Fun with recreational evidence.
Happy Fun-with-Evidence Friday. I'm the first to admit that talking about "evidence-based ___" isn't the best way to attract a crowd. Making evidence interesting - and, with any luck, fun - isn't easy. Here's how some folks are doing it successfully. Recreational probability. The site Book of Odds presents the statistical odds of all sorts of things: Having twins between the ages of 40-44, being unemployed, throwing a no-hitter. They make it relevant by answering the question "What are the odds of me?" And they have fun features such as The Odds Couple (see comparison below

Bill Maher attacks U.S. vaccination program because of pharma, government interests. But he usually
Bill Maher -- who is sometimes funny and insightful, and sometimes insulting and vulgar -- is questioning U.S. vaccination programs, saying he doesn't want to trust the government, and wondering aloud whether there are forces who want people to stay sick in the interest of corporate profits. Hmmm... he sounds like one of the crazy types he's made a career of mocking.Is Maher just messing with us, playing this for ratings? Maybe. If he is, he should say so. The evidence shows that vaccination programs typically offer benefits far outweighing their risks.

There's no evidence to justify copper bracelets & magnets for arthritis.
New evidence shows that magnetic and copper bracelets and wrist straps for relieving arthritis pain are ineffective. This means many millions of dollars are being wasted. According to the press release announcing the research study: "The devices are used worldwide for helping to manage pain associated with chronic musculoskeletal disorders. The results of this trial conflict with those from previous studies, by showing that both magnetic and copper bracelets were ineffective for managing pain, stiffness and physical function in osteoarthritis. The research is published in the latest issue of th

'Sniffer bees' can detect evidence of explosives, TB, food spoilage, and other stuff.
Happy Fun-with-Evidence Friday. This is very cool. A U.K. biotech firm is harnessing the olfactory ability of bees for trace vapour detection. Apparently they can reveal evidence of spoiled food, explosive chemicals, and disease, among other things. Just th

WillYouJoinUs.com is guiding people's conversations, and encouraging them to show us the evidence.
Providing a public soapbox is problematic: If you allow anyone to say pretty much anything, the quality of the commentary can suffer, and you risk driving serious participants away. But if you control contributions too tightly, you run the risk of not drawing people in. The site WillYouJoinUs.com does a good job of striking a balance: Inviting people to discuss energy-related issues — while specifying topics and moderating comments to keep the discourse at a level appropriate for serious contributors. The community, sponsored by the energy giant Chevron, addresses one topic at a time, continuing each discussion for several mon