Joseph Tham

17 Questions 220 Answers 0 Followers

Questions related from Joseph Tham

In the age of Covid19, should we ban wet markets and prohibit the consumption of bush meat?

The evidence suggests that the Covid19 virus jumped from bats to humans.

29 April 2020 707 19 View

How strong is the moral obligation to intervene in a country that is likely to face famine, even if the government refuses to accept the assistance?

How much do we respect the sovereignty of the country?

10 June 2019 5,794 5 View

Would it be ethically acceptable to give monetary rewards for positive health behaviors, such as daily walks?

Consider the following voluntary scheme. There would be some eligibility requirements that would be consistent with the principles of health promotion. Only certain target groups would qualify....

01 January 1970 9,067 47 View

Science versus superstition in medicine, in the age of Covid19

In the age of Covid19, is there a basic conflict between science and superstition in the discipline of medical knowledge? Are there some simple, sensible, robust and reasonable ways to distinguish...

01 January 1970 7,542 88 View

How do we respond to the confusion caused by the misunderstanding of the metaphorical “invisible hand’?

The invisible hand was a vivid metaphor for how the market works. No more, no less. It was an attractive metaphor. It was simple and perhaps simplistic. However, people are reading too much into...

01 January 1970 5,654 6 View

Caveat lector (Warning to reader): How do we distinguish "trolling" from critical thinking with the Socratic method?

WARNING (Caveat lector): The following statements may contain ideas that may be offensive to some readers. Am I guilty of trolling, simply by posting this question? If yes, then should I promptly...

01 January 1970 7,177 34 View

Is it reasonable to blame parents for contributing to inequality in society?

Most parents are very competitive, and instill the same spirit in their children. My empirically testable conjecture (hypothesis?) is that this leads to greater inequality in society.

01 January 1970 8,878 55 View

Is it reasonable to assume that the optimal measure of (level? degree?) inequality is non-zero?

The quest for equality is a noble cause. But how do we know when we are making progress towards this goal? What is the end game?

01 January 1970 2,032 3 View

Is there a Global Empathy Deficit (GED)?

What does it even mean? Are you suffering from Empathy Deficit Disorder (EDD)?

01 January 1970 1,556 21 View

Medical science versus legal science versus economic science, in the age of Covid19

What are the merits, if any, in the challenges that lawyers and economists have raised against the Covid19 lockdown? How much weight should society give to the opinions of epidemiologists?

01 January 1970 7,226 6 View

Does it make financial sense to use ventilators in the fight against Covid19?

Some reports suggest that in the fight against Covid19, the use of ventilators have not saved lives. How do we assess these reports? Any merits?

01 January 1970 6,515 25 View

Why do many people wrongly believe that economics is a value-free science?

It is a very common belief. It is not clear HOW and WHY people acquire this unjustified belief. As a tentative scientific discipline, it is probably better than astrology but hardly compares to...

01 January 1970 3,291 42 View

Is English widely accepted by scientists as the main language for research?

Is it fair and reasonable to say that in the medical sciences, English is widely accepted (universally?) by scientists as the main language for communication and defending research findings? At...

01 January 1970 5,838 57 View

Is a global competition the best way to develop a vaccine for Covid19?

Developing a vaccine is an important task. What is the best way to achieve this goal? Should we use a global competitive process?

01 January 1970 4,216 14 View

Do you have any predictions about the expected winner of the MMA event featuring DT versus Social Media?

It will certainly be a BIG fight, with big egos on both sides. Would you place any bets on the winner? I wonder what the bookies in Las Vegas are thinking?

01 January 1970 6,884 3 View

As a scientific researcher, is it better to be loved or feared?

From an empirical, scientific perspective, which approach, love or fear, will lead to higher productivity?

01 January 1970 717 58 View

How do we use the theory of institutional logic to improve our understanding of the demand and supply of medical services?

In sociology, the theory of institutional logic is very important. Can it help us to understand the market for medical services?

01 January 1970 3,093 0 View