Comments on: Negative Energy and Road Crashes

By: Joseph Doughty

Joseph Doughty — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:59:36 +0000

Perhaps the drivers slow down to view the pyramid, which brings about its own measure of safety.

Ah, thank goodness for superstition. : ))

By: John

John — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:41:12 +0000

What is the size of the pyramids?

By: mike chalkley

mike chalkley — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:26:40 +0000

Or should that be ‘carcebo’ effect?

By: Dave B

Dave B — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:57:14 +0000

The expected “placebo” effect would presumably come from drivers believing that the pyramids have made the road safer. Wouldn’t this encourage drivers to take less care? As the pyramids have no actual effect, this could be quite harmful.

By: Brent

Brent — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:41:09 +0000

The professional debunker James Randi usually goes off on these sorts of initiatives, giving the harm as 1) the direct and opportunity costs of the research, and 2) tacit governmental “approval” of the idea leading to more non-scientific endeavors.

A few years ago, I had a taxi driver in Bucharest who, when passing by each church along the way, would cross himself three times with one hand and smoke his cigarette with the other. I’m not sure if all his rituals helped with safety.