TMoB/UK/Goldacre/MMR

In case you don't read TMoB dicussion board (if not, please explain why) - I'm glad I took the time to read the latest from Ben Goldacre on the UK/MMR scare... The article also includes many familiar themes (familiar to me) such as lawyers, obfuscation - and Billy Bragg.

Temple detail

The temple-googling (previous post) was a search for general details, then reference for this:

"Eating Bark"

That's the name of a blog I found while googling Ryoan-ji temple (more photos here). The author (who might be an architect) seems to be a very good writer (how would I know?) and seems to have great respect for balance.

More about scientists

Starting with an article by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, The 'first true scientist:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7810846.stm

Isaac Newton is, as most will agree, the greatest physicist of all time. [...] At the very least, he is the undisputed father of modern optics,­ or so we are told at school[...] Newton himself stood on the shoulders of a giant who lived 700 years earlier.

That "giant" was Ibn al-Haytham - who I've never heard of before. Here's the Wikipedia article for Alhazen (as he was known in Europe):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_al-Haytham

Ibn al-Haytham's scientific method was very similar to the modern scientific method and consisted of the following procedures:

1. Observation
2. Statement of problem
3. Formulation of hypothesis
4. Testing of hypothesis using experimentation
5. Analysis of experimental results
6. Interpretation of data and formulation of conclusion
7. Publication of findings

More about "detox"

From the BBC article "Scientists dismiss 'detox myth'":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7808348.stm

There is no evidence that products widely promoted to help the body "detox" work, scientists warn. [...]

The investigation, done by research members of the Voice of Young Science network, was kicked off by a campaign to unpick "dodgy" science claims - where companies use phrases that sound scientific but do not actually mean anything. [...]

Alice Tuff, from Sense About Science, added: "It is ridiculous that we're seeing a return to mystical properties being claimed for products in the 21st Century and I'm really pleased that young scientists are sharing their concerns about this with the public."

Three autistic photographers

One photo in particular inspired this post. This one, by jypsy. One of many in peirunman's photostream (2005 to present).

Also I've been admiring Tony's article Navigating the Red Centre, yet again (it has a topographical map [wistful sigh]). While taking another look at Tony's pioneering home page (he was the first out gay/autistic on the web, far as I know) I discovered Freestone Wilson's photostream.

Until now I've known Freestone Wilson only for his "miner's canary" metaphor. Nice surprise finding his photographic work (2005 to present). And this quote:

"I might be the only old person, who lives here, that plays computer and console games like Morrowind and final fantasy! Imagination seems to be SO rare, not only in the older residents here, but in most people!"

Happy new year

By one calendar, at least. See Wikipedia's New Year entry for a complete list. Nava Varsha, for example, isn't due until March or April.

Taking back the blog

I could spend a lot of time explaining (or trying to explain). Instead, I'll hoist a jolly roger, of sorts.

In a nutshell: autism and authority

The comments in The epidemiology of Autism Speaks very helpfully led me to this post at One Dad's Opinion, to a comment by Joseph:

"Of course, Harold's reply to that consists of invoking authority."

Thank you, Joseph.