I have read both the original Robert Towne draft of Chinatown and Polanski’s rewrite. That should go down as one of the great rewrites in movie history. It was the work of an artistic genius, and produced one of the most iconic and well-crafted movies ever to come out of Hollywood. Nothing can take that accomplishment away from him.
But Polanski should be arrested, tried, and spend the rest of his miserable life in jail because he raped a child.
“What’s the harm in believing…?”
Ever heard that one?
The harm can actually be deadly.
A problem skeptics face is that, emotionally, anecdotes trump statistics. Lack of critical thinking skills is why a single sob story can beat a mountain of evidence.
I’ve added whatstheharm.net to the Honor Roll of links there on the right because they understand this problem. Not only do they present just how many people are killed and injured due to fallacious beliefs, but they put a human face on the toll. Highly recommended.
My thanks to Rebecca Watson for mentioning it on last week’s edition of my favorite podcast, The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe.
Update (and bumped):
David Gorski has some case histories of the price of anti-vaccine nuttery. It’s also worth noting that Science Based Medicine is back, running on a new and improved server.
All this biomedical woo comes at a cost. For instance, in one message Mary listed the monthly cost: $2,800 to $3,500 for IVIG, plus $500 for supplements and chelation therapy. But that’s just money. It’s always possible to get more money, even after pouring it down the rathole of quackery. What is not possible to take back the discomfort, fear, and pain that Saul was forced to endure for no potential benefit. Indeed, Mary even appears at certain points to have recognized this:
Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist and my poor kid is my guinea pig.
