According to the BBC, 25 UK and US hospitals will study 1,500 survivors to see if people with no heartbeat or brain activity can have "out of body" experiences.. They're going to put pictures up in the resuscitation areas in the hospital, in places which can only bee seen from above. So if someone claims to have had an out-of-body experience while close to death, one can ask them what pictures they saw.
On Swedish talk radio P1's morning show, there was a bit of a discussion between a neurophysiologist and a woman who'd had an out-of-body experience while her heart had stopped and she was being resuscitated in the ambulance. It was highly amusing hearing them completely talk past each other - the scientist stating that "No, we have no evidence that it doesn't happen, but we do have a much simpler explanation which fits all facts", and the OOB-er "suggesting" that he be more open-minded and humble. I'm quite certain neither of them convinced the other.
I'm quite sure that if the study shows that the OOB-ers don't remember seeing anything they couldn't see while lying down, any OOB-er will still not accept it as valid. I think scientists would be less unlikely to accept a study contradicting their current beliefs. Or maybe that should be "hope" rather than think...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Blogosphere power, in a nutshell
There's been some discussion in Sweden about the blogosphere. Apparently politicians and journalists have now discovered that they're not the only ones people turn to for information...
The Swedish blog Opassande ("unfitting") has a post about a seminary about the blogosphere. She finishes with this (my translation):
"I can't help it - to me, asking if the blogosphere has power is somehow equal to asking if people have power. But what do I know."
Apparently you know more than most of the politicians, journalists and others debating the blogosphere, in much the same words as books, newspapers, radio and TV have been debated when they were new.
The Swedish blog Opassande ("unfitting") has a post about a seminary about the blogosphere. She finishes with this (my translation):
"I can't help it - to me, asking if the blogosphere has power is somehow equal to asking if people have power. But what do I know."
Apparently you know more than most of the politicians, journalists and others debating the blogosphere, in much the same words as books, newspapers, radio and TV have been debated when they were new.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Why I'm a pinko commie leftie, again
Our current government is right-wing. Well, right-wing for Sweden, anyway, so probably to the left of the US Democratic party. But still.
One of their hobby-horses is that the only way to get people to work is to make sure those who don't work suffer. Lately this has taken the form of "work-tax-deduction". That means that if you have a job you get a tax rebate.
This is supposed to encourage people to have jobs and not just laze around on welfare or sick pay.
What I don't understand is this: Suppose I get sicker - so sick that I can't work anymore. If that happens, the sick pay will be considerably less than my current salary. Also, I'll be sick.
Exactly how is raising my tax if I get sick going to make me healthier?
One of their hobby-horses is that the only way to get people to work is to make sure those who don't work suffer. Lately this has taken the form of "work-tax-deduction". That means that if you have a job you get a tax rebate.
This is supposed to encourage people to have jobs and not just laze around on welfare or sick pay.
What I don't understand is this: Suppose I get sicker - so sick that I can't work anymore. If that happens, the sick pay will be considerably less than my current salary. Also, I'll be sick.
Exactly how is raising my tax if I get sick going to make me healthier?
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