Bad science ....

[Herd900rd]

Probably way off topic, but the conclusion I would draw from the MMR debate in particular and medicine in general is DON'T HAVE KIDS. Be content with your own life and the lives of those already around you.

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by Herd900rd

Probably way off topic, but the conclusion I would draw from the MMR debate in particular and medicine in general is DON'T HAVE KIDS. Be content with your own life and the lives of those already around you.

Odd conclusion! It has never been medically safer for our pregnant mothers,
newborns and children generally. Life expectancy continues to rise.

We just get obsessed about tiny risks these days - or, IMO, the media
whips up anxiety.

[treecreeper]

Originally Posted by Herd900rd

Probably way off topic, but the conclusion I would draw from the MMR debate in particular and medicine in general is DON'T HAVE KIDS. Be content with your own life and the lives of those already around you.

I think Shakespeare had it right when he said it's through having our own children that we cheat death, in that we live on in them. It's in the early sonnets, but the WAB poetry enthusiasts will know more about this. I have very close relatives who have not had children and my impression is they regret it. And when we're old, does anyone other than our spouse and children really care if we're alive or dead?

[treecreeper]

Going back to the original question...the endless gush of green hypocrisy from politicians has something to do with this. People are so irritated they will sieze on any counter argument, good science or not. This morning I had to go to Arrowe Park hospital to get my eyes checked. The hospital now charges £2 for car parking. Hospitals charging patients for parking came up in Parliament a couple of months ago. The minister, with a straight face, said the charges were part of the government's climate change objectives. Doesn't that make you want to buy a herd of cows and feed them sprouts?

[Herd900rd]

The government is imposing a charge to act as a deterrent to drivers and encourage use of public transport I would imagine

[Herd900rd]

It would be odd if quality of life were measured in years alone. Am I the only person who thinks the long-term prospects for humanity are not pleasant?

[Herd900rd]

....but Wild About Britain is about our efforts to protect the environment, not our own future. Perhaps the topic should be quietly terminated (no pun intended).

[Biomotors]

Originally Posted by Herd900rd

The government is imposing a charge to act as a deterrent to drivers and encourage use of public transport I would imagine

I think it is more likely that they are imposing a charge just to raise money, and just because they can; in a hospital car-park they have a very captive group who have no choice but to pay. When is the last time you didn't go to hospital because of the 2 pound parking fee?

Dominic

[earthdragon64]

One of the reasons that Raigmore Hospital in Inverness gave for introducing a parking charge severeal years ago was to discourage people from leaving their car there and taking the bus into town to go to work or go shopping.

Pretty pointless as the fee for all day was £1.00, which was still an awful lot cheaper than the bus fare and town centre parking charge.

There isn't a fee now, the Scottish Government abolished them across the country from the start of this year.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

There isn't a fee now, the Scottish Government abolished them across the country from the start of this year.

Scottish rule for England!

Oh, we have Gordon Brown!

[Herd900rd]

I don't think therte are that many people who would give up there vehicles without being "prodded". Vulnerable groups shouldn't be penalised, but the drivers aren't always ill are they?

[Herd900rd]

No funds raised no hospitals. Few doctors, nurses, porters, domestics and cooks work for nothing.

[Digit]

No funds raised no hospitals. Few doctors, nurses, porters, domestics and cooks work for nothing.

Accept that my local hospital sold of the car parking collection rights to an independent company.

Roy.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Herd900rd

No funds raised no hospitals. Few doctors, nurses, porters, domestics and cooks work for nothing.

Taxes? Why should the chronically sick be taxed further. It may be 2 to 3hours per day for many days a week. I enjoy good health, I would pay the minute tax increase to cover the parking charges. Very poor argument.

[captaincarot]

[quote=Hobjob;503372]re- the original Lancet Wakefiled study

IIRC there were twelve authors. All except one (guess who?)
have publicly retracted their opinions and give no credance
to the study at all.

The Lancet has publicly stated similar.

On a closed scientific forum where I also lurk, there is frequent
moaning about the lack of interest and lack of insight and
understanding of most of the media to scientific stories.

At a slight tangent, radio 4 this morning was quoting figures from an as
yes unpublished study from St John's, Durham, some amazing
statistics about the ignorance of the public for the major Bible stories.

75% own a Bible
But
9% do not know Whitsun is
85% do not know the significance of Advent calendars
57% do not know about Josph and his banishment

to Egypt - even one the interviewed had seen the musical!

Sadly the UK is well dummed down. Even if not professing Christiantiy
surely we should have greater understanding of our cultural heritage?[/QUOTE]

i fail to see why an absence of interest in a book of myths written between the 4th and 6th centuries in order to control the peasants. has absolutely anything at all to do with a dumbing down of the general populace.

on the other hand the abject lack of understanding of scientific methodology and practice combined with the hysterical reactions displayed to pseudo scientific theories most certainly does.

[treecreeper]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

i fail to see why an absence of interest in a book of myths written between the 4th and 6th centuries in order to control the peasants. has absolutely anything at all to do with a dumbing down of the general populace.

You have been a WAB member for less than 24 hours, captaincarot. When you get to know the site a little better you will learn that inflammatory posts like this are not appreciated

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

You have been a WAB member for less than 24 hours, captaincarot. When you get to know the site a little better you will learn that inflammatory posts like this are not appreciated

i don't consider this to be an inflamatory post.
why should people have to tolerate other people promoting religion
and if this is a place where religion is openly promoted then i will leave now as i'm not interested in ignorance

[mickmassie]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

You have been a WAB member for less than 24 hours, captaincarot. When you get to know the site a little better you will learn that inflammatory posts like this are not appreciated

I think you are speaking for yourself there treecreeper. I don't see anything wrong with a blunt riposte now and again to break up the cosy atmosphere. That said, I would argue that there are other, better places than WAB to have religious debates.

Mick.

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by mickmassie

I think you are speaking for yourself there treecreeper. I don't see anything wrong with a blunt riposte now and again to break up the cosy atmosphere. That said, I would argue that there are other, better places than WAB to have religious debates.Mick.

i can agree with this whole heartedly. i can't however sit back and not attack religions when they're foisted at me unfortunately.
i'm a firmly in agreement with what richard dawkins has to say on the subject of religions.
and when people start to promote them it makes my blood boil.

this is not a green light for people to wind me up by becoming all deout on me either

[treecreeper]

Somehow I can't imagine anyone posting 'the Koran is a book of myths written to control the peasants'....

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

Somehow I can't imagine anyone posting 'the Koran is a book of myths written to control the peasants'....

precisely what it is though!
just a different set of peasants

[Biomotors]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

... this is not a green light for people to wind me up by becoming all deout on me either

We are not being devoutly religious if we complain about your posts- just intolerant of people attacking others or their beliefs through this site.

[treecreeper]

You've proved me wrong captaincarot, I didn't think anyone would dare. But going back to the first matter and taking in Mick's contribution. There have been one or two threads on evolution. I do not believe in evolution. However, I have with one exception kept out of these because the owner of the thread did not intend to provoke creationists. The exception was when one hothead posted a comment which was a sneer against creationists. I saw the cloven hoof and had to respond. Calling the Bible 'a book of myths written to control the peasants' is not 'a blunt riposte' (i.e. a counter argument) but an intemperate sneer. So I couldn't keep quiet.

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

You've proved me wrong captaincarot, I didn't think anyone would dare. But going back to the first matter and taking in Mick's contribution. There have been one or two threads on evolution. I do not believe in evolution. However, I have with one exception kept out of these because the owner of the thread did not intend to provoke creationists. The exception was when one hothead posted a comment which was a sneer against creationists. I saw the cloven hoof and had to respond. Calling the Bible 'a book of myths written to control the peasants' is not 'a blunt riposte' (i.e. a counter argument) but an intemperate sneer. So I couldn't keep quiet.

we will have to agree to be polar opposites on our views on the subject then and i'll keep my cloven hooves thankyou very much they're good for walking through the mud

[Paul mabbott]

Just to show that I have nothing against the Daily Mail (). Here's another piece of idiocy. Follow the bouncing ball ....
Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing corresponding increases in the seas which are leading to destruction of coral reefs and other wildlife. Therefore to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the oceans we should add doses of 'lime' (I take this to be calcium hydroxide) which will combine with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate, thus reducing the pH of the sea.
Problem? Where do we get the calcium hydroxide from? By burning calcium carbonate as limestone - driving off carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (as well, probably, as burning carbon to heat the limestone .....).