Another illustration - The Placebo Effect.

Post #29,548 by Another Scott 2/24/02 12:38:53 PM Reply	Another illustration - The Placebo Effect. From the 2/23 issue of The Economist (on the web but you need to be a subscriber to read it there). p.83: According to Fabrizio Benedetti, a neuroscientist at the University of Turin, researchers now believe that the placebo effect results from the release in the brain of natural painkillers called endogenous opiates, which are produced when the brain anticipates relief. When people are dosed with a substance that counteracts the effects of these opiates, their respose to placebos evaporate. Moreover, the brain also contains a substance called cholecystokinin, which opposes the action of opiates. When patients are given a drug that degrades cholecystokinin, their opiate levels stay higher than normal and their responses to placebos become stronger. The placebo effect also holds true in reverse. When patients do not know they are receiving treatment, they do not respond to it. Dr. Benedetti showed the audience a remarkable video of a patient with Parkinson's disease, an ailment that causes muscle tics and trembling. These symptoms can be alleviated by electrical stimulation of the brain. The video showed that when the patient was unaware that stimulation was being applied, his twitching continued unabated. But as soon as he knew the electrodes had been switched on, his symptoms were reduced. [...] The research was reported at the AAAS meeting in Boston. The point? The brain is a complicated organic computing and sensing device with complicated filters. It doesn't measure objective reality directly. Its response depends upon many psychological factors - not just on objective things like the presence of drugs or voltages. Logic and measurments will only get us so far in knowing objective "Truth". One should be skeptical of those who claim to know "The Truth". Just as claims of supernatural events demand extraordinary evidence, similarly claims of knowledge of "The Truth" requires very strong evidence. (Why? Because life is filled with shades of gray. "The Truth" as it's being used in this thread, doesn't seem to allow shades of gray.) My $0.02. Cheers, Scott.
Post #29,554 by a6l6e6x 2/24/02 1:09:51 PM Reply	Re: "The Truth" according to the Rev. Ashcroft. Ashcroft came to the Buckle on the Bible Belt to, among other things, sing as well as expound on his views. [link\|http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/2734992.htm\|Charlotte Observer article.] A quote, I hope is sincere, is: Some people, he said, have told him they're afraid he'll impose his religion on others. "I have to carefully tell them that it's against my religion to impose my religion," he said. A quote amusing to me is: Ashcroft noted that he never attended seminary, and joked that as a result, "the things that I say may be totally wrong." "As a matter of fact, there is a substantial community of individuals who believe the things I say are totally wrong," he said, alluding to his many critics. "That hasn't stopped me from saying them before and it won't stop me from saying them again." Alex "Of course, you realize this means war." -B. Bunny
Post #29,565 by Ashton 2/24/02 5:19:24 PM 2/24/02 5:21:40 PM Reply	Oops - blong under Alex, re Ashcroft He comes almost close-enough to having a sense of humor! ..but not quite. It's not clear if his brief quips represent wryness - or maybe he just listened to some cues from an aide, about "what some folks are saying". (It would help a lot though - if in fact he Has a sense of humor.. y'know?.. especially about Righteousness and stuff) A. Edited by Missing User 70 Feb. 24, 2002, 05:21:40 PM EST Expand All History
Post #29,566 by a6l6e6x 2/24/02 5:45:52 PM Reply	Yes, one can always hope for s sense of humor. Alex "Of course, you realize this means war." -B. Bunny

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