Comments on QUINNTELLIGENCE: Lucky (?) Pluckers

adding to Stuart's pile-on. Curious whether worker...

2008-07-28T14:14:00.000-04:00

adding to Stuart's pile-on. Curious whether workers/vaccine testers suffer from "bright lights" syndrome of study participants who know they are being studied cleaning up their act. Are some study participants getting placebo? Are they being checked against matched vaccine decliners? -- Dan

Nice blog, Andrew--keep that Quinntelligence site ...

2008-07-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

Nice blog, Andrew--keep that Quinntelligence site name registered for the long run. If Stuart keeps advertising on your behalf, I picture a vast empire of punditry and witty remarks paid for via subscription.

On the round building topic: Some research I was reading about birds' ability to perceive optical illusions showed that at least one talking bird raised in carpentered (rectangular) buildings fell for a perspective-based optical illusion just as most humans do.

People who've investigated the same illusion using different human populations claim that those who live in round dwellings, such as as some "Zulus and Bushmen in Southern Africa, and Hanunóo in the Philippines" don't fall for the (Muller-Lyer) illusion at all.

Does anyone know if traditional Zulu buildings or huts were/are actually round?

andrea

hi guys..thanks for the comments. I also thought W...

2008-07-27T02:19:00.000-04:00

hi guys..thanks for the comments. I also thought Watson had a great future in PR!

There are some round huts (what you'd call rondavels) in the villages here but most are square so I don't think that's the reason for the shape -- to me it looked like they were easier to cast or perhaps chop off a giant pipe.

The U.S. Army has always been dug into vaccine work -- they see it as a strategic imperative to keep the troops safe and healthy enough to fight. With AIDS in particular the Army's policy of serving as a "Walking Blood Bank" for its own (i.e. service members contribute blood for other service members) gave them an added jolt of urgency.

Hi Andrew,

Just catching up on your blog. I...

2008-07-27T01:42:00.000-04:00

Hi Andrew,

Just catching up on your blog. I haven't had access to Internet for a month now. You're doing great stuff! I feel the competitive juices flowing :)

C.

What is the significance of round? I once stayed i...

2008-07-26T10:35:00.000-04:00

What is the significance of round? I once stayed in a similar round structure in Zambia, but nobody could tell me why the houses were built that way.

Interesting story in today's WashPo about President's plan to sign bill for $40billion in overseas AIDS spending over next five years. I've posted to my facebook page.

Hope you are well.

Carline

Dean here. Curious if the houses mimic an indigeno...

2008-07-25T21:23:00.000-04:00

Dean here. Curious if the houses mimic an indigenous structure?
Also interested in US Army's work on vaccines, etc. Is their interest at the basic science (anti-retrovirus, etc) level or specifically HIV/AIDS?
Can't help wonder why they wouldn't cede the field to CDC USAID or some other lot.
'Loving your descriptions of clapped up Brit rockers...

what do the houses look like on the inside? have a...

2008-07-25T14:03:00.000-04:00

what do the houses look like on the inside? have any pix?

why round? form or function?

stuart