– netbook, which is a small laptop
– sexting, which is sending sexually explicit texts and pictures by cell phone
– birther, a conspiracy theorist claiming that President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States
Taking a science angle on our world wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t look at popular culture. Science &… looks into how science plays into what becomes popular with people around the world
Recently, Sharon Begley of Newsweek wrote about psychologists’ unwillingness to utilize proven scientific methods in their practices. For example, Begley points out that rigorous clinical trials show that cognitive and cognitive-behavior therapies are effective against depression, panic disorder, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Instead she brings to our attention that:
“Millions of patients are instead receiving chaotic mediation therapy, facilitated communication, dolphin-assisted therapy, eye-movement desensitatization, and… well, ‘someone once stopped counting at 1,000 forms of psychotherapy in use,’ says (Univesity of Wisconsin professor Timothy B.) Baker.”
Dolphin-assisted therapy, huh? Nice… if you can get it.