Foxy really!

One of your links goes nowhere, and the other is to wikipedia which is just a cut and paste of one of Chris Mooney's (also a left whinge blogger) many articles on the study where he gives his interpretation of the results. Chris Mooney's articles appear to be the only surviving references to this study.

Given that the study itself has disappeared without a trace, I can only judge the study on what has been reported. Firstly 90 people is a very small sample, rendering the so called 98% certainty that CM reports impossible, and on top of that, grabbing students from the same university roughly the same age makes the study at best a single point in a larger study.

Next the test where students differentiate between Ms and Ws is not a test of cognitive ability, but a test used to determine attention span often to diagnose ADHD. Similarly there are many recognised tests for fear, none that I know of include dirty toilets, maggots and other "disgusting" photos.

In periodicals that we have been getting for more than a decade incl New Scientist, Scientific American, and Scientific American neuroscience edition, I have yet to see any referral to this study. In short I smell a huge rat.

Similarly:

A few years ago a post grad student posted a "study" purporting to show that there were only sufficient reserves of uranium to supply the world's existing reactors for 200 yrs. This rapidly circulated through the anti nuke brigade and became one of the gold standard arguments as to why nuclear power could not be a solution to global warming.

That the IAEA on reviewing the study pointed out several gaping holes in the logic and indicated that the usable reserved were probably several 1000x larger than the study indicated were ignored and the non peer reviewed article is still being used today.

spindoc,

"“Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."
"And he has Brain."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."
There was a long silence.
"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything.” "

That's because the character Pooh appears to embody the philosophy of Taoism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tao_of_Pooh

Actually my fave line of thought....

Dear spindoc,

Seeing as you're into nursery tales -
here's one for you:

The animal I really dig above all others is the pig.
Pigs are noble. Pigs are clever, pigs are courteous.
However, now and then, to break this rule, one meets
a pig who is a fool. What for example would you say
if strolling through the woods one day right there in
front of you you saw a pig who'd built his house of straw?

The wolf who saw it licked his lips, and said, "That pig has
had his chips."

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"
"No, no, by the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin!"
"Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!"

The little pig behan to pray, but Wolfie blew his house away.
He shouted, "Bacon, pork, and ham! Oh, what a lucky Wolf I am!"
And though he ate the pig quite fast, he carefully kept the
tail till last. Wolf wandered on, a trifle bloated. Surprise,
surprise, for soon he noted another little house for pigs,
and this one had been built of twigs!

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"
"No, no, by the hairs of my chinny-chin-chin!"
"Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!"

The Wolf said, "Okay, here we go!" He then began to blow
and blow. The little pig began to squeal. He cried, "Oh Wolf,
you've had one meal!" "Why can't we talk and make a deal!"
The Wolf replied, "Not on your nelly!" And soon the pig was in
his belly. "Two juicy little pigs!" Wolf cried.
"But still I am not satisfied! I know full well my Tummy's
bulging, But oh, how I adore indulging!"

cont'd ...

cont'd ...

Dear spindoc,

So creeping quietly as a mouse, the Wolf approached
another house. A house which also had inside a little
piggy trying to hide. But this one, Piggy Number Three,
was bright and BRAINY as could be. No straw for him, no
twigs or sticks. This pig had built his house of bricks.

"You'll not get me!" the Piggy cried. "I'll blow you down!"
the Wolf replied. "You'll need," Pig said, "A lot of puff,
and I don't think you've got enough." Wolf huffed and puffed
and blew and blew. The house stayed up as good as new.
"If I can't blow it down," Wolf said, "I'll have to blow
it up instead. I'll come back in the dead of night and blow
it up with dynamite!" Pig cried, "You brute! I might have
known!" Then, picking up the telephone, he dialled as
quickly as he could the number of Red Riding Hood.

"Hello," she said. "Who's speaking? Who?" "Oh hello Piggy,
how d'you do?" Pig cried, "I need your help, Miss Hood!
Oh help me, please! D'you think you could?"
"I'll try, of course!" Miss Hood replied. "What's on your mind?"
..."A Wolf!" Pig cried. "I know you've dealt with wolves before
and now I've got one at my door!" "My darling Pig," she said,
"My sweet, that's something really up my street. I've just
begun to wash my hair, but when it's dry, I'll be right there."

A short while later, through the wood, came striding brave
Miss Riding Hood. The Wolf stood there his eyes ablaze
and yellowish, like mayonnaise. His teeth were sharp, his gums
were raw, and spit was dripping from his jaw. Once more the
maiden's eyelid flickers. She draws the pistol from her
knickers. Once more, she hits the vital spot, and kills him
with a single shot. Pig peeping through the window stood
and yelled, "Well done, Miss Riding Hood!"

cont'd ...

cont'd ...

Dear spindoc,

Ah, Piglet, you must never trust
Young ladies from the upper crust.
For now, Miss Riding Hood, one notes,
Not only has TWO wolfskin coats,
But when she goes from place to place,
She has a PIGSKIN TRAVELLING CASE.

Dear Shadow Minister,

Really? Did you bother to even click on the
"nowhere" one that does come up? It's actually there.
As are heaps of other websites on this very subject.
Of course you have to Google the subject and if you
need help doing it - just ask