Canadian Blood Services Promotes Pseudoscience 219
trianglecat writes "The not-for-profit agency Canadian Blood Services has a section of their website based on the Japanese cultural belief of ketsueki-gata, which claims that a person's blood group determines or predicts their personality type. Disappointing for a self-proclaimed 'science-based' organization. The Ottawa Skeptics, based in the nation's capital, appear to be taking some action."
Not surprising. (Score:4, Interesting)
Who cares? (Score:1, Interesting)
It isn't doing any harm by being there, whether it is true or not.
This isn't like teaching creationism in biology, which directly conflicts with something of greater scientific worth. The only thing this conflicts with is the view that it is wrong.
Type AB (Score:1, Interesting)
When I worked in Japan 20 years ago, I read an article that Sony had established a research center staffed only by people with type AB blood.
"Isn't that ridiculous," I snorted to my high-tech colleagues.
"Sure is," replied one. "Who would want to work in such a group?"
quick silence these heretics!!! (Score:4, Interesting)
Can someone remind me why ANYONE needs to do something about a private non-profit expressing views that haven't been vetted via the scientific method?
Re:Politically correct? (Score:5, Interesting)
You're lucky you live in Quebec. I had to endure the torture of "What's your blood type?" from all my friends the whole five years I lived in Korea. I obnoxiously answered "I don't know" (even when I did) just to avoid being typed. Of course, I answer the same to Thais when they ask "What days of the week were you born on?" and to westerners' "What's your sign?" Unfortunately, I can't pretend I don't know my birth date. Western culture doesn't seem to take the matter too seriously, but Korean and Thai cultures do.
These practices all need to die. Do you want to understand me? Get to know me.
Re:Politically correct? (Score:4, Interesting)
I answer the same to Thais when they ask "What days of the week were you born on?" and to westerners' "What's your sign?" Unfortunately, I can't pretend I don't know my birth date.
If you can even give a toss about this, try figure out what the LEAST compatible sign for each sign is, then ask them theirs and adjust yours to fit. Not like you want someone who really buys into that around you a lot anyway, right?
Re:Who cares? (Score:2, Interesting)
I see your point, and I would agree with you if the website described any of the blood types in an undesirable manner, but from what I have seen the website makes a few positive affirmations (along the lines of "you are independent"), suggests a diet (not sure how that one works, I will leave it to someone else to comment on), and then state where and when the blood type is thought to have emerged.
Re:Odd name for the group (Score:2, Interesting)
Ottawa was chosen precisely because it isn't Toronto. Or Montréal. Either of those were the two "obvious" choices in the 19th century. Both were the largest cities of their respective provinces, the largest cities in Canada at the time, and Canada consisted of only Ontario and Quebec (Upper and Lower Canada). But choosing one or the other would have been too controversial for anglophone or francophone Canadians. The choice of Ottawa was actually a pretty wise one for a variety of reasons [wikipedia.org], because it sits right on the border of the two and is further from the U.S. border.
Of course, at the time it was a hick logging town in the middle of fricking nowhere, but it probably was better than the other options. You're possibly right that were a new capital to be chosen today, it might not be Ottawa (e.g., being further from the U.S. border isn't an issue anymore), but I suspect it would still end up being close to the Ontario/Quebec border somewhere, and there aren't that many options.
Re:Politically correct? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd love to go on the show Deal or no deal (The one with the women holding the suitcases), and select my suitcases in numerical order (1, 2, 3, etc)-- because my chances are EXACTLY THE SAME as someone who selects the cases according to their own numerological theory.
I'm not so sure about that. The only thing required to make the game fair is to ensure the contestant has no idea which suitcases contain which prizes. There is no reason some person on the show can't be distributing the cases according to their own idea of 'randomness'.
Re:Politically correct? (Score:4, Interesting)
These practices all need to die. Do you want to understand me? Get to know me.
I had a psych lecturer who said: "I don't believe in the power of Astrology to fortell the future, but I do believe in the power of Astrology to influence the way others perceive you." So what he had done is "change" his star-sign every year so that people getting to know him one year would think him a Leo and react accordingly, people getting to know him the next would think him a Sagittarian etc etc.