Wednesday, June 15, 2005

IVF kids are taller and have more good cholesterol than naturally conceived kids. The height difference seems related to more growth hormones, not parental size. The study's author thinks the difference is caused by IVF-induced genetic change, not by eugenics.

William Saletan in Slate.

Or maybe it's because their parents are older, and richer, and went to a hell of a lot of trouble to have them.

Is it just me, or are newspapers today fairly devoid of perspective? Is it objectivity when you simply report what other people say without putting it in context or challenging it? Isn't the point of a free press to challenge the news?

10:01 AM

7 Comments:

I completely agree that the media appears to have lost it - they seem to just want to hit the high notes, or talking points, without ever getting to the truth of the matter on anything -

Hey, have you seen the post on Shouting Into The Wind? Do you have an opinion on her position?

By  Anonymous, at 10:24 AM  

Yeah, my opinion is that we would have a long argument and wouldn't resolve anything. I'm not going to refute her post point by point because politics seem to be a matter of faith, not logic. Either you have faith gummint can help, or you don't. Either you have faith the President isn't an ignorant liar, or you don't. I have faith in the government, I don't have faith in the President; and she's the reverse.

Reminds me of the old Polish joke.

Q. What is the difference between communism and capitalism?
A. Capitalism is the exploitation of man by his fellow man. Communism -- exactly the opposite!

By  Alex Epstein, at 10:56 AM  

I suppose you're right, in terms of argument - For the record, though, I don't think the President's lying is a matter of faith, it's more a matter of record (which is something she basically acknowledges, she just says "so what?") -

I like to be that reasonable people can resolve differences in reasonable ways, not only on faith - I guess that's what makes living in this day and age so difficult - and why I'm a staunch supporter of the separation of church and state -

By  Anonymous, at 12:49 PM  

If it's true that politics is a matter of faith and not of record, then that would explain the polarization of the country. No argument of faith can ever be resolved.

I mean, have you ever heard a Star Trek vs Star Wars argument settled? And forget Mac vs PC.

By  Unknown, at 2:56 PM  

It's okay that we all disagree. I still love you all. And Alex, I have your book now and I love it too. :-)

By  Shawna, at 3:35 PM  

Hey, thank you! Glad you like it.

Write something wonderful, huh?

By  Alex Epstein, at 3:59 PM  

It's not just you. It'd be laughably funny sometimes if not for the fact that I think it does a lot of harm.

By  Anonymous, at 4:19 PM  

Post a Comment

Back to Complications Ensue main blog page.