neat

It was on facebook? what goes around comes around. There should be a born date too, 2016, for far too many topics.

Perfect.

The tracking device or nano probes, would have been wasted on him/her any way!

Nice mockery of people who dare to ask questions. Sensitive and caring.

Turn on the lights and take off the blinders, you'll see more.

Asking questions is NOT the same as doing research! And by research I mean investigating a variety of reputable, scientific sources before drawing conclusions, not relying on errant comments on social media or biased publications/ sketchy journalistic sources.

and here I am fresh out of popcorn

I am all for people who ask questions. When one wants to know more, the first step is to ask questions and then with answers one gets, narrow down exact;y what it is one is looking for, we do it here all the time. It is the first step, before 'investigating a variety of reputable, scientific sources before drawing conclusions'.

I think the original post was referring to what Gardengal describes as 'relying on errant comments on social media or biased publications/ sketchy journalistic sources.'

Wise advice from this Forbes article

“Research both sides and make up your own mind.” It’s simple, straightforward, common sense advice. And when it comes to issues like vaccinations, climate change, and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, it can be dangerous, destructive, and even deadly. The techniques that most of us use to navigate most of our decisions in life — gathering information, evaluating it based on what we know, and choosing a course of action — can lead to spectacular failures when it comes to a scientific matter.The reason is simple: most of us, even those of us who are scientists ourselves, lack the relevant scientific expertise needed to adequately evaluate that research on our own. In our own fields, we are aware of the full suite of data, of how those puzzle pieces fit together, and what the frontiers of our knowledge is. When laypersons espouse opinions on those matters, it’s immediately clear to us where the gaps in their understanding are and where they’ve misled themselves in their reasoning. When they take up the arguments of a contrarian scientist, we recognize what they’re overlooking, misinterpreting, or omitting. Unless we start valuing the actual expertise that legitimate experts have spent lifetimes developing, “doing our own research” could lead to immeasurable, unnecessary suffering.

Read the rest of the articlehttps://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2020/07/30/you-must-not-do-your-own-research-when-it-comes-to-science/?sh=28945a88535eLike

One must ask questions ready for any answer. Not looking for an answer. If they are to learn.

When experts are in nearly unanimous and unrestricted agreement leading to public guidance, and when following their advice has been conclusively demonstrated to be safe and effective, why is any "research" necessary?

Why is it that this attitude and excuse remains almost exclusively the domain of people who want to justify not being vaccinated? And often used by those without the education or technical expertise to make such assessments?

No one is fooled by this nonsense.

I thought the thread had turned into a broader view of how we learn, not only about vaxxing.

In order to learn, one must be willing to open up to new ideas, to go beyond our borders, to look at what is done elsewhere. Too often, folk do not look beyond their own backyards.

mdln, I proofread chapters for that first one (along with Goodman and Gilman, Braunwald's...)

:)

@rob333 (zone 7b), all the great classics!

Seriously, thank you, proof reading is hard, it is so easy to see what you want to see vs. what is written.

Takes a village!

Title: On the origin of zombies: a modeling approach

Abstract

A zombie apocalypse is one pandemic that would likely be worse than anything humanity has ever seen. However, despite the mechanisms for zombie uprisings in pop culture, it is unknown whether zombies, from an evolutionary point of view, can actually rise from the dead. To provide insight into this unknown, we created a mathematical model that predicts the trajectory of human and zombie populations during a zombie apocalypse. We parameterized our model according to the demographics of the US, the zombie literature, and then conducted an evolutionary invasion analysis to determine conditions that permit the evolution of zombies. Our results indicate a zombie invasion is theoretically possible, provided there is a sufficiently large ratio of transmission rate to the zombie death rate. While achieving this ratio is uncommon in nature, the existence of zombie ant fungus illustrates it is possible and thereby suggests that a zombie apocalypse among humans could occur.

Keywords: mathematical model, stability analysis, zombie apocalypse, evolution, invasion analysis"

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2108.02315.pdf

There's a long tradition in academia of often using puns, sarcasm and the like in reporting the results of studies, and even at the far extreme producing whimsical, intentional nonsense like that cited in the comment just above this one. It's a way to make fun of themselves or otherwise lighten-up a reader's experience during a session of study-reading drudgery.

I encountered one that was both whimsical and serious in a cultural anthropology class, it was the first study we were assigned to read. It concerned a little-known tribe with peculiar, apparently mythology-driven habits about which interest was piqued and studies were beginning. The Western name of the tribe was the Nacirema. Usually each family lived together in their own separate shelter, and an important feature of every shelter was the holy shine. Each native was expected to stand before the shrine at least once a day, and sometimes more, to perform daily rituals and apply to prescribed parts of their body special concoctions prepared by the tribe's medicine men.

My summary of this research article may be off a bit but I think you may understand. Those interested in learning more can search for "Body Rituals Among the Nacirema" by Miner, it's a short classic and worth a few minutes of your time. It's a good foundation to better understand objectives and risks faced when doing scholarly research - in this case, under the umbrella of cultural anthropology.

Center for Preparedness and Response

1. Center for Preparedness and Response

Zombie Preparedness

https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/index.htm

What exactly is your point? Read more than the headlines in your link and you will see

Wonder why zombies, zombie apocalypse, and zombie preparedness continue to live or walk dead on a CDC web site? As it turns out what first began as a tongue-in-cheek campaign to engage new audiences with preparedness messages has proven to be a very effective platform. We continue to reach and engage a wide variety of audiences on all hazards preparedness via “zombie preparedness”.

"However, despite the mechanisms for zombie uprisings in pop culture, it is unknown whether zombies, from an evolutionary point of view, can actually rise from the dead."

Today's zombies aren't already dead, they just have a death wish.

Hmmm, it seems my reply was removed - was the meme too extreme? I thought it was funny.

Did anyone else see it before it vanished?

The date on that tombstone certainly hints at what type of 'research' is being referred to, IMO.

Yes, carolb Carole, that is the intent. There was a thread recently in which a few people said they were doing their own research. This speaks to that, IMO

Yes it seems that some people's idea of 'research' is to look for validation.

"Yes it seems that some people's idea of 'research' is to look for validation."

Bingo!

In order to learn, one must be open to throwing out one's preconceived notions, changing one's mind and admitting they were wrong about something.

@carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b, mine was also removed???????

Someone(s?) was offended, I guess.

But besides the meme, I was pointing out that an 'expert' is apparently in the eye of the beholder. Some are simply quacks and charlatans, or conspiracy mongers. A lot of folks have been encouraged to distrust public institutions and actual experts, which really helps the phonies and demagogues.

There's a misguided idea that when people ridicule and oppose certain beliefs, it's proof you're on the right track, and it strengthens the bond with your cohort.

LoneJack Zn 6a, KC I'll share mine.

"SCIENCE

How the Zombie Fungus Takes Over Ants’ Bodies to Control Their Minds

The infamous parasite’s methods are more complex and more sinister than anyone suspected."

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/11/how-the-zombie-fungus-takes-over-ants-bodies-to-control-their-minds/545864/

It keeps getting harder and harder to research when the social media giants have decided to censor anything not aligned with their THEIR agendas.