Daily Dose of Common Sense

Earlier this year, a brief story appeared in the Times Online (UK) revealing how the data was fixed in the MMR/Autism study that sparked the current vaccine controversy.

The Sunday Times, along with the General Medical Council (our AMA), investigated into the claims made by Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 study. In the original study, 8 of 12 families at one clinic blamed the MMR shot for their child’s autism. The Times reviewed medical documents and witnesses from the original study, and they discovered that Dr. Wakefield changed and manipulated the patients’ data. Again, both CHANGED and MANIPULATED patient data. In fact, in many cases, medical concerns regarding the child had been raised before the MMR shot was administered.

If this one little study doesn’t sound like a big deal, here is an alarming fact from the article:

Despite involving just a dozen children, the 1998 paper’s impact was extraordinary. After its publication, rates of inoculation fell from 92% to below 80%. Populations acquire “herd immunity” from measles when more than 95% of people have been vaccinated.

Last week official figures showed that 1,348 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales were reported last year, compared with 56 in 1998. Two children have died of the disease.

This was *the* major study that started all the anti-vaccination hysteria. Now that it’s been debunked, we can only hope the truth starts to get out. There is no scientific proof that vaccines cause autism. Here is a great video by the CDC that discusses some of the common vaccination fears.

This past week, The Amazing Meeting 7 congregated in Las Vegas. Today, the final day, $1 million was on the line as self-proclaimed psychic Connie Sonne stepped up to take JREF’s infamous challenge.

If you don’t know about the challenge, here’s the deal. James Randi and his organization have offered a $1 million prize to anyone who can offer scientific proof of the paranormal. Since 1964, no one has been able to win the money. About 1,000 people have applied for the challenge, and testing has been completed on astrology, ESP, dowsing, psychics, faith healing, and more. No one to date has been able to prove their abilities are real.

Today’s applicant also goes home without the money. Asked to dowse three cards, Ms. Sonne failed. To read more about the test and the set up, read this JREF blog thread.

If you believe you have a paranormal “gift,” then submit your application to JREF and try to win the million bucks. Until then, we’ll remain skeptical about anyone who claims to possess paranormal abilities.

Many people consider bottled water, with its fancy packaging and names that recall clean and natural sources, to be purer than tap water. Only, don’t let the marketing fool you. While tap water doesn’t have a PR firm, it’s usually the better product of the two.

What, exactly, are tap water’s bragging rights? Cheaper and cleaner. Tap water comes out of your faucet and costs a fraction of the price of bottled. Sales for bottled water in 2008 were approximately $11.2 billion. At a recent hearing of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations:

“Americans are willing to pay top dollar for bottled water, which costs up to 1,900 times more than tap water and uses up to 2,000 times more energy to produce and deliver,” Michigan Representative Bart Stupak told the hearing.

Plus, with tap water, you know what you’re getting. The contents of bottled water aren’t regulated as heavily as tap water. The EPA oversees the quality of municipality water, and has stringent testing and safety regulations. The FDA oversees bottled water, and they don’t have the same standards of testing.

“Over the past several years, however, bottled water has been recalled due to contamination by arsenic, bromate, cleaning compounds, mold, and bacteria. In April, a dozen students at a California junior high school reportedly were sickened after drinking bottled water from a vending machine.”

If you believe the marketing hype that all bottled water comes from pure springs and crystal clear lakes, you’ll be interested to know where it really comes from. Between 25 and 40 percent of bottled water comes from U.S. municipality water supplies.

Lastly, we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on the fact that plastic bottles are clogging up the landfills. And, most bottled water doesn’t contain fluoride, which helps to fight cavities.

So, do your wallet and your body a favor: turn to the tap next time you’re thirsty.

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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.

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.

An AP story came out this week discussing how alternative medicine is more often sneaking into the mainstream. But, at what cost? The benefits of alternative medicine have yet to be proven, and some practices and supplements are flat-out harmful.

A few herbal supplements can directly threaten health. A surprising number do not supply what their labels claim, contain potentially harmful substances like lead, or are laced with hidden versions of prescription drugs.

“In testing, one out of four supplements has a problem,” said Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that rates such products.

Some doctors interviewed said they include alternative methods in their treatment because it causes patients to relax and, at the same time, feel as though they are receiving better care. The doctors know it’s hoodoo, but are concerned more about what the patient perceives than the science. It’s almost a prescription of the placebo effect.

And it’s not just supplements, which may be just a waste of money. More dangerous are people with life-threatening diseases who miss a critical treatment window while off seeking unproven cures. Last week, a couple in Australia were found guilty of manslaughter after homeopathic treatments of their daughter’s eczema failed. The little girl died after the parents continued to reject conventional treatments for the condition.

Mainstream medicine and big pharmaceutical companies have had problems over the years, for sure. But, regulatory agencies, consumer watch-dog groups, and standard guidelines are in place to act as a system of checks and balances. So, the level of risk involved isn’t as high as that of alternative medicine.

The latest government survey shows the magnitude of risk: More than a third of Americans use unconventional therapies, including acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and native or traditional healing methods. These practitioners are largely self-policing, with their own schools and accreditation groups. Some states license certain types, like acupuncturists; others do not.

The “natural” claim doesn’t mean it’s without risk. If a treatment promises something that is too good to be true, chances are it is a waste of time and money.

Regular watchers of Oprah turn to the host for advice on what to buy, eat, read, and watch. And, while it’s harmless fun to see clips from the latest Will Smith movie, it’s a different story when some of her advice might cause serious injury.

Newsweek just published an excellent article called Why Health Advice on ‘Oprah’ Could Make You Sick. The writer questions some of the advice given out on Oprah’s show, such as Suzanne Somers’ homegrown hormone regimen and Jenny McCarthy’s “vaccines cause autism” campaign, because no science has been able to back these theories up. Then, there’s the “lunch time” facelift and Thermage, a procedure claiming tighter skin through radio waves. Both fell out of favor after it was revealed they had major downsides and questionable results. These are just a few examples of misinformation covered in the article.

Some of the many experts who cross her stage offer interesting and useful information (props to you, Dr. Oz). Others gush nonsense. Oprah, who holds up her guests as prophets, can’t seem to tell the difference. She has the power to summon the most learned authorities on any subject; who would refuse her? Instead, all too often Oprah winds up putting herself and her trusting audience in the hands of celebrity authors and pop-science artists pitching wonder cures and miracle treatments that are questionable or flat-out wrong, and sometimes dangerous.

Television can blur the lines between entertainment and science. Viewers should remember that Oprah is more concerned with the first than the second. So, don’t take health advice from talk shows. Do the research yourself and talk to your own doctors.

[Note: this post originally appeared on April 18, 2009 on Rational Moms.]

I love a quick, informative slideshow and this one doesn’t disappoint. Scientific American investigates the science behind some of the common pregnancy myths and wives’ tales.

For example, is heartburn a sign that your baby will have hair? Do overweight mothers give birth to overweight babies? Do pregnant women eat more when having a boy?

(Answers: Most likely, yes, and yes. But there’s more so follow the link!)