because they were the only video store owners who dared to carry Martin Scorsese's controversial film, The Last Temptation of Christ. The couple stood up against relentless harassment, intimidation, and even death threats. When the couple refused to buckle, the religious zealots blackmailed the District Attorney into destroying their business and family." Far-fetched? Unbelievable? Take a look at the information available on the website and decide for yourself. These people have raised a substantial sum so far and seem determined to succeed. If you think the project has merit you are asked to contribute to the cost of making the movie. A final word from the makers "...... this film is not about trashing Christians or their faith, and many scenes make that point very clear. Pure and simple, this film is about the abuse of power - both religious and political."
 

White House Gas - the US government has released its climate change research strategy - the position being that more research is needed before before any action to mitigate global warming can be taken. Quoted in New Scientist, Raymond Orbach, director of the science office at the Department of Energy said, "Mitigation is not part and parcel of this climate change program." An independent review commissioned by the National Research Council said the proposal lacked "most of the basic elements of a strategic plan" and " ignored research on how consumption patterns and social factors affects climate change." This is particularly alarming as the current US administration's dislike of environmentalists and many climate researchers (and strong connections with the oil and energy industries) means that action needed right now is being delayed. A glance at this graph, which shows the US leads the world in per capita emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, exceeding fourfold the world average, reveals the arrogance of the Bush government's response to a very real threat to the whole world.

Judged Fit - in a victory for sanity a UK court has ruled that two girls, aged 5 and 10, must be given the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) injection. It would appear the girls' mothers did not want them to have any vaccinations, not just MMR. This leads to the conclusion that they are either seriously misinformed or part of one of the dangerously looney groups that are anti-vaccination in general. One of the judges described the evidence offered by the mothers at an earlier hearing that the MMR vaccination was dangerous as "junk science" and "dangerous and unnecessary". A spokeswoman for Jabs, a website peddling anti-vaccination nonsense, has now encouraged the mothers to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The rights that are at risk here are not the mothers' to hold dangerous and irrational beliefs but those of their daughters to a healthy life. The BBC reporter in the video section of the page telling of the court's decision uses an odd phrase when she says "If their estranged partners hadn't brought the case to court, the mothers could have kept their children vaccine free". "Vaccine free"? What a strange (and stupid) expression - free to catch measles, mumps, rubella, smallpox, tuberculosis and also free to act as a carrier to ensure others are infected. See MMR OK for more and also visit the Green Light page for responsible vaccination information. (80 is a member of the Anti-Quackery Ring)

Quote of the Week - "I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq."  Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz (Washington Post)

August 20th 2003

Papal Rain Dance - Pope John Paul II, Nikola Tesla and Wilhelm Reich make an odd trinity - but they have at least one thing in common - they are all associated with an age-old dream of humankind - weather control. Reich claimed to be have a "cloudbuster" that utilized his imaginary orgone energy - the successful use of which also was imaginary (Reich's work is now carried on by his intellectual descendants). Tesla has had many things laid at his door (some even correct) and is a favorite of conspiracy nuts - for a peek into their strange world just put "Tesla" and "weather control" into your search engine of choice and look at the results. Cloud seeding is a more conventional but not wholly successful method recently used by Russia to ensure clear skies for the St Petersburg anniversary bash in May. Now this summer in Europe the weather has been disastrously hot and dry with many fires and loss of life, so the Pope has stepped in with his rather more sedate version of a rain-maker's dance, leading prayers for rain. The BBC quotes him as saying "I ask you to join me in my prayer for the victims of this calamity and urge all of you to ask the Lord fervently to grant the thirsty Earth the coolness of rain." This no doubt will make a lot of difference. It would also be useful while he is on the line to his boss to ask Him why he allowed the "calamity" and withheld "the coolness of rain" in the first place. Or is He just "moving in mysterious ways" yet again?

Measles Endemic Forecast  - there can be no pleasure in saying "I told you so" when being proved right means that the lives and health of children are put at risk. A study by scientists at the Health Protection Agency and Royal Holloway College has warned that measles could well become endemic in the UK. This is owing to the poor uptake rate for vaccinations doubtless influenced by irresponsible MMR scare stories put out by anti-vaccination groups and aided by the ignorance of many parents. Health groups have been warning for some time that a drop in vaccinations could see a rise in measles outbreaks which can then become endemic (self-sustaining) - meaning a child could catch it at anytime and not just during a recognized outbreak. This latest study could well give force to the argument from the British Medical Association that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella jab should be compulsory. This may sound draconian but what right do parents have to allow their ignorance or, in some cases, irrational beliefs, to threaten not only their own child's health but that of other children?

(For more on this subject see Jab for Health, Judged Fit, MMR OK and the Green Light website.)

A Matter of Presentation? - Cot death, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,(SIDS) call it what you will, is not a subject to be ever taken lightly. Apart from the immediate shock and grief at the loss of a child many parents have found themselves accused of causing the death in the first place. The effect of this on the bereaved can hardly be imagined. So, if you think you can add anything useful to the debate, such as a theory of a possible cause or causes, you had better be damned careful that you have done your research thoroughly, had the results peer reviewed and published with all necessary evidence and references. Only then speak to the media regarding your contribution. To do otherwise is to be guilty of treating this subject with less seriousness than it so obviously merits. So how about someone who announces a new theory on cot death in a book he himself describes as "basically a popular science book"? Dr George Christos, the author, describes himself on his web page as "theoretical physicist, mathematician, and now brain theorist" just above a somewhat fierce copyright notice (although 80 was relieved to see "Reference to this website is permitted".) and a large picture of himself. His resume/CV further down is impressive and states his main areas of research are neural networks, which he applies to understanding the brain, and information systems, which he applies to human behavior. Doubtless his book has more than the SIDS theory alone within its covers but the most interest will focus on that part. Put crudely, his big idea is that some babies can dream that they are still in the womb where they do not need to breathe, so they stop. Others working in the field of SIDS are not overly impressed according to this BBC report - "Dr Robin Campbell, a lecturer in psychology from the University of Stirling, whose research interests include dreaming in children, described the theory as "potty"" and said, "There is no evidence to support this theory at all." The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths "is not aware of any research evidence for a "dreams" theory." Whether they have actually read Christos' book is not made clear. Interestingly, a leading SIDS researcher, Warren Guntheroth, has said " My concern is that it is difficult to test his hypothesis, on the other hand it is highly original and attractive." Now Christos may well be on to something - or he may not - but the announcement and presentation of his idea certainly leaves a lot to be desired.

Gay Bishop Biblical Background - The fuss over the appointment of an "openly gay" bishop to an Anglican/Episcopalian see continues on both sides of the Atlantic. For a look at some of the biblical prohibitions and the hypocrisy behind the wrangle see the latest View From Number 80.

Blair Faith Project - that Tony Blair has strong religious beliefs is no great revelation to most people. A committed Christian, he is entitled to his personal beliefs as much as anyone else, but when he seeks to involve "faith-based" institutions in government decision making he is going a step too far. His posts of Prime Minister, leader of the Labour Party and elected Member of Parliament should not permit him to give preferential treatment to those who happen to share his faith in the supernatural. According to this item from the UK Observer he "has set up a ministerial working group in the Home Office charged with injecting religious ideas 'across Whitehall'." The group, known as the Faith Community Liaison Group, includes among its members the Evangelical Alliance. This is an organization that affirms "The universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen man, making him subject to God's wrath and condemnation." and "The divine inspiration of the Holy Scripture and its consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct." The idea that a bunch with such a medieval world view is to be permitted to influence a democratically elected 21st century government, with the willing consent of the leader of that government, is more than a little chilling to this observer. Membership of the group is also extended to representatives of the Jewish, Sikh, Muslim and Hindu faiths. Oddly 80 cannot see any mention of atheist, humanist or other god-free organizations being asked to join in. Surely a naturalistic view of the world is necessary if only to act as a counterbalance to those whose outlook and decisions are guided by superstition?

August 27th 2003

Guggul Tested - there is currently a great deal of interest in "traditional" medicines - although how authentic any of these practices actually are is a matter of debate. What is important is that claims for any of the potions and herbs used must be tested with same rigor as the latest offerings from the pharmaceutical giants. In a lot of countries this does not happen as many substances can be described as dietary supplements rather than medicines and thereby escape the regulatory net - think ephedra. Dr Philippe O. Szapary and his team from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have recently tested the substance guggul, obtained from the Commiphora mukul plant of Northern India and published their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Earlier trials have suggested that guggul can lower blood cholesterol levels. The results from the Pennsylvania study do not support these findings. If anything, the suggestion is of an increase in levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Dr Szapary is quoted by the BBC as saying "Our findings do not support the use of guggulipid to control LDL-C in the general population. The results do strengthen our belief that dietary supplements need to be studied in a rigorous way to test both their safety and their efficacy." This does not mean that guggul is of no medical benefit, but for every claim there should be proper testing and regulation to ensure that a substance does indeed do what is claimed and that there are no serious side-effects. If we ask this of pharmaceuticals used in "conventional" medicine why should the situation be any different for "traditional" medicine. There should just be medicine, without any qualifying adjective. Not traditional, holistic, ayurvedic, alternative, or "conventional" - just medicine that does the job and is proven to do so. This does not require special treatment for some claims as though different rules apply for some claims and not others - one size fits all. (also see Naturally Good?)

Still with dietary supplements and health foods here is a piece from Wired which reports results of a Canadian survey testing the quality of advice offered by the staff of  health food stores. Sadly, 80 is not surprised by the findings. "Eight research participants visited 34 stores, posing as the daughters of breast cancer patients seeking alternative treatments for their mothers. The store clerks recommended 33 different products, but none had scientific evidence supporting claims that they were effective in treating breast cancer. Many recommended expensive products with no proven benefits and potentially harmful side effects." Which only emphasizes what should be blindingly obvious - if you want medical advice ask a doctor or perhaps a pharmacist - not a sales clerk. the article notes "Just three of the employees had had formal education in complementary and alternative medicine." 80 somehow doubts that such education would have improved the quality of the advice.

Stem Cell Questions - in light of the news that scientists in the UK have grown embryonic stem cells the BBC News website has a page devoted to the views of readers on the questions "Do you think that human cell research is an important means of finding cures for illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease? Or do the potential risks outweigh the benefits?" A read through the submissions, many of which make some very good points, is fascinating . While the sample of opinions cannot be considered representative the general impression is that the majority of the correspondents are in favor of such research. Do take a look and perhaps add your own thoughts.

Lucky Road Safety - now here is a politician who has certainly let voters know how sensible he is - Thailand's Transport Minister, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who has just handed over some $95,000 or so for a vehicle registration plate. The reason? The plate in question bears the number 9999 which according to local beliefs is a lucky number. This initially sounds like reason enough to doubt the Minister's sanity but there is a little more to it than that. The sale was part of an auction of "lucky" plates and millionaire Suriya (described elswhere as Communications Minister) is rich enough not to feel too much pain at the price. Proceeds from the auction are predicted to reach either $4 million or $2 million, depending upon which report you read, and are to be used for a road safety fund. A rare instance of superstition having a positive result.

Cat In The Corn? - it is at this time of year in the UK when the silly season is in full swing that some folk's thoughts turn to - mysterious big cats roaming the English countryside. This year someone has filmed the beast, the size of a "golden retriever" (this is obviously a cryptozoologic unit of measurement) walking by a corn field in, appropriately enough, Cornwall. The footage has impressed Mike Thomas of Newquay Zoo, according to the BBC, "I think this is very exciting and people should be excited because it shows a big cat. I can't pinpoint exactly what big cat, but I would say it is certainly a fair old size and something that doesn't normally belong here." The West Country of England is a popular area for big cat spotting but as yet no truly convincing evidence has been produced - last summer 80 compared the phenomenon, perhaps a little unfairly, to the world of UFOs - but the British Big Cats Society  (motto - Prove and Protect) has said it will unveil proof that big cats roam the UK in October. (They claimed to have firm evidence a year ago) Whether that proof will be convincing to any but the believers remains to be seen. A final thought on this latest beast to be filmed, supposedly a large carnivore - what does it live on? Mike Thomas surmised "it was likely the animal would remain in the area feeding on rats and mice until food runs short for a couple of weeks." Which begs the question what, or who, will it eat next?

Behind PAM - here is an interesting piece by Andrew Orlowski from The Register, looking at the background to the "Pentagon Terror Casino" - the brainwave of speculating financially on the possibility of, among other things, terrorist attacks, assassinations, and coup d'etats in a Policy Analysis Market. The story behind what would seem to most people a repugnant idea involves Iran-Contra crook Admiral John Poindexter, the Extropians and some rather strange ideology.

September 1st 2003

Roy's Law - it may look to many like a "storm in a teacup" but Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's fight to keep his colossal 5,300-pound Ten Commandments monument within the state judicial building is a symbol of the continual struggle to keep religion and government separate. Now Moore has been told to remove the lump of granite from public display in the building by his own judicial colleagues or face a fine of $5000 a day. Moore, who seems not to have read the Constitution, or if he has read it, failed to understand, continues to come up with daft and over the top statements "I will never deny the God upon whom our laws and country depend." Of course no one is asking him to deny his god, merely that he comply with the law which, strangely for a judge, he seems to think does not apply to him. Perhaps Moore would think differently if the monument was to a religion different from the one that he inherited from his parents - it is fun to picture the lobby cluttered full of 2 ton granite symbols of every single religion followed by US citizens (and none, perhaps represented by a nice  Bright statue). It could even be presented as a fair and democratic solution to the problem but would no doubt render easy access to the rest of the building somewhat problematic. So if all religions  cannot be displayed in this way why should just one be permitted? Come to think of it there are two versions of the Ten Commandments in the Bible- is Moore sure that he even has the right one? (This ignores the version in Judaism and those in Christian bibles other than the King James version which is the one favored by the Moores of this world.)

Update - Moore has been suspended by the Judicial Inquiry Commission - the Alabama Christian Coalition said the commission was "trying to take down one of America's finest." One of America's finest religious bigots is a more accurate description.

Update - Roy's Rock Removed (but not far) also more on the many more than Ten Commandments.
 

King of the Shill? - in the world of television ratings are everything, which may explain why US talk show host Larry King, a respected veteran journalist, peppers his otherwise factual shows with interviews with so-called psychics and other charlatans. This article from Doubt and About by Chris Mooney looks at the strange mismatch between King's interviews on current news and events and the apparently uncritical showcase he provides for claptrap. This ranges from a show about the tired old Roswell crashed spaceship myth to interviews with Sylvia Browne, (see her clock) who claims her bloodline predisposes her to psychic excellence, and cold-reader and hoodwinker of the bereaved John Edward. The excuse offered is that the psychic spots are entertainment - the only problem being nowhere in the show is this made obvious. Mind you, try reading the transcript of King interviewing Browne on the subject of angels and keep a straight face. ( Less amusing are Browne's medical pronouncements which you can read about here.) It is a shame that King's uncritical interviews with psychics and the like are given an air of authority by his other, genuine, journalistic work. It is interesting that he seems to have the ability to disable this journalistic integrity when dealing with the van Praaghs of this world. Surely he, and CNN are not that utterly desperate for ratings?

Dietary Fads and Fallacies - here is an interesting piece from the UK Observer about the varied weight reducing diets on offer - diet plans of one sort or another are big business - but do they actually work? Behind many of them is what amounts to pseudoscience (is anyone really surprised by this?) and while they may have a short term effect on body weight as will any restrictive diet, long term disadvantages will outweigh the benefits. Currently all the rage is the Atkins Diet which essentially cuts out carbohydrates and increases protein intake claiming that "your body burns carbohydrates and fat for energy. With Atkin's unique approach, you limit the carbs so your body burns fat." While this diet may have worked marvels on Atkins' bank balance many have their doubts about the effect on a slimmer's health. A biochemist at University College Medical School in London, warned that "the Atkins diet, with its high protein intake and lack of fruit and vegetables, raised calcium levels in the urine and was a recipe for kidney stones." and a spokesperson for British Dietetic Association (see Fad Diets on their page) said "The Atkins diet cuts out many fruit, vegetables and carbohydrates and these are important sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. These elements of diet are associated with reductions in heart disease and cancer." This does not sit well with the claim on the Atkins web page that with the diet " You control your weight, re-energize yourself (whatever that means) and build the foundation for a healthier life." (Atkins is just the best known of a host of faddish diets which feature in the Observer article - there are plenty of others. In passing, Atkins "complementary" medicine page makes for an enlightening read) The truth is the only way to reduce weight is not to merely manipulate types of food but to restrict calorie intake. This should be common sense - but it does not sell glossy books and attract celebrity endorsement, those two mainstays of the dieting industry.

September 5th 2003

A Small Casualty - a small and desperately sad casualty of misapplied religion and ignorance died of suffocation, apparently in the presence of his mother, pastor and other church members. Terrance Cottrell, 8 years old and autistic, died at a prayer service where church members were trying to heal him of "spirits" - it seems these misguided, ignorant people attributed the boy's condition to possession. The Pastor, one David Hemphill, said "The little boy had spirits in him, and we was asking God to deliver him." At the end of the prayer session one of the women attending noticed Terrance was not breathing and emergency services were called. When they arrived they found the boy was dead. Hemphill claims Terrance was not restrained in any way but that he was seated in the center of the group and wrapped in sheets "because he had started scratching." The boy's grandmother has alleged that force was used to restrain him - this is denied by church members. The coroner has issued a statement that he died because his chest was restricted and could not expand. His mother had brought him several times before to the Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, Milwaukee to attempt to cure his autism by prayer.The pastor's brother is facing child abuse charges. This awful incident should make everyone aware of what a dangerous mixture ignorance and superstition can be. That this did not happen in the Dark Ages, or in some Third World country, but in the 21st century in a city of the planet's most powerful nation should be a cause for worry and deep shame. (This episode has grim echoes of the murder of ten year-old Candace Newmaker during a so-called rebirthing therapy session.)

Update - amazingly only one person has been charged with child abuse following the death of Terrance Cottrell, according to this report in the New York Times (reg. rq'd). Ray A Hemphill has been charged with felony child abuse instead of second degree homicide. This, prosecutors say, is because it is almost impossible to prove Hemphill's intention was anything other than to help the boy. Whilst congregation members restrained Terrance, Hemphill, approx.150 pounds in weight, lay on top of him, chest to chest. "The medical examiner later found extensive bruising on the back of Terrance's neck, and said he had died of mechanical asphyxiation from pressure placed on his chest. Mr. Hemphill is quoted as saying that about two hours into the praying and the struggling, he got up, but Terrance was still." This child was subjected to such treatment for two hours? What were these idiots thinking? If this had occurred in the home, said one critic of the charge, "...there'd be a whole array of charges, maybe including child abuse but also homicide, or manslaughter. When a religious entity enters the picture, prosecutors get very nervous." Why?

And Now the Bad News - here is a thoughtful and deeply worrying piece from Gary Younge in the UK Guardian titled "God Help America" It touches on the ongoing tussle over Roy Moore and his 10 Commandments rock (see below), quotes the worrying statistics that indicate in the US "94% of adults believe in God, 86% believe in miracles, 89% believe in heaven, and 73% believe in the devil and hell." and also informs us that another survey concludes "that among countries where people believe religion to be very important, America's views are closer to Pakistan's and Nigeria's than to France's or Germany's." The article ends with the current White House incumbent "Since George Bush gave up Jack Daniels for Jesus Christ, he has counted Jesus as his favourite philosopher. The first thing he reads in the morning is not a briefing paper but a book of evangelical mini- sermons."

September 8th 2003

Temple Turmoil - for those still unconvinced of religion's role in promoting violence and intolerance the story of the temple at Ayodhya in northern India is instructive. A 16th century mosque stood at this site until 1992 when it was torn to the ground by a Hindu fundamentalist mob who believed that the mosque had been built on the site of a temple commemorating the birthplace of the god Ram. This triggered massive unrest and riots that killed over 2000 people. In March of this year the Indian government told the Archaeological Survey of India, (ASI) a government department, to excavate on the site in order to find out if a Hindu temple did precede the mosque. At the time 80 doubted whether this move would satisfy any of the religious fanatics involved in the dispute as archaeology, like all science, cannot offer the kind of certainties craved by religious factions and politicians. The ASI report is now out and concludes that the finds are "indicative of remains which are distinctive features associated with the temples of north India". Naturally many Hindu groups have hailed this as evidence of a temple but a Muslim group have described the results as "vague and contradictory". New Scientist quotes a respected archaeologist who, having examined the evidence, says the remains are more indicative of an earlier mosque rather than a temple. To further complicate matters many historians and acchaeologists are questioning the ASI's impartiality as it is funded by the very government some of whose members are accused of inciting the mosque's demolition in the first place. If this was not enough there are reasons to believe that the recent bombings in Mumbai are connected with the dispute as were similar atrocities in 2002. Meanwhile, in the West, politicians such as Blair in the UK and Bush in the US are keen as ever to involve "faith-based" organizations in government.

Update - here is more on the dangerous entanglement of politics and religion in the world's largest democracy.
 

Dubya Dolly - Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and........George W Bush. A US toy manufacturer has revealed the latest in its line of action figures (or dolls) called, without a trace of irony, Elite Force Aviator: George W Bush. The figure, 12 inches high, shows the Commander-in-Chief tricked out in a complete flight suit - just like a real military pilot, which Bush never was. The doll is more reminiscent of his appearance in a carefully staged, Leni Riefenstahl style descent from the clouds to land on an aircraft carrier - which in reality was a taxpayer-funded publicity stunt to announce the "end of major combat in Iraq". ( No one appears to have told the Iraqi fedayeen and friends about this as coalition troops continue to die every day.) The doll's makers tout the homunculus as being of interest to collectors of military memorabilia - but fail to mention Bush missed serving in Vietnam and his spell in the National Guard would appear less than impressive. The doll certainly seems to have had an effect opposite to the maker's intention in some quarters. Nevertheless it looks like the sales of the figure will be huge, already the manufacturers are coping with "extremely high demand". 80 wonders how many will end up full of pins.............

No Woman, Good Luck - Romania has a reputation of having been a superstitious kind of place in the past - one immediately thinks of Dracula and vampire legends - but surely these days such silly notions are no longer entertained in this modern European country? Yes, you can guess the answer is no. A female sports photographer was recently banned from travelling with the Romanian soccer team - because of a superstitious belief that women bring bad luck. According to this report, Romanian soccer is "steeped in superstition" - so much so that the team's bus is not allowed to reverse and players are supposed to step onto the field only with their right foot. With tactics like this 80 fully expects Romania to triumph in the next World Cup - providing they break no mirrors, do not walk under ladders and remember to knock on wood.......

September 10th 2003

2014 A Space Lottery - a potentially hazardous asteroid has been reported by the Near Earth Object Information Center and has been given a Torino rating of 1. The rock, 1.2 kilometers wide and dubbed 2003 QQ47 has a mass of around 2,600 billion kg, and would pack a 350,000 megaton punch should it strike Earth. (The orbit so far is only based on limited data which will be refined as observations continue.) Travelling at over 30 kilometers a second there is a chance, based on the current partial data, that QQ47 could occupy the same space as us on 21 March, 2014. The odds given for this are 1 in 909,000 - a better chance than, say, winning the UK lottery jackpot. As with previous potentially dangerous asteroid sightings it is expected that the risk of impact will decrease as the rock's orbit becomes better known. Even with the worst scenario it is likely that humankind will still be far too busy killing each other, despoiling the planet and praying to various gods in 2014 to trouble to look skywards.

Schools Scrutiny - as Indonesia awaits the verdict on alleged Islamist terror group chief Abu Bakar Bashir the BBC takes a look at the school system there, this country with the greatest Muslim population on the planet. Islamic boarding schools are coming under government scrutiny as suspected indoctrination and training grounds for future extremists. These schools, or pesantren, as they are called, are suspected of a similar role to the madrassehs in places such as Pakistan in preparing a new generation of terrorists. There is an ever present danger that moderate pesantren, that teach respect for other's beliefs, will be lumped in with the extreme examples and the government will have to be meticulous in its inquiries. One student questioned had some sympathy with the Bali nightclub bombers and, like many others, would like to see strict sharia law enforced, claiming "There would be no more rape or killing". In the real world, in places where such a legal system is enforced, the deterrent effect is not noticeably conspicuous. Looking at western history, harsh punishments did not necessarily deter miscreants - expressions still in use today are witness to that - “As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb”

Guru Buster! - archived here by BBC Radio 4 is a documentary about the Indian rationalist and debunker par excellence B. Premanand -  who certainly has a job on his hands. Attempts have been made on his life for speaking out - his views are far from popular in India's current political climate. (see Temple Turmoil below)  "The irreverant (sic) Mr Premanand, India's leading guru buster, is a man with two missions. The first is to expose any charlatan who pretends his magic tricks are miracles; the second is to dispel the curse of gullibility blighting his country and to replace it instead with the gospel of rationalism." Highly Recommended and occasionally very funny.
(Here is more about B. Premanand from James Randi)

Amina's Appeal - as if any more evidence is needed about the malign effect of religion when it becomes involved with government, law and, above all, punishment here is the latest news about Amina Lawal and her appeal against her sentence of stoning. The court has postponed a decision for one month. The strain on Lawal must be intolerable. So far 5 people have been sentenced to death by stoning in Nigerian sharia courts but none have yet been carried out. Just one would be one too many.

September 16th 2003

Without Honor - or any shred of decency. Back in March of this year 80 looked at the type of murder called "honor killings" (a euphemism as inaccurate in its way as "female circumcision"). This is the disgusting and barbaric practice whereby a male member of a family, usually a brother or father, kills a female relative for the perceived crime of extra-marital sex. This is considered to bring shame on a family - what, unlike murder? The practice is followed in too many Islamic countries - recently the Jordanian lower parliament rejected a law proposing harsher punishment of these murderers. A BBC report says "Islamists and conservatives opposed to the new law said it would encourage vice and destroy social values" - what, unlike murder? Under existing law sentences of 6 months in prison are the norm. Defenders of such killings say that to inflict a lesser punishment "will violate religious traditions and damage the fabric of Jordan's conservative society, where men have the final say." Any society or religion that condones such a practice is beneath contempt. It is plain murder - there is no other word for it.

Runic Folly - the county of Norfolk in England had its own version of the Kensington Stone - for all of a few weeks. It turns out that the mysterious carvings and runic symbols found on a piece of granite on the seashore are rather more recent than local archaeologists had hoped - instead of a possible 2000 years a less than impressive 8 years or so is more accurate. A local construction worker saw a picture of the stone in a local paper and recognized his own handiwork from 1995.  County archaeologist Bryan Ayers quoted in the UK Guardian said: "We have to investigate these things in case they turn out to be genuine - but it seemed too good to be true even at the time." At least the "too good to be true" bit matches the Kensington Stone - perfectly.
 

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." William Shakespeare certainly had it right there - and he finds plenty of backing from science - astrology is bunkum, the primitive predecessor to astronomy as alchemy was to chemistry. Once the study had grown up, it was time to move on from the childish attribution of influence on our lives to the position of the planets in the Solar System in relation to random groupings of stars as seen from the Earth. Except for one thing  - astrology, tosh though it is, earns a lot of money and all the while it lines pockets this primitive nonsense will be around. The latest debunking exercise published in the Journal of Consciousness Studies is reported in The Telegraph where a survey of "time" twins comparing their attributes, the sorts of things that an astrologist would claim to find in a birth chart (anxiety levels, marital status, aggressiveness, sociability etc) failed to find evidence of similarities. Will these findings halt the lies and drivel spouted by these charlatans? The smart money says no. One of the researchers had this to say on the ancient "art" - "It has no acceptable mechanism, its principles are invalid and it has failed hundreds of tests. But no hint of these problems will be found in astrology books which, in effect, are exercises in deception." (The full report by Geoffrey Dean and Ivan W Kelly, "Is Astrology Relevant to Consciousness and Psi?" can be downloaded here in PDF format.)

Trunk Call - technology can find the most unusual and often unintended uses. According to The Register, Hindu devotees of the god Ganesh (that's the one with the head of an elephant whose statues famously began "drinking" milk a few years back) can now text prayers using their mobile phones thereby saving the need to stand in line at the temple.

Phone Call - to prayer. Not to be left behind in the world of religious telecommunications it is now possible for Muslims in the United Arab Emirates to receive their call to prayer or "azan" on their mobile phones. As the service expands the issue of timing will be crucial as it is tied to local sunset and sunrise. (The fact that the planet revolves thereby causing the illusion of "rising" and "setting" would not have been known when the prayer calls were initiated.)

Roy's Rock Revisited - while Roy Moore prepares to take the political grandstanding over his Ten Commandments monument to the US Supreme Court other, and wiser heads are commenting on the whole sorry business. J Brent Walker, in the Texas-based Baptist Standard, offers a thoughtful appraisal as does Elizabeth Schuett in the Port Clinton News Herald and also Jabari Asim in The Washington Post. 80 had this to say on the subject.

It's Hokum Time Again - here is the latest piece of overpriced trash that makes absurd claims of blocking "electronic pollution". The Philip Stein Teslar watch is one of a long line of products that claim there is a malign influence  from electromagnetic fields which can lead to problems such as headache, fatigue and memory loss (and possibly gullibility?). The Teslar research head explained to Wired that their watch "shields the body from these electromagnetic fields, and then the body can be more effective in taking care of itself and its immune system with those unwanted fields thrown off. With us sticking cell phones to our heads, we need that protection." (Unless of course you already have one of these.) The verdict on the watch from a professor of radiation oncology quoted by Wired gives it short shrift. "There is not a chance in the world that (these types of devices) will do anything but lighten your wallet." Prices range from $600 to $2000 for those of you who are electromagnetically challenged. And never mind the lack of real scientific evidence for the watch manufacturer's daft claims (their onsite video is unbelievable - literally so) - it is endorsed by such intellectual giants as Madonna and Sharon Osbourne.

Rug Rot - thanks to the UK Guardian Bad Science page for letting us know about the Neutralec Neutraliser originally designed to combat the effect of those naughty electromagnetic fields on your carpet. For a paltry £59.95 you too can protect your new carpet from "Phenomenon" shading. Good grief, who dreams up this nonsense? It is unsurprising that this gizmo is also available from a homeopath, a complimentary (sic) health practitioner and a complimentary (sic) therapist and kinesiologist. There, that should give you confidence in the claims made for the product..............

Where's the Harm? - this is often the response to given to those who question quackery, pseudoscience, faith healing and New Age therapies. Also don't make such a fuss, don't be so cynical, don't be so closeminded, don't be a spoilsport. The only counter to such wishy-washy sentiments is to see the tragic outcome. Read this story - then say where's the harm, if you can.

Bottom Race - here is a great piece by Duncan Campbell in the UK Guardian on the bizarre talent show that is the California recall election. It reminds him of "that wise Tanzanian proverb: "The higher the monkey climbs, the more he shows his bottom." In a field with 135 candidates Schwarzenegger's dope and sex revelations compete with Bustamante's receding hairline for attention.

September 22nd 2003

Complementary Charlie - Britain's very own unelected king wannabe is dipping his aristocratic toe in the murky waters of complementary therapies once more. This time the Prince is planning to help finance an "alternative medicine centre in the United States to fund research to reverse the process of ageing." (Perhaps at 54 he is feeling the onset of time's ravages - one thing is sure, it can't be from the struggle to put bread on his table and feed, clothe and educate his kids, unlike so many of the folk he would love to reign over.) The director of the outfit that will benefit from Mr Windsor's largesse was "very impressed with how knowledgeable both the prince and Camilla were about alternative and complementary medicine." This article from the Guardian notes that "The prince has called for the integration of alternative medicine with orthodox treatments... He believes that more and more people are turning to homoeopathy (sic), herbal medicine, and other therapies." That may well be true, but that does not make them right - the effectiveness of medical treatment is not decided by a popularity contest. The fact that Windsor is pouring money into complementary/alternative ageing research when real studies that would actually be of some benefit are starved of funds shows just how far removed from real life he is. A sort of complementary/alternative monarch perhaps.

The Answer - to a question raised by Patrick J. Buchanan in the Washington Post is NO - now go and take this quiz and stand in the corner. Wilful ignorance is not an appealing characteristic in anyone.

The Real Lesson - much has been made in the media recently about an error made in a study that concluded that use of the drug Ecstacy can cause Parkinson's Disease. The researcher involved has retracted the findings after it was discovered that the sample of Ecstacy was in fact methamphetamine owing to the container being labelled wrongly. (Not that there aren't plenty of other questions about Ecstacy's effects on health - like every other "recreational " drug) One very important issue does not seem to have been mentioned in reports on the scientist's "blunder" and that is when the error was found it was publically acknowledged. Real science is one of the few (only) fields of human endeavor where this happens. Can you imagine it happening, say, in the fields of religion or politics? Yeah, right.....

Reasons For Wonderment - do NOT include some fraud talking to my dead grandfather, a fencepost, glazing unit or chapati with a supposed resemblance to the Virgin Mary, psychic surgery, the prophecies of Nostradamus or any of a huge number of frankly tedious types of nonsense. On the other hand the thought of a pulsar, Geminga, 500 light years distant, hurtling through space at 20 times the speed of sound, trailing twin tails of X-ray light that stretch for 20 billion miles is definitely on 80's list of awe-inspiring phenomena. There is a an amazing and real universe out there - who needs hokum to experience wonderment?

CoS Court Calamity - it is satisfying (and amusing) to note that the sinister yet somehow clownish Church of Scientology (CoS) have lost a case in the Netherlands against a Dutch ISP linking to their oh so important documents and pronouncements. The ISP, Xs4all, writer Karin Spaink and ten other internet providers were targeted for publishing copyrighted material on the web as this The Register article details. Karin Spaink's site is here, and the true (as opposed to the ridiculous fantasies perpetuated by CoS) and interesting autobiography of Scientology's founder, SF writer and nut L Ron Hubbard, Barefaced Messiah, is here, courtesy of Operation Clambake who have lots more about this cult with pseudoscientific pretensions. Here is 80's favorite quote regarding CoS which also explains why they want to keep their laughable claptrap secret. Scientology in a nutshell - courtesy of Wired
"Hubbard's secret scriptures teach that 75 million years ago, an evil galactic overlord named Xenu solved the galaxy's overpopulation problem by freezing excess people and transporting the bodies to Teegeeack, now called Earth. After the hapless travelers were defrosted, they were chained to volcanoes that were blown up by hydrogen bombs -- and their disembodied spirits continue to haunt mankind today."
Also see Hubbard's Bare Cupboard from Number 80.
 

NZ Skeptics - the 2003 Skeptics Conference runs from September 19th to 21st at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The program contains all manner of interesting items including The Problems of Memory, Scam Artists and Snake-oil Salesfolk, Dinohomo hemisapiens (!) and a 5 Billion Year journey and a great deal more. Full details are available from the New Zealand Skeptics website.
 

Awesome Bass - here is a report from the British Association for the Advancement of Science's annual festival about how very deep bass notes (lower than 20 Hz) can produce inaudible but very physical effects on a listener. In a controlled experiment researchers found they could induce a range of "strange feelings" in an audience at will from shivers down the spine to coldness. Infrasound effects such as these, produced from a large church organ pipe, can go a long way to explaining the feelings that many people attribute to God or some other supernatural cause. (It also casts 80's mind back many years to youthful feelings of transcendence listening/reacting to the bass notes played by Phil Lesh at a Grateful Dead concert.)

Update - now this is really awesome bass!

September 26th 2003

Barbie in Bondage - Saudi Arabia has some big problems - these include explaining why most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, maintaining the rule of the royal family in the face of terrorist attacks within their own borders from Islamist fanatics, halting the insidious cultural attack from Barbie dolls...... What? Yes, the religious police, the snappily named Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have pronounced Barbie dolls offensive. Now, you may well say, these tacky plastic mannequins are pretty offensive, but only on the grounds of taste and are no worse than a lot of other trashy toys. Not so for the uptight Saudi thought police who say "Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful." ( In fact the "perverted West" is an ally of the Saudis - perhaps THAT is the perversion, embracing those who denounce your way of life at every opportunity and who produce a seemingly endless stream of terrorists.) 80 has a sneaking suspicion this whole "offensive Barbie thing" is nothing more than a front and the religious cops are confiscating the dolls to bolster their own huge illicit collection. Rumor has it they are desperate to lay their hands on Bondage Barbie.

 Judgement Day - may not be so far away. A report by the British parliament's intelligence committee reveals that Tony Blair was warned by intelligence chiefs that "al-Qaida and associated groups continued to represent by far the greatest threat to western interests, and that threat would be heightened by military action against Iraq". The present car-bombing and mayhem in Iraq is evidence enough of this. Swapping Saddam Hussein's regime for an unstable, chaotic, terrorist magnet is hardly a step in the right direction. ( George W Bush has seen his own fantasies come true - Al Qaida is certainly in Iraq now, even if they were not before the invasion.) Blair did not let this warning deter him from deciding to go to war - and he may yet answer to parliament, his own party and the British public for doing so. This may not bother him overmuch as he recognizes only one judge of his actions - his God. Many people would prefer that he faced the consequences of his decisions in the here and now and not in some hypothetical hereafter.

Twin Cursed Images - an icon of Jesus Christ was recently removed from display in a museum in Russia "because the piece of art's "energy field" reportedly has killed several staff members." A spokesman was quoted as saying "It's an inexplicable phenomenon and it started long ago. Three or four people died of diseases and the coincidence began to make me wonder." This clod has supplied his own answer - its not inexplicable, it is coincidence. Just because one event follows another does not mean one is cause and the other effect - this is simplistic magical thinking. (Post hoc ergo propter hoc as the Latin has it.) Sadly Russia is full of such daft notions these days - a local doctor who, it is claimed, made an "expert" analysis of the icon said "it produces a lot of power which makes the human brain vibrate at a high frequency. Not every person can stand that. Most likely, the icon was meant for the elite, not for common people." It is not clear what kind of doctor this person is but his area of expertise would seem to be twaddle. From one lethal image to another - to be more exact a marble bust of one of America's greatest statesman - Dan Quayle. It would seem a weak excuse for a story but two artists associated with producing this artwork died before its completion. A third sculptor who completed the job would seem to be at least as daft as the Russian spokesman quoted above. He has said "It's like the curse of Carter in King Tut's tomb." Somehow 80 doubts that he means a coincidence blown up into cheap newscopy for the credulous. If there is a supernatural connection with Dan's bust perhaps some ancient Muse was attempting to stop the waste of a perfectly good piece of marble

October 2nd 2003

Bigfoot Bash - a momentous meeting was held recently to rehabilitate a reputation that is looking more than a little tarnished - no, not that of some wayward politician caught lying about WMD, or an industry fat cat, pockets stuffed with other folk's pension funds or even an evangelist caught lapsing from his (or her) normally impeccable God-given moral standards. The character in question is not even human, but may well be a close relative (come to think of it that doesn't automatically disqualify the others) who has a reputation for mysterious (and very large) footprints, a revolting smell and the ability to be completely invisible to the unconverted - yes, it is dear old Sasquatch. The meeting was held to attempt to repair some of the damage done to this popular creature of modern folklore - admissions of fakery and well, general indifference. To spice things up the organizers had a Russian expert with some interesting views, which read like the latest issue of that paragon of responsible reporting, Pravda. The San Francisco Chronicle quotes Dimitri Bayanov, a hominology (?) investigator with the State Darwin Museum in Moscow. "They are not as common as bears, but (other researchers) have concluded that around 2,000 Sasquatch inhabit the forests of the Pacific Northwest." Not as common as bears - it is hard to argue with that astute observation - unless of course he is referring to the Kamchatkan God Bear, otherwise picturesquely known as the "trousers pulled down" bear. Do read the Chronicle piece for more interesting info on the meeting's attendees - sadly, no Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) turned up but there were plenty of other strange two-legged fauna on display.

Infantile Incitement - the far from benevolent effect of religion crops up in all sorts of places. UK gay rights campaigners are agitating for three reggae artists, some of the biggest stars of the Jamaican dance hall scene, to be prosecuted over their homophobic lyrics which, according to the Guardian, "denigrate, advocate attacks on, and even encourage the burning of homosexuals." The editor of a black music magazine made this depressing observation "You are never going to stop this - no matter what you do - because Jamaica is a very religious society, and unfortunately, for all sorts of reasons, homophobia is deep there." A "very religious society" is not the place to look for anything good about humankind -  violence, hatred, terrorism, intolerance and bigotry are more likely - the word Taliban springs all too easily to mind. Arthur C Clarke once described religion as "a disease of infancy". The big question is when, if ever, are we going to grow up?
 

A Retrograde Step - owing to the motion of the Earth and the other planets around the sun it can sometimes seem that our planetary neighbors temporarily reverse their direction of travel. This is purely an illusion because of our particular point of view and is nothing special - unless you are one of those who still subscribe to the hokum of astrology. Apparently when the planet Mercury, associated by these factually challenged types with communication and contracts, appears to be retrograde it has a bad effect on computer performance, cellphone reliability, you name it, according to the enthusiasts quoted in this Wired article. But how can what is merely an optical illusion have such an effect? Well it doesn't, but it certainly helps the astrologer's bank balance. It is noteworthy that Mercury's retrograde appearance is a fairly regular occurrence - so why don't these astrologists monitor the performance of the systems supposedly under Mercury's influence to see if there is any correlation and trump their critics? Because they would not find any - and anecdotal chatter is so much easier to produce than anything like real evidence - and vastly more lucrative.The Wired piece concludes ".......But to astrologers ....., when Mercury is in retrograde, otherwise inexplicable things are more likely than usual to be happening on Earth." Otherwise inexplicable - who says? Blaming "things" upon the apparent movement of another planet explains nothing - and is definitely a retrograde step.

Curse of the Mummy - Zahi Hawass, the larger than life Egyptian Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities has announced that he will be testing ancient tombs for toxic gases and other hazardous substances to see if there is a scientific explanation for the reported curse that killed many of those who opened Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. This is a complete waste of time and resources as it makes the unwarranted assumption that there is anything to explain in the first place. The death toll among the explorers of Tut's tomb is no higher than would be expected (and let's face it, after a long enough period they ALL will have died anyway) - any other views have been strongly colored by mummy novels, such as Bram Stoker's Jewel of the Seven Stars, and the popular Hollywood movies of Boris Karloff and others. Plus, of course, endless internet sites blindly repeating the story - now given a kind of totally unearned respectability by Hawass, whether he intended this consequence or not.

October 7th 2003

Religion and Terror - in this article in The New York Times (reg. rqd.) Robert A Pape seeks to show that his research demonstrates that there is little connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, or any religion for that matter. He points out that those prolific suicide bombers, the Tamil Tigers, are "adamantly opposed to religion". Of the 188 attacks of this type that he claims to have studied 75 of that total are down to the Tigers. This is certainly a high proportion but what about all the rest? He makes the point that most terrorist organizations using suicide tactics have aims of owning their own territory/state rather than religious motives. This may be so but it would not be the first time that religious fervor has been cynically harnessed for such ends. As Pape puts it "Religion is rarely the root cause, although it is often used as a tool by terrorist organizations in recruiting and in other efforts in service of the broader strategic objective." But here is precisely where religion plays its role in the slaughter. It doesn't matter a damn whether the terrorist leaders think their human bombs will be martyrs in paradise or dead meat just so long as the poor bloody footsoldiers believe that heaven will be their reward. So, even if religion is rarely the "root cause" it offers the perfect route to coerce/tempt those gullible enough to fall for its blandishments. It is religion that sets these poor fools up for the slaughter and is the perfect tool of terrorist leaders. The myth of everlasting life to come  paradoxically and violently ends the lives of many, bomber and victims equally, in the here and now. Religion may not be a "root" cause but it is certainly the chief enabling factor for suicide attacks.

Humming a Different Tune - here is piece from the San Francisco Chronicle on Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to woo the green vote in the contest for governor of California. The man who owns a stable of gas-guzzling Hummers seems an unlikely environmentalist - which he shows with a pie in the sky vision of "a $60 million "hydrogen highway" he said would provide a statewide chain of hydrogen fueling stations to help clean the air." Even less impressive is the backing of longtime GOP fund-raiser Bob Grady, a managing director of the Carlyle Group, who said that as an environmental adviser to Schwarzenegger he is convinced of the actor's credentials. The Carlyle Group may be known for many things but environmental protection is not one of them - see here.

Update - here is more about Green Arnie's hydrogen dream.

(Here is a movie featuring Arnie and his chosen vehicle - it is not very flattering but then it does originate with a rival in the race for governor.)

Wholly Unbelievable - but sadly not a spoof, even though it looks like a parody. A new magazine has been launched aimed at teenage girls - this is not usually noteworthy but Revolve has a slant all of its own. This is from the tips on sunscreens "The Bible is like our Spiritual Sunscreen, It acts as a filter, letting in the Good and Keeping Out the Bad." and "As you apply sunscreen, use that time to talk to God. Tell him how grateful you are for how he made you." No questions here about why He did not make your skin better at resisting UV in the first place for Revolve is the New Testament tricked out as a glossy teen mag - a sort of stealth bible as it were. Although aimed at modern girls it is of course careful to make sure that women should know their place. "Revolve girls don't call guys" and "Revolve girls are not argumentative." Heavens, you don't want some young girl speaking up for herself - where would that sort of thing end? Just to drive the point home how about this - "God made guys to be the leaders. That means they lead in relationships. They tell you they like you first, not vice versa." My, that old misogynist St Paul would approve. (At least their little minds will not be too taxed by the bible text used in the mag, as it was written at 5th grade level.) More useful advice is "dating a non-believer is playing with fire" - but surely they should at least try and convert them? Above all remember, "The fire of God's love burns out the sin the same way the hot steam routs the dirt out of your pores." The 392 page magazine is selling by the thousands which should please the publisher at $14.99 a pop. (A far better role model for Christian teenage girls can be found here.)

Atkins Diet - under fire again. Recently 80 mentioned concerns for the health of those who follow "slimming" diets for a long period. Now the UK's Food Standards Agency has a page answering the question "Starchy carbohydrates have been getting a bad press lately. Should I avoid them?" The piece mentions the risk to health from cutting out any food group and in fact recommends carbohydrates as the base for meals so that they total about a third of a balanced diet. Although the names of any of the latest bestselling fad diets are conspicuous by their absence it does not take a gigantic intellect to spot the Atkins diet as the subject. This report from the Guardian entitled "Official: Atkins diet can be deadly" is far less circumspect.

October 9th 2003

Atlantis Found - yet again. The imaginary city and civilization, mentioned by Plato, has been "located" by enthusiasts all over the planet using some pretty odd evidence to prove their contentions. The latest in a long list of discoverers,  Robert Sarmast, an independent writer and mythologist, has written a book which places Atlantis on the south coast of the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean.This is quite a conventional choice compared to some of the city's other purported sites, which include the North Sea and under the South China Sea. The Cypriot Department of Antiquities is less than impressed "There is no evidence whatsoever to give credence to this hypothesis and we have no intention of investigating it." This sentiment is not in accord with the view from the Cyprus Tourism Organization which told the UK Daily Telegraph, "I don't think we should be hasty in dismissing this idea. Whether it is true or not it can only be a good thing for us. People will want to come and visit what could be part of Atlantis." That's the spirit, never mind if there is any truth in this claim so long as you can make a buck out of it. This is strongly reminiscent of television's love affair with mediums such as Sylvia Browne or John Edward - it doesn't matter if it is deception - just look at those ratings!

Meteorites and Missiles - every so often, and more frequently than many would think, a piece of the Solar System screams through the Earth's atmosphere and hits the ground. Frequently such things go unnoticed unless they land in an inhabited area. Just such a meteorite streaked across the sky in the Indian state of Orissa and struck the ground, destroying houses and injuring at least 20 people. Fortunately this would seem to be the extent of the damage, which explains why this event received relatively little coverage. This BBC report reassuringly mentions that the only recorded fatality from a meteorite, was a dog in Egypt, in 1911. The thought occurs that there could have been far worse news from Orissa. Had the rock that landed been very much larger the effects of its impact would, initially, have been indistinguishable from a missile strike. Given that Pakistan and India, both nuclear-armed with long range rockets, are at daggers drawn over the disputed territory of Kashmir such a misinterpretation could have the most devastating consequences. The problem of weapons of mass destruction is not confined to so-called rogue states. Pakistan is effectively a military dictatorship and the current government of democratic India has many ties to militant Hindu nationalism - it would not take much to further inflame the already dangerous rift between the two. Let us hope the next meteor strike of any size does not happen in one of the world's many tinderbox states - it could be the one spark that ignites a nuclear war.

Ginseng Worry - once again a herbal and "natural" substance has a question mark raised over its safety - this time it is about ginseng and pregnant women. A team from the Chinese University in Hong Kong has found evidence that a component of ginseng can cause abnormalities in rat embyos. Researcher Louis Chan told the BBC "Although there are numerous reports in the literature concerning the potential benefit of ginseng, much less is know about the potential toxicity and there are no data about its potential effect on the developing human foetus." Whilst more studies are required it shows that herbal supplements - which in most countries evade the kind of testing imposed on conventional drugs - need to be tested just as thoroughly, and natural does not equal risk-free. The fact that in some parts of the world ginseng is recommended to relieve morning sickness is especially of concern. This news follows on the heels of safety worries about neem and guggul two other herbal supplements that 80 has mentioned before.

Quote of the Week - Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva
"No manner how invaluable its humanitarian work, the UN was conceived to do more than clear the rubble of conflicts it could not prevent."

October 13th 2003

Minister of the Occult - India's current government has been accused of pandering to Hindu extremists - a subject naturally of deep concern for the country's inhabitants of other faiths, the Muslims in particular. Any denial of such bias is hard to refute when one looks at the antics of Murli Manohar Joshi, federal Human Resources Minister. He was accused of inciting Hindu mobs to destroy a mosque in Ayodhya in 1992. The aftermath of this act was rioting that led to the deaths of 2000 people. Now Joshi, one 7 leading Hindus charged with the crime has had proceedings deferred and the Prime Minister has asked him to return to work. (An eighth defendant, whose case did not reach court, was the Deputy Prime Minister) An indication of Joshi's beliefs are afforded by reports in the Indian press that he is pressing for the adoption of occult studies including exorcism, shamanism and astrology. He is reported as saying "This is all futuristic science and hence needs promotion by the state, media and the civil society... " The fact that a government minister in the world's largest democracy is promoting such irrational nonsense is deeply worrying to those people, of whatever nationality, who value tolerance and secular values. (Joshi is not alone in his delusions - read about another minister, Sanjay Paswan)

Warning: Contains Tiger - the practice known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is finding great popularity in the west, catering as it does to the New Age/alternative/complementary therapy fad that is so much in vogue. The enlightened and "open-minded" types that go for TCM would seem to be unaware of its dark side, which most would find more than a little disturbing and even disgusting. Apart from the lack of evidence for any of the mechanisms posited for this type of therapy and no rigorous proof of the effectiveness of its nostrums it is the assault on endangered wildlife that has been highlighted by the seizure, in Australia, of tiger and rhinoceros body parts for use in traditional medicine. As well as parts from these two high profile endangered species 40 kilos of scales from the pangolin, an anteater  at risk of extinction, were also found. Anyone who uses Traditional Chinese Medicine has a duty to ensure that the practitioners they use do not employ body parts from any endangered species. The uncritical acceptance of the claims of TCM is the first step in a process that ends with the reduction of beautiful and rare wild animals to the pathetic pile of scraps found in Australia. The patronage given to TCM makes it lucrative enough for this revolting trade to be profitable. In response to those who will say that their practitioner would not use such materials there is one answer - prove it.

Good Stuff - now and again on the web, amidst the ceaseless jabbering about aliens, crop circles, psychics and suchlike a different voice can be made out. This voice promotes such apparently unpopular themes as evidence-based, rational investigation of phenomena rather than the breathless, uncritical acceptance so prevalent in the media. 80 has mentioned the UK Guardian's Bad Science feature, by Ben Goldacre, in this regard. Here is another different, and welcome voice, that of Lou Hudson writing in the Star-Telegram's Science Notes, making a point with some gentle humor. This particular piece "Explaining unexplained phenomena just isn't sexy" is well worth a moment of your time - here is a short extract which will make you want to read the rest of his column. "One of the things we homosaps are fond of doing is finding pattern and order where none exists. It's the way we're wired, apparently -- the brain doesn't like not having an explanation for things. And where no reasonable answer exists, we can make one up." Recommended.

(If your magazine or newspaper has a similar feature let 80 know - click the mail link at the bottom of the page)

Russian Joke -  President Putin reveals the depths of his ignorance about the threat from global climate change in two ways. One is his failure to set a date to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and the other is to treat the subject as a joke. On the prospect of a temperature rise of 2 to 3 degrees in Russia he said "Maybe it would be good and we could spend less on fur coats and other warm things," at a UN environment conference. The ex-KGB lieutenant-colonel seems not to realize that the problem is global climate change - the effects are more complicated than just straightforward warming - and will likely lead to catastrophic changes for the arctic areas of many northern countries including Canada and Norway. Delegates from these countries found nothing amusing in Putin's quip. 

October 18th 2003