health

A collection of 56 posts

health

Explaining a fractured elbow

I have primary progressive multiple sclerosis. One of the main symptoms is a lack of balance. As the body attacks the central nervous system—the informational messaging highway connecting the brain and body—the messages fail to reach their destinations. One destination is "the feet." When the feet

Deconversion

A journey through chronic illness to freethought

Take yourself back to the mid-nineties, if you’re able to. We’re in a British Christian evangelical youth meeting, in a long white canvas tent on an agricultural showground a few miles North of the historic Cathedral city of Lincoln in the East of England. It smells of trampled

Entertainment

What we can learn from Selma Blair's departure from Dancing with the Stars

I didn't know that Selma Blair, who has been very open about her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, was on Dancing With the Stars, so I was surprised when I heard that doctors had advised her not to continue appearing after being on the dance floor for four weeks.

science audio

Could an Epstein-Barr virus vaccine end Multiple Sclerosis?

I have primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). And it sucks. Multiple sclerosis isn't just my problem. Indeed, some 2.8 million worldwide, 1 million in the US, and 130,000 in the United Kingdom suffer from the condition. It is a condition that comes in different forms (most

Research

Covid Statistics, and Damned Liars

I am tired of the people coming here insisting that the vaccines are killing us, and to support their position, take the published statistics apart, misinterpret them, cherry-pick them, and cite statements out of context from reports to support their position. The root cause of their problem is that they

anti-vax

Talking with my taxi driver – thoughts on “sufficient evidence” and a lesson in what persuades people

Cynthia, who has provided guest posts in the past, sent me another one, but it got lost in my inbox. Sorry! So this is a little overdue, but should still be of interest. Thanks so much - and if ever you want to provide guest posts, please don't

anti-vax

Anti-Vax: Customer Interception Hotline

A little bit of fun for you this Saturday (well it is here). And a bit of the North for you: @rachelharpercomedyReply to @_curti5_ worried about vaccines? You’ll only feel a prick xxx ##fyp ##foryoupage ##comedy ##customerservice♬ original sound - Rachel_Harper_Comedy H/T Geoff Benson. Stay in

Coronavirus

Mask Mayhem

Masks. Should we wear them? Is the science robust in their efficacy? Recently, I took it upon myself to thoroughly critique (elsewhere) a video that was doing the rounds: https://youtu.be/8UvFhIFzaac Some of you will love this video because it will support your conclusions with lots of data

Coronavirus

Every (UK) COVID-19 Briefing Ever

Just for a bit more light-hearted, yet spot-on entertainment. This is very pertinent for those who have sat through countless UK coronavirus updates. Very formulaic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYUMQL5ABPw   Stay in touch! Like A Tippling Philosopher on Facebook: A Tippling Philosopher You can also buy me a

Coronavirus

Pro-Life, Anti-Lockdown

Most of you will guess where this is going because you will already have spotted this contradiction. Throughout the States over the last few weeks, we have had protestors who have been protesting the way that their states (under federal guidance) have been restricting their lives. Their lives have been

Coronavirus

Covid-19 Take Away Points

As many of you will know, I gave a talk on the coronavirus the other night to Dorset Humanists. For those of you who might know my thoughts already, the Q&A session at least provides some valuable insights due to the input from several experts. Many of you

Coronavirus

A Coronavirus Conversation: Philosophy, Psychology and Politics for You

As I have mentioned, I gave a talk on coronavirus to the Dorset Humanist group online last night (for the benefit of one commenter here, the biggest humanist group by membership in the UK). The talk was wide-ranging and I had some fantastic feedback - so it went down well.

Coronavirus

A Coronavirus Conversation, Tonight @7:30pm

I am giving a talk to Dorset Humanists tonight about the coronavirus pandemic. Please pop along (all times are BST UK time)! The following details are from the meetup page (which includes the ID and password when you log in): Details: A Coronavirus Conversation: Philosophy, Psychology and Politics Join us

Coronavirus

Simulating an Epidemic

For those geeks out there, check these modelling simulations of an epidemic such as coronavirus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxAaO2rsdIs&fbclid=IwAR0B-qh3XwT8Ap1t01QhFNp8Jcj1eIRFcZbIuQSBxS_nbwLplpapPDvgbtc   Stay in touch! Like A Tippling Philosopher on Facebook: A Tippling Philosopher You can also buy me a cuppa. Please... It justifies me continuing

Brexit

When This Pandemic Is Over, Let's Get Back to the Habit of Made in Britain!*

*Or whatever localised version of this you may see. These sorts of memes are popping up all over the place. To many of your friends or acquaintances on social media, these may seem intuitively sensible, and not racist and isolationist at all. But the people who created these memes almost

Coronavirus

The Crazy Things Religious People Say Concerning Coronavirus

Here is a selection of insane religious ramblings in the context of coronavirus. For starters, the unbelievable (totally believable) selfishness of this woman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yXMiuZrcd4 This is a shocker; it's an interview of a pastor who I mentioned recently, and who is defying

Church

Kenneth Copeland Showing He Is Insane

I have no words. https://youtu.be/8CMgcLO9jH4 Stay in touch! Like A Tippling Philosopher on Facebook: A Tippling Philosopher You can also buy me a cuppa. Please... It justifies me continuing to do this!

Coronavirus

My Coronavirus Lightbulb Moment: It's When, Not if

This is in one sense blindingly obvious and implicitly understood, but in another sense something I only properly consciously clocked today. This piece may seem callous and uncaring: I realise I am talking abstractly about that which refers to real people and real deaths, and my intellectualisation may seem a

Coronavirus

The Cost or Value of Human Life

Coronavirus (CV) is talk of the town, affecting all of our lives. I have previously written about how the statistics are hugely important, but also somewhat unreliable. They are important because it is on these stats that public policy is based or informed. There are so many variables and unknowns

Coronavirus

Overestimating Death Rates: Comparing Fatality Rates of Coronavirus & the Flu

Fatality Rates Aren't Fixed: They Depend on What We Do Fundamentally, there is no such thing as "the" fatality rate for a virus. How likely people are to die from COVID-19 (just like many diseases) depends on whether they can get access to treatment.There is

Coronavirus

Comparison: Flu vs Coronavirus

This is from Live Science and reflects figures from March 25th. I am posting this in answer to those such as See Noevo who, despite apparently having the ability to read, appear not to want to exercise that skill. Hope springs eternal. The point could be a decent one, and

Coronavirus

2015: WHO issues best practices for naming new human infectious diseases

I want to put this argument to bed. I've had a lot of right-wing, libertariany commenters spouting absolute nonsense that I hardly think they believe themselves. I just don't think they're very nice. Anyway, the point that Republicans have just started calling it (as

Coronavirus

Coronavirus Overreaction?

In the UK, we have just had our schools shut down (to be repurposed as "babysitting" facilities for key works, looked-after children and those with EHCPs [Educational Health Care Plans]). In other words, without being too far from a lockdown, things have just got serious. As they have

Coronavirus

The Media and Pandemics

I was having a discussion today about whether coronavirus has caused the media to take up scaremongering. My personal opinion is that the media are not scaremongering, they are just really excited. And excited people tend to over exaggerates and be, well, excitable. This is a journalist's or

Coronavirus

God and Coronavirus Revisited

“As a former presidential speechwriter, my careful rhetorical analysis is that he’s gonna get us all killed.” -David Litt, speech writer for Obama I am trying hard not to continually post about Trump, I really am. But he doesn't help himself. So, just quickly, before I get