Denialism

Month: November 2007

  • Cosmetics and Animal Testing

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    MarkH
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    In today’s New York Times, Doreen Carvajal reports that cosmetic companies are scrambling to come into compliance with a 2009 ban on the use of animal testing for cosmetics in the European Union. 27 member economies strong, the EU can pass such rules, and watch the industry innovate to reach the goal of more humane…

  • 60 Minutes on Calorie Disclosures

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    MarkH
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    Although we discussed this issue earlier, I can’t help to point to a new segment on 60 Minutes exploring the issue of whether big chain restaurants should have to disclose the amount of calories in their food products (Video). The denialism from the industry on this issue is pretty clear, but what’s interesting about the…

  • No Comment Needed!

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    MarkH
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    The Predatory Lending Association (PLA): …is dedicated to extracting maximum profit from the working poor by increasing payday loan fees and debt traps. The working poor is an exciting, fast growing demographic that includes: military personnel, most minorities, and a growing percentage of the middle class. Hat Tip: Concurring Opinions.

  • Want to Water During a Water Shortage? Plant New Landscaping!

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    MarkH
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    The Southeast is having serious water shortages. Just look at Lake Lanier, the main water source for Atlanta. Ouch! So, what do you do when you live in Palm Beach, FL, there is a water shortage, fines for washing your car or watering your lawn except during specified hours, and serious enforcement efforts in place?…

  • Ben Goldacre on Homeopathy

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    MarkH
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    Sometimes people wonder why the skeptic types get all worked up over a behavior that is usually seen as at-worst harmless. Ben Goldacre explains why, in one of the best, and clearest articles on the problem of homeopathic medicine. This is exactly what I said, albeit in nerdier academic language, in today’s edition of the…

  • I could have told him that

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    MarkH
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    Richard Black investigates the common crank claim that science is just an old boys network designed to throw sweet, sweet grant money at their friends. Guess what? The evidence of this conspiracy is lacking. I anticipated having to spend days, weeks, months even, sifting the wheat from the chaff, going backwards and forwards between journal…

  • Criminal Profilers and Cold Readers

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    MarkH
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    Malcolm Gladwell has an interesting piece in this week’s New Yorker concerning criminal profilers, individuals who try to determine who a criminal is based on characteristics of the crime. The idea of criminal profiling has become very popular, with many television shows and movies based on the idea that a psychologist could divine the identity…

  • In Defense of Homeopathy

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    MarkH
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    Jeanette Winterson offers her “defence” in the Guardian, and I can’t wait for Ben Goldacre to rip into it. She starts with this classic argument from anecdote: Picture this. I am staying in a remote cottage in Cornwall without a car. I have a temperature of 102, spots on my throat, delirium, and a book…

  • Uncommon Descent preaches about materialist morality

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    MarkH
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    BarryA drops this idiot bomb on us: Obviously, by definition, materialists cannot point to a transcendent moral code by which to measure moral progress. Indeed, it is difficult for them to account for moral progress at all because if materialism is correct, the “is” in a society defines the “ought.” Gosh, given that the cdesign…

  • Transparency in Propriety Info Databases, or Did the Pizza Place Sell Your Cell Phone Number?

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    MarkH
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    Have you ever forgotten to pay a bill and received a call about it on your cell phone? Ever wonder how they got your number? Well, you may have given it to them, but if you didn’t, they probably bought it from a commercial data broker, a company that sells personal information to businesses and…