Least and most religious nations

[denuseri]

It really helps when one doesnt go to only a single and clearly biased source for their information.

In Nursing school they said pretty much what this acredited government site had to say about it, I highly reccomend you do more than just read the intro I posted bellow:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/

"Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. As part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific points on the body. In the United States, where practitioners incorporate healing traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)."

It isnt even remotely considered snake oil. smh


And as for scientific evidence of humans being hardwired...just open any medical textbook...I would quote straight from all the ones on my bookshelf but that would simply be too much typing.

[Thorne]

It really helps when one doesnt go to only a single and clearly biased source for their information.

I didn't think it was necessary to do months of research and provide footnotes. I used that particular source because he has already done the research, and has links to his sources.

In Nursing school they said pretty much what this acredited government site had to say about it, I highly reccomend you do more than just read the intro I posted bellow:

So you don't like my using real scientists as sources, yet you can use an organization which promotes alternative medicines? Well here's another for you.

And while I didn't go really in depth into the site you linked to, I did look at their section on clinical trials. I saw plenty of descriptions of what clinical trials are, and lots of claims of ongoing clinical trials, yet not one link to a true, reproducible, scientific study which supports their claims. To my knowledge, the practitioners of acupuncture, in particular, can't even prove the basic claim of their craft, which is something along the lines of realigning energy flows in the human body. They can't define these energy flows, can't measure them, can't study them, yet they insist they are there. Show me the proof! And no, I don't care about how many people use alternative medicines. That's irrelevant to whether or not it actually works.

It isnt even remotely considered snake oil.

Except by reputable scientists and doctors.

Many believers of these "magical" practices believe that scientists and medical professionals haven't looked into these things. They have. There have been plenty of real studies, with valid testing procedures, which have shown them to be no better than placebos.

[thir]

It really helps when one doesnt go to only a single and clearly biased source for their information.

True for all of us. With many things the official Western world of science sneers at various treaments, but in many cases, after a while, when properly investigated, they find out why it works. I think there is the believe that noone else knows anything - for one thing.

Chiropractic is one example.

Further on acupuncture:

Acupuncture does work as it stimulates a natural pain killer, scientists find

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...ists-find.html

Health: As a painkiller, they're pretty sharp: Acupuncture needles can dramatically reduce the use of anaesthetics in operations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-1494541.html

And as for scientific evidence of humans being hardwired...just open any medical textbook...I would quote straight from all the ones on my bookshelf but that would simply be too much typing.

I guess it depends on what exactly is meant by 'hard-wired'. Lately it seems to be used by anyone to prove their point, and so the meaning of it (if any) is completely watered down.

Can you define what you mean by it for me?

[Thorne]

True for all of us. With many things the official Western world of science sneers at various treaments, but in many cases, after a while, when properly investigated, they find out why it works.

And then it is incorporated into scientific medicine! That's what I've been saying. The problems arise when, after thorough study, the scientists not only cannot figure out HOW something works, but can't even prove that it DOES work, at least any better than a placebo.

Acupuncture does work as it stimulates a natural pain killer, scientists find

Which is quite true. But it doesn't work in the way that it's proponents claim it works. And it doesn't necessarily do many of the other things it's claimed to do. A punch in the eye can trigger endorphins, too. That doesn't mean it's a good idea to use it for pain relief.

I guess it depends on what exactly is meant by 'hard-wired'. Lately it seems to be used by anyone to prove their point, and so the meaning of it (if any) is completely watered down.
Can you define what you mean by it for me?

As I understand it, something hard-wired into our brains is something which has developed through evolution, passed down through generations in our DNA. One thing to remember, though, is that this does NOT necessarily mean it's beneficial to survival. There are many bad mutations which are passed down, probably just as many as good mutations. All it means is that either the mutation was not necessarily inimical to survival, or that it was possibly necessary for survival at one time, under certain conditions.