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MSNBC Web Poll - Autism

IIRichard

Critical Thinker
I
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
284
I don't believe it. MSNBC's web site is running a POLL on the cause of Autism. I weep.

IIR
 
Right now the results are 64% say that the increase in autism cases is due to exposure to mercury.

Choosing an answer is difficult because several of the choices are correct. Some of the choices we have are Genetics, More awareness, and better diagnosis.
 
Autism is due to satanic possession. It is sad that the MSNB see poll doesn't seem to be reflecting this well established fact.
 
Can you post a link?

When I first tried to go to msnbc this morning, I got nothing but a blank page, for a good while. Now I get to their home page, but I can't find anything about an autism poll.
 
CurtC said:
Can you post a link?

When I first tried to go to msnbc this morning, I got nothing but a blank page, for a good while. Now I get to their home page, but I can't find anything about an autism poll.
Click to expand...

I don't think you can link to MSNBC. When you browse there all of your addresses are personalized. The way I found it was by going to msnbc.com and searching for "autism."
 
Dragonrock said:
Right now the results are 64% say that the increase in autism cases is due to exposure to mercury.

Choosing an answer is difficult because several of the choices are correct. Some of the choices we have are Genetics, More awareness, and better diagnosis.
Click to expand...

Which is why voted "other" BTW, I monitor the Yahoo Groups anti-vaccination rants and they are pushing the pol real hard which is why I suspect that "mercury" is getting such a big score.

IIR
 
Dragonrock said:
I don't think you can link to MSNBC. When you browse there all of your addresses are personalized. The way I found it was by going to msnbc.com and searching for "autism."
Click to expand...
Interesting - it's a blank page again. If I type in "msnbc.com" I get redirected to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/, which is blank. Yesterday I read through some autism articles there, but never found the poll.
 
CurtC said:
Interesting - it's a blank page again. Yesterday I read through some autism articles there, but never found the poll.
Click to expand...

I searched for "autism" and the first link was titled "What's behind the rise in autism cases?" I clicked on it and it to me directly to the poll. As of now the "mercury" choice is at 65%.
 
Well, I mean, that'll settle it, won't it? I don't know why we haven't thought of this before. Does cold fusion work? Just run a poll and find out. Is there life on Mars? Just run a poll and find out. It's the Kumar principle of validation.

Makes you wonder why anybody bothers to do any research, doesn't it?

Rolfe.
 
Well, the msnbc site is up again for now, and I found the poll. How depressing. And it won't let me vote. It says "We are unable to record your vote. Please contact MSNBC technical support for assistance" at the bottom of the chart - I don't see any links to actually vote.
 
Rolfe said:
Well, I mean, that'll settle it, won't it? I don't know why we haven't thought of this before. Does cold fusion work? Just run a poll and find out. Is there life on Mars? Just run a poll and find out. It's the Kumar principle of validation.
Click to expand...

Why don't they just cut to the chase and ask Kumar himself. After all, he knows all the answers.
 
CurtC said:
Well, the msnbc site is up again for now, and I found the poll. How depressing. And it won't let me vote. It says "We are unable to record your vote. Please contact MSNBC technical support for assistance" at the bottom of the chart - I don't see any links to actually vote.
Click to expand...

It records IP adresses so if you want to vote you need an unused IP.
 
In 2003, the Economist had an article on autism. They had a very telling chart which showed the autism rate and uncategorized mental retardation among infants in California. During the "rise" in autism rate from 1988 to 1994, the uncategorized dropped by the same amount. In other words, autism is being diagnosed in more infants.

There is, though, evidence that this increase is due to changes in diagnosis. Research carried out last year in California (see chart) certainly showed an increase in cases of autism, but it also showed an equivalent decline in cases of “non-specific mental retardation”. In other words, it seems that children who would once have been labelled “retarded” are now more likely to be given the more specific diagnosis of “autistic”. This is partly because diagnostic criteria have broadened over the years. The beginning of the rise in diagnosis also precedes the introduction of combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, which some have suggested may help to trigger the disease.
Click to expand...
1988, autism rate is 6, uncategorized is 28 (per 10,000 births)
1994, autism rate is 15, unctegorized is 19.

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1522729
(requires a subscription)

The obvious conclusion is that mercury in vaccines cures uncategorized mental retardation.

CBL
 
CBL4 said:

The obvious conclusion is that mercury in vaccines cures uncategorized mental retardation.

CBL
Click to expand...

biglaff2.gif
 
Rolfe said:
Makes you wonder why anybody bothers to do any research, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

But, why stop there? Forget the judicial system, we'll just run polls on the guilt or innocence of anyone accused of doing anything based on the media reports. After all, the public lay media doesn't have any agenda or ulterior motive to get you to tune in, do they? (hint: $$$)

-TT
 
:D

Good reference CBL4.

Do you know if there was any publication of these figures in a science journal, or was the economist the only source?


BTW: MMR has never contained mercury


Edited to add:

Stats I have found indicate the rise seems to be real, and not a reclassification phenomenon
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/news/MINDepi_study.html
 
I noticed one of the resources in Deetee's reference has been updated... I haven't had the chance to got through the whole thing yet:
http://www.dds.cahwnet.gov/Autism/pdf/AutismReport2003.pdf

Anyway... 13 years ago it was like pulling teeth to get people to understand that a 3 year old who could not speak was a serious matter. I had more "helpful" advice than I could stomach from those who kept telling me that "my uncle's third cousin's grand-nephew by marriage didnt' speak until he was 3/4/5/6 years old and he is fine now"... and of course if you pressed for more information you got zilch. I even got that line of bovine excrement from the librarian about her husband when she was helping look for the very scant information in their system.

There were at least two kids that I try to kindly nudge their parents that their speech was not up to developmental standards. I even got information on free/reduced fee services for one family. Yet, in BOTH cases did the kids get early help. Both kids were identified in their schools when the got to kindergarten (one child was asked to leave the private school because they just did not have the resources --- that same child saw the same school therapist my son went to).

Fortunately, our family doctor DID take it seriously, and our son got good early intervention.

I'm voting "better diagnosis", several times a day.
 
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