From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Fri Dec 05 2003 - 13:45:44 PST
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From: What's New
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 4:11 PM
To: ljk4_at_msn.com
Subject: WHAT'S NEW Friday, December 05, 2003
WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 5 Dec 03 Washington, DC
1. PUBLIC TELEVISION FUND RAISING: OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY.
To raise the money it takes to bring us intelligent, commercial-
free programs, PBS stations resort to Pledge Week. It works like
this: the quality programs we normally enjoy are replaced with
sleazy infomercials delivered by unscrupulous "operators" like
health guru Deepak Chopra, M.D. (WN 9 Oct 98). Chopra promotes a
brand of spiritual healing that he says is confirmed by modern
quantum theory. His 1993 book, "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The
Quantum Alternative to Growing Old" topped the best-seller lists
for weeks. His medical advice, however, comes straight out of
ayurveda, ancient Hindu medicine that is 3,000 years older than
quantum mechanics. On Monday, Chopra had a two-hour PBS special,
"The Soul of Healing," in which he explained how you can "invoke
your inner pharmacy." Does it work? Trust me, after just a few
minutes of Chopra, your inner pharmacy will deliver a massive
dose of road-rage hormones. It's really a cunning Pledge Week
message: See how bad television would be if there was no PBS?
2. SPACED OUT: IS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION MOONING THE CHINESE?
There has been a rumor circulating for several weeks that a White
House directive is being prepared that will launch NASA back to
the Moon. Why now? Does the world's dominant space power feel
it must keep up with China? (WN 17 Oct 03) According to a front-
page story in today's Washington Post, a return of astronauts to
the Moon is just one of the "big ideas" being considered by the
Bush administration to capture public imagination in 2004. You
recall that in 1989, on the 20th anniversary of the Moon landing,
another Bush stood on the steps of the Air and Space Museum and
called for a return to the Moon as part of a mission to Mars. But
while scientists eagerly await results from two robots on their
way to Mars, the Moon arouses little scientific interest.
3. ECHINACEA: IT FLUNKS AMID INDICATIONS OF A BAD FLU SEASON.
The most important of all medical discoveries is not antibiotics,
or immunization; it is the randomized double-blind test, by means
of which we find out what works and what doesn't. Among the many
alternative therapies, herbal medications would seem to be the
most promising. Until about 50 years ago, pharmacology depended
almost entirely on the empiricism of the herbalist. Angiosperms
in particular, contain bio-active chemicals in their leaves, bark
and flowers. The task has been to identify the active substance,
purify it, synthesize it, and then test it. Herbal therapists,
however, believe this process weakens the effect. Echinacea is
the most popular herbal for colds and flu, with annual sales of
more than $300M. But in a study at the University of Washington,
funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine, Echinacea extract was no more effective than a placebo.
Some scientists regard herbs as simply dilute drugs, but so far,
controlled studies of herbal therapies have been disappointing.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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