>From: "What's New" <whatsnew@bobpark.org>
>Reply-To:
whatsnew@bobpark.org
>Subject: WHAT'S NEW Friday, April 15, 2005
>Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 15:29:46 -0400
>
>WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 15 Apr 05 Washington, DC
>
>1. KANSAS: AAAS TURNS DOWN AN INVITATION TO DEBATE EVOLUTION.
>Last Friday, the Kansas State Department of Education invited the
>American Association for the Advancement of Science "to provide
>expert opinion regarding the mainstream scientific view of the
>nature of science," at a hearing on evolution. Drawing from the
>Santorum report language accompanying the No Child left Behind
>Act, the invitation says the curriculum "should help students
>understand the full range of scientific views that exist." Of
>course. The problem is that there is only one scientific view of
>the origin of species: Darwin's "natural selection." The hearing
>will be nothing but elaborately staged theater, with intelligent
>designers portrayed as scientists. The AAAS CEO, Alan Leshner,
>quite properly declined, "We see no purpose in debating a matter
>of faith." Neither does WN. But wait, isn't this the same Alan
>Leshner who defends the AAAS Dialog on Science, Ethics and
>Religion? In an editorial in the 11 Feb 05 issue of Science,
>Leshner argued that getting together with religious leaders to
>discuss the relation of scientific advances to other belief
>systems is helpful http://www.aps.org/WN/WN05/wn021105.cfm.
>
>2. EPHEDRA: FEDERAL JUDGE IN UTAH LIFTS THE FDA BAN ON EPHEDRA.
>In 1998 WN exposed "Vitamin O" as ordinary salt water. The FDA
>was barred from taking action because salt water is a "natural"
>supplement. Later that year a UCSF study reported serious side
>effects from ephedra http://www.aps.org/WN/WN98/wn112798.cfm.
>Sold on the web as "herbal ecstacy," the FDA said ephedra, was
>also protected by the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act
>(DSHEA). It's estimated that there are more adverse reactions to
>ephedra than all other herbal supplements combined, but not until
>a young major league pitcher became a victim did the FDA ban it
>http://www.aps.org/WN/WN04/wn010204.cfm. Ephedra was the only
>supplement banned since passage of DSHEA. Now there are none.
>The judge lifted the ban because the FDA had not determined a
>safe level. The FDA had not determined a safe level because it
>would be unethical to test a substance on people if it's known to
>be harmful. Once again there are calls to change DSHEA.
>
>3. HOMEOPATHY AT 250: THE POWER OF MEDICINE THAT DOES NO HARM.
>My mail box has been crammed full of homeopathy stuff all week.
>Sunday was the 250th birthday of Samuel Hahnemann, the German
>physician who founded homeopathy in an age of purging and blood-
>letting. Hahnemann's "law of similars" would be a disaster, had
>he not come up with his "law of infinitesimals." His diaper rash
>cure, for example, is rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy). Lucky for
>baby, the law of infinitesimals says to dilute it 200C, i.e.
>there isn't any. We excuse Hahnemann, who didn't have Avogadro's
>number (neither did Avogadro, it was determined 50 years later),
>but homeopaths know it, which goes beyond stupid. And homeopathy
>has its own DSHEA. In 1938 Senator Royal Copeland, a homeopath,
>exempted homeopathy from the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. After
>all, it would be like trying to show holy water had been blessed.
>
>
>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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