Anecdote and observation are the first steps of the scientific method.? Then you form the hypothesis that you would like to test.? I think the "just test it" argument overlooks the fact that sometimes the test is the hard part.? I think it would be difficult to have a blinded acupuncture study where you would have one group that you are actually putting needles in and another you are not.? I have done acupuncture, and you know when the needle is put in.? It's not painful, but you know it's there.? So, how do you convince the control group that they are having needles put in?

There are other studies that are difficult in other ways.? Take a drug that might help with peanut allergy.? It's a little unethical to expose those with a potentially deadly allergy to peanuts to test "if" your drug works.? That doesn't mean that the drug doesn't work, but it's hard to have proof.

Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't continue to try to prove all theories, but part of the work involves being able to design the right experiment.?

I think we all may disagree on a lot of things, but I think what separates us from a "believer" is the desire to continue searching for the right answers instead of just falling back on "faith".

On Tue, Feb 23, 2010 at 4:55 PM, Allen <[address removed]> wrote:

Here's the thing, folks:?a previous participant wrote "I think that?acupuncture is not the best subject for hard nose skepticism, as there seem to be too many cases where it is effective?" [emphasis added]

?

So when is the right time to apply sketicism? We all know that the human brain just loves to attribute causality, even when it's mere coincidence. So it's all very common for things to "seem" to be one way or another.

?

That's why humans have devised careful experimental procedure protocols (such as blinding)?and sophisticated statistical analysis techniques to allow us to systematically separate what is from what seems to be.

?

Analysis by anecdote is not the right way to tackle acupuncture or any other scientific subject.

?

Allen

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?

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