Ed’s corner of the web

This story and its close cousins have already been followed extensively in the blogosphere, skeptical and otherwise (see here and here for examples), but I’m glad to see CNN picking it up, even if it underplays the huge negative consequences.

What it boils down to is that governments around the world - including Thailand, Mexico, and Iraq -  have been duped into purchasing glorified dowsing rods as bomb detectors.  Apparently, since dowsing for oil, gold, and buried hoards of cash wasn’t proving profitable for the manufacturers of these devices (gee – I wonder why), they have chosen instead to defraud national governments.  I guess it was just easier.

As sad as it is that some malicious groups out there are trying to profit off of people’s gullibility (and don’t get me wrong – these people should absolutely go to jail), it’s just as disheartening that there are national governments falling for this crap.  If you’re Iraq, for example, not only are you tens of millions of dollars poorer from purchasing these carnival gadgets, but you’ve failed to prevent an unknowable number of deaths.  All from placing your faith in a woo-toy to sniff out bombs.  This is the true cost of pseudoscience and stupidity.

As if I needed something else to suck up my time.  I’ve been inspired by the fabulous idea pictured here.  I kind of like the idea of using my own slides instead of buying used, so this gives me an excuse to dust off the old film camera and take lots more pictures.  I figure you could even create a sort of photomosaic if you weren’t after anything too high resolution.  Now to find some cheap slide film…

This is great news.  It’s a little late in coming – well, actually a lot.  But truth and the self-correcting nature of scientific inquiry have finally won a little victory.  There has still been irreparable harm done to autism research and treatment as a whole, not to mention the fight against vaccine-preventable illness, but hopefully this is a reflection of the turning tide.