Alzheimers disease; Gaza hospital fact-check; Sidney Powell pleads guilty; Hard Talk

Published: Thu, 10/19/23

RSA Daily

For atheists, rationalists and secular humanists in Australia

Friday, October 20, 2023

Rationale, the magazine of the Rationalist Society of Australia

Good morning ,

As someone who's been an activist in the Dying With Dignity movement for many years, I am acutely aware of the anxiety many people have about dementia.

Alzheimers disease is one form of dementia, affecting memory, thinking and behaviour. Now, scientists have confirmed that the cause of Alzheimers is in the gut microbiome ... and worryingly, this can be passed on to the next generation.

And in Other Stories: I am not sure why but I found the behaviour of Sidney Powell, one of Trump's lawyers, even more distasteful than that of Rudy Giuliani and the others. Remember, she was the one who said they were going to "Release the Kraken". Well, she's pleaded guilty and said she'd testify against Trump if asked. What a pathetic human being.

Lead stories

In a Huge First, Scientists Transfer Alzheimer's to Healthy Young Animals

Apparently Alzheimer's is caused by gut microbiome and its symptoms can be passed on to the next generation.

Other stories of interest

It's good the High Court overturned Victoria's questionable EV tax. But there's a sting in the tail

Economist John Quiggin traces the High Court's decisions regarding state-based excises:"For the moment, we can be grateful the Victorian government’s misguided and muddled tax policy has been scrapped – and a barrier to EV uptake is gone. But the High Court’s decision has flagged the need for urgent action at the national level to work out a consistent policy."

Ex-lawyer Sidney Powell pleads guilty

Of all the grifters and miscreants who pushed Trump's "Stop the steal" lie, Sidney Powell was the most egregious. She of the "We're going to release the Kraken" infamy. Now she's agreed to testify against Trump. In return she may get just 6 years probation. So much for her ethics as a lawyer.

Fact check: Who's behind the deadly Gaza hospital blast?

I think the fact-checking by DW (Deutsche Welle) is reliable...

Is Gaza on the brink of a humanitarian crisis?

If you've never listened to the BBC's Hard Talk with interviewer Stephen Sackur, this is a good intro. Sackur deliberately pushes his interviewees to the brink to see how they react to challenges to their worldviews.

Got a comment on any of these stories?

Write to me at president@rationalist.com.au