When 'Journalism' and 'Science' Meet

First this...

Fetus May Not Feel Pain Until Third Trimester, Study Finds

Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- The human fetus is probably too immature to feel pain in the first 28 weeks of pregnancy and wouldn't benefit from anesthesia during abortions, researchers said in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Fetal pain is unlikely to develop until after the 29th week of a 40-week pregnancy, the researchers at the University of California in San Francisco said in an article published in the journal's Aug. 24 issue. Less than 2 percent of abortions are performed at 21 weeks or later, the researchers said.
...To contact the reporter on this story:
Michelle Fay Cortez in Minneapolis at mcortez@bloomberg.net

Then this...

New report discounting fetal pain stirs debate: Were authors biased?

Five researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) reviewed nearly 2,000 studies on the hotly debated question. They conclude that legislative proposals to allow fetal-pain relief during abortion are not justified by scientific evidence.
Their seven-page report in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has a weakness, though: It does not mention that one author is the director of a clinic that provides abortion services, while the lead author — a medical student — once worked for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

And the next big story ‘journalist’ Cortez is presently working on...

Young Boys Do Feel Pleasure, Study Finds

A study released today claims to cite scientific proof that young boys do indeed enjoy the sexual attentions of an older man.
“Young boys, we have discovered, in fact do feel pleasure. All our experiments seem to point to the fact that pre-teen boys do possess all the neurological systems needed for them to experience enjoyment.” states Professor Ben Dover*, one of the scientists involved in the study.
His partner, Justin Joyet**, references further proof of their findings.
“When one sees little boys tickling each other screaming with glee one must consider, ‘do these children not seem to be enjoying themselves?’. Well, of course they do. Heck, it’s even hard to look away. And surely if they are able to feel pleasure among themselves, an adult male with more tickling experience...well, what do you think?”
The two professors from the University of Berkeley claim their findings come from an intensive private investigation that has spanned most of the last ten years.
“This is not easy work,” stated Prof. Joyet. “Not with the damned FBI and their holier-than-thou attitude. I’m pretty sure it’s that friggin’ Patriot Act that keeps them interfering with our work. Really, what else could it be?”
“Yeah, that and it really is hard trying to find volunteers for the study.” added Prof. Dover.
Both men feel it is important for them to continue their work.
It is ‘for science’, they say in unison, ‘and some boys just need to take one for the team.’

-Due to the blow up over this reporter’s recent story “Fetus May Not Feel Pain Until Third Trimester, Study Finds” and the ensuing controversy over the backgrounds of the studies authors, some information on the professors in the above story is provided.

*Ben Dover is a tenured Professor of Gender Studies at the University of Berkeley in California. He is also the district head of the South Western Division of NAMBLA. He hopes to be released from parole in late December 2006 at which time he will be opening his own 'birthday clown' business.

**Justin Joyet is a tenured Professor of Lifestyles Philosophy at the University of Berkeley in California. A retired Catholic priest, he spends much of his free time volunteering as a coach for the City of San Francisco’s Pee Wee wrestling program.