What's New Robert L. Park 15 Feb 2012

WHAT=92S NEW   Robert L. Park   Wednesday, 15 Feb 2012   Washington, DC=20

1. CULTURE WAR: ABSOLUTE FREEDOM OF RELIGION IS A MYTH.
Republican Presidential wannabes Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have=20
worked themselves into a lather protesting the Obama policy of including=20
coverage of contraception costs incurred by employees of religious=20
institutions under the Affordable Care Act, describing it as a "declarati=
on=20
of war against the Catholic Church."  This was mere ignorant political=20
hyperbola. There are, after all, 217 religious denominations listed in th=
e=20
2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, differing only over whic=
h=20
superstitions they choose to believe. There is, of course, a strong=20
precedent for legislation that gets into the marriage bed, as in the ban =
on=20
polygamy practised mostly by Mormons. We certainly don't want to discoura=
ge=20
anyone from practicing contraception. =20

2. THE PILL: THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY ON EARTH.
Atmospheric pollutants are causing global warming, our oceans are becomin=
g=20
sewers, shrinking freshwater resources are threatening food production,=20
energy costs are rising, our beautiful blue planet is changing color. The=
re=20
is hope. These trends will all be reversed if the average fertility rate =
of=20
the planet falls below two; it already has for much of our planet .

3.DECEPTION AT DUKE: SADLY RECALLING AN EARLIER EPISODE.=20
On Sunday, February 12, the CBS series 60 Minutes reminded us of the=20
largely unfulfilled promise of television to expose the foolishness and=20
fraud that diminishes our brief lives. If you did not see Sunday's progra=
m=20
I urge you to obtain a copy. Much earlier, many of us had followed with=20
growing wonder the news on television as Dr. Anil Potti reported amazing=20
progress in tailoring chemotherapy to a patient's own genetic makeup, wit=
h=20
remarkable results. However, as the science community often tells the=20
public, it's not a discovery until it's been independently confirmed.  Th=
e=20
willingness of researchers to open their findings to the entire scientifi=
c=20
community is what gives science its success and credibility.  In this cas=
e,=20
it could not be confirmed and may be one of the biggest medical research=20
frauds of all time.  Unfortunately, it was not the first time that Duke=20
University had fallen victim to foolish and fraudulent=20
science.                                                                 =
  =20
                                                                         =
  =20
3. PARAPSYCHOLOGY: J.B. RHINE FOUNDED THE FIELD AT DUKE IN 1934.
Even today, Parapsychology, including extrasensory perception, has millio=
ns=20
of believers, including some describing themselves as scientists who tend=
=20
to be drawn ever more deeply into belief.  Perhaps it's a selection=20
process. A scientist won't get much coverage by announcing to the press=20
that no evidence could be found. The unexpected is more interesting; of=20
course it's also more likely to be wrong. =20

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
---
Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org
What's New is moving to a different listserver and our
subscription process has changed. To change your subscription
status please visit this link:
http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=3Dbobparks-whatsnew&A=3D1