Friday, May 23, 2008

1. ACUPUNCTURE: THE NEXT BIG THING WILL BE ASTROLOGY.

Last month, after learning that the University of Maryland Health Center offers acupuncture (WN 4 Apr 08) , I wrote to object to this promotion of superstitious medicine by a research University. The university administration responded that this "immensely popular" service has been offered for eleven years. Where have I been? Health centers offer acupuncture at many top universities, including UC Berkeley and Harvard. So what does acupuncture treat? Acupuncture it seems can handle anything. After all, the "meridians" run the full length of the body. What! They didn't teach you about meridians in Physiology 101? Meridians connect the acupuncture points - the places they stick the needles to get the chi flowing. You didn't learn about chi either? It's like vital-life stuff, but nobody's ever seen it. Are there other ancient beliefs that universities should make available to our students? How about astrology? It's even older than acupuncture, and like acupuncture it only works for true believers. Also like acupuncture, astrology has no rational explanation. Moreover, few students can construct their horoscope without expert assistance. I recommended that Maryland create a Horoscope Center staffed by licensed astrologers.

2. PREACHERS: PULPET PRONOUNCEMENTS PLAGUE PRIMARIES.

Barrack Obama's problems with the incendiary Rev. Jeremiah Wright were cancelled out this week when megachurch pastor John Hagee, whose support McCain had earlier welcomed, declared that God allowed the rise of Hitler because in the end it returned Israel to the Jewish people. To McCain's credit he recognized at once that Hagee is rowing with one oar and renounced his endorsement. Back in February Hagee implied that Hurricane Katrina was divine retribution for a planned Gay Pride parade in New Orleans. At that time McCain repudiated Hagee's remarks but held on to the endorsement.

3. HUBBLE: FINAL SPACE TELESCOPE REPAIR DELAYED.

The 18-year old telescope was to have been repaired and upgraded at the end of August, but NASA has set Oct. 8 as the new date for the final repair and upgrade. The telescope is badly in need of replacement batteries, guidance sensors and gyroscopes to keep it operating until 2013 when its replacement, the James Webb telescope is supposed to be launched. The main instrument, the Advanced survey Camera, must also be repaired. The repair mission is supposed to take five consecutive days of spacewalks using a crew of seven.

4. THE OCEANS: THE END OF MARINE FISHERIES BY 2050.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a major United Nations meeting on conservation in Bonn. Governments are being urged to agree adopt measures for protecting open ocean and sea floor habitats. Among the evidence considered is a major recent study concluding that, if current trends continue, 2050 could mark the end of commercially viable marine fisheries. Food is up, fuel is up, the population bomb has gone off.

Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.