The world is a Hologram

What was thought to be interference in a German gravitational wave detector could turn out to be proof that reality is in some sense a hologram.
While this is a fascinating discovery in its self it is a perfect example of one the things that makes me love science (Yes, I love science).

Every so often in the world of physics there is a theorist wondering how to find proof of their new idea while someone performing an experiment designed to measure something completely different sits scratching their heads at a set of results that seem to make no sense. It happened with Einstein predicting the Brownian Motion that baffled Robert Brown and with the discovery of cosmic background radiation which researchers initially thought was due to their antenna having a fault until they found out about some scientists at Princeton theorising that just such a signal should be found.

So to sum up:

Homeopathy Cures AIDs (or not)

http://www.badscience.net/?p=578

I've just been reading this article by Ben Goldacre.

I've always considered Homeopathy to be utter nonsense (Homeopathic medicines are just sugar pills and contain no active ingredient) but relatively harmless nonsense that gives the recreationaly unwell something to squander their money on in exchange for a dose of the placebo effect.

Recently however I have discovered that practitioners are recommending that people give their children sugar pills to prevent malaria, or as a substitute to the MMR vaccine (Measles has claimed its first child fatality as a result of the declining immunization rate BTW) and cure AIDs. I'm starting to come to the conclusion that it should be entirely outlawed, or at the very least that practitioners should not be able to refer to what they give as medicine, or a therapy and furthermore that people setting themselves up in a position of authority giving people dangerous health advise should be held criminally responsible for the damage they might cause.

Richard Dawkins Documentary

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2293483151556804649

Link to a fascinating pair of documentaries by Richard Dawkins dealing with spiritualism and faith healing / alternative medicine.

One thing I didn't realize is that Homeopathy is being paid for with tax payers money which I find sickening.