Comments on: Chiropractical

By: Erik R.

Erik R. — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:56:54 +0000

Nice link, ‘drinker! The anti-vaccine crowd are pretty insane. People look around, don’t see these diseases anymore and think, “Why should I give my child a vaccine when no one gets that anymore?” And of course the reason those diseases aren’t a problem anymore is that everyone gets vaccinated!!

By: aquariumdrinker

aquariumdrinker — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:30:14 +0000

Epilogue:

Link

[Because the laws of HTML don't seem to hold up for me on this particular wordpress installation, here's the text link: http://tinyurl.com/5po7fo ]

By: aquariumdrinker

aquariumdrinker — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:15:39 +0000

My experience with high schoolers suggests that we develop the ability to detect bullshit earlier than we have any particularly impressive critical thinking skills. And my critical thinking self would really enjoy being religious — I love theology — if only it didn’t involve magic men in the sky.

By: Erik R.

Erik R. — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:04:38 +0000

Very interesting, Nystrom. We’re hoping for a cast, too. Marga wants a cast just to be reminded not to walk on it. At the moment, she forgets, walks normally for a few hundred meters and then painfully regrets it for the next couple hours.

By: Nystrom

Nystrom — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:50:47 +0000

I dunno, I’ve met some embarrassingly dumb atheists. Somehow the Crusades always get mentioned. I think critically thinking people are still probably a higher percentage in the atheist group, but you also get a higher percentage of people just doing it to be different… which isn’t so bad in of itself.

I tore a ligament a couple years ago in Japan. If you want to know how different medicine is there, the doctor actual pulled my foot as hard as possible while the x-ray was being taken - to check for separation - as you might imagine he was getting a good dose of x-rays at the same time. It also hurt like hell. I got a cast for 4 weeks, plus 4 weeks of rehab or so. If they recommend a cast, go with it, as ligaments heal more like bone than muscle.

By: Carl

Carl — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:05:27 +0000

Super story, hope Marga’s foot is feeling better soon. Maybe it’s not the critical thinking but that we are just plain sceptical. Which might mean we are less likely.

By: Erik R.

Erik R. — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:35:27 +0000

I wonder if atheists are less likely to visit chiropractors.

I suspect that, on average, atheists have far superior critical thinking skills than theists. So theists are probably a lot more willing to take comfort in bullshit that an authority figure (he’s got a white coat on!) says is good for them. If a ‘practor says “That tingling sensation is your stress evaporating away,” a critical thinker is going to say “What!?”, and a non-critical thinker is going to say, “Ahhhh…yeah, I can feel it working!”

I’ll get right on coating Marga’s foot with rice. Is wild rice okay?

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:12:52 +0000

Very very interesting. The scientist in me has never allowed me to enter a chiro-magic office. I suspect that wisps of logic, common sense, and folk medicine improve one’s chances for success there, but I also suspect that given a day’s training and a white lab coat, even I could make 6 out 7 “patients” declare they were feeling better, while simultaneously keeping my litigation likelihood within manageable limits. I wonder if atheists are less likely to visit chiropractors.

It looks like Marga had a bad sprain, probably with some ligament damage. It should take 4 to 6 weeks to heal. Sorry Marga. I don’t think the treatment is any different when the ligaments tear. RICE - Rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

By: Erik R.

Erik R. — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:38:51 +0000

Alternate title: “Chiro: not just a city in Egypt”