PTSD

But, how would I convince the skeptics?

Just read (thanks to the Beeb) that one of the Nobel Prize-winning Australian doctors, when told that his and his colleague's views on bacteria (and not stress) causing ulcers were scoffed at, swallowed some bacteria himself to "prove his point".

Read the full story here. Apparently they were viewed as eccentrics (yes, I'm sure the swallowing of the bacteria did a lot to dispel that notion) so needed to convince the medical community of the seriousness of their discovery.

I'd like to say that social scientists already have enough trouble trying to justify their work without natural scientists going about doing dramatics of this nature.

Now, what can I do to convince the people who scoff at my research methodology? Should I start up my own state and then define its enemies? Notice how much more difficult my work is to convince people of. Especially, in a suitably dramatic fashion.

Though I think Elizabeth could infect herself (and others) with avian flu, thus starting a pandemic which will then allow her to show whether her model works or not. Not that this is a recommendation, mind.

posted by Priya @ 1:45 PM