Comments on: Ben Goldacre And More Giving Evidence At Parliamentary SciTech http://podblack.com/2009/12/ben-goldacre-and-more-giving-evidence-at-parliamentary-scitech/ Science, Superstitions and Skeptical Life Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:18:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: AndyD http://podblack.com/2009/12/ben-goldacre-and-more-giving-evidence-at-parliamentary-scitech/comment-page-1/#comment-48196 AndyD Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:25:22 +0000 http://podblack.com/?p=1951#comment-48196 I'm not familiar with UK politicians and haven't watched the videos - but I did just read the whole transcript. I assume Ben's inclusion of "Ian Stewart MP talking" in his highlights was a joke. Stewart effectively insisted the panel answer the question "can you state categorically that there are no fairies at the bottom of the garden?" And when offered the fact that no one has seen any, he then effectively asks "could they just be hiding?" Hopefully Stewart is a larrikin who likes to take the piss and wasn't seriously asking a bunch of scientific professionals to publicly refute the existence garden fairies. But it didn't read that way. The entire transcript could be put on stage and travel the world as a sellout comedy. I’m not familiar with UK politicians and haven’t watched the videos – but I did just read the whole transcript. I assume Ben’s inclusion of “Ian Stewart MP talking” in his highlights was a joke.

Stewart effectively insisted the panel answer the question “can you state categorically that there are no fairies at the bottom of the garden?” And when offered the fact that no one has seen any, he then effectively asks “could they just be hiding?”

Hopefully Stewart is a larrikin who likes to take the piss and wasn’t seriously asking a bunch of scientific professionals to publicly refute the existence garden fairies. But it didn’t read that way.

The entire transcript could be put on stage and travel the world as a sellout comedy.

]]> By: Mick http://podblack.com/2009/12/ben-goldacre-and-more-giving-evidence-at-parliamentary-scitech/comment-page-1/#comment-48137 Mick Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:41:05 +0000 http://podblack.com/?p=1951#comment-48137 *headslap* No. The babies don't manifest the placebo effect. The MOTHERS do! Ben did very well, though. *headslap*

No. The babies don’t manifest the placebo effect. The MOTHERS do!

Ben did very well, though.

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