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Date: | Sun, 5 Apr 2009 07:38:38 -0700 |
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>>I also said 'plausible' and 'possible', not 'likely' or 'proven'. I'm
>>just floating an idea.
> To me, not plausible at all. I am tempted to raise once again the Chinese
> practice of foot binding. This does produce smaller feet on the women. It
> also, however, destroys them. And it is not heritable.
I think I was the one to bring up that analogy originally and I remain
skeptical also to this day. However there are persistent reports of the
phenomenon and I think it is important to remain open-minded enough to test
the idea.
Inasmuch as this alleged phenomenon has been widely reported and should be
fairly easy to investigate, requiring only a few colonies and some II
ability. I should think it should make a very good project for a grad
student.
I realize that one study will not settle the matter, since the very people
who typically cite one obscure, doubtful and unconvincing study -- often
inaccurately -- as absolute proof to substantiate their questionable claims
will reject any study that does not verify their beliefs, however such a
simple study could be replicated in various places with differing strains to
settle the question once and for all.
This particular claim is not going to go away until someone tackles it
scientifically. To this point, the purported phenomenon has lacked any
credible explanation, and has thus been somewhat untouchable.
However, IMO, it is time to test the claims.
allen
---
The problem with keeping an open mind is that people keep trying to shove
things into it.
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