Monthly Archives: June 2001

How Reliable Is Forensic Science?

The National Center for Policy Analysis recently published some fascinating but scary figures on the reliability, or lack thereof, of commonly used forensic techniques — especially evidence based on hair analysis. Of the first 74 people in prison who were … Continue reading

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U.S. Citizen Murdered for Deadly Superstition

The Daily Telegraph reported this week that the body of an American woman who had gone missing more than a year ago in Malaysia was recently discovered after a man confessed to her murder. Carolyn Jamica Noraini Abdullah, 35, was … Continue reading

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Richard Lindzen on the NAS Global Warming Report

When the National Academy of Sciences recently released a report on global climate change it was widely hailed in the media as being incontrovertible proof that there is no serious scientific disagreement about global warming. As CNN’s Michelle Mitchell put … Continue reading

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Is Rape an Effective Reproductive Strategy?

Last year Randy Thornill and Craig Palmer created a controversy with their book, A Natural History of Rape, which argued that rape persists because it evolved as a successful reproductive strategy for some men. Now, Jon and Tiffany Gottschall have … Continue reading

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The Ford Explorer’s Fatal Safety Error

We’ve all heard by now that the Ford Explorer SUV in combination with the Bridgestone-Firestone tires allegedly suffers from a tire tread separation problem which can lead to accidents. The National Center for Policy Analysis (which, despite the bland title, … Continue reading

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Does CO2 Lead to Global Warming or Vice Versa

Science Daily recently reported on a “viewpoint” published in the American Chemical Society’s Chemical Innovation by Robert Essenhigh, the E.G. Bailey Professor of Energy Conservation in Ohio State’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, that illustrates just how much debate there is … Continue reading

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More John Edwards Madness

An article appeared in USA Today on June 20 about psychics and specifically the John Edwards phenomenon. I though James Randi offered the best assessment of these frauds: People not only want it to be true, they need it to … Continue reading

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Ronald Bailey on Latest Worldwatch Doom and Gloom

Writing for Reason magazine, Ronald Bailey recently took the Worldwatch Institute to task for the latest installment of its annual Vital Signs report. As Bailey notes, the main problem with Worldwatch is that it rather than provide a balanced account … Continue reading

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Does NAS Report Put Bush on the Hot Spot with Global Warming?

Much of the mainstream media coverage of the recent National Academy of Sciences report about global warming saw the report as a slam dunk against George W. Bush’s skeptical view of the problem. An editorial from the Minnesota Star Tribune … Continue reading

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Do Computers Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Its conventional wisdom that excessive typing on computer keyboards is a major contributor to carpal tunnel syndrome, but a new study suggests the conventional wisdom may be wrong. Neurologist J. Clarke Stevens recently conducted a study of 257 workers, divided … Continue reading

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