Dr. Randy Bock

And so when people want something very badly, when people want you to do something badly, you have to kind of think of some of the root causes. And I think that's something, the thread that runs through your show and what the listeners are probably getting at. Now, as far as Zika, you don't want to necessarily get a case of presuming stipulating they were right. I don't think they're right.

And so when people want something very badly, when people want you to do something badly, you have to kind of think of some of the root causes. And I think that's something, the thread that runs through your show and what the listeners are probably getting at. Now, as far as Zika, you don't want to necessarily get a case of presuming stipulating they were right. I don't think they're right.

I think Zika is a harmless human, non-human related virus. and dengue and Zika don't cause microcephaly. Microcephaly is a bad, bad thing. You don't want your kid to have it if it's the severe type. What they were measuring in Brazil was not the severe type, the wrong standard. They said there'd be no math.

I think Zika is a harmless human, non-human related virus. and dengue and Zika don't cause microcephaly. Microcephaly is a bad, bad thing. You don't want your kid to have it if it's the severe type. What they were measuring in Brazil was not the severe type, the wrong standard. They said there'd be no math.

Basically, they were using two standard deviations, which makes ipso facto 2.5% of the population have microcephaly. That's clearly not the case. What you're concerned about is low IQ cases with really micro microcephaly, which is only like three standard deviations, which is about 0.15% or fewer. So there's a congenital kind, but it can come from a lot of other causes.

Basically, they were using two standard deviations, which makes ipso facto 2.5% of the population have microcephaly. That's clearly not the case. What you're concerned about is low IQ cases with really micro microcephaly, which is only like three standard deviations, which is about 0.15% or fewer. So there's a congenital kind, but it can come from a lot of other causes.

Most of those track with poverty. So it's like hypothyroidism, malnutrition, drug abuse, alcoholism, et cetera, this and that, and maybe some metals and pollution, whatever. But it pretty much tracks with poverty. And insofar as they see cases of microcephaly, whether it's North Brazil or South Brazil, whether it's dengue, Zika, whatever, it's been in cases with poverty.

Most of those track with poverty. So it's like hypothyroidism, malnutrition, drug abuse, alcoholism, et cetera, this and that, and maybe some metals and pollution, whatever. But it pretty much tracks with poverty. And insofar as they see cases of microcephaly, whether it's North Brazil or South Brazil, whether it's dengue, Zika, whatever, it's been in cases with poverty.

So rather than say, oh, let's try to figure out how to get less poverty, what they did was – pretty much bang on the wrong door. You know, this is not really helpful to bang on the wrong place. Now, if you have a fire out there, you know, it's not a good time for you to, I don't know, start, I don't know, making a drum circle. It's not the right answer to the problem.

So rather than say, oh, let's try to figure out how to get less poverty, what they did was – pretty much bang on the wrong door. You know, this is not really helpful to bang on the wrong place. Now, if you have a fire out there, you know, it's not a good time for you to, I don't know, start, I don't know, making a drum circle. It's not the right answer to the problem.

So they might have had, maybe drum circles are great, but they don't help with fires. And what they did here, when they have a problem microcephaly, if in fact they did one, but they didn't, there was nothing over, you know, but they got something that pulled at people's heartstrings by showing the babies with small heads. Or panic them also. It was a headline. Wildfire.

So they might have had, maybe drum circles are great, but they don't help with fires. And what they did here, when they have a problem microcephaly, if in fact they did one, but they didn't, there was nothing over, you know, but they got something that pulled at people's heartstrings by showing the babies with small heads. Or panic them also. It was a headline. Wildfire.

And so does wildfire, by the way. And so people use these as hooks, and that's an unfortunate situation.

And so does wildfire, by the way. And so people use these as hooks, and that's an unfortunate situation.

And as you're saying. It's polyfactorial. You know, it's kind of like, I don't know, let's say we talk about low IQ in general or height. You know, you have short people and some of them are just short. Some of them are, you know, if you want to call it pathologically short, dwarfism, whatever. And dwarfs might argue with that, with pathologic, whatever. But there's a gradation. You know, if...

And as you're saying. It's polyfactorial. You know, it's kind of like, I don't know, let's say we talk about low IQ in general or height. You know, you have short people and some of them are just short. Some of them are, you know, if you want to call it pathologically short, dwarfism, whatever. And dwarfs might argue with that, with pathologic, whatever. But there's a gradation. You know, if...

If I go to Japan, when I did, all of a sudden I became a tall person. I'm six feet tall. I'm not enormous here, but on the trains in Japan, I was relatively tall. So you have to kind of consider what is the basis for these observations. In the case of microcephaly, they were using the wrong standard because in the north of Brazil, it's a different population. It gets a darker skin, more indios.

If I go to Japan, when I did, all of a sudden I became a tall person. I'm six feet tall. I'm not enormous here, but on the trains in Japan, I was relatively tall. So you have to kind of consider what is the basis for these observations. In the case of microcephaly, they were using the wrong standard because in the north of Brazil, it's a different population. It gets a darker skin, more indios.

They call them pardos in Brazil. and people are shorter, the babies are smaller, and they were using the European South Brazil standard where people are taller and the babies come out closer to term and they come out larger.

They call them pardos in Brazil. and people are shorter, the babies are smaller, and they were using the European South Brazil standard where people are taller and the babies come out closer to term and they come out larger.