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Watch out! That medicine will make you sick! You’ll regret taking it!” Words hold immense power over our minds and bodies. Just as Dumbo believed in the magic feather and flew across the circus tent—even after he learned the feather was a placebo, an empty talisman—our beliefs can shape our experiences in unexpected ways. However, there is a darker side to this phenomenon—the “nocebo” effect. Brace yourself as we now step into the darker shadows of the circus tent and…
Citizen Science No. 5 by Jamie Zvirzdin The Power of the Placebo Effect,Part I: Magic Feathers and Medical Transparency Dumbo! C’mon, fly! Open them ears! The magic feather was just a gag! You can fly! Honest, you can!” I can recite many Disney movies almost word for word, but I also recall that the 1941 version of “Dumbo” made me acutely sad and anxious. And no wonder: a poor baby elephant with big ears is mocked by others at the…
This isn’t a hand-wringing article about the moral decrepitude of cheaters, however; it is a wake-up call to teachers and educational administrators to change the game. Our expensive, competitive, performance-based emphasis on exams and grades have created a conflict-of-interest situation for students.…
While the analogy of “panning for science” has as many holes as a sieve, it is true that we humans are easily fooled by false scientific claims. Hope springs eternal: If it worked for them, surely it will work for me, too, we think. But a testimonial is not science. Real scientists—and citizens who understand science—will stop and sift the gathered data very carefully before joining the ranks of eager squealers.…
Citizen Science No. 2 by Jamie Zvirzdin False Alarms in Science and the Media: Examining Cause and Effect When we moved into a house in 2018, I was delighted by the 1970s appliances that came with it, particularly a gas stove. Not only did it have an enormous oven underneath the range, but also a smaller oven hanging above. Two ovens and a gas range! What luxury! Alas, the gas stove has since struggled and the one remaining oven that…
Citizen Science No. 1 by Jamie Zvirzdin Introduction to Citizen Science: Finding Intellectual Security Imagine you’re sitting in science class. On the paper before you, there’s a homework problem you don’t understand. You raise your hand to seek clarity, but the teacher responds, “Oh, that problem is easy! Just use your intuition.” The teacher then rattles off a bunch of specialized words—science jargon—you just learned. “Thanks,” you say out loud, but your muddied thoughts are joined by the cold chill…
HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18 The Nutcracker Ballet Returns to Oneonta MICE ON MAIN – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The mice of this years production of The Nutcracker have run away. Bring the kids to main street and follow the clues to find them so the show can go on. Presented by the Decker School of Ballet. Main Street, Oneonta. 607-432-6290 or visit www.facebook.com/deckerballet/ CRAFTS & RAFFLES – 1 – 4 p.m. Bring the kids to make a…
Count the local birds with the Audubon Society The Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society holds its annual Christmas Bird Count for the 53rd year, with counts scheduled for different days during a three-week period. Oneonta is up first, scheduled for December 18; Fort Plain follows on December 26, and Delaware County on January 2. There are two ways to participate in the Christmas Bird Count — either out in the field or watching feeders from a stationary location. Those wishing to participate…
Now through July 31st, new or lapsed annual subscribers to the hard copy “Freeman’s Journal” (which also includes unlimited access to AllOtsego.com), or electronically to AllOtsego.com, can also give back to one of their favorite Otsego County charitable organizations.
$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:
Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.
