Double-Blind in the Balance
Double-blind studies are under siege and rightly so. Let’s heighten the standard. See also my scientific article: Serial Treatment Assumption Testing (STAT) Towards Better Evidence for Evidence-Based Medicine. A double-blind study compares a group of people undergoing an active medical treatment with a group that – apart from the therapeutic effect – receives an almost Read the full article…
82. ‘It’ will never work
People in search of ‘it’ or ‘he who does it’ to work for them: the picture exists already for thousands of years, maybe even very much longer. It’s about a shamanistic quality, the shaman being the one who mediates between people and the gods, his clientèle being people in search of ‘it’ to work for Read the full article…
81. The war on terrorism is fought in the heart
OK folks. Let’s face it. We are, at the dawn of the third millennium, living the Third World War. As in every other World War, there is of course an enemy. Or at least we think so. Do we? ◊◊◊ Yeah! It’s the war against terrorism! Or is it against terrorists? Should it not be Read the full article…
80. The Battling Sexes
Man, woman, and the eternal question: are we of the same species? The same world? The same universe? Is the so-called battle between the sexes really a ‘war of worlds’ between aliens? Or is it all an illusion? ◊◊◊ Illusion? ◊◊◊ If you ask me, ‘illusion’ is indeed a keyword in it all. This doesn’t Read the full article…
79. Sildenafil: more than a quack’s erection?
Sildenafil (known for instance as Viagra): who needs it? The real question is: does it work at all in physiologically enabling an erection? ◊◊◊ I don’t know. What I do know, is that nobody knows. ◊◊◊ Really. Nobody knows. Hasn’t it been tested then? Of course it has, but never properly! Let me explain. But Read the full article…
78. This can’t be real!
I’m sorry, but I’m also talking about you. ◊◊◊ The ‘place we humans live in’ seems to grow bigger and bigger at an enormous pace. It used to be only a tiny flat part of this globe called ‘earth’. Then it became bigger and bigger and rounder too. Then we soon found out we are Read the full article…
77. Of cause!
Patients often think that medical reasoning is mostly causal reasoning. Doctors often think so too. This is not the case. And that’s too bad, because it would make things so much easier… ◊◊◊ Still, we better don’t rely on wishful thinking. ◊◊◊ Causal reasoning is a myth that can easily be deconstructed. Therefore, we have Read the full article…
76. The curve of a woman
This Sticky is dedicated to all attractive women. Of course, the sticky-ness in this is meant platonically, but that may be profound… ◊◊◊ Sex-appeal (the subject of this text) is a mind game. Look at ‘suggestive clothing’. The sex-appeal lies in what is suggested rather than in what is shown. Now you may or may Read the full article…
75. Religion with no object
What’s in a name? Nothing. In some cases, even much less than nothing. ◊◊◊ In this world, many things are called ‘religion’ that clearly have nothing to do with what it can mean. Obvious: religion is not about believing that it will rain tomorrow (Is there a 20% chance? 60%?). Likewise, religion is not about Read the full article…
74. What’s in a book?
Believing in the bible, is not the same as believing in God. It’s believing in the ones who say the bible comes directly from God. Then the question is: why should anyone believe those guys? Because they have good marketing support? Because they have pointed ears? Because they believe in other guys who believe in Read the full article…
Open Religion = Poetry
Respect is due to all people, but not to anything just because it’s called ‘religion.’ Open religion = poetry. Let’s just say: religion = poetry. I’m not talking about words, rhythm and rhyme, although poetry of course can also be cast as such. It’s also much wider: the poetry of any art, the poetry of Read the full article…
From Sexual Harassment to Being a Gentleman
A ‘no’ is a no, even between quotation marks. In any ambivalent situation, you should not sexually harass any woman – or man – in any way. But we should start tackling this issue from a positive side… To me, ‘gentleman’ is still a nice word. I hope it will stay so forever. What it Read the full article…
73. The revenge of the tonsils
Things may appear rational, but that’s no guarantee that they are. Sometimes, I mean most of the time, we are not aware of this as much as we should. The result is that we live in a very irrational world and are not even aware of it. The house of Homo Sapiens is a house Read the full article…
72. The enemy!
Becoming successful is easy. You only have to be able to count to three: 1) Create an enemy; 2) Make yourself ‘needed’ to fight this enemy; 3) Simply go for it. ◊◊◊ It’s too bad that in all this, the word ‘simply’ is crucial. It means that people with a relevant level of intelligence have Read the full article…
71. The eye of the needle
Experimental scientists want to ‘prove’ the effect of acupuncture by using their experimental scientists’ schemes. What has come out of the experimentation with acupuncture is that it works… sometimes. ◊◊◊ Even so, if one doesn’t care exactly what works, then the case seems to be in favor of the needlers… sometimes. However, if one goes Read the full article…
70. A vision on mind
I think ‘vision’ has been interesting to me since I opened my eyes. Human vision of course. But later on ‘artificial vision’ too: how can a computer learn to really see the world? What does this mean : to see the world? Can one say that a camera sees the world? No, of course not. Read the full article…
69. Getting that wonderful sea-feeling
“We look at things and see ourselves.” ◊◊◊ This phrase is nonsense of course, but then again: not completely. For instance, there is more information coming from the brain to the eye than vice versa. If you look at it this way then the eye itself, nothing more than the first stage of vision, is Read the full article…