Correlation does not imply causation. Your co-worker's paralysis could could have been caused by a number of factors and probably was not thoroughly explored. The curezone article that was shown is a mis-mash of peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed "articles" from main-stream, generally chemophobic press and even some of the books.

Even the recent thermisol flap was debunked by three research agencies in the US: CDC, FDA with the results being reviewed by three independent agencies (NAS-Institute of Medicine, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Still after this tremendous amount of research, we still have TV stars warning us about the evil of vaccines and those containing thermisol in particular. As people hear the tripe without investigating, the begin to believe then they stop immunizing their children, and as such we have seen a resurgance of childhood diseases such as whooping cough.

Generally speaking, flu vaccines won't "prevent' the flu as much as it helps reduce duration and severity of the sympotons, as the virus mutates pretty rapidly. One has to look at the risk/benefit of vaccination, not only for themselves but for society as a whole.

I suspect that the system hasn't changed too much since the early 1800s.

80 hr weeks at (Ph.D.-level) grad school seemed to be the norm in the late 80s when I was playing the game. Some research advisors were up front stating that anything less than 75 hours/week was considered a bad work ethic. They considered it "paying one's dues" I suspect. Grad students have been, continue to be and probably will be for the forseeable future - indentured servents. The system has no reason to change: There is no shortage of cheap labor (Ph.D.-seeking graduate students willing to sell a portion of their lives for the degree).

There was an obvious discontinuity however: These same advisors, the tenured ones at least, who also taught both undergrad and graduate classes were frequently out of the office, missing office hours, cancelling appointments for "business" and taking lengthy sabbitacals to exoitic places, so I found the lectures about "work ethic" to ring hollow. The untenured faculty were still putting in 80 hour weeks, just like their grad students.

You were a good friend for many years....

I am apalled that all of the /. ers here have not said a simple "Thanks!"

It sounds to me as though this is a case of "Just because something CAN be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done"