joke study on parachute use

[Dougiefresh 0]

Study reviewing the efficacy of parachute use after gravitational challenge.

God, this is dorky.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7429/1459

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams

[LongWayToFall 0]

Why the hell would a gyno write this crap. Although, I have to agree, every time I put on a rig, I think to myself "Thanks doc, you are controlling my life in a very good way." I also think "hook it up with some vicodin."

[IanHarrop 43]

Quote

Study reviewing the efficacy of parachute use after gravitational challenge.

God, this is dorky.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7429/1459

the best part of the read is the very end:

"Contributors: GCSS had the original idea. JPP tried to talk him out of it. JPP did the first literature search but GCSS lost it. GCSS drafted the manuscript but JPP deleted all the best jokes. GCSS is the guarantor, and JPP says it serves him right. "

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

"The medicalisation of free fall
It is often said that doctors are interfering monsters obsessed with disease and power, who will not be satisfied until they control every aspect of our lives (Journal of Social Science, pick a volume). It might be argued that the pressure exerted on individuals to use parachutes is yet another example of a natural, life enhancing experience being turned into a situation of fear and dependency. The widespread use of the parachute may just be another example of doctors' obsession with disease prevention and their misplaced belief in unproved technology to provide effective protection against occasional adverse events."

Calling Dr kbordson! Comment please? Why would an OBGYN want to write an article like this, or is it more like "The Onion"?

Who'd like to volunteer and join the trial to take the placebo?

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[Dumpster 0]

"Healthy cohort" - Are they saying that a normal person (healthy cohort) would not leave the aircraft without a parachute, that one would have to be crazy to exit sans chute, and the only way to validate would to put a "crazy" person out with a chute, and a "normal" person out without a chute?

Easy Does It

[pchapman 280]

Quote

Study reviewing the efficacy of parachute use after gravitational challenge.

God, this is dorky.

It's been a couple years since I read that paper. I recall that by joking around it was making a point about certain tendencies in medical practice, which, if taken too far, end up being very silly -- as their proposal tries to demonstrate.

For those that enjoy silly scientific style writing, two humour magazines are the Annals of Improbable Research and the Journal of Irreproducible Results. They have either fake scientific papers or papers on actual but very silly or useless experiments. The AIR is also involved in the annual IgNobel prizes for unusual or dubious research.

[pontiacgtp00 0]

Damn there are a lot of big words in that article! It looks like one of my old essays where I would use a thesaurus to change simple words in large complex ones. It made me feel smarter.