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[Nadaka]

I would note that lead is a toxin that manifests several symptoms that can lead to an increased propensity for crime. Some of the the side effects of lead poisoning include an increase in aggression and impaired judgement.

[PanH]

Re: lead, they do say they ran the test in other countries. They're also not claiming that lead is the sole cause of criminality, but one explaining factors among many. As for the growth, apparently leaded gasoline used grew constantly until it was banned then fell down, so it explain the raise in criminality as well.

That's still doesn't fit the datas about other countries. Also some countries with a current higher rate of lead still have a lower criminality. Just look a China, which has a desastrous politics in terms of lead, and still one of the lower criminality of the world.
The studies are ok, but the articles out of this are completely bs. With the same kind of reasoning, you could say : "Violence lead to higher rate of lead in blood" (I'm talking about the reasoning here, before anyone else says "But the datas ...").

I would note that lead is a toxin that manifests several symptoms that can lead to an increased propensity for crime. Some of the the side effects of lead poisoning include an increase in aggression and impaired judgement.

From a statistics study ?
Also, "increased propensity for crime" isn't scientific. You want to say "increased aggressiveness" (and it's what they say). But there still is no proof. It's an hypothesis, with a correlation. If you want a proper reasoning, get some groups of white mouse (or others, rats may be good), and test their aggressiveness with differents exposure to lead.

The average blood lead level in rich countries is higher than the WHO limits. I guess we're all contamined with aggressiveness then.

[lorb]

[...] and took my name out of the thread title [...]

Maybe you could somehow get (at least) the word "penguin" back into it? I liked the old title.

[Nadaka]

There can be no proof in sociology. Everything is a statistical analysis of a complex real world system because it is impossible to isolate societies or other factors within a society for the purpose of experimentation without fundamentally altering their nature even if you ignore the moral issues with attempting to experiment on human societies.

I did say increased aggressiveness. Aggression is one (of many) factors contributing to violent crime.

The experiments and observations of the effects of lead poisoning on an individual have already happened. But the individual is not the collective. One might propose that the individual symptoms might translate to some effect on society. But you don't have any evidence until you do a statistical analysis. And that is exactly what this is.

I think you are just fundamentally misunderstanding what the research is about.

[Descan]

Calm and Cool Penguin Discussion Thread.

[GlyphGryph]

I was under the impression that , like abortion bans, lead mostly conspires to increase the risk of criminal activity in already at-risk groups. So even if lead was an equally problematic issue for every population, the populations that already had the highest rates of criminality (and likely the most people on the verge) would have the greatest instance of additional folk crossing the line.

[Helgoland]

Calm and Cool Penguin Discussion Thread.

While I'm all for talking about antarctic flightless birds, I'd rather have the discussion stay as it is now

[Leafsnail]

I'd just like to draw everyone's attention to the fact that the greatest political cartoon ever has been created.

Spoiler: Al Gorzeera (click to show/hide)

As far as I can tell this is completely serious and not a parody.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Considering that it is being funded by Americans for Limited Government, I'm going to have to agree that it is serious.

I think they may have mixed up that "al-" is Arabic for "the", not "kill America and freedom, praise Allah". Easy mistake.

[RedKing]

Wow....that's on par with the cartoonist the Onion uses.

[Scoops Novel]

Any scientists here, by the way? I'd love to know how their community perceives current politics.

[Leafsnail]

Considering that it is being funded by Americans for Limited Government, I'm going to have to agree that it is serious.

I think they may have mixed up that "al-" is Arabic for "the", not "kill America and freedom, praise Allah". Easy mistake.

At least they nailed Glenn Beck's political viewpoints.

[GlyphGryph]

The Source:
http://netrightdaily.com/2013/01/al-gorzeera/

It's got a whopping one comment, hah.

[penguinofhonor]

[...] and took my name out of the thread title [...]

Maybe you could somehow get (at least) the word "penguin" back into it? I liked the old title.

I guess I could? I just didn't feel like I needed to declare my ownership after almost a year. It was originally intended as the equivalent of an "under new management" sign.

[Helgoland]

Any scientists here, by the way? I'd love to know how their community perceives current politics.

From what I get from my dad, theoretical physicists hate the republicans, like Obama, are worried about the Euro crisis and generally agree that something fundamental has to change.
Liberals, the lo of 'em.