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Giant Otters care for the elderly, and other Science!
UnbrokenEva
HIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
HIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
Hello Science thread!
It's been an interesting couple of months. I've found some neat science stories on my own, but without you around I worry that I'm missing awesome scientific news.
To start us off, research has shown that humans are not the only species that cares for their elderly - a researcher has observed Giant Otters assisting and sharing prey with an aging matriarch who begged for food after being unable to hunt enough for herself. This isn't a "Dru is old" joke, though it does bode well for his retirement.
It's also been a good couple of months for the defenders of science. Dr. Simon Singh successfully defended himself against libel charges from the British Chiropractic Association after he had the nerve to accuse them of knowingly peddling fake and often dangerous treatments, rather than doing so unknowingly. This sets a good precedent, as there had been concern that a finding in favour of the BCA would validate using libel actions to block legitimate scientific inquiry and debate.
Also in Britain, the British Medical association has voted to recommend that National Health Service no longer fund homeopathic treatments, and that the treatments no longer be marketed as medicine in pharmacies. There looks to be a good chance of it going through, as the House of Commons' Science and Technology Committee made a similar recommendation in February. For those of you unsure of what Homeopathy is, or why funding it and treating it as a legitimate medical practice, watch one of these videos. I'm not sure which is better at demonstrating how silly it all is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWE1tH93G9U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd64lbDPack
Of course, there are some claims that banning homeopathy funding would actually make it more powerful:
How about you, SE++? What cool science have you found in the last couple months?
It's been an interesting couple of months. I've found some neat science stories on my own, but without you around I worry that I'm missing awesome scientific news.
To start us off, research has shown that humans are not the only species that cares for their elderly - a researcher has observed Giant Otters assisting and sharing prey with an aging matriarch who begged for food after being unable to hunt enough for herself. This isn't a "Dru is old" joke, though it does bode well for his retirement.
A human behavior that is rarely documented in animals is long-term assistance to elderly family members. Anecdotal reports have appeared previously describing events in which sick or injured family members received short-term assistance, particularly in cooperative species such as African Elephants (Loxodonta africana), African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus), Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla berengei) and Bonobos (Pan paniscus). However, to my knowledge, no other study has reported details of ongoing assistance to aid a declining elder in a family of wild animals, in this case including prey-sharing over an extended period of time.
It's also been a good couple of months for the defenders of science. Dr. Simon Singh successfully defended himself against libel charges from the British Chiropractic Association after he had the nerve to accuse them of knowingly peddling fake and often dangerous treatments, rather than doing so unknowingly. This sets a good precedent, as there had been concern that a finding in favour of the BCA would validate using libel actions to block legitimate scientific inquiry and debate.
Also in Britain, the British Medical association has voted to recommend that National Health Service no longer fund homeopathic treatments, and that the treatments no longer be marketed as medicine in pharmacies. There looks to be a good chance of it going through, as the House of Commons' Science and Technology Committee made a similar recommendation in February. For those of you unsure of what Homeopathy is, or why funding it and treating it as a legitimate medical practice, watch one of these videos. I'm not sure which is better at demonstrating how silly it all is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWE1tH93G9U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd64lbDPack
Of course, there are some claims that banning homeopathy funding would actually make it more powerful:
Just as Homeopathy relies on the fact that water can remember what was in it even when it’s no longer there, homeopaths claim the memory of previous funding will allow them to continue to grow their practices.
How about you, SE++? What cool science have you found in the last couple months?
UnbrokenEva on
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edit: Also James Randi is a boss and I wish I could see him speak somewhere
hitting hot metal with hammers
I'm going to see him speak at TAM Sydney in a few months 8-)
Also check this out - the world's largest digital camera that is being used to search for previously unsearchable Near Earth Objects.
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
don't waste another minute on your cryin'
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Show me on the doll where the giant river otter touched you.
Secret Satan 2013 Wishlist
my butte
also, they are 6 feet long, carnivorous and fiercely territorial
they're like goddamned river ninjas too boot
but they're so CUTE!
What
What is this
it's a lady who doesn't know anything about science trying to use science to justify bullshit
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
Steam
HEY YOU KNOW HOW MATTER DOESN'T REALLY EXIST COMPARED TO ENERGY
WELL COMPARED TO ELECTRO-MAGNETISM, GRAVITY BARELY EXISTS!
and she just starts floating away
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
But as she goes on and has less and less understanding of science, then homeopathy should work better.
Secret Satan 2013 Wishlist
Take 2 sugar pills and call me in the morning.
Unless you ingest colloidal silver while surrounded by crystals, that shit won't work.
Secret Satan 2013 Wishlist
I love that video. I honestly couldn't decide whether Randi systematically dismantling their bullshit or her spewing it made homeopathy look sillier.
your doctor put you on top of a large group of soldiers?
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
oh that's not the only thing she put "on top" of me
e: ok I am super duper not-down with homeopathy but this lady is a league above even among homeopaths
the concept never makes sense, but the people who believe in it are not all like this woman
Critical thinking is pretty important.
I am being so controversial in this thread right now
the joke here is that you wrote "regiment" but meant "regimen"
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I highly suggest both books. They're awesome. And Tyson is quickly becoming one of my favourite dudes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aadYN5OPKN8
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hig74yhS3SA
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
Any science that ends with you screaming in a walmart is good science.
Or bad science.
Or mad science.
I love everything about this
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thanks
he's so inanimate
please tell me this is a parody