Donald Simanek's Back Page

Donald Simanek's Back Page.

This page is a testing and overflow area. It includes sections on science fraud, medical info., psychiatric pseudoscience, futurism, astronomy, skepticism, religion and miscllaneous other stuff. It gives internet meaning to "buried on the back page". You may return to my front page now.

Medical Information

Medline via PaperChase.
Search Yahoo WWW Catalog for Health Information.
Websearch. Search the Merck Manual.
Drug InfoNet. Information about prescription drugs.

Health Quackery and Fraud

Psychiatric Pseudoscience

Modern witch hunts. Links and documents on satanism, ritual abuse and false memory syndrome.

DOCUMENTS

Psychiatric Misadventures by Paul R. McHugh.

The Future of Mankind

Prediction is difficult, especially when it involves the future.

Sustainability of Human Progress. An optimistic view of the technological future, with excellent supporting documentation and references. I'm not so optimistic. I support environemtal preservation, conservation and negative population growth. Some, notably libertarians, argue, on technological and economic grounds that the earth can support 15 billion. Whether this is a desirable objective depends on your opinion about what sort of world you'd like to live in. I, personally, think the world (and even the U.S) has too #$%^&* many people already, and I find it hard to be optimistic that people and their leaders will be wise enough to manage our future well, even if much higher population is technologically and economically possible.
Integrated Science and the Coming Century of the Environment, by E. O. Wilson.

Perpetual Motion, Free Energy, Zero Point Energy

Weird Ideas About the Earth

Cranks keep the world turning. — Rupert Gould

We all know the world is in bad shape, but there are still people who hold various incompatible views about its physical shape. Some think it flat. Some hold that it is hollow inside, with a shell structure, which may contain an inner sun sustaining life, even advanced intelligent life. Others have held that the earth is concave, like a shell within which the entire universe is contained, and we walk on the inside of this shell, our heads toward the center of the universe. [If you doubt this, look at your soles. The soles of your shoes have become curved from continually walking on this concave surface.] This inside-out universe is a geometric inversion of the universe you were taught about in school. Oh, yes, there are also many people who think the earth is round and solid, moving around a hot sun, and rotating on its axis. But most of these people couldn't defend those beliefs with scientific facts and rational arguments. This is a sad commentary on the sorry state of (mis)education.

Earth Mysteries, including Geomancy and Ley lines.

Hollow Earth

Myths and Mysteries of Science has my two documents about hollow earth theories.
The Hollow Earth Good summary of the history of hollow earth theories.

Mathematical Recreations

Mathematical Recreations
Books and Articles on Mathematical Recreations
The Game of Life John Conway's game which shows that order can arise from simple rules.
Recreational Mathematics Puzzles, games, jokes.
Alexander Keewatin (A.K.) Dewdney Mathematician, computer scientist and author of books on diverse subjects.
An index of Martin Gardner's books.

Physics and Engineering

American Journal of Physics: Memorable pages from the AJP 1933-1990.
The Institute of Physics (Publisher)
Unit Conversions
PHYS208H Home Page Physics stuff from the University of Delaware.

Pseudoscience, etc.

ZetaTalk Opinions presented here are solely those of Zeta Reticulans. Click on "Keyword Index" and be prepared to have your mind bent. A cornucopia of kooky theories about everything.

Skepticism, Atheism and Secular Humanism

Where knowlege ends, religion begins. –Benjamin Disraelli

The InterNet Skeptic's Resource Page.
Great Quotes from Great Skeptics Negative reactions to new ideas.
Florian Boyd, the Stargazer. Astronomy, museums, news, LEGO.
Jim Cox Midwest Book Review.
Greg Erwin Humanist Association of Canada. Humanism, skepticism, satire on religion, Snake Oil Newsletter, cartoons.
Mike Huben Biology, critiques of libertarianism.
Rob Kates Solar and alternative energy, men's issues, freethought.
The Freedom Writer Institute for First Amendment Studies.
"Separation of school and state" Fed up with the mediocrity and mis-education of public schools? Abolish them!
Virtual Ethical Society Ethical Culture.
The WWW Bible Gateway Look up bible references. Defend yourself against the bible thumpers and "witless for Christ" evangelists.

Steel Construction Sets

Man does not cease to play because he grows old; man grows old because he ceases to play.

Meccano Erector Club of Southern California.
Meccano Home Page, Canada. David Williams' information and links for hobbyists and collectors.
Wagner and Sons Toys. Erector parts source.
Meccano, France.

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Notes on HTML language and symbols

DOCUMENTS

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Revised October 20, 2002.