I'm surprised the authors of the study didn't check proximity to cell towers/power lines or some such thing.
You guys have poor sarcasm detectors...
Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
61–70 of 73 posts
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#62And this is why I only drink rain water and pure grain alcohol... to ensure the purity of my precious bodily fluids...
No Dr. Strangelove fans on HN?
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#63I think science articles should be banned from HN. The userbase is clearly not educated well enough to deal with the issues. It only produces comments from armchair scientists conjuring up whatever pet theory they can explain away the results with. Comments like the classic freshman stats quote "correlation does not equal causation", or the standard response starting with "Judging from the abstract", or the always in…
A healthy dose of skepticism is the reason I DO read Hacker News. There's no limit to the studies trumpeted in the news with inaccurate titles/conclusions. HN calls them out. Notwithstanding posts from folks with fashionably cynical attitudes.
I think so too.
I'm not as smart as you guys,community college.
I usually lurk and look forward to spin deconstruction here.
its one of the reasons I love reading comments here
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Out of curiosity, do you have references on fluoride and endocrine disruption? Further, I disagree regarding whether anyone should receive 'the benefit of the doubt'; we should defer to the many public health studies on the benefits of fluoride.
It's in the Newsweek article, which discusses several possible biological mechanisms for problems from fluoridation, complete with sources, many of which are direct links to studies. Perhaps read it?
It's in the Newsweek article, which discusses several posible biological mechanisms
for problems from fluoridation, complete with sources, many of which are direct links
to studies. Perhaps read it?
[1] http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11571&page=265
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pure bullshit. Fluoride (F-) is a weak base. Dental plaque produces acid (H+) which is one cause of tooth decay. F- + H+ HF. The Fluoride neutralizes some of the acid to reduce tooth decay.
That's not the main way it protects the teeth. If you just wanted to neutralize the acids, you could rinse/drink with a buffer such as milk. Flouride works by integrating with your teeth. It forms a mineral that it is more resistant to acid attack than the mineral teeth are made of naturally.
Yes, the biggest benefit is when the tooth is forming. It's like boro-silicate glass (pyrex) or steel; some atoms in the crystalline structure of the base material are replaced with others, which improves the overall strength of the result. So, like boron improves glass and carbon improves iron (to make steel) then fluoride improves the tooth structure.
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#66I think science articles should be banned from HN. The userbase is clearly not educated well enough to deal with the issues. It only produces comments from armchair scientists conjuring up whatever pet theory they can explain away the results with. Comments like the classic freshman stats quote "correlation does not equal causation", or the standard response starting with "Judging from the abstract", or the always in…
The only topic that gets worse comments than science on HN is gender issues. I think you're unfair there. If you want to see a diversity of opinions, that's exactly what we have--the fact that you disagree with one side or the other is quite your own problem.
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Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#67I think science articles should be banned from HN. The userbase is clearly not educated well enough to deal with the issues. It only produces comments from armchair scientists conjuring up whatever pet theory they can explain away the results with. Comments like the classic freshman stats quote "correlation does not equal causation", or the standard response starting with "Judging from the abstract", or the always in…
Obviously we can't ban science articles, but the point you're raising is important. Reductionist dismissal of new work based on partial understanding of the marginally related is a tell-tale sign of the middlebrow. It is epidemic in communities like this. I don't think there's anything more vital to intellectual maturity than learning to recognize those dismissive reflexes in oneself and inhibit them. That is the ess…
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Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#68For some values of "ADHD", whose existence, diagnostic criteria, prevalence and proper management are still wildly controversial.
The existence is generally accepted, it's included in any larger medical catalog[1], there are standard tests (UTAH test), there's a wide array of literature, but management seems to be a problem.
[1]: it's classified with critieria since ICD-9, which was defined in 1978.
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#69The most interesting tidbit in the article was this: About 90 percent of the fluoride that is added to the water takes the form not of pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride but ... fluorosilicic acid ... This material is a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer manufacturing ... several studies have suggested that this form of fluoride can leach lead from pipes. ...other work shows that children in fluoridated areas have e…
The concern over lead in the water system is largely focused on lead-based solder in copper pipes. That is restricted largely to postwar homes up until the emergence of PVC and PEX plumbing in the 80's.
Plastic pipes can put endocrine disruptors like BPA/BPS and other nasties in the water. It's pretty common for new piping to leave noticable odor/taste for a while.
For "other nasties" see http://grist.org/living/is-it-safe-to-drink-water-out-of-pla... "Some of the latest research coming out of the NSF project tested several brands of PEX tubing for chemical leaching – and found it."
Re: Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher ADHD Rates
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
It would be a statistical sin to determine that after seeing N papers with an error, that the N+1th would certainly have an error. Extrapolating the specific error without even seeing the paper is closer to rhetoric than science.
Of course you're right, which is exactly why I didn't write that . Again: the paper might be correct, but past experience has taught me to be skeptical.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9156257
I was bothered by this study, and particularly this bit:
"After adjusting for sociodemographics, other drug use and childhood depression, we found no significant associations between lifetime use of psychedelics and increased likelihood of past year serious psychological distress, mental health treatment, suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans and suicide attempt, depression and anxiety."
It seems they test life time usage, yet only "past year" serious psychological distress, mental health treatment, suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans and suicide attempt, depression and anxiety.
Can I get your opinion on whether that "past year" applies to just "serious psychological distress" or all the terms, including: "mental health treatment, suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans and suicide attempt, depression and anxiety".
It would seem to me that "past year" applies to all of the terms. In my opinion the study misses the rather obvious problems that cause somebody to quit psychedelics permanently, allowing them to recover. Those that quit long ago would not report issues because they didn't happen in the immediate 12 month period previous.
Also acquaintances of mine who have ended up permanently hospitalised, are obviously not going to be part of a survey like this.
Do you agree or disagree with any of that?