In Reply to: "Are you calling these tweaks placebo?" Plainly not. posted by clarkjohnsen on July 3, 2007 at 09:12:01:
The original statement was yours, not mine – mine was a reply to the original statement and I did not use the terms ‘believes’ and ‘placebo’ pejoratively or dismissively. Once again, I used those terms as the only possible explanation (in my view) for the efficacy of the two ‘tweaks’ I cited. Your reiteration of the power of placebo to “really work†would seem to make my point – you are, in fact, implying that placebo is the mode of operation, just as I suspected.
For crying out loud, I stated that I wasn’t being dismissive about placebo effect. I NEVER claimed that I wasn’t dismissive about these so-called tweaks. Give me ONE good reason why I should NOT be. Stop distorting my statements – I’m being clear and direct. Calling me dismissive does not speak in support of your position.
I could teach a course on the history of science. You say ‘people like you’ without having any knowledge (apparently) of my educational background, or how I think. You seem to equate skepticism with a closed mind. That displays a gross misunderstanding of the term. Rigorous science demands testing, and the more extraordinary the hypothesis, the more extraordinarily well-tested the evidence must be – this is simply science and it is the arduous route by which every hypothesis ascends toward theory. You’re absolutely right; I did read that somewhere – Science 101. You are using a predictable tactic – deflection via ad hominem attacks. It’s usually an indication of a vacuous argument.
Did you actually suggest that mine is more a couch-potato science? Mine is RIGOROUS science; science without rigor is couch-potato science. Any hypothesis is first and foremost TESTABLE (again, Science 101). There’s no ‘wink wink, nod nod’ in my statement about skeptical thinking; once again, I’m being clear and direct. Who, by the way, is being patronizing (you or I)?
"Jazz is not dead - it just smells funny" FZ♬
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Follow Ups
- If not placebo, then what? (That's all I ask.) - wazoo 22:54:10 07/03/07 (5)
- "I could teach a course on the history of science." Maybe you shouldn't. - clarkjohnsen 08:27:55 07/05/07 (4)
- Wrong again! - wazoo 18:33:53 07/05/07 (0)
- RE: "I could teach a course on the history of science." Maybe you shouldn't. - May Belt 11:03:24 07/05/07 (2)
- hocus pocus - wazoo 18:48:38 07/05/07 (0)
- "But when the testing has to be done with any of the senses, particularly the hearing..." Indeed. - clarkjohnsen 11:14:38 07/05/07 (0)