tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post6847033272126178044..comments2024-03-29T00:04:32.434-05:00Comments on Althouse: Bill Maher, anti-science?Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-73117519289718539752013-10-11T17:54:09.744-05:002013-10-11T17:54:09.744-05:00Oaf: You conveniently juxtapose Maher's claim...Oaf: You conveniently juxtapose Maher's claim and the university's denial as if they admit to their practice, buy you conveniently left out an intervening paragraph:<br /><br /><i>But the university said in a statement Tuesday the claims have no factual basis and said PETA’s repeated animal cruelty claims are “unsubstantiated” and “false.”</i><br /><br />By which we conclude that the university denies the allegation.<br /><br />Further:<br /><br /><i>A six-month investigation by the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare into a UW-Madison experiment found no violations in the university’s use of cats in sound localization, but the organization recommended the university do more to control infection in lab environments and improve cleaning methods in surgical areas.</i><br /><br />Which hardly sinks to the level of Maher's/PETA's claims.the wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16733198163180642859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-81180925882373774332013-10-11T16:02:13.390-05:002013-10-11T16:02:13.390-05:00I remember a moment from Maher's "Politic...I remember a moment from Maher's "Politically Incorrect" TV show. One of the guests was Steve Allen. <br /><br />Maher rattled off some number of weird beliefs (these may not have been the exact ones he mentioned): <br /><br />"I believe in astrology, I believe in channelling, I believe in reincarnation. Does that make me stupid?"<br /><br />Allen's whole reply: "Yes!"<br /><br />Maher hasn't gotten any smarter.Nate Whilkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03309570046510278367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-29041165516526970952013-10-11T14:06:09.107-05:002013-10-11T14:06:09.107-05:00The animals were forced to listen to videos of Mah...The animals were forced to listen to videos of Maher shilling for the State while pretending to be a libertarian. Now THAT's cruelty!Bilwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12264809254712506094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-2786638973385408792013-10-11T10:42:51.362-05:002013-10-11T10:42:51.362-05:00Let's see, the last bunches of folk who practi...Let's see, the last bunches of folk who practiced "human experimentation" first.<br />1. Had their "sanitariums" shut down<br />2.Were disposed from their African "leadership" positions.<br />3. Known as National Socialists.<br />4.Permanantly screwed up a BUNCH of Male Negros with VD (SEE:#2)<br />5.Permanantly screwed up a BUNCH of American servicemen.<br /><br />But, you know...it's Science!.<br />How come those disclaimers for drugs-as seen on tee vee and "popular" magazines-are longer than the rest of the ad?<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40101690367069530082013-10-11T10:42:44.905-05:002013-10-11T10:42:44.905-05:00Let's see, the last bunches of folk who practi...Let's see, the last bunches of folk who practiced "human experimentation" first.<br />1. Had their "sanitariums" shut down<br />2.Were disposed from their African "leadership" positions.<br />3. Known as National Socialists.<br />4.Permanantly screwed up a BUNCH of Male Negros with VD (SEE:#2)<br />5.Permanantly screwed up a BUNCH of American servicemen.<br /><br />But, you know...it's Science!.<br />How come those disclaimers for drugs-as seen on tee vee and "popular" magazines-are longer than the rest of the ad?<br /><br />CaptDMOAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-41983186652599728702013-10-11T10:40:43.254-05:002013-10-11T10:40:43.254-05:00Let's see, the last bunches of folk who practi...Let's see, the last bunches of folk who practiced "human experimentation" first.<br />1. Had their "sanitariums" shut down<br />2.Were disposed from their African "leadership" positions.<br />3. Known as National Socialists.<br />4.Permanantly screwed up a BUNCH of Male Negros with VD (SEE:#2)<br />5.Permanantly screwed up a BUNCH of American servicemen.<br /><br />But, you know...it's Science!.<br />How come those disclaimers for drugs-as seen on tee vee and "popular" magazines-are longer than the rest of the ad?<br /><br />CaptDMOAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-50543603610096571932013-10-11T10:04:18.083-05:002013-10-11T10:04:18.083-05:00Did you get that, global warming fans? You're ...<i>Did you get that, global warming fans? You're supposed to validate your models.</i><br /><br />FAIL: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/04/17/temperature-models-vs-temperature-reality-in-the-lower-troposphere/<br /><br />Michael The Magnificenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820094319077676224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-28952293315722342662013-10-11T09:17:13.776-05:002013-10-11T09:17:13.776-05:00But Oaf.
If it saves just one life..............
...But Oaf.<br />If it saves just one life..............<br /><br />For the children!<br /><br />We gotta kill it to know what's in it!<br /><br /><br />Rustyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00938263272237104128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-20137884784089551262013-10-11T09:12:54.919-05:002013-10-11T09:12:54.919-05:00@nn, whenever I think of a creationist, I think of...@nn, whenever I think of a creationist, I think of the following exchange:<br /><br />Creationist: How can you say that dinosaur fossils are millions of years old when carbon-14 dating only goes back 50,000 years?<br /><br />Big Mike: They don't use carbon-14 dating for very old specimens. They use potassium-argon dating.<br /><br />Creationist stares at Big Mike for two or three minutes.<br /><br />Creationist: Well evolution can't be true because carbon-14 dating only goes back 50,000 years. (Said loudly)<br /><br />Creationist pivots on his heel and walks off.<br /><br />@nn, the problem with creationism as a scientific theory isn't that it can't possibly be right -- once one postulates an omnipotent God then the omnipotent God can do anything, including planting rocks in the ground that look like dinosaur bones and the omnipotent God, since he (she?) can do anything, can play with the results of the potassium-argon measurements so they consistently come out in the 100 million years ago range. Trivial for an omnipotent God.<br /><br />But the point of a scientific theory is to be able to predict things, and if an omnipotent God can do unpredictable things then where is the science?<br /><br />Evolution makes predictions, and the predictions have, thus far, held up. But if we ever find fossilized human skeletons in Jurassic rocks then either evolution is wrong or time travel is going to be invented.Big Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831645119853118904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-73209968403391952412013-10-11T08:11:38.106-05:002013-10-11T08:11:38.106-05:00Glen Wishard: "His reverence for animals over...Glen Wishard: "His reverence for animals over humans is nothing - NOTHING - but a religious belief, though Maher pretends to be superior to religion. His religion is missing all the faith, hope, and charity, but it has a double helping of intolerance."<br /><br />Do you automatically support the methods of all scientists everywhere who conduct experiments on animals? Or do you acknowledge that some scientists have conducted experiments in ways that should not be supported? <br /><br />If Bill Maher's concerns about the University of Wisconsin are irrational, how come the feds investigated them and found violations? LoafingOafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17398399168775034527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-54670339557987677372013-10-11T08:06:47.312-05:002013-10-11T08:06:47.312-05:00I clicked to the article Althouse linked.
It say...I clicked to the article Althouse linked. <br /><br />It says Maher's message stated university researchers drilled holes into cats' skulls, implanted coils into their eyes, cut their ears off, and starved them.<br /><br />The article quotes the university as responding: "The facts tell us that the research in question is important, was conducted appropriately and humanely, and will lead to a better understanding of hearing and technologies to address hearing loss."<br /><br />So, the university doesn't deny the details of the research on cats, but makes an unsubstantiated claim that it was conducted humanely and will lead to important progress in understanding hearing and technologies to address hearing loss.<br /><br />Before Althouse calls Maher "anti-science" for being appalled at the photographs and details of the research in question, shouldn't she present some facts which demonstrate that the research on the cats was conducted humanely and within the law and was needed for important scientific progress?<br /><br />Or does Althouse believe that anyone making any inquiries into researchers after seeing disturbing photographs of experiments on animals at her university is "anti-science"? <br /><br />On Google I found that the university fought for years to hide photographs of the experiments on cats from the public. Some of the photos are here: http://www.peta.org/features/uw-madison-cruelty.aspx<br /><br />I also found that a veterinarian who oversaw the experiments on a cat stated: "I saw this research firsthand. Many of these cats suffered unnecessarily." http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2012/10/12/former-uw-vet-says-lab-violated-the-law.aspx<br /><br />Peta claims: "Experimenters justified the use of 30 cats per year not by saying that the experiments would lead to improvements in human health but rather by stating that they needed to 'keep up a productive publication record that ensures our constant funding.'"<br /><br />Peta also claims the USDA found the university violated the Animal Welfare Act, among other things. <br /><br />I don't know any more than what I've read in these few articles. Is Althouse vouching for the research in question? Will she show us why the research was needed to advance science and was conducted in a way that makes her proud of her university?<br /><br />Instead of just calling Bill Maher a name, why doesn't Althouse show us why the experiments on the cats at her university were important to scientific progress and were conducted in a manner that can be held up as a model of ethical scientific research on animals? <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />LoafingOafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17398399168775034527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-30860079082746044792013-10-11T07:42:20.359-05:002013-10-11T07:42:20.359-05:00About 20 years ago I had a girlfriend who worked f...About 20 years ago I had a girlfriend who worked for Aveda. They were among the first to proclaim "not tested on animals". She had me try some new product without telling me I was substituting for animal testing. I still have the scar on my hand. LakeLevelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00589622948142663892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-64802321349689372412013-10-11T05:33:24.051-05:002013-10-11T05:33:24.051-05:00Maher is not impressed with the argument that huma...Maher is not impressed with the argument that humans will be test subjects if animals are not, because he's a flake that doesn't believe in medicine, let alone science.<br /><br />His reverence for animals over humans is nothing - NOTHING - but a religious belief, though Maher pretends to be superior to religion. His religion is missing all the faith, hope, and charity, but it has a double helping of intolerance.Glen Wishardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05968981373880078823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-86513455301095228112013-10-11T04:35:19.512-05:002013-10-11T04:35:19.512-05:00The thing about science is, there is more that is ...The thing about science is, there is more that is not settled, than there is. Good science is achieved by questioning it...it is much like forensics, in that much eludes our limited insight. Bill Maher is no scientist, but another in a long line of ignorant media whores whose impact in 50 years will be that of an antfart in a hurricane.Toad Trendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03113877205525601966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-57679719197457836512013-10-11T04:33:59.034-05:002013-10-11T04:33:59.034-05:00The thing about science is, there is more that is ...The thing about science is, there is more that is not settled, than there is. Good science is achieved by questioning it...it is much like forensics, in that much eludes our limited insight. Bill Maher is no scientist, but another in a long line of ignorant media whores whose impact in 50 years will be that of an antfart in a hurricane.Toad Trendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03113877205525601966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-55479659247581581502013-10-10T20:03:15.833-05:002013-10-10T20:03:15.833-05:00The university's statement leads me to suspect...The university's statement leads me to suspect that the claims are at least partially true.<br /><br />Maher's stance on vaccination is one thing, but upholding ethical standards for the treatment of animals in laboratory research is not "anti-science." Chiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411363107558366631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-77187768709041390612013-10-10T18:36:53.838-05:002013-10-10T18:36:53.838-05:00The problem with PETA is not a purported interest ...The problem with PETA is not a purported interest in the ethical (not moral) treatment of animals, which is a reasonable expectation, but that their strategy is to promote a human-animal equivalence and thereby devalue human life.<br /><br />Big Mike:<br /><br />I have not come across a "creationist" who did not understand the principles of evolution. In fact, generally, people with that faith are not in conflict with philosophy practiced in a limited frame of reference (i.e. science). The conflict is between competing articles of faith. Those aspects of "evolutionary theory" which describe processes and events based on emergent patterns in limited, circumstantial evidence. The "theory" of evolution, as it has been accepted in many if not most forums, describes a philosophical concept and should be distinguished from the principles of evolution or a chaotic process which can be observed and reproduced.<br /><br />Actually, the most notable challenge with respect to evolution is explaining to someone that a human life evolves from conception to death. There are quite a few people who would prefer to believe or acknowledge a human life is created from an arbitrary point of viability, typically for personal convenience.n.nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04252447117532342957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-49331754992643376182013-10-10T18:25:34.788-05:002013-10-10T18:25:34.788-05:00My daughter is an ICU tech at an animal research l...My daughter is an ICU tech at an animal research lab. She takes care of pigs, sheep, and cows used in heart research. They have very, very strict protocols on the care of the animals. For example, they spend some time petting the animals on each shift. <br /><br />In order to do animal testing, the test has to be shown to be needed and no other method usable. The test protocol is developed in accordance with federal humane guidelines. It's reviewed by in-house veteranarians for approval. It's then presented to an outside review panel that has vets, researchers, and laypersons on it. If they approve it, the FDA has their review.Edmundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11718740483011655096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5584650043356131482013-10-10T17:04:06.135-05:002013-10-10T17:04:06.135-05:00The allegations are over a year old, and were foun...The allegations are over a year old, and were found to be baseless after a six month investigation. Maher should make another 100,000 calls to share that information.<br /><br />Winston S. Churchill - "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."ErnieGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02633051842003605102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-78943896855742311582013-10-10T16:53:12.866-05:002013-10-10T16:53:12.866-05:00Maher is a racist sexist pig. He simply loves ani...Maher is a racist sexist pig. He simply loves animals because he is one.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13856849406793660706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35168288616113747462013-10-10T16:13:42.074-05:002013-10-10T16:13:42.074-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.richard mcenroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659450906647134430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-55490034944036338752013-10-10T16:13:38.554-05:002013-10-10T16:13:38.554-05:00Didn't PETA put down thousands of those puppie...Didn't PETA put down thousands of those puppies they said they rescued?richard mcenroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659450906647134430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-16378290816118686172013-10-10T16:11:41.746-05:002013-10-10T16:11:41.746-05:00If Bill Maher's against it, one might almost t...If Bill Maher's against it, one might almost think the critters have it coming...richard mcenroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659450906647134430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-52929689803689326092013-10-10T15:40:04.415-05:002013-10-10T15:40:04.415-05:00@lgv, I already tried asking an earnest young PETA...@lgv, I already tried asking an earnest young PETA type that very question, i.e., did she want humans to be the first test animals. She earnestly assured me that there were mathematical models that could be used instead of animal testing.<br /><br />As a person who builds, validates, and exercises mathematical models I should have asked her some technical questions about her alleged adequate models, but instead I tried to explain the limits of modeling. It was like trying to explain evolution to a creationist or economics to a progressive.<br /><br />Did you get that, global warming fans? You're supposed to <i>validate</i> your models.Big Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831645119853118904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-49513472290908237492013-10-10T15:30:01.016-05:002013-10-10T15:30:01.016-05:00Preaching to the choir Bill. Try a semi hostile e...Preaching to the choir Bill. Try a semi hostile environment, without an echo chamber, O Ye Brave One!SteveRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12864387606863466980noreply@blogger.com