Corruption and Fraudulent Research in Scientific Journals (Post links here) (1 Viewer)

[Laron]

I'm starting this thread which I will edit links into, leading to articles reporting on the ongoing fraudulent research and corruption within papers published in Scientific journals, or even studies not published.

I've just seen so many instances in recent years as further secrets are revealed as part of our shifting times, which can actually be attributed to astrology when you look at it deeper as it's an aspect based on the planets and astrological age we are traversing through.

If you ever run into an article or story online about such a thing, feel free to quickly post a link on this thread. This idea is a bit like that vaccination thread over on the Health board.

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progression of science.

Links

Weekend reads: How much is integrity worth?; killing the science poster; future of megajournals in doubt?
Tracking retractions as a window into the scientific process
https://retractionwatch.com/

Duke University to pay $112.5 million settlement for faked research
"A whistleblower said Duke falsified research on nearly $200 million worth of grants, and he will collect nearly $34 million for his role in uncovering the fraud, which prosecutors said spanned from 2006 to 2018 and involved money from the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. The chief researcher at the center of the scandal, Erin Potts-Kant, had more than a dozen papers stemming from her work on mice retracted. Prosecutors said the school’s higher-ups knew about her fraudulent research but allowed it to continue. The school had contended it didn’t learn until later." ... "Duke medical professor Anil Potti engaged in misconduct while researching treatments in human cancer patients. Mr. Potti’s studies were published in top medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet Oncology between 2006 and 2009."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/25/duke-pay-1125m-settlement-faked-research/ (March 25, 2019)

“Peer Reviewed:” Science Losing Credibility As Large Amounts Of Research Shown To Be False
"In the case of medicine, a lot of information has emerged showing just how much corruption really goes on. The Editors-in-Chiefs of several major medical journals have been quite blunt, with perhaps one of the best examples coming from Dr. Richard Horton, the current Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, who says, “The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. "
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/03/01/peer-reviewed-science-losing-credibility-as-large-amounts-of-research-shown-to-be-false/ (March 1, 2017)

Why “Peer Reviewed” Science Continues To Lose A Lot of Credibility
"John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, published an article titled "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False," which subsequently became the most widely accessed article in the history."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2018/06/10/163963/ (June 10, 2018)

Mobile phones are creating horned teens because of their posture from using them. That is a true scientific paper — not satire. The research team happened to publish 3 studies in 3 consecutive years. Two of which are large sample studies. All of their papers were peer reviewed. It also happens to be published via Nature, the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. Yet, John Hawks, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who’s a professional paleoanthropologist, picks it right apart in this article below. Hawks has also been part of a review team for that same science journal in the past (different study). My point here is not who is right or wrong, the authors of the horned study David Shahar and Mark G. L. Sayers, or John Hawks, but the fact that a study like that was easily released by one of the world’s top science journals, concluding that it was phones creating bone spurs that the media labeled as horns, yet based on what John explains, it may also be complete rubbish in terms of its conclusion. John is pretty convincing. So, to me, this is the perfect example of how we can’t trust every single peer reviewed scientific paper that’s put out through popular journals.
Article about the published study: https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/113660014/horns-are-growing-on-young-peoples-skulls-and-phones-could-be-to-blame
John Hawks' Opinion Piece: https://elemental.medium.com/are-millennials-really-growing-horns-from-using-their-phones-2b7bd6162938

Has Your Doctor Received Drug or Device Company Money?
https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

How To Find Out If Your Doctor Is Being Paid By Pharmaceutical Companies
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/12/05/how-to-find-out-if-your-doctor-is-being-paid-by-pharmaceutical-companies/

Big pharma cash and hospitality to doctors rises as one in three refuses to reveal earnings
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/30/big-pharma-cash-hospitality-doctors-rises-one-three-refuses/

Majority of doctors who oversee FDA drug approval receive payments from companies they monitor, report shows
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fda-drugs-companies-pharmaceutical-us-pay-doctors-approval-fompanies-astrazeneca-a8433621.html

Paul Offit Unwittingly Exposes Scientific Fraud of FDA’s Vaccine Licensure
"By telling parents not to do antibody blood tests to avoid needlessly vaccinating their child, Paul Offit unwittingly exposes scientific fraud by the FDA."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/paul-offit-unwittingly-exposes-scientific-fraud-of-fdas-vaccine-licensure/

Documents Expose How Tobacco Companies Hook Kids On Sugary Drinks
"Documents obtained by researchers clearly outline the unethical and immoral actions Tobacco companies used to 'hook' kids onto sugary drinks. They use the same tactics they did for smoking."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/documents-expose-how-tobacco-companies-hook-kids-on-sugary-drinks/


Documents Expose How Tobacco Companies Hook Kids On Sugary Drinks
"Documents obtained by researchers clearly outline the unethical and immoral actions Tobacco companies used to 'hook' kids onto sugary drinks. They use the same tactics they did for smoking."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/documents-expose-how-tobacco-companies-hook-kids-on-sugary-drinks/

 

[Toller]

Where to start?

Retraction Watch - Tracking retractions as a window into the scientific process

 

[Laron]

Added this:

Mobile phones are creating horned teens because of their posture from using them. That is a true scientific paper — not satire. The research team happened to publish 3 studies in 3 consecutive years. Two of which are large sample studies. All of their papers were peer reviewed. It also happens to be published via Nature, the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. Yet, John Hawks, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who’s a professional paleoanthropologist, picks it right apart in this article below. Hawks has also been part of a review team for that same science journal in the past (different study). My point here is not who is right or wrong, the authors of the horned study David Shahar and Mark G. L. Sayers, or John Hawks, but the fact that a study like that was easily released by one of the world’s top science journals, concluding that it was phones creating bone spurs that the media labeled as horns, yet based on what John explains, it may also be complete rubbish in terms of its conclusion. John is pretty convincing. So, to me, this is the perfect example of how we can’t trust every single peer reviewed scientific paper that’s put out through popular journals.
Article about the published study: https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/113660014/horns-are-growing-on-young-peoples-skulls-and-phones-could-be-to-blame
John Hawks' Opinion Piece: https://elemental.medium.com/are-millennials-really-growing-horns-from-using-their-phones-2b7bd6162938

 

[Laron]

Added:

Has Your Doctor Received Drug or Device Company Money?
https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

How To Find Out If Your Doctor Is Being Paid By Pharmaceutical Companies
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/12/05/how-to-find-out-if-your-doctor-is-being-paid-by-pharmaceutical-companies/

Big pharma cash and hospitality to doctors rises as one in three refuses to reveal earnings
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/30/big-pharma-cash-hospitality-doctors-rises-one-three-refuses/

Majority of doctors who oversee FDA drug approval receive payments from companies they monitor, report shows
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fda-drugs-companies-pharmaceutical-us-pay-doctors-approval-fompanies-astrazeneca-a8433621.html

 

[Laron]

Added:

Paul Offit Unwittingly Exposes Scientific Fraud of FDA’s Vaccine Licensure
"By telling parents not to do antibody blood tests to avoid needlessly vaccinating their child, Paul Offit unwittingly exposes scientific fraud by the FDA."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/paul-offit-unwittingly-exposes-scientific-fraud-of-fdas-vaccine-licensure/

Documents Expose How Tobacco Companies Hook Kids On Sugary Drinks
"Documents obtained by researchers clearly outline the unethical and immoral actions Tobacco companies used to 'hook' kids onto sugary drinks. They use the same tactics they did for smoking."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/documents-expose-how-tobacco-companies-hook-kids-on-sugary-drinks/

 

[midori oshii]

I'm starting this thread which I will edit links into, leading to articles reporting on the ongoing fraudulent research and corruption within papers published in Scientific journals, or even studies not published.

I've just seen so many instances in recent years as further secrets are revealed as part of our shifting times, which can actually be attributed to astrology when you look at it deeper as it's an aspect based on the planets and astrological age we are traversing through.

If you ever run into an article or story online about such a thing, feel free to quickly post a link on this thread. This idea is a bit like that vaccination thread over on the Health board.

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progression of science.

Links

Weekend reads: How much is integrity worth?; killing the science poster; future of megajournals in doubt?
Tracking retractions as a window into the scientific process
https://retractionwatch.com/

Duke University to pay $112.5 million settlement for faked research
"A whistleblower said Duke falsified research on nearly $200 million worth of grants, and he will collect nearly $34 million for his role in uncovering the fraud, which prosecutors said spanned from 2006 to 2018 and involved money from the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. The chief researcher at the center of the scandal, Erin Potts-Kant, had more than a dozen papers stemming from her work on mice retracted. Prosecutors said the school’s higher-ups knew about her fraudulent research but allowed it to continue. The school had contended it didn’t learn until later." ... "Duke medical professor Anil Potti engaged in misconduct while researching treatments in human cancer patients. Mr. Potti’s studies were published in top medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet Oncology between 2006 and 2009."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/25/duke-pay-1125m-settlement-faked-research/ (March 25, 2019)

“Peer Reviewed:” Science Losing Credibility As Large Amounts Of Research Shown To Be False
"In the case of medicine, a lot of information has emerged showing just how much corruption really goes on. The Editors-in-Chiefs of several major medical journals have been quite blunt, with perhaps one of the best examples coming from Dr. Richard Horton, the current Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, who says, “The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. "
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/03/01/peer-reviewed-science-losing-credibility-as-large-amounts-of-research-shown-to-be-false/ (March 1, 2017)

Why “Peer Reviewed” Science Continues To Lose A Lot of Credibility
"John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, published an article titled "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False," which subsequently became the most widely accessed article in the history."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2018/06/10/163963/ (June 10, 2018)

Mobile phones are creating horned teens because of their posture from using them. That is a true scientific paper — not satire. The research team happened to publish 3 studies in 3 consecutive years. Two of which are large sample studies. All of their papers were peer reviewed. It also happens to be published via Nature, the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. Yet, John Hawks, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who’s a professional paleoanthropologist, picks it right apart in this article below. Hawks has also been part of a review team for that same science journal in the past (different study). My point here is not who is right or wrong, the authors of the horned study David Shahar and Mark G. L. Sayers, or John Hawks, but the fact that a study like that was easily released by one of the world’s top science journals, concluding that it was phones creating bone spurs that the media labeled as horns, yet based on what John explains, it may also be complete rubbish in terms of its conclusion. John is pretty convincing. So, to me, this is the perfect example of how we can’t trust every single peer reviewed scientific paper that’s put out through popular journals.
Article about the published study: https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/113660014/horns-are-growing-on-young-peoples-skulls-and-phones-could-be-to-blame
John Hawks' Opinion Piece: https://elemental.medium.com/are-millennials-really-growing-horns-from-using-their-phones-2b7bd6162938

Has Your Doctor Received Drug or Device Company Money?
https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

How To Find Out If Your Doctor Is Being Paid By Pharmaceutical Companies
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/12/05/how-to-find-out-if-your-doctor-is-being-paid-by-pharmaceutical-companies/

Big pharma cash and hospitality to doctors rises as one in three refuses to reveal earnings
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/30/big-pharma-cash-hospitality-doctors-rises-one-three-refuses/

Majority of doctors who oversee FDA drug approval receive payments from companies they monitor, report shows
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fda-drugs-companies-pharmaceutical-us-pay-doctors-approval-fompanies-astrazeneca-a8433621.html

Paul Offit Unwittingly Exposes Scientific Fraud of FDA’s Vaccine Licensure
"By telling parents not to do antibody blood tests to avoid needlessly vaccinating their child, Paul Offit unwittingly exposes scientific fraud by the FDA."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/paul-offit-unwittingly-exposes-scientific-fraud-of-fdas-vaccine-licensure/

Documents Expose How Tobacco Companies Hook Kids On Sugary Drinks
"Documents obtained by researchers clearly outline the unethical and immoral actions Tobacco companies used to 'hook' kids onto sugary drinks. They use the same tactics they did for smoking."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/documents-expose-how-tobacco-companies-hook-kids-on-sugary-drinks/


Documents Expose How Tobacco Companies Hook Kids On Sugary Drinks
"Documents obtained by researchers clearly outline the unethical and immoral actions Tobacco companies used to 'hook' kids onto sugary drinks. They use the same tactics they did for smoking."
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/08/02/documents-expose-how-tobacco-companies-hook-kids-on-sugary-drinks/

My undergraduate statistics professor at Osaka told us that 80% of medical published research contained fabricated statistics and 90% of psychology research did. Inferential statistics and P Values are fooled around with much and there has been a lot of debate since the 90's. He said it was much less in engineering which was my faculty but still there was some. I wrote him now asking for some good examples. He is very old and an emeritus so I do not expect a fast response. I ask him because he liked me! I did not ask my math teachers in graduate school because they were super boring.

 

[Linda]

Ha - I recall my first day in statistics. The professor began by saying you can prove anything you want with statistics. That was a long time ago, and I still remember. It also guided me to be careful in analysis and math.

 

[midori oshii]

Ha - I recall my first day in statistics. The professor began by saying you can prove anything you want with statistics. That was a long time ago, and I still remember. It also guided me to be careful in analysis and math.

I always found statistics to be super boring until I come across the "Monty Hall Problem". I wrote a program to run the numbers of this for probability theory class and I still shake my head at how weird the result is. Totally counter intuitive but the math works. Even professors of math scream and argue over it but eventually they see the logic. Yes, statistics is weird.

 

[midori oshii]

My interest right now is in Gilbert Ryle and "category mistakes". Much of statistics problems are the result of the word "and".

 

[midori oshii]

Standing looking at a field in the country and seeing two cows 'and' a pair of cows.

 

[Kevin C]

My undergraduate statistics professor at Osaka told us that 80% of medical published research contained fabricated statistics and 90% of psychology research did. Inferential statistics and P Values are fooled around with much and there has been a lot of debate since the 90's. He said it was much less in engineering which was my faculty but still there was some. I wrote him now asking for some good examples. He is very old and an emeritus so I do not expect a fast response. I ask him because he liked me! I did not ask my math teachers in graduate school because they were super boring.

In most engineering research, the statistics of experiments are being manipulated based on the funding acquired.
Ex. semiconductor co prefers SiO2 as a process, pays for research in GaAs, then asks the research to manipulate stats slightly (by using a different test and hypothesis/confidence level) to show SiO2 to be a better process.

The research head must abide by the "hint" in order to continue receiving significant funding.

This is also why there are some PhD engineering researchers who spent years on one topic, and can't graduate because their topic has been rendered obsolete by this method.

Lots of this kind of manipulation.

 

[midori oshii]

In most engineering research, the statistics of experiments are being manipulated based on the funding acquired.
Ex. semiconductor co prefers SiO2 as a process, pays for research in GaAs, then asks the research to manipulate stats slightly (by using a different test and hypothesis/confidence level) to show SiO2 to be a better process.

The research head must abide by the "hint" in order to continue receiving significant funding.

This is also why there are some PhD engineering researchers who spent years on one topic, and can't graduate because their topic has been rendered obsolete by this method.

Lots of this kind of manipulation.
[/QUO

In most engineering research, the statistics of experiments are being manipulated based on the funding acquired.
Ex. semiconductor co prefers SiO2 as a process, pays for research in GaAs, then asks the research to manipulate stats slightly (by using a different test and hypothesis/confidence level) to show SiO2 to be a better process.

The research head must abide by the "hint" in order to continue receiving significant funding.

This is also why there are some PhD engineering researchers who spent years on one topic, and can't graduate because their topic has been rendered obsolete by this method.

Lots of this kind of manipulation.

That makes sense. Eesh. That is scary the last thing you say. I am supposed to start my PhD next fall.Now I'm scared of being the obsolete person. I think I am safe though. I think my interests are too weird for anyone to know if it is obsolete or not Quantum Networks.

 

[Kevin C]

That makes sense. Eesh. That is scary the last thing you say. I am supposed to start my PhD next fall.Now I'm scared of being the obsolete person. I think I am safe though. I think my interests are too weird for anyone to know if it is obsolete or not Quantum Networks.

Ha!
Since you are here on this site, there's something fantastical connected to this topic.

There have been several quantum computers running across the globe, and here's the cool thing -
timeline changes and Mandela effects increase in frequency the closer you live to a quantum computer system.
i.e. key disappears next day, 2 days later key reappears where you usually place it.

This is why they stopped increasing quantum computer production, otherwise we'd have 100,000s of systems running by now.

 

[midori oshii]

Ha!
Since you are here on this site, there's something fantastical connected to this topic.

There have been several quantum computers running across the globe, and here's the cool thing -
timeline changes and Mandela effects increase in frequency the closer you live to a quantum computer system.
i.e. key disappears next day, 2 days later key reappears where you usually place it.

This is why they stopped increasing quantum computer production, otherwise we'd have 100,000s of systems running by now.

Did not know this about the Mandela effect. I hear a podcast about that not long ago. Did not know about the relationship with quantum comps. If you have any literature links I would love to read this!

 

[Kevin C]

Did not know this about the Mandela effect. I hear a podcast about that not long ago. Did not know about the relationship with quantum comps. If you have any literature links I would love to read this!

Wish I could help, but as you well know, Mandela effects are an "observer" effect - there is no way to document or scientifically analyze it.
Even if you tell me your experience, the "me" you meet after the Mandela effect may be of a different timeline/reality.

One way is to look at web searches for Mandela effect, then localize them to where the quantum comps are.

Here's one article you can look at, just do a search for "quantum computer" and "Mandela effect" for other off-beat stuff.

Is Mandela Effect Evidence of CERN Creating Parallel Dimensions? | Gaia

Did something happen with experiments at the LHC? Is there more to the phenomenon than just widespread false memories?

www.gaia.com

 

[midori oshii]

Wish I could help, but as you well know, Mandela effects are an "observer" effect - there is no way to document or scientifically analyze it.
Even if you tell me your experience, the "me" you meet after the Mandela effect may be of a different timeline/reality.

One way is to look at web searches for Mandela effect, then localize them to where the quantum comps are.

Here's one article you can look at, just do a search for "quantum computer" and "Mandela effect" for other off-beat stuff.

Is Mandela Effect Evidence of CERN Creating Parallel Dimensions? | Gaia

Did something happen with experiments at the LHC? Is there more to the phenomenon than just widespread false memories?

www.gaia.com

You need to watch the mini-series "Devs". Seriously- see it. By the writer/director of "Ex Machina".

 

[Kevin C]

You need to watch the mini-series "Devs". Seriously- see it. By the writer/director of "Ex Machina".

BTW - I have had multiple incidents of said Mandela effects, but obviously I cannot "verify" or "document" it for anyone.

Let's assume the conversation topic was about "sushi".

example:
I was having an online conversation about sushi with a friend on Tuesday night.
On Wed morning, I notice two things:
(1) the keys I usually place on counter are gone, searched for 1 hour, bupkes.
(2) a clock that was on the wall is gone.
That day, I talked to said friend again, and asked about sushi. The friend then says we never had a conversation about sushi..... ever.
-----days later, as well as searching for said keys and clock-----

On Sat morning, I find that my keys are back where they are supposed to be, and the clock is back on the wall.
Then I get a message from said friend who asks if I want to go out for sushi for lunch!

Of course, I never mentioned this to the friend. I'd be seen as schizophrenic if I did... lol.

Soooo........... how do you document that? lol.

 

[midori oshii]

BTW - I have had multiple incidents of said Mandela effects, but obviously I cannot "verify" or "document" it for anyone.

Let's assume the conversation topic was about "sushi".

example:
I was having an online conversation about sushi with a friend on Tuesday night.
On Wed morning, I notice two things:
(1) the keys I usually place on counter are gone, searched for 1 hour, bupkes.
(2) a clock that was on the wall is gone.
That day, I talked to said friend again, and asked about sushi. The friend then says we never had a conversation about sushi..... ever.
-----days later, as well as searching for said keys and clock-----

On Sat morning, I find that my keys are back where they are supposed to be, and the clock is back on the wall.
Then I get a message from said friend who asks if I want to go out for sushi for lunch!

Of course, I never mentioned this to the friend. I'd be seen as schizophrenic if I did... lol.

Soooo........... how do you document that? lol.

I have this one time that I still do not understand. I remember clearly seeing a movie with someone I was dating. I remember clear that he say that he wanted to see a particular movie and I say okay then we see it. Years and years later I was thinking of what the movie was so I search and finally find it. The problem is that it was released 2 years after we dated. I contact him and say 'remember the movie you suggested and we go and see?" He says that he never had seen that movie. I know it was him and we saw it but also that it is impossible that we see it together. I do not have strange things happen in my life but that was one. I think really hard about it and maybe it was someone else but I can not think of who. In university I only date a few people (I was too busy with school) and the others would not want to see such a movie especially not recommend it. So I think it happened to me in a branch universe and I somehow remember my other me's experience! Or it did happen to me and the universe mutated around me. Hurts my head.

 

[midori oshii]

I have this one time that I still do not understand. I remember clearly seeing a movie with someone I was dating. I remember clear that he say that he wanted to see a particular movie and I say okay then we see it. Years and years later I was thinking of what the movie was so I search and finally find it. The problem is that it was released 2 years after we dated. I contact him and say 'remember the movie you suggested and we go and see?" He says that he never had seen that movie. I know it was him and we saw it but also that it is impossible that we see it together. I do not have strange things happen in my life but that was one. I think really hard about it and maybe it was someone else but I can not think of who. In university I only date a few people (I was too busy with school) and the others would not want to see such a movie especially not recommend it. So I think it happened to me in a branch universe and I somehow remember my other me's experience! Or it did happen to me and the universe mutated around me. Hurts my head.

So if I were to really work hard to find a 'logical' explanation, am I 'really' coming up with the 'correct' answer or am I manipulating the universe -making it do logic yoga- to fit into that explanation to satisfy the gods of reason?

 

[Kevin C]

So if I were to really work hard to find a 'logical' explanation, am I 'really' coming up with the 'correct' answer or am I manipulating the universe -making it do logic yoga- to fit into that explanation to satisfy the gods of reason?

If you subscribe to Plato's cave and the Matrix argument, then it is also possible that the omnipotent ones (like the Architect) are playing you like an MMORPG and making u think like that. At that point, u have to question whether we truly have free will.

Sometimes I ask myself this question since I have limited future vision, similar to neo in "reloaded". I see something in my dreams, but there is no context and it is very limited. Only when it comes in time do I get deja vu.

 

[midori oshii]

I am not convinced of the Matrix -we live in a simulation thing. The problem for me, after reading "Simulacra and Simulation" (not easy reading an English translation of a French book for someone who has English as a second language (sigh), is that it would mean that this is a simulation of something. A map of something. So what is that something? We can forget that there is a realm of the real that the map references and live in a world of maps, but there still are echoes always of the 'real'. They would be all around even if we do not see it. Like figure/ground in gestalt theory. There would always be 'glitches' as the movies says. The question of free will? I think mostly no BUT there are tiny windows of randomness that pop up now and then.

As Forest says in "Devs"-

Forest: Everything we do is predicated on the idea that we live in a physical universe, not a magical universe.
Katie: Are you doubting that?
Forest: Not the physical universe. But I am scared we might be magicians.

As Dr. Who (4th Dr. -the best Dr.) said; "It's amazing what one can do even though one doesn't know whether one believes in anything or not".

The reason I gave up Tibetan Buddhism and ended up re-embracing Zen is that I do not believe in a metaphysics that is a type of heirarchy. There is a lateral metaphysics. It's harder for me to understand my innate attachment to Shinto but I'm working on it. Or it is working on me. Zen is the only thing that makes sense to me. When I think all this stuff I feel like the eternal hamster on his wheel. I am the hamster and I am the wheel and I am time and space the wheel turns in and through. Stop the delusion of time and space and heirarchy.

So basically I am 100% confused and do not know what the heck to believe but I still get up in the morning, make coffee, and feed the cats. At least I think I do.

We have archery in middle school but I never could pay attention properly because i always want to shoot the arrow at the bad girl two columns over and three rows up. I think my answer for me is in Zen archery.

 

[midori oshii]

Interesting Reddit thread:

 

[azlynn]

Ha - I recall my first day in statistics. The professor began by saying you can prove anything you want with statistics. That was a long time ago, and I still remember. It also guided me to be careful in analysis and math.

That's funny because I also remember what my statistics teacher told us (also a long time ago) that statistics were like bikinis. What they reveal is fascinating but what they conceal is vital.

 

[midori oshii]

That's funny because I also remember what my statistics teacher told us (also a long time ago) that statistics were like bikinis. What they reveal is fascinating but what they conceal is vital.

Yes! It's like the news. It's not what they tell you, it is what we are not told that is important. Like when the BF goes shopping and when he gets back and I ask him if he got everything on the list and he does not say anything!