peek 21 #1 March 5, 2012 A very strange sounding scientific paper. Read the abstract. Are they kidding? What the hell is this? http://www.mendeley.com/research/parachute-prevent-death-major-trauma-related-gravitational-challenge-systematic-review-randomised-controlled-trials/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skiskyrock 0 #2 March 5, 2012 British Medical Journal Christmas issue ... it's like a April Fools issue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 52 #3 March 5, 2012 "Gravitational challenge"? Oh, my! No studies, so we can't be sure if parachutes are effective? Following the funding on this "study" might be entertaining.lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 52 #4 March 5, 2012 Holy Crap! They should at least put a big, fat winky face on the top of the page if this is an issue that only comes out once a year. Or is this site like the Onion? All tongue in cheek all the time?lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Divalent 137 #5 March 5, 2012 Here's the link to the publisher's page of the abstract (The British Medical Journal), which gives more author detail, and there is a clicky tab to read the responses to the paper. http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skiskyrock 0 #6 March 5, 2012 It is a very serious, top tier medical journal, but after a year of AIDS, cancer, heart disease, and strokes they like to lighten up for Christmas. Part of the fun seems to be the media reporting the Christmas issue as real news. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 52 #7 March 5, 2012 Quote It is a very serious, top tier medical journal, but after a year of AIDS, cancer, heart disease, and strokes they like to lighten up for Christmas. Part of the fun seems to be the media reporting the Christmas issue as real news. Well in that case, I wouldn't want to be part of the double blind studies, where no one (except for the wizard behind the curtain) knows who is jumping the placebo. lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 279 #8 March 5, 2012 Ah I remember that one. Reminds me of the scientific humor found in the publications "Journal of Irreproducible Results" or "Annals of Improbable Research". It sounds like the article did start some good discussion on assumptions and methods in medicine -- the use and limits of evidence based medicine and randomized trials. The BMJ page doesn't show the full article but it is out on the web in other places, e.g., http://www.neonatology.org/pdf/ParachuteUseRPCT.pdf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #9 March 5, 2012 Quoteit's like a April Fools issue. They seem to be telling researchers of a particular type, in a tongue in cheek manner, that they should go jump out of a plane without a parachute. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 489 #10 March 5, 2012 QuoteQuoteit's like a April Fools issue. They seem to be telling researchers of a particular type, in a tongue in cheek manner, that they should go jump out of a plane without a parachute. From memory that is exactly what it was all about. Apparently in the medical community unless medicines or treatments have successfully completed a double blind study, they are deemed not to work. By extension parachutes do not work as they have not been through such a study. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robinheid 0 #11 March 5, 2012 Quote A very strange sounding scientific paper. Read the abstract. Are they kidding? What the hell is this? http://www.mendeley.com/research/parachute-prevent-death-major-trauma-related-gravitational-challenge-systematic-review-randomised-controlled-trials/ LOL Good one, Brits! Reminds me of a similar-but-completely-different version done in the USA at Denver General Hospital about 30 years ago. This was during a time when studies kept coming out claiming that pretty much everything caused cancer. So these two researchers did a straight-up investigation based on the hypothesis: Does money cause cancer? Then they inserted brand-new dimes into the abdomens of mice and, then, along with a no-dimes-in-their-bellies control group, fed and cared for the mice identically for a given period -- during which time a significant number of the dime-bearers developed cancerous tumors. So their conclusion was that money did, in fact, cause cancer, based on the results of their meticulously executed study. The funniest part was the number of cancer researchers who did not think it was funny at all to make light of such a serious subject as making crazy studies to get the results you want so you can make a point. Real scientists never do such thing. 44 SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.) "The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reidy 0 #12 March 8, 2012 I found this hilarious not sure if that's a good thing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #13 March 8, 2012 Quote "Gravitational challenge"? Oh, my! No studies, so we can't be sure if parachutes are effective? Well... if you'd ever seen me pack you'd not be so quick to dismiss that hypothesis."That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 52 #14 March 9, 2012 Quote Quote "Gravitational challenge"? Oh, my! No studies, so we can't be sure if parachutes are effective? Well... if you'd ever seen me pack you'd not be so quick to dismiss that hypothesis. That's why you have a reserve, pay your rigger, tip him well, and never sleep with his wife! lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrianSGermain 1 #15 March 13, 2012 QuoteA very strange sounding scientific paper. Read the abstract. Are they kidding? What the hell is this? http://www.mendeley.com/research/parachute-prevent-death-major-trauma-related-gravitational-challenge-systematic-review-randomised-controlled-trials/ This is a joke paper. They are making a very important point here, although you have to dig to find it. Scientists often become so narrow-minded that they ignore all evidence that does not come in the form that they are looking for. If the data comes from something intuitive or experimentally unprovable, it is discarded. Many of the most important truths of the universe are unprovable, or as yet to be proven. To be a scientist, one must remain open, as science is the pursuit of truth, not the pursuit of that which is provable. We know that parachutes are a good idea, as do the authors of this paper. You can put your shotgun down now, Gary. :-) BGInstructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
