'Hocus Pocus has never enjoyed such high status with the middle classes'

[John de Combe]

Nice read in The Observer today...

 

[CFLarsen]

I did write her a thank-you note, but saw this in another article, where she complains about scientists being wrong:

The final straw came with the row over the MMR vaccine. Scientists maintained that the vaccine was safe, while one of their own - Andrew Wakefield at the Royal Free Hospital - argued that there was, in fact, a connection between the triple vaccine and autism. Britons went to the barricades. There are more parents than farmers, more children than Prozac consumers. MMR whipped into a fury the concerns that hitherto had merely raised temperatures. The controversial jab prompted people to question everything from the scientists' motives to their procedures.

Oh, well...can't win'em all!

 

[Dr Adequate]

I did write her a thank-you note, but saw this in another article, where she complains about scientists being wrong.

I think you've missed the point of the piece entirely. She's analysing the cause of public discontent with science, not saying that it's entirely justified. "The controversial jab prompted people to question everything from the scientists' motives to their procedures." Well, this is true. IT DID. This is honest social reportage. Look at her conclusion:

"Scientists cannot be held responsible for our yearnings; they never touted themselves as either infallible or uncorruptible. Indeed, they would be the first to argue that they are just as imperfect as ourselves."

Is this a rabid science critic? This is a friend who is grinding our axe for us in front of a mass audience. We should write her thank-you notes more often.

 

[CFLarsen]

Hm. I'll read it again.