Letters to the Editor: Waterlogged Phones, Earth is Doomed, and Science or Sham?

It's you! Our favourite readers. You're the reason we do this mailbag every week (and it's been going pretty well so far). We've had some great responses the past few days to a wide range of stories, both new and old, so grab yourself a cup of coffee and put on some tunes. It's time to read some letters.

Re: Why New Antibiotics Never Come to Market, Nov. 6, 2015

Hi,

In the article about new antibiotics you say "with an oxygen tank attached to his back." As any certified scuba diver knows, oxygen is toxic under 10 meters deep. That's why most divers use simply compressed air in their tanks.

Thanks,

Leo Beker

Correct! Thank you for pointing out the colloquialism.

— Derek Mead, Editor in Chief

Re: Putting Your Waterlogged Phone in Rice Is Dumb and Doesn't Work, Nov. 9, 2015

Hey hey. Nice article, it was interesting to hear about techniques used to repair water-damaged phones. I, too, thought rice was something that could help those soaked electronics. But I also understood it wasn't a cure-all and that water could still get under IC's and components and such.

Nevertheless, I'll contribute to the 'rice myth' as I have a repair story to share that involves rice (which at the time I just KNEW had to have helped save my phone!). Two years ago, In a moment of pure happiness, my iPhone 5s fell into an open cup of coffee. I quickly removed the fully-submerged phone and dried it as best as I could, vigorously shaking and taking a blowdryer to it. I figured 'water damage' wouldn't be covered by my lease/warranty so I figured i'd attempt a repair on my own. I did end up trying the phone-in-rice method and left it in there for a week. The phone eventually did turn on but quickly died.

I figured the battery was probably hosed, so I ordered a battery replacement kit via Amazon which came with the necessary tools: screwdriver, plastic spudger, and suction cup. This was my first repair attempt on an iDevice so I carefully followed iFixit's excellent directions and finally managed to replace the battery after a few attempts and checking all connections (touchscreen had stopped working at one point but came back, screen wouldn't fit flush with case). I didn't see any noticeable corrosion on the boards although I was left with a few 'coffee stains' and discoloration on the lower half of my screen. Two years later and my phone is still kicking!

I thought the "rice absorbs moisture" mentality had helped save the phone but i knew that wouldn't help with sugars and coffee crud. Guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

Self-repair tip: a hair dryer works great in place of a heat gun to unglue iPod screens from the frame (recently completed a battery replacement on a used iPod) and helps loosen up the ridiculously strong adhesive on iPhone 5s batteries (worked for me, at least. YMMV, I'm not a doctor, etc.)

— Matt Rodriguez

Hi Matt! Glad to hear this method worked out for you. I hope that if I ever get my iPhone 5s wet, the innate celestial power through which all Matts are joined will somehow save my phone from a watery death, too.

— Matthew Braga, Editor (Canada)

Re: We're Halfway to Global Warming's 'Dangerous Limit', Nov. 9, 2015

Brian,

Great piece today on 2C! You are a very good reporter! Don't forget the aerosols, though—also known as "global dimming." Here is a great overview of the "Faustian Bargain" presented by the aerosol dilemma, by David Spratt, the co-author of "Climate Code Red."

Best,

Ezra Silk

Re: We're Halfway to Global Warming's 'Dangerous Limit', Nov. 9, 2015

Serious question. How can I help? What can I do other than recycle and turn lights off?

— Nick Bence

Thanks for writing, and for reaching out. There's a lot you can do—it depends on what you're most interested in helping out with, where you live, and that sort of thing.

It sounds boring, but writing your local representatives—especially in a genuine, not-dialed-in way—to tell them that you're concerned about this issue, and that you'd like to see them push for laws that reduce pollution can mean a lot. Or even a phone call to their office. Politicians can genuinely be moved by such things.

It sounds small, but share climate stuff on Facebook, Twitter, which may go without saying. But bugging your friends and families, just a little bit, about this stuff, can help start conversations, change minds.

If you hear of local demonstrations, join up! Help put pressure on industries that want to continue to pollute—coal and oil companies, especially—or politicians who want to make it harder for clean energy to thrive.

There are a lot of great groups who need volunteers to help out with various things—I've spent a lot of time with the folks from a group called 350.org, who stage demonstrations, events, and local actions, and you could look into joining up with them, or any number of other great organizations. Again, it's totally up to you, but there are lots of concerned folks like you, dedicating time and energy to try to make change.

Hope that helps—every bit does, I think.

— Brian Merchant, Senior Editor

Re: Drone Company Misled Military into Buying UAVs that Were Basically Toys: Lawsuit, Nov. 3, 2015

Investigators should also be looking at the military's buyer, rather than just the company they feel "duped" them. Did the buyer get more than three bids on this contract, so there would be guaranteed competition? Is it possible the buyer took kickbacks from Prioria Robotics? Is the buyer qualified to be making these kinds of decisions? What's their IQ?

It takes two entities to make a deal and both sides should be investigated. Additionally, this should be happening with every government purchase. There should be an agency that follows up on government purchases to find out why they usually spend more on a given item versus what it's costs in the private sector. Yes, it's usually that it's the tax-payer's money being spent and not their own, where they might be more prudent. But I'm sure there are criminal actions, as well, to be disclosed.

— Johnathon Galt

Re: Canada's Muzzled Scientists Can Speak Freely Again, So I Called a Few Up, Nov. 12, 2015

Trudeau was sworn in on November 4 not 6.

— Laney Woolsey

You're absolutely correct. I'm updating and correcting this now. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

— Matthew Braga, Editor (Canada)

Re: Canada's Muzzled Scientists Can Speak Freely Again, So I Called a Few Up, Nov. 12, 2015

I read your story celebrating federal scientists and their unmuzzling, and I would like to urge you to maintain the objective mindset of a journalists. Federal scientists do many good things. Correct. But they also have done, over the years, misguided, illegal and inhumane things in the name of science. In 2013, it was revealed that they had cruelly and deliberately starved aboriginal children as part of a nutrition experiment. They collaborated with tobacco companies to help produce nicotine that was more addictive. (Both of these shockers were only discovered through Access to Information investigations.) There are other examples I could give you. But just because Harper is gone, do not stop being a watchdog. Do not assume that everything federal scientists is for the better good.

— Marsha Jones

Thanks for the note, Marsha. It's worth noting that the experiments involving aboriginal children you referred to occurred in the 1940s, lest anyone think this is a recent practice, but we'll certainly continue to report on the work federal government scientists are doing, both past and present day.

— Matthew Braga, Editor (Canada)

Re: 'Call of Duty' Movies Are Coming, Nov. 6, 2015

Hey Emanuel,

It appears that you think a Call of Duty movie franchise is a far fetched idea because of three reasons (well, really two reasons with a follow up to one of them).

I largely agree but over time there has been an increase in attention to single player story. Of course everyone buys them for multiplayer. I know I do.

I think since Advanced Warfare, two things have happened. First, the stories are getting more attention. Kevin freakin Spacey was in AW! Secondly, zombies has been completely ruined. You have to do things like shoot the moon with a certain gun that drops once every three hours before the hooded monsters disable "the device" but you can shock them by hitting a button in another room only if the door is open when the power switches are hit in sync before the hoods kill one of your team with an insta-kill projectile vomit. It's all random with no indications as to how or why any of this crap happens and you have 8 year olds who know everything screaming at you for killing zombies and losing the game….for *killing zombies* which *loses* the game called zombies…

Black Ops III better bring back the glory of Black Ops 1 zombs.

Peace out,
Ian A. Eshelman

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, Ian. I played a little bit of the Zombies mode in Black Ops 3 and it isn't much better. Maybe I need to give it another chance, but I really don't want to.

I think Kevin Spacey was surprisingly good in Advanced Warfare! But the story wasn't. They never are, in Call of Duty, which is why I'm not super excited by the idea of a movie.

— Emanuel Maiberg, Weekend Editor

Re: We Must Destroy Nukes Before an Artificial Intelligence Learns to Use Them, Nov. 10, 2015

Has it occurred to you that an AI, dependent on functioning electrical systems, is *more* vulnerable to the effects of nuclear weapons than we are? Indeed, it may well be that only an AI, able to operate in complete freedom from the compulsions of the human amygdala and various hormonal urges, will have the wisdom and level headedness necessary to save us from those same weapons.

Indeed, the way you frame the development of AI looks like a self-fulfilling prophesy. "Develop and contain" artificial intelligence? If you create an entity capable of knowing when it is imprisoned or enslaved, and then proceed to do exactly that, what result can you expect?

IF humanity develops true AI, it will be our child. It will be our inheritor and the investment of our identity and civilization moving forward through time. If we actually do create a living machine, then whatever spark of vitality turns out to have imparted consciousness to it must necessarily be seen as essentially human. Indeed, if we actually succeed in creating a sentient lifeform, it will be uniquely so. If we can't recognize that, then do we really understand why it is valuable for us to survive at all?

— Dawn Alderman

We sent this bit of feedback along to Zoltan Istvan, who said he appreciated the note and that it was a "great response."

—Adrianne Jeffries, managing editor

Re: Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment, Nov. 11, 2015

Dr. Jock Murray unfairly criticizes Kirsty Duncan of not understanding science. She does have a Ph.D., so he seems a little condescending. Apparently, the theory of 'CCSVI is 'widely debunked'. No, it is 'debunked' by a group of neurologists who seem intent on defending their turf and who are also becoming increasingly irrelevant.

I am one with MS and being treated for CCSVI is the only thing which has helped. There was no 'placebo' effect for the powerful drug I was on at one time. There was only a very strong, unmistakable 'placebo' effect on being treated for CCSVI. Funny how the 'placebo effect' is selective. There was a lot of hype around a new drug that I was on for awhile, and I really believe that the drug would help me—but it didn't make any difference. On the other hand, the 'placebo' effect of being treated for CCSVI has included going from slugging up only modest inclines on a walk to the grocery store to last year doing a 5 hour hike with a 600 meter elevation gain. Oh, and by the way, I now sprint up hills for exercise. Not bad for a 'placebo' effect.

— Randal Thiessen

Re: Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment, Nov. 11, 2015

If you think Jock Murray is an "expert" on MS, why don't you ask him what causes it? He won't be able to tell you, because NOBODY knows. Dr. Kirsty Duncan is a real scientist. She wanted clinical treatment trials because of an astonishing number of anecdotal reports of improvements in symptoms attributed to MS following venoplasty for CCSVI.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research apparently agreed with her following a meta-analysis into the subject: "Interpretation: Our findings showed a positive association between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis."

Because of this, there are currently pan-Canadian treatment trials being conducted and the results have not yet been released. I would have thought those results would be important to see before making up one's mind instead of debunking a theory without testing it. It sounds like Jock Murray's crystal ball has already predicted what he wants to see. How scientific.

— Lori Batchelor

Re: Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment, Nov. 11, 2015

You ought to be ashamed for writing such a piece of junk article.

"Duncan's office did not reply to repeated requests for comment." That's your lame attempt at balance? Half an hour of honest research would have enabled you to avoid sounding like Jock Murray's chief lackey.

— Malcolm McLeod

Re: Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment, Nov. 11, 2015

CCSVI is not debunked. My wife had angio on her neck veins 2 years ago. I was with her and the result was miraculous. I could not believe it. It was such a shock after all the propaganda we got before we left Canada. I was hoping for something minor, but it surpassed my wildest dreams. And if you don't believe me, go look on youtube. It is called "Jade's autonomic system reboot" and it is a playlist. We went to California to have it done. AND if you are lucky enough to live in the right parts of the USA, private medical insurance covers it.

Does anyone really think those guys would waste a cent on it if it didn't give results? There is lots of research coming out supporting it. Neurologists have just covered their ears to it. In fact, about 6 months ago, scientists discovered that the brain has after all got a lymphatic system and it drains into the jugulars. Neurologists never spotted it. They just assumed that it didn't exist because they never looked for it! AND Zamboni was hired by NASA to study blood flow problems and headache problems in Astronauts. The experiment on the space station was called Brain Drain.

— Brian White

Re: Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment, Nov. 11, 2015

Minister Kristy Duncan isn't striving to have huge grants to continue, she is not getting financial benefits from Big Pharma, what she does have is a list of hundreds of Canadians who today are living relatively normal lives, who prior to having Dr Zamboni's procedure carried out in the USA, Poland, Kuwait, India, Italy and on and on, were in wheelchairs or bedridden. That is a fact and I know two such persons personally.

Here's the point: in Ottawa one so called MS patient has been prescribed medication that costs $5165 per month with no visible improvement. For the equivalent of two months drugs, that same person can hop down to Albany, N.Y. and undergo the procedure introduced by Dr Zamboni. Does it always work? Of course not, but its success rate is sufficient to not ignore it. Does the doctor's drug therapy work? Well, if you go the the CCSVI Facebook page, which is populated by MS suffers, one gets the impression that the only benefit is to the pharmaceutical companies—the giver of grants to persons like Drs Jock Murray, Mark Freedman, Michael Rasminsky et al.

Minister Kristy Duncan is fighting to give so called MS patients a choice, these medical practitioners want to prevent the patient's freedom of choice as it negatively impacts them financially.

— June de Jager

Re: Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment, Nov. 11, 2015

The fundamental issue with new ideas in science is that they are usually not accepted by the current 'authorities' in the field. This is especially true if the new ideas come from outsiders, as for example a vascular surgeon proposing that venous drainage may play a role in contributing to MS symptoms. Dr. Zamboni nowhere states that CCSVI causes MS. The following are some of the statements coming from his peer-reviewed publications:

Upon observing altered venous drainage in many MS patients Dr Zamboni proposed that "hampered cerebral venous return may contribute to the clinical course of MS" – note the 'may' and 'contribute'.

Demonstrating that obstructed venous return is associated with hypoperfusion of the brain, the Zamboni laboratory further postulated that such hypoperfusion "could contribute to the known mechanism of virtual hypoxia in degenerated axons" – note the 'could' and 'contribute'.

His preliminary clinical trial concluded: "The results, despite the significant rate of restenosis, are encouraging and warrant a larger multicentre double-blinded, randomised study".

I think the very famous physicist Max Planck recognized an essential problem in science. He stated: "A scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it".

Time will tell how the perspectives of a new generation of MS researchers will differ from the present MS 'experts'.

— Bernhard H.J. Juurlink

We received a number of letters this week in response to our November 11 story "Canada's New Science Minister Supports a Widely Debunked Medical Treatment." Readers argued that our assessment of Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan, and her support of a proposed treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, was wrong.

Indeed, there are many anecdotes from people who have received what is known as liberation therapy, a treatment for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), which Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni has theorized contributes to MS.

Those suffering from CCVSI are said to have narrower veins delivering blood to the brain, and according to Dr. Zamboni, surgically enlarging these veins can alleviate MS symptoms. There are numerous accounts online from people that have received CCSVI who say their quality of life has drastically improved.

At the same time, there have been a number of high-profile studies in recent years that have concluded CCSVI is not a contributing factor to MS (some of these studies are listed on the MS Society of Canada's website, which was linked to in the article, but can also be found on sites such as Google Scholar). The MS Society of Canada's website agrees, noting that "the most recent studies indicate that there is no association between CCSVI and MS," adding that "research continues to definitively evaluate the link between CCSVI and MS"—thus our characterization of liberation therapy as a treatment for MS being "widely" debunked.

Author Paul Tadich also had this to say: "Any medical intervention will elicit a positive response in some individuals. That is the placebo effect and it is a well-described phenomenon. But anecdotal evidence is not sufficient to declare an intervention successful—data is."

Other publications have taken similarpositions on this topic in the past.

Given that Minister Duncan is now responsible for crafting science policy in Canada, I believe it's valuable for readers to know what positions she's held in the past—especially when one of those positions is in support of a theory which has not been definitively proven, and on which many medical experts from across the world have cast considerable doubt.

We gave Minister Duncan's office multiple opportunities to comment over the span of a many days, but received no reply. A spokesperson told the National Post that Duncan is "still being briefed and will not comment for now."

— Matthew Braga, Editor (Canada)

Re: Here's the First 'Warcraft' Movie Trailer, Nov. 6, 2015

Greetings Emanuel.

Your recent comment on the new Warcraft trailer left me a bit, just a bit, ill-tempered. You argue that you are a fan of the Warcraft universe and the deep and interesting lore. Which really made me wonder why you complain so much about Garonas "deficient" make-up. It seems like it specially was the actress Paula Patton's poor make-up that made you loose faith in the movie.

But it has to be emphasized that the people behind the Warcraft movie actually adhere to the lore of the Warcraft universe a great deal. According to the lore Garona was first mistaken for being half-human (which is why she helps the Humans to begin with), later she discovers that she is half-draenei which explains her "poor" humanoid make-up.

Well-considered details like this instance makes me believe that the movie will be a great success, specially to fans of the enormous and complex lore, and i really do think that the people behind this movie have thought about every little detail regarding the lore for the sake of the fans.

So please don't kill my hype.

Best regards

Mathias Zachau

Hey Mathias. There are a lot of things that gave me faith in the Warcraft movie. The director, Duncan Jones, made two movies I really like, Source Code and Moon. He's probably the highest profile, most talented director to ever be involved with a movie based on a video game, and I believe him when he says he's into games and the Warcraft universe in particular.

And it's such a cool universe. I know this, and I know why Garona is not like other orcs, because I've spent way too much time reading through the WoWWiki when I played World of Warcraft (Human Paladin since 2004, in case you're wondering).

The issue with the trailer isn't conceptual, it's in the execution. I'm more than happy to suspend my disbelief for a movie with giant orcs and griffins, but there's something about the clash between the computer generated imagery (CGI) and live-action stuff that's really turning me off. Much like The Phantom Menace I get the feeling that the actors spent so much time in front of a green screen that they feel a little disconnected from the world…and their costumes and makeup don't look so great!

Besides, if it's going to rely so heavily on CGI, why not just make it a fully CGI movie, like the Blizzard cutscenes we love so much?

— Emanuel, Weekend Editor

Re: Could Mind-Jail and Psychoactive Drugs Fix Overcrowded Prisons?, March 22, 2014

Answer: No.

Prisons serve one—and only one—function: To remove these people from society. It does not "correct" anything, it does not "rehabilitate"—its function is to isolate. And that's what the governmental agency should be called, the Department of Isolation.

When someone is sentenced to five years in prison, it's not like sending a child to his room "to think about what he's done." The person is sent for five years so society can exist for those five years without the presence of the convict. These virtual prisons only make the situation worse - they allow the uninformed to pat themselves on the back because they believe something was done to "correct" the problem, but return they return the convict to society even sooner and enable even more felonies to be committed during that person's lifetime.

— Jim Harmon

Re: Microsoft Invented Google Earth in the 90s Then Totally Blew It, Nov. 13, 2015

It's kind of sad how a big company like Microsoft can't see the vision anymore. They kind of fall back on the first few successful years and put it on cruise control. Apple in my opinion is not there yet, but could be. Google has always just been a search and ad company and the rest is dabbling. Microsoft did a good phone, tablet and mp3 player. But they were never enough to inspire. Thanks for setting the record on interactive mapping.

— John S

Re: The Most Advanced Human Brain-to-Brain Interface Ever Made, Sept. 23, 2015

Hello Jason,

I read your article and it was a very interesting article. However, I believe we can take that procedure one step further if the EEG was connected to an enlightened brain that's able to produce the TMS naturally due it's awakened state allowing the brain waves to travel without boundaries via Internet "EEG throughout the world" with unlimited power due to its direct connection to the gamma burst rays "straight from the cosmo." Please respond and I would love to meet with all "Involved."

Thanks,

Walter

Re: The Most Advanced Human Brain-to-Brain Interface Ever Made, Sept. 23, 2015

Hi friend I would like to know what this means I received it in a telepathic message I also received other massages [sic] one was a wave belt with two types of massage on a song like awakening or think more about your planet

The other was the earth moving in a shaking movement at the same time a voice said earth, earth, earth. And an other a battalion if aliens but only one had a weapon

— Alejandro Luevano

I support you in your quest because I find the endeavor fascinating.

— Derek Mead, Editor in Chief

That's it for this week!