[extropy-chat] Re: Robin Hanson on Cynicism

[Brett Paatsch]

Robin Hanson wrote:

>...  And the situation is much worse on topics where there are 
> certain positions that ordinary people typically *want* to 
> believe (such as the health effectiveness of medicine).

You have grounds for thinking ordinary people are mistaken
as to the health effectiveness of medicine? 

Brett Paatsch

PS. I wouldn't necessarily be surprised, but "ordinary people"
and "health effectiveness" might be fairly imprecise classes.  
I'm wondering if in your capacity as a teacher of health
economics you have come across data that should concern
me whether I am ordinary or not. 

I understand medicine gets politicised. First voters want it.
Second they don't generally know what is real medicine and
what isn't, and often politicians don't either so what happens
is that 'alternative' medicines get included in the mix of medicines
and then, no surprise to me, the total effectiveness of real
medicines offered is diluted by imaginary medicines. 

The way medicines are dispensed in Australia differs from 
how it is done in the US, so I'm wondering if your data would
apply here.