Causation No.2
By contrast, in science (or at least in pseudo-science anyway), an awful lot of people think that causation is really easy. It is often assumed that, if there is any sort of association between two things, then one of them must have caused the other. Richard Lathe is a crackpot scientist who once said that the evolution of complex life was caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. His latest wheeze is to claim that autism is caused by pollution, based primarily on the basis that both seem to have been increasing over the last century or so. Certainly, he does not feel the need to propose any sort of plausible neurological or physiological mechanism to justify his wild theorising. By the same token, I could argue that global warming has been caused by the recent decrease in the number of pirates in the world, and so we must reinstate piracy to regain a stable climate.
All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Bless his noodly appendage.
posted by James Medhurst @ 9:53 pm
3 comments
3 Comments:
Too right James. Not nearly enough pirates about.
This sort of pseudo-science frustrates me so much. Causes of an increase in the instances of autism can only be discussed once an increase in the instances of autism is actually established.
Given that the guy is only talking about an increase within two decades, it might be possible to test extremely large groups of the population who represent those previous generations and see how many people with autism might have been missed by parents, teachers and other professionals who had far less understanding and recognition of the condition. But he doesn't even suggest that.
It is merely; the sky is blue, my shoes are blue, therefore my shoes must have fallen out of the sky.
Goldfish, I like your thinking. My grey shoes fell out of the sky on an overcast day!
James, your link has changed my life. Blessed be to the flying spaghetti monster. Does this mean that it is blessed to consume starchy carbs, or that we should all go on the Atkins diet?
Thanks so much for posting the link!
Goldfish, I agree with you 100%.
You know, in the parenting groups I've belonged to over the years, it seems as if many parents are only too willing to jump on any and every possible quack idea to explain the cause of their child's autism.
I've seen them pass around "cures"--like that unf*ckingbelivably disgusting noni-juice--anything for a way to "fix" this.
Maybe it's guilt--not wanting to entertain the idea that there's a possible genetic componant that makes people grasp for outside causes. Who knows?
Love your analysis, James!
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