Vote for a Health/Medical Forum

edthedoc · 7th March 2003, 03:35 AM

Further to my thread on the idea of a separate forum from the this Science forum can we use this thread for voting on the idea (should have set this up in the original thread).

arcticpenguin · 7th March 2003, 06:39 AM

I voted "Bad Idea" because I think it is useful to remind people that all those fantastic advances of modern medicine are brought to them courtesy of application of the scientific method.

Croos-reference the Dini thread here.

serratia · 7th March 2003, 06:45 AM

Yay! Great idea! I'm an RN and even though I work at a large university-affiliated hospital, there's woo-woo aplenty.

Let's fight the woo-woo, medical people!

hammegk · 7th March 2003, 06:59 AM

Are you suggesting medicine is not a "science"?

Or wouldn't be a "current event"? Lot's of it is certainly "political"; i.e. lets spend several million on one child, instead of providing basic health for several million children who have none?

IMNSHO, we don't need another thread here. How many med specialty boards already exist? Hundreds, maybe? ( I'm too lazy to look).

arcticpenguin · 7th March 2003, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by serratia
Yay! Great idea! I'm an RN and even though I work at a large university-affiliated hospital, there's woo-woo aplenty.

Let's fight the woo-woo, medical people!

How better to "fight the woo-woo" than by emphasizing that good medicine is based on science?

roger · 7th March 2003, 07:15 AM

I voted bad, mostly because I can't see what problem you are trying to solve. The science forum already moves pretty slowly compared to ones like banter, so it's not like worthy threads get pushed off the first page all that often.

The other reason is that the science already pretty clearly covers medicine. I could see the point, maybe, if the suggestion was to add a cooking forum, if there were 20 new threads started every day on cooking, and there is no clear forum to post them at.

Psi Baba · 7th March 2003, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
I voted "Bad Idea" because I think it is useful to remind people that all those fantastic advances of modern medicine are brought to them courtesy of application of the scientific method.

Croos-reference the Dini thread here.

I voted "good idea" but almost for the same reason. Discussions of medical science should stay in the Science Forum, but we should have a JREF Topic forum for woo woo medicine topics. The Paranormal Forum doesn't really apply. Maybe a Pseudoscience Forum would be an even better idea. I think it would be a bad idea to mix serious discussions of medical topics with discussions of woo woo medicine. It might give the wrong impression to some that we're suggesting that medicine is not necessarily a science, or that "alternative/complimentary" medicine is science (I'm not sure which of these misunderstandings would be worse).

edthedoc · 7th March 2003, 08:01 AM

The reason for the new forum would be to separate out the medical topics from science topics. It's that simple. It has nothing to do with claiming medicine is a science or not.

arcticpenguin · 7th March 2003, 11:58 AM

http://www.nature.com/nsu/030303/030303-10.html

Scientists excited because they found a bacteria that infects mice! Is this science or medicine?

arcticpenguin · 7th March 2003, 12:00 PM

http://www.nature.com/nsu/030303/030303-8.html

"Researchers have found a molecular switch that enables the immune system's cells to function without oxygen."

Science or medicine?

I could go on, but I hope I'm making my point.

serratia · 7th March 2003, 01:36 PM

Not all science involves medicine; but all (good) medicine is evidence-based and therefore involves science. There would be some overlap, yes, but I think there are enough purely medical scientific issues to fill a forum.

Of course, I'm just a little 7-post lurker punk, so what do I know?

An fairly intelligent troll purposefully acting stupid	12	27.27%
A less intelligent troll who is transparent and repetitive because he knows little else	7	15.91%
Someone with a less-than-perfect grasp of the English language	1	2.27%
A sock puppet	21	47.73%
Other (explain below, all you Planet Xers!)	3	6.82%
Voters: 44. You may not vote on this poll

7th March 2003, 03:35 AM	#1
edthedoc Thinker Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 165	Vote for a Health/Medical Forum Further to my thread on the idea of a separate forum from the this Science forum can we use this thread for voting on the idea (should have set this up in the original thread).
edthedoc Thinker Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 165

7th March 2003, 06:39 AM	#2
arcticpenguin woo ban clan Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,717	I voted "Bad Idea" because I think it is useful to remind people that all those fantastic advances of modern medicine are brought to them courtesy of application of the scientific method. Croos-reference the Dini thread here.
	__________________ The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it. - George Bernard Shaw

7th March 2003, 06:45 AM	#3
serratia New Blood Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7	Yay! Great idea! I'm an RN and even though I work at a large university-affiliated hospital, there's woo-woo aplenty. Let's fight the woo-woo, medical people!
serratia New Blood Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7

7th March 2003, 06:59 AM	#4
hammegk Banned Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 8,422	Are you suggesting medicine is not a "science"? Or wouldn't be a "current event"? Lot's of it is certainly "political"; i.e. lets spend several million on one child, instead of providing basic health for several million children who have none? IMNSHO, we don't need another thread here. How many med specialty boards already exist? Hundreds, maybe? ( I'm too lazy to look).
hammegk Banned Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 8,422

7th March 2003, 07:14 AM	#5
arcticpenguin woo ban clan Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,717	Quote: Originally posted by serratia Yay! Great idea! I'm an RN and even though I work at a large university-affiliated hospital, there's woo-woo aplenty. Let's fight the woo-woo, medical people! How better to "fight the woo-woo" than by emphasizing that good medicine is based on science?
	__________________ The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it. - George Bernard Shaw

7th March 2003, 07:15 AM	#6
roger Penultimate Amazing Join Date: May 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 11,021	I voted bad, mostly because I can't see what problem you are trying to solve. The science forum already moves pretty slowly compared to ones like banter, so it's not like worthy threads get pushed off the first page all that often. The other reason is that the science already pretty clearly covers medicine. I could see the point, maybe, if the suggestion was to add a cooking forum, if there were 20 new threads started every day on cooking, and there is no clear forum to post them at.

7th March 2003, 07:15 AM	#7
Psi Baba Homo Skepticalis Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Occupying my barstool Posts: 3,177	Quote: Originally posted by arcticpenguin I voted "Bad Idea" because I think it is useful to remind people that all those fantastic advances of modern medicine are brought to them courtesy of application of the scientific method. Croos-reference the Dini thread here. I voted "good idea" but almost for the same reason. Discussions of medical science should stay in the Science Forum, but we should have a JREF Topic forum for woo woo medicine topics. The Paranormal Forum doesn't really apply. Maybe a Pseudoscience Forum would be an even better idea. I think it would be a bad idea to mix serious discussions of medical topics with discussions of woo woo medicine. It might give the wrong impression to some that we're suggesting that medicine is not necessarily a science, or that "alternative/complimentary" medicine is science (I'm not sure which of these misunderstandings would be worse).
	__________________ Save Caribbean Rum! (seriously)

7th March 2003, 08:01 AM	#8
edthedoc Thinker Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 165	The reason for the new forum would be to separate out the medical topics from science topics. It's that simple. It has nothing to do with claiming medicine is a science or not.
edthedoc Thinker Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 165

7th March 2003, 11:58 AM	#9
arcticpenguin woo ban clan Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,717	http://www.nature.com/nsu/030303/030303-10.html Scientists excited because they found a bacteria that infects mice! Is this science or medicine?
	__________________ The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it. - George Bernard Shaw

7th March 2003, 12:00 PM	#10
arcticpenguin woo ban clan Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,717	http://www.nature.com/nsu/030303/030303-8.html "Researchers have found a molecular switch that enables the immune system's cells to function without oxygen." Science or medicine? I could go on, but I hope I'm making my point.
	__________________ The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it. - George Bernard Shaw

7th March 2003, 01:36 PM	#11
serratia New Blood Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7	Not all science involves medicine; but all (good) medicine is evidence-based and therefore involves science. There would be some overlap, yes, but I think there are enough purely medical scientific issues to fill a forum. Of course, I'm just a little 7-post lurker punk, so what do I know?
serratia New Blood Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7