pseudo-science? Hmmm, consider your source...

Dr. Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch Exposed In Court Cases (2006)
1. Barrett has claimed to be a medical expert, yet failed his medical board certification.
2. Barrett has claimed to be a legal expert, yet has not studied law.
3. Barrett has claimed to have no ties to the AMA, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA), yet under oath he had conceded these ties.
4. Barrett has recently sued many times for libel and yet has never won a single case.

In addition, on April 22, 2003, A California Appeals Court, ruled against the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF). The Court declared that Stephen Barrett (quackwatch.com), and Wallace Sampson MD (Scientific Review of Alternative and Aberrant Medicine) were found to be biased… and should be accorded little, if any, credibility.

one can read a copy of the Court document signed by Judge Fromholz, here
http://www.quackpotwatch.org/opinionpieces/california_appeals_court_bludgeo.htm <http://www.quackpotwatch.org/opinionpieces/california_appeals_court_bludgeo.htm>

but my personal favorite is this Stephen Barrett's Extensive Lack of Credentials, Lack of Experience, and Lack of Board Certification
http://www.stephenbarrettmd.blogspot.com/ <http://www.stephenbarrettmd.blogspot.com/>

also

http://www.quackpotwatch.org/quackpots/quackpots/barrett.htm

all that to say is I would not put much worth in that site :-)

I'd rather relying on scientists, researchers, chemists, toxicologists, etc... all professionals who have published studies in peer reviewed journals. But if you think that represents pseudo-science, then it is a sad day for critical thinking.

>> ^teebeenz:

This video isnt science, its pseudo-science, and as such should be ignored.
http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/fluoride.html
>> ^notarobot:
I concede that this sift is essentially a summery of another video that is part of what appears to be a current, heated debate about the safety of fluoride for human consumption, and its effects as a drug. As a summery, this video does not detail the methods or results of studies done on the topic by PhD experts mentioned.
However, given that videos on the subjects of Drugs on Spiders, Water Balloon Motion , and how Science leads to Murder, remain in the _science channel, I fail to see how this video, nor related videos on this topic, does not meet the standards required to be considered a part of the _science sift, or valuable for inciting discussion and getting sifters to THINK about _science, which appears to be part of the mandate of this channel.

>> ^Sagemind:

I'm not from, nor do I live in the United States but this is about a scary as a Chemist saying "You mean water actually has Water AND Oxygen in it. Where is it because I only see liquid."
If you don't know even the most basic principals of something, you shouldn't be in that business.


Hmmm.. TECHNICALLY, water does not contain ANY water...

I'm not from, nor do I live in the United States but this is about a scary as a Chemist saying "You mean water actually has Water AND Oxygen in it. Where is it because I only see liquid."

If you don't know even the most basic principals of something, you shouldn't be in that business.

>> ^Xax:

Did he change his voice because he thought he might have the police knocking on his door or something? Or does he just have a really lame voice?


He's a chemist...chances are he sounds nasally

Ah, from Neatorama:

A 23-year-old Alaskan was in his workshop when a heater unexpectedly ignited some chemicals, and the building suddenly burst into flames. For help, he turned to his dog Buddy:

“I just told him, ‘We need to get help,’ and then that’s the last time I seen him,” Heinrichs told the News-Tribune. “I didn’t train him or nothing. He just took off and went and did what he did. … He was just being a good dog.”

It’s a good thing Buddy sprung into action because trooper Terrence Shanigan, who was responding to the call about a fire, was having trouble with his vehicle’s global positioning system, which wasn’t working properly, reports the News-Tribune. “Shanigan, who almost took the long way around the neighborhood, came across Buddy on Caswell Loop Road,” reports the News-Tribune. “The dog took off, and acting on a hunch, Shanigan followed the dog down a side road.”

The budding young chemist received minor flash burns. Buddy will be receiving a silver-plated dog bowl.

It's bizarre that he makes a point of not funding one field at the expense of another, but simultaneously claims that nowhere in medical diagnostic machines you see principles or designs which were discovered or invented by medical researchers.

This is an absurd claim, because even if a physicist discovers an elementary principle, it's completely unclear if this principle is applicable for a given medical purpose. And even if it is (which will probably be discovered by someone else, in another field), it is not at all clear if it is the best (most accurate, reliable, affordable and safe, according to some metric) principle for the application, over all techniques which are already available. This is something a medical researcher investigates.

I'm especially surprised that he mentioned the MRI machine. One of the biggest controversies in Nobel Prize history is the 2003 Nobel Prize for Medicine, which was awarded to a physicist and a chemist, but not to Raymond Damadian, the medical doctor who made leading contributions to the field.

So anyway, while Neil deGrasse is accurate in saying that one should not exclusively fund medical research at the expense of other fields, this video is completely misleading in the sense that it overemphasizes the contributions of physicists, and intentionally omits contributions made by researchers in other fields, as if a physicist's discovery of an elementary principle were the hard part in the process of developing medical equipment.

Disclaimer: I'm a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering.

See this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH57T4w9UHc

>> ^sme4r:
I'm no chemist, so what is spinning in both the initial container and the larger glass container while they were heating it? And what could make it spin independent (or seemingly so) of a connection to anything?

I'm no chemist, so what is spinning in both the initial container and the larger glass container while they were heating it? And what could make it spin independent (or seemingly so) of a connection to anything?

i hope the reaction was not a visceral one.for that was not my intention.i just felt it proper to give an insight where my views may lie.it was a generalization of where i am coming from.nothing more.nothing less.
and i certainly would not presume to impose my views upon you my friend.i just felt it would give a modicum of context to where i was coming from.
that video does not encapsulate my views,just gives context.

as for MDMA.i traveled with the raves for years,my ex roomie was a basement chemist and made it,that and many other compounds.liquid xanax for one (which was his downfall btw.R.I.P teddy) so i am quite familiar with its effects.my faith has a shamanistic quality to it so i do not rebuke mind-altering drugs to perceive the universe through different eyes,in fact i welcome it.

in regards to your letter.
having put things in such a manner i would tend to agree with you.faith and belief should be discussed,but since many see debate as am antagonistic polemic,i tend to avoid such words.to me debate is about sharing views and information,not a winner take-all paradigm.so in respects to how you expressed your views on that,i agree wholeheartedly.debate is a win-win in my book.
if i am carrying around disinformation and do not realize it,i have no problem with changing my thoughts when faced with better and more conclusive evidence.it is the ignorant who refuse to let go of long held ideas that no longer serve any purpose but to continue their own delusion.
a better analogy would be:if my fly was open i would hope somebody would point that out and not let me walk around with my wanker hanging in the wind.

which i believe is what you will attempt to do.your participation so far has been enjoyable,and done with great respect,so i have no problem with engaging with you.
the sharing of ideas is one of our greatest strengths dont you think?it is because of this wonderful conversation that i have revealed a part of how i see things.not to convince you,but to give you a better context.my philosophy has been a 30 year work in progress.i usually do not reveal anything due to peoples childish ability to jump in and assume...well..everything.so i find it prudent to not say anything,just that i am a man of faith.for if and when i DO reveal my views,i get hammered from not only atheists but religious folk as well.i am well equipped to deal with both,and my occupation gives me ample weaponry to deal with fundamentalists decisively.i actually prefer to discuss with atheists,because at least they are curious and there can be a discussion.except for militant atheists,they can be just as rigid as the fundamentalist,and the discussion garners little but dust.

i would hear your reaction to the video.i do hope i can clarify some aspects for you.remember,it was just a generalization.nothing more.
i look forward to your response.
till next time..namaste.

I need a chemist but this video looks stupid. For example mixing ammonia and bleach is actually deadly. Mixing the stuff in the video just proves you are a sucker. What do the kids nowadays call suckers?

i guess we can put them on trial first... but that will just be joining in on the "urge to splurge" taxpayer money, as michael steele has so eloquently coined from his cheat sheet.



For a practical suggestion:

1.) Get rid of drug reps. They are useless salesman.

2.) OUTLAW advertisements for prescription medicines. Straight up.

Those two things alone would free so much money for financial assistance to patients.

/super rant begins

I used to eat those tasty lunches the drug reps would buy the entire office when they came to "chat" with the doctors. I couldnt afford to waste my money on that shit.... but apparently they had plenty to throw around. Oh, how we'd laugh and chat it up. There were some real busty ones, too, for all you male doctors.

... and oh, sorry Mr. Dyingguy, we just can't give you that medicine for free. You know, costs and such. We need to make money for our stockholders. I'm sure you understand. Hey, why are you lying so still? Anyway, here's a fucking pen and magnet with our logo on it for your funeral. I'm all out of calendars, bottle openers, brochures, keychains, strange foam toys, notepads and the like. Oh we make some little pills or something you need to live... but don't worry about those... they're practically worthless without the rest. Plus all we had to do was go into the amazon and steal compounds the natives had found ...and you'll love this... they didn't even know what a patent is! LOL. Natives. Ah, good times.

Here have some more pens. This one is shaped like a femur.... and this one has a little floaty thing in it that may or may not be the actual medicine you need.... this one lights up!! so when can we schedule another lunch? just tell me what you want and ill personally take the order. Gourmet box lunch? How about a taco bar? i hear there's a nice new bistro in town. Thai? no problem.

Oh and one more thing... several of our medicines we're pushing samples of cause heart attacks (oh merck you never failed to please with the recalls.. the recalls alone were giving some people heart attacks from panic LOL oh the irony)... this one causes diarrhea in nearly everyone.. this one... hell i think it's just salt water but im no chemist... here have some samples, i have a FUCKING HUGE TRUNK FULL of pills that cost $80 each... for you, anyway. I'll toss few extra in for your staff's personal use, I know what a pain these things are to get. I get them for free cause i'm a salesman.

But no, im sorry we can't afford to give financial assistance. That would just be irresponsible spending.

Fucking criminal assholes. DIE DAMN YOU.

/endrant?

might as well since i can go on and on...

brilliant!
now we must assemble a dream team of chemists, farmers and botanists to make our miracle foods. oh and lets be sure to pull in some tobacco executives, congressmen and the fda so it can be sure to be extra evil and profitable. yes, lets the get the free world hooked on VEGETABLES! bwwwwahahahahah

ps. your birthday is the same day as my daughters birthday. now i will forever associate you with the pain of getting my vagina ripped in half while my asshole exhusband and some bitch i never fucking met that called herself nurse held my ankles to my ears and pretended they were worlds most annoying cheerleaders. xoxo.

Chris Rock is a comedian, so clearly he isn't serious about taxing bullets. Still, why do you think reloading is dangerous? Reloading is only dangerous if you're an idiot, just like working on your car, cleaning your gutters, or any other aspect of life.

>> ^dgandhi:
^
Such a tax would only mean everybody would cast/load their own, and we would probably have more injuries/fatalities from double charged ammo.
Anybody with decent machining skills can build the dies to make any casings/primers/bullets/gas-checks they want for a few hundred dollars. Working lead and brass are about as simple as it gets. Smokeless "powder" is more difficult and dangerous to make, but not beyond an industrious work-shed chemist.

^

Such a tax would only mean everybody would cast/load their own, and we would probably have more injuries/fatalities from double charged ammo.

Anybody with decent machining skills can build the dies to make any casings/primers/bullets/gas-checks they want for a few hundred dollars. Working lead and brass are about as simple as it gets. Smokeless "powder" is more difficult and dangerous to make, but not beyond an industrious work-shed chemist.

I've heard this mix before. Isn't it Cut Chemist??? How come he's not mentioned anywhere??

It is rilly good, regardless.