X-Message-Number: 13720
From: 
Date: Sat, 13 May 2000 00:42:32 EDT
Subject: Scientific obfuscation...please don't be offended

Hello, fellow future enthusiasts!

This is Rudi Hoffman writing from Daytona, FL.

Someone forwarded the following to me, and I really thought it was funny.  
Since most of come from a "rationalist, scientific point of view," the bit of 
humor regarding this orientation will hopefully not offend.

(And if you do get offended, grow up.)


<< Science/Medical Reports Language
 
 The following list of phrases and their definitions might 
 help you understand the mysterious language of science and 
 medicine.  These special phrases are also applicable to 
 anyone reading a Ph.D. dissertation or academic paper. 
  
 "IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN"... I didn't look up the original 
 reference. 
  
 "A DEFINITE TREND IS EVIDENT"... These data are practically 
 meaningless. 
  
 "WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE DEFINITE ANSWERS 
 TO THESE QUESTIONS"... An unsuccessful experiment, but I 
 still hope to get it published. 
  
 "THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR DETAILED STUDY"... 
 The other results didn't make any sense. 
  
 "TYPICAL RESULTS ARE SHOWN"... This is the prettiest graph. 
  
 "THESE RESULTS WILL BE IN A SUBSEQUENT REPORT"... I might 
 get around to this sometime, if pushed/funded. 
  
 "IN MY EXPERIENCE"... Once. 
 
 "IN CASE AFTER CASE"... Twice.
  
 "IN A SERIES OF CASES"... Thrice. 
  
 "IT IS BELIEVED THAT"... I think. 
  
 "IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT"... A couple of others think 
 so, too. 
  
 "CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE"... Wrong. 
  
 "ACCORDING TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS"... Rumor has it. 
  
 "A statistically oriented PROJECTION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 
 THESE FINDINGS"... A wild guess. 
  
 "A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF OBTAINABLE DATA"... Three pages of 
 notes were obliterated when I knocked over a glass of beer. 
  
 "IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL WORK WILL BE REQUIRED 
 BEFORE A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PHENOMENON OCCURS"... 
 I don't understand it. 
  
 "AFTER ADDITIONAL STUDY BY MY COLLEAGUES"... They don't 
 understand it either. 
  
 "THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE BLOTZ FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE 
 EXPERIMENT AND TO CINDY ADAMS FOR VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS"... 
 Mr. Blotz did the work and Ms. Adams explained to me what 
 it meant. 
  
 "A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EXPLORATORY STUDY"... 
 A totally useless topic selected by my committee. 
  
 "IT IS HOPED THAT THIS STUDY WILL STIMULATE FURTHER 
 INVESTIGATION IN THIS FIELD"... I quit.
  >>
(Rudi again)

Reading these made me remember the Olga Visser rat heart experiments/ 
demonstration  one Sunday afternoon at ALCOR. 

Because this was immediately after a conference and Olga Visser had generated 
much interest, controversy and skepticism with her claim that she had a 
cryoprotectant and protocol that enabled rat hearts to be Liquid Nitrogen 
frozen and survive, many (maybe 30) folks were there to watch this being done.

Unfortunately, the demonstration  was less than convincing.

I was seated immediately in front of Mike Darwin, who observed that the rat 
heart she dipped in the LN2 was merely in the "fog," not actually immersed.   

Not only was the heart not truly immersed in LN2, is was also not even in the 
"fog" for a sufficient time to assure liquid nitrogen temperatures.
Nor had anyone else been able to reproduce her results.

But it was still a fascinating "demonstration," even though Ms. Visser was 
clearly NOT practicing reproducible  "hard" science."

She also managed to set the credibility cryonics needs to have in the 
scientific community back considerably, IMO.

As a personal note, I got so involved in the whole "ambiance" of this 
"cutting edge research sham" that I missed my return flight back home, 
causing amazing anxiety and hassle factors!

But it was worth it.  I truly LOVE most of the fascinating, iconoclastic, 
intellectual, maladjusted, unique individuals associated with this remarkable 
cryonics movement!  

I hope to see many of my friends at Asilomar.  

Warmly,
Rudi

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