Comments on: Measles, the Media and the Dunning-Kruger Effect

By: Michael Noonan

Michael Noonan — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 04:00:51 +0000

There is an element of truth in what you say, Curtis. Those things certainly are factors in increased longevity. But many immunisable diseases are not particularly susceptible to hand washing, and are spread by means other than impure water. If you look at the causes of death over time, immunisable diseases fall by a lot, lot more than many other causes.

By: Curtis Ruuska

Curtis Ruuska — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 17:41:47 +0000

oh, and keep in mind also, your data about our life expectancy is waaaaaaay off, those numbers are “Including” war deaths, back then, populations were very low, and every country, and every culture were hard at work killing each other, there for, soldiers tended to range in ages from 14-25, which of those people in that age group often died sooner than they were suppose to. So now that the populations are higher, and we stopped gathering in fields by the thousands to kill each other……well ya, our life expectancy rate has dramatically increased, we have had only marginal increases in age expectancy. And a Huuuuuuge increase in life expectancy, once we learned to use friggen soap and water, and to stop eating rotten food, to me vaccines have had very little impact on how long we live.

By: Curtis Ruuska

Curtis Ruuska — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 17:35:00 +0000

but….you have to keep in mind, this is the medical industries fault that people are going this route. They have lied to us so many times now, that even if they did do a complete turn around of honesty, people would not believe them anymore anyways, trust is a delicate thing, and that trust has been trashed. So as you know, many people do not have the ability to forgive and forget….Im one of them. It is a shame, but thats what happens in the world of lies and broken promises.

By: Rectofossa

Rectofossa — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 20:04:00 +0000

In reply to cynthia white.

Hello and thank you for the kind words – and for putting up with the glitches and general technical incompetence on my part while I learn how to do this.
I’m not sure I’d characterise the bloke who’s arguably the greatest expert on the chemical bond – even though he’s dead – as a joke but he did kind of lose it after that second Nobel. Perhaps he should have stuck to his knitting rather than becoming poster boy for the Peter Principle.
There was a Cochrane review on this if I recall saying that Vit C supplementation might reduce the symptoms of lab-confirmed ‘flu by 12 hours – but that sort of reduction based on patient perception rather than anything empiric when ‘proper’ flu is a two week outing sounds like artefact to me.
There’s a recent look at the wider Vit C / Pauling legacy here – what I will say for the old boy is that he might have gone native on Vit C but at least he didn’t turn into a xenophobic nutter like James Watson. Getting a Nobel does odd things to scientists.
My comment on the wider literature on this is that Pauling caused millions to be spent on trying to prove this and didn’t – and every woo peddler on the planet has tried to prove that Vit C cures everything – but despite all the efforts no-one has proved Vit C is effective in curing anything but scurvy. Apart from electronegativity citing LP smacks of the classic appeal to authority fallacy.
Vitamin D is another matter tho….
Thanks again.

By: cynthia white

cynthia white — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 18:20:00 +0000

Hi, I love your blog and read it enthusiastically. I just have one comment about Linus Pauling. I know he became a household joke following his stance about Vitamin C. I do recall reading some years after he died an article in the New York Times Magazine about some newer research at MIT then was lending some support to his theories about Vitamin C. The premise of the article was that maybe he wasn’t such a joke after all. I don’t remember when I read it or the specific research cited, but it’s something that has stayed with me after many years. Just wanted to mention it.