More harm that my brain can fathom at the moment…

What’s the harm in believing pseudoscience?

Iraq Swears by Bomb Detector U.S. Sees as Useless

Colonel [Hal] Bidlack said, “When they say they are selling you something that will save your son or daughter on a patrol, they’ve crossed an insupportable line into moral depravity.”

Someone in that company, ATSC (UK) Ltd, must know that they are selling absolute garbage.  According to the article, they have made $85 MILLION lying to people in a way that endangers lives. That’s not just swindling, that’s murder. I almost wish there was a hell for people like that.

*kicks something*

In a related note, so glad that my buddy Will is home from his tour in Baghdad! See you this weekend, dude…

Skepticism 102

I had long ago promised to write about what came out of Skeptrack at Dragon*Con. It’s taken some time to process, and there have been many other distractions (life, work, etc) but here I finally begin…

I’ve written previously about what it means for me to be a “skeptic” so I guess you could call that “skepticism 101.”  So say you are already on board with the whole idea. As Daniel Loxton asked, what do you do next?

One of the simplest things that you can do it just talk to your friends and family about what you think. Don’t be shy when you hear a friend claim that childhood vaccines cause autism.  Be genuinely curious when someone wants to tell you their ghost story.  It’s easy to rag on homeopathy or make fun of Jenny McCarthy when you know you are among like-minded people at skeptical blogs, forums, and meetings.  But eventually, the topics that you care about will come up in conversation with your buddies, and they don’t all read skeptical blogs all day long… I mean…. I’m working!

I’m not confrontational by nature. Grumpy at times, yes, but I’m pretty shy when it comes down to it. (Despite the volume, honestly!) And sure, we all see the productive arguments and unproductive shouting matches that occur online, but real life conversation doesn’t always go that way.  The first thing that you can do when someone brings up a topic that you are skeptical about, even passionate about, is listen.  I know, it’s hard, sometimes the first thing to come to mind is “WTF, dude, Oprah is a ditz!” Listen to your friend, discuss it like you would anything else.  Even on a topic that is as well scientifically validated as the safety of vaccines, just having the right answer doesn’t end the conversation.  The science is there, but so are the fears and emotions.  The science is there, but it hasn’t been properly communicated to everyone.  Most people just want to make up their own minds, and you may be able to plant the seed that leads them to the answer.

Most of the time, you really won’t know the answer. You didn’t personally see their UFO or ghost, you weren’t there when they “cured” themselves with homeopathy.  You probably can’t say for sure what they saw or felt or what really cured them.  But you do know a few things about the field, so share that. Plant the seed of doubt, let them investigate for themselves. Or help out! I’d love to see a really crazy UFO and try and figure out what it is.

There are times for impassioned, even asshole skepticism. But some of us just can’t pull it off well, and besides, having a beer with your colleagues is probably not that time. Chances are, they aren’t swindling people out of their money with fake cures. They are probably just as curious as you are. And who knows, you may grow your own skeptic! That said, I still cherish the online arguments, even as a spectator. It’s good training for your own critical thinking, and maybe it can help with some of those listening skills I mentioned above.

So, we use the word “skeptic” to describe ourselves, although technically the term is misleading. Skepticism is a process, there is no one way to be a “skeptic.” But we use the word and it’s there and sometimes your friends will ask, “Well what does that mean?”  For a while I wasn’t sure what to say. When I was at Dragon*Con at Skeptrack, I asked this question of a bunch of people there, but being scatterbrained as I am, I didn’t write it down or record anything. But a general picture began to emerge… a skeptic is someone who asks questions… a skeptic is a science advocate… a skeptic values critical thinking… a skeptic likes to do their own research and see the evidence.  We like to be seen as inquisitive, not curmudgeonly, though the latter is more likely where the stereotype lies.  We’re open-minded, not closed-minded, nor are we “conspiracy theorists”, though some of those have tried to co-opt the term.

I tend to hang out with science-types and with grad students. It’s just a function of where I am in my life. In my experience, they are more likely to respond to honest discussion and critical thought, not appeals to emotion. We live and breathe this stuff every day, poking holes in articles once a week in journal club, watching peer-reviewers poke holes in our own work.  (Aside: there is nothing “peer” about it when you are a wee student. It’s frakking terrifying!)  So maybe I have yet to delve into the world of the believers, but I think there’s plenty to do right here.

New Flu for You

Those of you who read the skeptical blogs may be sick (har har) of this topic already, but it can’t hurt to repeat it, especially with the fears and misreporting that abound.  Flu season is upon us, and H1N1 (swine flu) is prominently in the spotlight.  As public mistrust of vaccines rises, it takes a little effort to find the answers amidst the noise.  I will be getting the seasonal flu vaccine this year, and hopefully the H1N1 vaccine if it is still available.  Here’s a little bit that I’ve learned about this issue and I’ll try and address the most common arguments that I’ve encountered.

The flu isn’t a big deal. Numerically, statistically, it probably won’t be a big deal. 36,000 Americans die of the flu each year, so although it is a terrible sadness in each and every case, the threat to any one life is small.  In fact, as far as I can tell, I’ve never had a serious flu infection, so I never considered getting the vaccine. However, I work with young children once a week at the Virginia Discovery Museum, and occasionally I do outreach at local elementary schools.  Kids are friggin germ factories! I don’t want to get sick, I’m too busy to get sick.  And how terrible would I feel if somehow I knew I gave the flu to a child who then had complications?  Add to that, the H1N1 strain, which appears no more deadly than a regular flu overall, carries a greater risk of causing complications in normally healthy, low-risk people.  Actually, in this case, older people were exposed to a similar virus in 1957, so they are more likely to be resistant to H1N1 in the first place.  (The timeline is fascinating!) Okay so better safe than sorry, right?

The H1N1 vaccine is untested. There is one thing that is “untested” about it.  We don’t know for sure how effective it will be against the virus “in the wild.”  However, it is just as tested as every regular old seasonal vaccine, and the methods of production go back to the 1930s.  Every year, the genetic code of the flu that is targeted is all that changes. The fact that the World Health Organization knew from previous activity that H1N1 would be back to rear its ugly head is a good thing, since the vaccine only works if it targets the “popular” strains for that season. But to say it is unsafe because it is untested is to miss out on the fact that except for a bit of genetic material, it’s the same stuff we get every year.

But what about Guillain-Barre syndrome! Pandemic reports that spur mass vaccinations cause some to fear the rare but nasty side effects that cropped up in 1976 after mass vaccinations due to swine flu.  And like I said before, even if the numbers are small, better safe than sorry, right?  Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder, meaning, the body’s defense system attacks itself.  There was a spike in GBS after the vaccine was administered in 1976, adding up to 1 new case of GBS per million people.  However, researchers have recently found that 40 to 70 people out of one million who get the flu develop GBS.  In fact, GBS is often triggered by some kind of infection.  So your chances of avoiding GBS increase with vaccination against the flu!

But… but… the backwards walking cheerleader! Okay, okay, so say we find that one in a million and put her on TV.  Except we’re not talking about GBS but dystonia.  This is a neurological condition, not an autoimmune disorder, and such a correlation has never been made before. But when looked at more closely, it’s not clear that the situation is dystonia at all, but rather a psychogenic condition.  When Tim first sent me the disturbing video, it was fairly easy to find this explanation, but Steve Novella handily updates us on the situation.

It’s all a government conspiracy*! I… don’t even have the patience for that.  Go put on your tinfoil hat and promise not to sneeze on me, okay?

So next time I hear some damn celebrity say that I should “educate myself” in a disdainful way because I am in favor of vaccinations, you can see that I already have. (I’m looking at you, Brent Spiner.) Sometimes it’s good to be part of the herd. Herd immunity, that is.

Good stuff:

New Scientist: Swine Flu Myths… Okay, the rest of the headline is a bit fear-mongering-y, but the information is good.

UVa H1N1 Information, or, damn dirty undergrads

Centers for Disease Control: Seasonal Influenza – be a part of the government conspiracy!

An Influenza Primer by pediatrician Joseph Albietz

* If you are a part of the vast global vaccine conspiracy, please see that I’ve done my part and send me my damn check already!

WhyOhWhyOhNaNoWriMo?

I’ve been busy, as it usually goes, being all grad student-y and the like.  Usually when I get home at night I’m too tired to blog or dance or any such thing. My creative juices are sapped.  So I was intrigued at the idea of writing a novel, even a crappy one, in a month.  Hence, I’ve signed up for National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.  Why not take those listless, late-night hours and churn out some hilariously bad science fiction?  Maybe that’ll jumpstart my inner creativity.  In any case, if you are a part of NaNaWriMo, feel free to be my writing buddy!  Tim is also participating, though he doesn’t much like to read. His theatre experience, however, gives him a much better handle on fiction writing than I have from writing scientific papers.  So, just a heads up, some Asimov-Clarke-Heinlein-Sagan inspired novelinity is coming your way…

Time Management Fail

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote up a personal mission statement with the hope that it would help me focus my activities.  This was followed a few days later by a meeting with my thesis committee, which, as always, helps me to refocus my research and my career goals.  For the past couple of months, there has been a lot of activity in many aspects of my life.  Frankly, I let myself get overwhelmed.  My problem is, I say “yes” to every opportunity that comes along that looks interesting. In the meantime, I take on too much responsibility, real and imagined.  Maybe I’m still trying to “find myself.”  I don’t know.  What I need to start doing is saying “no.”  No thanks, that sounds really interesting, but I have so much on my plate right now.  It takes a lot more effort than I realized, to say no to something interesting, but it is the more responsible thing to do.  After all, why say yes to doing something when I may let that person down because I am already so overwhelmed?

There are not enough hours in the day, or days in the week, for me to do everything that is interesting or a great opportunity.  I’m working to scale down my current commitments and not feel guilty about it.  If you ask me for something, and I say no, don’t take it personally!  I’m still figuring this all out and working to be realistic about my life.

Anyway, since that was a more serious and personal post than I often write, here are some pretty pictures from my most recent field work trip to Green Bank to get our field mowed with losing our cables and antenna positions.

Pretty fall colors have hit western Virginia. Click to embiggenify.

Understaffed and under time pressure, we ate our lunch while working outside. Erin, you are a trooper!

The skies clear and the old barn is a gray contrast to the colorful mountain behind it. PAPER antennas can be seen in front! (Also embiggenifiable.)

I’m Skeptical of those Canadians…

Does Canada even exist? Really?

Okay, I’m kidding, I LOVE those cool Canadian skeptics, and they are coming together for a new borg… I mean, blog collective called Skeptic North.  It includes writing from very cool people such as Steve Thoms, Kimberly Hebert, Kennedy Goodkey, Desiree Schell, and lots more.  Also, check out the video section over on the right!  They even have an interview with Canada’s own Daniel Loxton, who is probably the nicest skeptic in the world.  Pretty cool stuff, so go get your parka add them to your feed reader.

Attempting a Personal Mission Statement

I recently had the chance to talk with Jeffery Bennett, astronomer and author from Boulder, CO, during his recent visit to Charlottesville.  After giving presentations to four elementary schools with his children’s books chronicling the fictional space journeys of a dog named Max, he gave a talk at UVa about the search for extraterrestrial life, which itself will warrant another post for the talk and group dinner discussion that followed.

Bennett is also known around the department as first author of the astronomy textbook that we’ve been using for a couple of years now, and he has a lot of good things to say about astronomy education.  During a chat with the graduate students in our department, Bennett told us about his personal mission statement, which is a short manifesto of sorts that he wrote when he was younger to help him determine what activities were important to him and how to go about prioritizing and reaching his professional goals.  For a scatterbrained and sometimes idealistic student such as myself, I set about on my own mission statement to help guide my activities in science, education, and skepticism.  It is not yet polished, nor am I sure that it will ever stop evolving.  You can read it in the “More About Me” tab above.

I’ll let you know how it goes in actually helping me down the windy, branching path that I am currently navigating.  This would be a great exercise for anyone, so go ahead, try it!

“Glorious Dawn”

I know everyone has written about, posted, or tweeted this video in the last few days, but I do love it so much.

The music is BEGGING for a cool tribal fusion-y choreography.  There’s a 3/4 shimmy in there, and slow up-to-down figure 8 in the chorus, no?  Time to break out the Asharah DVD. She would know what to do to that music…

Astronomers Fighting Multiple Sclerosis Need Your Help!

A few of our athletically inclined graduate students in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia are going to participate in a bike ride to raise money for multiple sclerosis at an event called Best of the Blue Ridge.  MS is chronic and often crippling autoimmune disease.  The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is raising money for research to help people with MS by hosting a bike ride for charity with two days of mountain biking on 25, 50, 75, and 100 mile routes.  Each participant must raise $250 to ride.

So, as most of you know, I am not that athletically inclined. But I can donate to support our team and tell YOU all about it and encourage you to donate!  The Orange and Blue Stragglers* are made up of Andre Wong, Rachael Beaton, George Privon, Charles Romero, and Guillermo Damke. They have a few bios posted along with donation links.  They need to add up to a team total of $1250 to participate. So, won’t you help them and donate money for MS research?

Thanks so much, and pass the link along!

*Astro humor!

In Charlottesville, Boobies Gain (Limited) Acceptance

All kinds of chitter-chatter has been erupting in Charlottesville in reaction to the Hook publishing an article* on successful UVa alumni that posed for Playboy while in college. The article itself is not the issue, but some object the tiny but fully nude photos that accompany it (so that should tell you, but I’ll say it anyway, pictures may be NSFW).  First brought to my attention via cvillenews (who actually measured that the boobs are no bigger than 1cm, really, who does that?!), CBS-19 reported on some prudish reactions.  “It’s just horrendous for me to see it.” says one female UVa student.  A glance at the comment thread on any of those sites puts more prudishness on display:

I will now call “The Hook”…. “The Hooker”. You should be ashamed of your irresponsible act and I will guarantee you have lost many readers including myself over your stupidity. Those who say they enjoy this obviously don’t have responsibilities to children.

(Eh, there seem to be many more attracted than repelled.)

And there will be people that find this appauling and have a huge issue with you printing something that children can pick up in a grocery store.

(Always with the children! Do they not know what nudity is?)

SHAME ON YOU! I should have a choice whether or not I want to see such a display!

(Uh, don’t read it, duh.)

This display of women does nothing but objectify them and does nothing to show the true beauty of womankind.

(So sexuality can’t be beautiful?)

Plus how can I keep my son from seeing this on-line. Keep him away from the computer forever? Thanks for making my job as a parent harder!

(I feel really bad for your son. He’s not seeing boobies til he’s 30! Or he probably has already…)

To be fair, most of the comments are reasonable, humorous, or unoffended but suspicious that this is just a ploy to get readers.  So kudos to Charlottesville readers for being open-minded!  Of course, an “angry, vocal minority”, as pointed out by another commenter, can spoil the situation for everyone, as some stores have pulled the Hook from their newsstands this week in protest.  What a shame for the majority of their customers!

I think it is great to see that the editors of the Hook think that a little boobage is no big deal. As I commented on their page, wouldn’t it be nice if children weren’t taught that nudity and sexuality were harmful and shameful?  Could it help boost self-esteem?  Would it help stem the tide of STIs and unplanned pregnancies?  Can’t we act like rational, responsible adults when it comes to sexuality?

The comment that really made me stop in my tracks was on the cvillenews.com site:

Well this doesn’t surprise me. UVA went to hell in a handbasket years ago. Oh, where is Jerry Falwell when you need him???

Sadly, this does not seem to be a Poe. I could go into the many reasons why this is an unreasonable statement. I could simply ask this fellow to clarify what he means by “hell in a handbasket” or what Falwell would be able to contribute to this case?  But all I can think is

Sometimes, I just can’t be nice.

*Whoops! Link fixed.