Comments on: RetroPost: The Science of Violence in Mice and Men http://www.christandpopculture.com/featured/retropost-the-science-of-violence-in-mice-and-men/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=retropost-the-science-of-violence-in-mice-and-men Where The Christian Faith Meets The Common Knowledge of Our Age Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:36:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alan Noble http://www.christandpopculture.com/featured/retropost-the-science-of-violence-in-mice-and-men/#comment-25599 Alan Noble Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:48:42 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=2345#comment-25599 Julie, In retrospect, the media's distortion of studies has more causes than I originally suggested. I suppose it says just as much about our cultural understanding of "science" and what it can tell us about the world as it does the media's ability to promote science as such. It is interesting that you point to A/P writers as the source of these misrepresentations, but I don't suppose that gets us beyond the fact that the media (which includes the Associated Press) often misrepresents both the particulars of scientific studies and the significance of science as a whole. -alan Julie,

In retrospect, the media’s distortion of studies has more causes than I originally suggested. I suppose it says just as much about our cultural understanding of “science” and what it can tell us about the world as it does the media’s ability to promote science as such.

It is interesting that you point to A/P writers as the source of these misrepresentations, but I don’t suppose that gets us beyond the fact that the media (which includes the Associated Press) often misrepresents both the particulars of scientific studies and the significance of science as a whole.

-alan

]]> By: Julie Ooms http://www.christandpopculture.com/featured/retropost-the-science-of-violence-in-mice-and-men/#comment-25561 Julie Ooms Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:46:12 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=2345#comment-25561 In defense of the media--or perhaps to its further detriment--I think I need to clarify how studies like these make it into the news, and in what format. I've worked as producer at a smallish TV news network in South Dakota (KELO), and all of our non-local news--including medical studies--came to us via A/P (Associated Press) wires. Basically, my task every morning was to comb the wires looking for "interesting" material to put on the show. Thing is, the wires were already second-hand accounts: any reports on new medical studies had already been read and written up by a (usually less-than-wonderfully-talented) A/P writer. By the time we got the story, it had already been spun. Of course, that's true of most news stories--not only those on medical studies. In defense of the media–or perhaps to its further detriment–I think I need to clarify how studies like these make it into the news, and in what format. I’ve worked as producer at a smallish TV news network in South Dakota (KELO), and all of our non-local news–including medical studies–came to us via A/P (Associated Press) wires. Basically, my task every morning was to comb the wires looking for “interesting” material to put on the show. Thing is, the wires were already second-hand accounts: any reports on new medical studies had already been read and written up by a (usually less-than-wonderfully-talented) A/P writer. By the time we got the story, it had already been spun.
Of course, that’s true of most news stories–not only those on medical studies.

]]> By: Minnesota Attorney http://www.christandpopculture.com/featured/retropost-the-science-of-violence-in-mice-and-men/#comment-23856 Minnesota Attorney Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:43:05 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=2345#comment-23856 It is unfortunate how the media's attempt to transform science into entertainment often presents an unclear and inaccurate representation of the actual scientific information. <abbr><em>Minnesota Attorneys last blog post..<a href="http://www.aaronhall.com/minnesota-dog-bite-law/" rel="nofollow">Minnesota Dog Bite Law</a></abbr></em> It is unfortunate how the media’s attempt to transform science into entertainment often presents an unclear and inaccurate representation of the actual scientific information.

Minnesota Attorneys last blog post..Minnesota Dog Bite Law

]]> By: Lex Fear http://www.christandpopculture.com/featured/retropost-the-science-of-violence-in-mice-and-men/#comment-23505 Lex Fear Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:57:20 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=2345#comment-23505 That study sounds ridiculous. Human brains, psychology and relationships are far more advanced and complex than mice. Mice rely on other sensors such as smell and are probably more territorial than a human in the same circumstances. So what happens if we put two humans in unfamiliar surroundings and put a button to open the door between them. I'm no scientist but my guess is they would press the button, greet each other and wonder what they are doing or how they got there. In fact we do have this experiment happening everywhere - it's called a doorbell and rarely results in a fight. So what does that tell us? Mice have similar brains to humans so they are equally as likely to invite each other in for a cup of tea? <abbr><em>Lex Fears last blog post..<a href="http://abandonallfear.org.uk/2009/02/26/whodunnit-killing-in-the-name-of/" rel="nofollow">[Whodunnit] Killing In The Name Of…</a></abbr></em> That study sounds ridiculous. Human brains, psychology and relationships are far more advanced and complex than mice.

Mice rely on other sensors such as smell and are probably more territorial than a human in the same circumstances.

So what happens if we put two humans in unfamiliar surroundings and put a button to open the door between them.

I’m no scientist but my guess is they would press the button, greet each other and wonder what they are doing or how they got there.

In fact we do have this experiment happening everywhere – it’s called a doorbell and rarely results in a fight.

So what does that tell us? Mice have similar brains to humans so they are equally as likely to invite each other in for a cup of tea?

Lex Fears last blog post..[Whodunnit] Killing In The Name Of…

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