"The Culture Of Fear"

[Uber]

Has anyone else had the interest/opportunity to read this book? If you watched "Bowling for Columbine", Michael Moore references this book, as well as interviews the author. If that movie was your cup of tea, then this book might just be the crumpet on the side. It's well-researched, with fully 80 pages of notes & bibliography (for a 270 page book).

The meat of the book deals with the light in which different 'scares' are portrayed in America, and why certain stories are so well covered whereas others barely get coverage on the back page of the Metro page. Of course, as with "Bowling for Columbine", it takes an open minded person to read this book and not despise every page of it. It does certainly bring to light some practices that I had not noticed in the national news media before.

If you're interested in an example of the message Mr. Glassner is trying to convey, then read on. Otherwise, this will just seem like more meaningless prattle. Onward! This morning, while listening to "Good Morning America", there was a story about Teflon Flu. Teflon Flu is the name given to an illness caused by airborne Teflon particles that are produced when you heat a nonstick pan to a certain point (above 500 degrees Fahrenheit). Well, the hosts were just aghast that DuPont knows about this disease and that they would still produce Teflon. They then went on to show how someone frying bacon could reach that 'dangerous' temperature, and describing how Teflon particles are deadly to household birds. However, what the piece did not mention is that Teflon pans come with a warning that they are only to be used at temperatures below 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and that it took an industrial stove to build the temperature to over 500 degrees. Just food for thought, that sometimes it's not what you say, but what you don't say, that can spin your story the way you want it.

[Magill]

I haven't read the book, but I did see Bowling for Columbine, so I believe I understand the general idea. I think one thing that may also help contribute to matters (especially the spin of technology-based stories) is how it seems the average American has a tenous grasp of things like general scientific principles, statistics, etc. I realized I probably stepped on a bunch of people's toes there. But a basic understanding of the scientific method along with knowing what makes a result statistically significant can really help debunk a lot of what the press throws at us. And people argue about teaching evolution in schools?

Standard disclaimer so I don't get banned on my second post ever--this is all MHO, I really care about and am interested in science (I'm an engineer, what does that tell you?), and I just finished Darwin's Radio which had a very pessimistic outlook on these sorts of things.

[PoolMan]

Well, should we kick Magill yet?

Ah, just kidding. Nicely replied to, and welcome to Mutantland. And that goes for a few others I've noticed popping up in the last few days. Stay! Chat! Laugh! LIVE!

[Lissa]

Magill said:

I think one thing that may also help contribute to matters (especially the spin of technology-based stories) is how it seems the average American has a tenous grasp of things like general scientific principles, statistics, etc. I realized I probably stepped on a bunch of people's toes there. But a basic understanding of the scientific method along with knowing what makes a result statistically significant can really help debunk a lot of what the press throws at us. And people argue about teaching evolution in schools?

The whole "statistics don't lie, but liars do statistics" thing. I totally know what you mean. I haven't read the book or seen the movie yet, but I definitely agree with that point right there. I always get nervous when I see those articles like "50% of men cheat!" Then I look at the text, and see they interviewed maybe 1200 men, and who knows where they found them.

What kind of engineer?

Lissa

[dajaymann]

By the way, I'm with Magill

-Jay-

Just lendin' support to the new guy...and spamming the board...

[Magill]

Lissa--biomedical. I assume you're mechanical (I read your bio. I'm not a stalker, honest).

[druidGirl]

Talk about scare tactics in the media. I was watching the news this morning and the lead in to the next story was "Automatic car windows could KILL YOUR CHILD!"

The story went on to talk about children who had been strangled by car windows. First off, where were their parents? You don't leave a two year old unsupervised in a running vehicle you morons! And second, they gave the number of deaths: 25 kids in the last 10 years! 25 over a 10 year time period. Out of a population of what? 27, 30 million people!

So, let me get this straight, I have a better chance of becoming a multi-million lottery winner than my child dying from an automatic car window. Oh, thanks. I'm so worried. I mean, I'm sorry that those people's children died, but please. I'm sure most kids choked to death on food over the last 10 years than where killed by car windows, but you don't see a reporter all, "Tonight at 10, Food: IT CAN KILL YOUR CHILDREN!"

Scare tactics, in deed.

[Magill]

It's not exactly fear (unless you consider the possible xenophobia), but speaking of news stories, a local station ran one last week that really angered me. Mostly because of the near-racism behind it. They were "tracking the money" that was spent in the area Indian casinos. They were all like "you won't believe where it goes" and then showed nice houses with nice cars. I was thinking "If people are stupid enough to gamble away their money, who cares how it's spent? Lord knows the Indians have gotten the shaft the past 500+ years. Why can't they use our foolishly spent $ to buy nice things?" The station made it seem like such a big shocker that the Indians would spend the money they earned in their casinos on themselves.

Err.

I'll definitely have to pick up that book now.

[Lissa]

Isn't that the point of casinos? They're money-making operations?

And Magill, believe it or not, I'm not a ME. I actually have degrees in Fuel Science. I didn't know you could get them either, until I went to grad school. But my advisor was an ME, so you're close!

Liss
Who just thinks engineers are cool, even though she's technically a scientist.

[PoolMan]

OXYGEN... The Deadly Killer!

In a brand new study from Harvard Medical School, Dr Justin Rosenpenis has discovered that continued exposure to the airborne chemical oxygen (or "O₂") for periods longer than 75 to 80 years can result in death. In fact, clinical trials show that the survival rate drops to 0% over a long enough exposure period.

President Bush has declared a national emergency, and has committed a fund of $3.8 billion to American researchers in an attempt to cease the exposure of the American populace to this deadly gas.

More news as it develops.

(Hehe.... anyone else remember the "dihydrogen oxide" escapade from earlier days on the Forum?)

[Hucklebubba]

Lissa said:

...believe it or not, I'm not a ME....But my advisor was an ME...

So you aren't you, but your advisor once was? Freaky. (Sorry. Had to.)

Willard Scott--Harbinger of Doom

Willard Scott was indicted on 17,000 counts of murder yesterday, after a study revealed that everyone whom he wishes happy birthday to dies within 10 years.

[DocD83]

Out of curiosity, how many engineers do we have on the forums? I'm an ocean engineering student, BTW.

[Uber]

Tack another onto the tally. Computer engineer by education and trade.

[neutral]

Software Engineering student, or Diet Computer Engineering as my CE friends like to call it (as long as they don't call it CS I'm happy).

[PoolMan]

I completed automation and instrumentation (electronic) engineering, and I'm still working in that field.