Daily Dose of Common Sense

My three-year old loves ghosts. She loves any book with a ghost in it, and Boo Berry cereal is always a huge hit. But, she’s never afraid of them, and doesn’t consider them any more real than Spongebob Squarepants. To her, as well as rational people everywhere, ghosts are fictional, amusing things. We can say this because the existence of ghosts, or any kind of paranormal activity for that matter, has never been credibly documented or recorded using true scientific methods.

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It is always surprising to get in an elevator in a hotel and see the numbers go from twelve to fourteen. We all know there’s a number missing. Are some people really still paralyzed with fear over the number thirteen?

There are many theories as to why thirteen has gotten a bad rap. Some say it has Christian roots revolving around the Last Supper. Others say the ancient Egyptians believed the number thirteen to be a symbol of death. There are also Norse and medieval ties to this number as well. Regardless, we all know superstitions are just crazy, right?

For example:
- Knocking wood won’t really change your luck (there’s no such thing as luck).
- Spilling salt doesn’t bring the devil (it means you’re clumsy).
- Sneezing doesn’t let your soul escape (it means there’s an irritation in your nose).
- A sudden shiver doesn’t mean someone is walking on your grave (it means you’re cold!).

And yet, the fear over the number thirteen persists. Friday the thirteenth is not just a horror franchise; many people actually alter their plans when this day rolls around. A small percentage of people polled said they would request a room change if given accommodations on the thirteenth floor.

A recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll suggests a large majority of Americans — 87% — would be comfortable with a 13th floor room assignment. But 13% say they’d be bothered by a 13th floor room assignment, including 9% who would be sufficiently bothered to seek a room change.

The poll shows women, people age 65-plus and those with annual household incomes below $30,000 are more prone than average to seek a new room if assigned to the 13th floor.

The trend of renaming the thirteenth floor in buildings and hotels began in the late 19th century. However, in a rash of rationality, some newer hotels have bucked this nonsense and have installed elevator buttons with thirteenth floors. I say let the 9% move to a different floor–and get a grip. But, until then, I guess I’m staying on the “fourteenth” floor of my hotel.

We’re guilty of doing it once in a while, too. Eating the raw cookie dough (or brownie batter) before it goes into the oven is a well-known guilty pleasure. But, with the recent Nestlé recall fresh in our minds, what is the risk involved with eating raw cookie dough?

Recently, 69 people have become violently ill from E. coli poisoning after eating the raw Nestlé Toll House cookie dough. Some people have even been hospitalized. This is the latest in a rash of foods tainted with E. coli in the past few years: peanuts, tomatoes, ground beef, spinach. So, it’s not the cookie dough in particular that is the culprit–it’s the bacteria. And, this is made more troublesome by the fact that E. coli isn’t just in the raw dough; the bacteria could also possibly survive in under-cooked cookies or on hands. The investigation into how E. coli got into the cookie dough in the first place is another puzzle altogether, since the bacteria usually comes from cow feces.

Despite this recent example, store-bought cookie dough is usually safer than homemade cookie dough. Why? The type of eggs. For refrigerated dough to be sold in stores, they used pasteurized eggs. At home, you would use raw eggs, which may contain salmonella.

But, the risk of salmonella poisoning is low. According to the CDC:

Every year, approximately 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be thirty or more times greater. Salmonellosis is more common in the summer than winter.

Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis. The rate of diagnosed infections in children less than five years old is about five times higher than the rate in all other persons. Young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised are the most likely to have severe infections. It is estimated that approximately 400 persons die each year with acute salmonellosis.

So, it’s best if children avoid raw cookie dough altogether, especially if it’s homemade.

As a healthy adult, odds are you can sneak some cookie dough every now and again and not get sick. (But wait on the Toll House refrigerated cookie dough until it’s deemed safe again.)

Most Americans believe that July 4th is the day independence from Britain was declared. Only it wasn’t. Independence was actually declared on July 2nd.

On July 2nd, the Second Continental Congress approved a resolution declaring independence. In fact, John Adams himself believed July 2nd would be the day Americans would commemorate the anniversary.

On July 3rd, 1776, John Adams predicted in a letter to his wife that “the Second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”

So, why do we celebrate on the 4th? First, that was the date Jefferson wrote at the top of the Declaration of Independence. Also, that was the day the final draft of the document was voted on and approved. It should be noted that this vote was not unanimous. New York did not agree to the declaration until July 19th.

The signing of the document did not take place on the 4th, as many believe. Some men did, in fact, sign that day. But most signatures were penned at the official signing ceremony on August 2nd, with a few more coming even later. The final signature was added in 1781.

So, celebrate with gusto today. But, next year, remember July 2nd, too.

[Source: One-Night Stands with American History: Odd, Amusing, and Little-Known Incidents by Richard Shenkman & Kurt Reiger]

A woman driving in Connecticut one night last week thought she almost ran over Bigfoot.

She told police the hairy beast was 8 feet tall and had “legs like tree trunks.” It ran off after she switched her headlights to high beams.

Shockingly, the “beast” turned out to be only a 16-year old in a gorilla costume. Police turned him over to his parents, who hopefully gave him a stern lecture about the stupidity of being in a gorilla costume at night.

This idea of a giant man ape running in the wilderness just won’t die. Last year, three men held a press conference stating they had found the remains of a Bigfoot creature in the woods of Georgia. The claim was quickly debunked.

Despite the lack of evidence in this creature, many people believe it is real. Even the famous ape expert Jane Goodall is a believer. Here is a great article on why people want to believe in crazy myths and monsters.

Today’s ubiquitous and often one-sided promotional coverage of the paranormal, both on the Internet and TV, perpetuate myths and folklore as well or better than any ancient storyteller.

Fiction and belief masquerade as fact and news, feeding the 24/7 appetite of the easily swayed.

Scientists are left with an impossible task: proving something does not exist.

You can prove a rock is there. You can’t prove that Bigfoot or a ghost or the god of thunder is not there. Bigfoot paraphernalia purveyors and cash-cow psychics know this well.

I’ll believe in Sasquatch when real scientific evidence is produced. Until then, they’ll all be gorilla suits to me.

Look out, ladies and gents. Science and scientists are getting banged around all over the place.

A recent poll asked 1,000 Americans to name a single scientist. 23% could not name one. That equates to one out of four people who don’t remember Einstein, Curie, Edison, or the like. The same survey discovered that 65% of Americans couldn’t name a famous female scientist. Wonder how high the percentage would be if they asked for the name of a famous female reality star?

And, it’s not just historical scientists who are having a hard time. Simon Singh is not a name many in the U.S. know, but this British physicist is in the battle of a lifetime across the pond. Highly respected as a scientist and author, Singh’s legal troubles began when he spoke out against chiropractors. Some chiropractors in England claim the ability to help cure colic, asthma, or ear infections in children through spinal manipulation.

In his book, Dr Singh questioned whether chiropractors could really achieve the results they claim. Later, in a column in the Guardian newspaper, he went further, saying the therapies for children were ‘bogus’.

Unsurprisingly, he came under an avalanche of criticism and the BCA [British Chiropractic Association] demanded an apology and a retraction. When it received neither from Dr Singh, it decided to sue him personally for libel.

There is no solid science to back up what the chiropractors claim. But, amazingly, the arcane libel laws in England make it so that Singh is guilty before proven innocent. The BCA doesn’t have to prove he’s wrong; instead, Singh has to prove the accuracy of his comments. Why is this all important? This suit could have ripple effects on other scientific journalists and their ability to exercise free speech. We should all be rooting for Dr Singh’s appeal to go through.

Lastly, science is really fighting an uphill battle concerning vaccines. There is no proven scientific evidence linking vaccines to autism, yet celebrities like Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey continue to spread a lot of incorrect anti-vaccination information. Sadly, a lot of people listen and kids will die. [Check out the Jenny McCarthy Body Count.]

Because the anti-vax movement picked up steam, 2008 saw the largest outbreak of measles in almost ten years. Whooping cough and mumps are also making a reappearance. Why are people so distrustful of science?

Now, more than ten years after unfounded doubts about vaccine safety first emerged, scientists and public health officials are still struggling to get the story out. Their task is made far more difficult by the explosion of misinformation on the Internet, talk shows, and high-profile media outlets, by journalists’ tendency to cover the issue as a “debate,” and [...] by an erosion of trust in experts.

Science is what saves us. It’s what heals, allows for better quality of life as we get older, and keeps our loved ones around longer. It searches for answers and constantly questions itself. It isn’t perfect, but it strives to find the truth.

Despite its use of actors instead of the real deal, I love the idea of the current Intel ad campaign that portrays their computer programmers and engineers as rock stars. Perhaps someone should create a similar campaign for the likes of Norman Borlaug, Jonas Salk, Rosalind Franklin, or Niels Bohr.

We recently learned that Americans are still getting fatter. Twenty-three states reported an increase of obese adults over one year ago. Not one state reported a decrease in its obesity rate.

According to body mass index (BMI) statistics, two-thirds of Americans are either obese or overweight. And, you know who you are. Yes, the BMI system isn’t perfect. In fact, many researchers believe a good old-fashioned tape measure around the middle section gives a better indication of health. Regardless, you know if you fall into the category of Americans who need to lose weight. It’s rarely a mystery if you’re heavier than you should be.

Just remember, it’s the calories that count. Some restaurant chains now list calories on their menus, which should go a long way to helping consumers make informed choices. Here’s a great quiz to learn about the calorie counts of some of our (well, my) favorite foods. Who knew raisins had so many calories?!

Do you know the health risks associated with being overweight? It’s a long, scary list. And, the obesity epidemic is one reason for our ballooning health care costs. As the weight problem worsens, so grows the number of people experiencing these side effects. And, our kids learn by example. Is that the lesson you want to pass down to the next generation?

The key to losing weight is being informed about food and being motivated to change your lifestyle. Start small, but start somewhere. Push away from the table and start walking, America.