Thursday, January 31, 2019

Small enterprise owners: The building Blocks to boom earnings


The foundational building blocks of each business are approaches (techniques/coverage), human beings (employees), customers and sources (thoughts/capital). Leaders, who reinforce and understand every of these blocks, construct their business. folks who weaken or forget about those building blocks, locate themselves with declines in both their pinnacle and backside lines.

trust it or now not, corporations can from time to time neglect that developing and delivering top nice merchandise and offering exquisite offerings is their important objective. groups keep ineffective processes in impact due to the fact it is comfortable, secure and acquainted. Leaders need to often set apart time to outline and redefine their strategies, tune defects and negative provider, and make upgrades to solidify those (5) principal building blocks.

owner attitude

you've got to make the intellectual shift from strolling your organizations as a self-employed activity/good employee to building a enterprise you could in the future promote, scale or personal passively to fund your retirement.

this indicates always reminding your self that you are only a transient manufacturer, and that your enterprise ought to sooner or later replace you from its each day operations.

Be clear to your project

there's a motive you commenced a business and left your job (or didn't try and discover a new one). Why are you doing this? understand that your personal task and your organization's undertaking can be exclusive, so long as they're aligned and may co-exist. you did the task statement in the business plan and it's at the bookshelf gathering dust.

network and Get a Mentor

Get a business consultant or educate. It doesn't should be a person expert, simply someone who can proportion reports to bounce thoughts off of and inform you while you are dropping groups, cash and the attitude.

Get your business off the street to Nowhere

when the money gets tight and the momentum fades, you're left with each day work of the business, this is whilst you learn how to make your business run. it is able to grow to be grinding because income are sluggish and you are gaining knowledge of how the business genuinely operates, to collect customers, marketplace products, understand how changing strategies and merchandise have an effect on your financials, and each concept you have does not robotically paintings as you envision it to boom profits.

at some point at the same time as going for walks a enterprise, your probable to experience that burned out or uninspired feeling. paintings-existence stability is crucial; there is a truth, in running hard and playing difficult to unwind. analyzing a daily devotion and taking a day by day 30 minute walk can help in enjoyable the mind, and so forth.

client

client acquisition is pricey a good way to accumulate new clients, agencies have to successfully goal, market to and persuade customers to strive their services or products.

Many business proprietors do no longer take time to discern out who is their target consumer. What are their goal customers' likes, dislikes, needs and wants? Which forms of media do they eat? what is the cheapest way to attain them? How lots is the goal purchaser willing to pay for their products or services? in which and the way need to we promote our products?

do not forget, it's far cheaper to hold a patron than it's miles to gather new ones.

grasp the artwork of Engagement

Being engaging is important in each a part of your commercial enterprise, whether or not its communicating via e-mail advertising, social media, blogs, movies and other industrial codecs

clutch social Media attention

Social media advertising plan have to include Instagram, fb, Twitter and the organisation internet site to talk together with your client. Use the same theme, photos (banner pages) and comparable products.

recognize significance of commercial enterprise emblems

it is the primary element capability clients will word approximately your logo, make sure it's far presentable, professional and polished. make sure the emblem connects together with your consumer needs and wants.

Create an enjoy on your logo

Create a laugh and informative surroundings to resolve your client problems

The right customers are greater essential than the most customers

most enterprise method is get the cash in the door by using any means essential to get most customers inside the door. problem is you acquire all of this at the rate of satisfactory, income and sanity. The proper customers will permit your organization to do higher work, construct a higher reputation, generate more earnings and retain better employees.

cognizance in your intention, targets, topic but most of all Profitability

do not try and be all matters to all customers. concentrate on fixing your 'audience' problems and have a laugh doing it. Even the most important groups do their first-class once they focus on maintaining the 'most important factor the main factor'.

Operations

tactics

Are the moves and packages that executives and teams installed location to reap favored results.

Leaders want to take a step back to study their approaches-for my part or in a go-practical groupings--- to do away with inefficiencies and optimize overall performance, annually or because the market modifications.

structures

systems are the dependable methods and procedures that empower your commercial enterprise to constantly produce an superb result in your customer and profitability for you.

Documenting computerized strategies can increase your corporation's efficiency and decrease costly mistakes; the checklists your personnel comply with to ensure that all orders are shipped efficaciously; the orientation technique for all new clients when you start running together; and the standardized contracts you use with all your new hires and companies.

Controls/standards

Controls are the procedures, methods and safeguards that protect your employer shape uninformed or inappropriate choices or moves by way of any team member. They are also your commercial enterprise's manner of making sure that key work is getting carried out on time and the proper way.

There are (4) most important styles of enterprise controls:

Checklists/visible business process Controls
Scorecards/ enterprise performance Measurements Metrics through function (KPI)
Embedded inner pleasant Controls--- product/procedure pleasant checks
coverage and approaches--- written/measured
Scalable answers
structures(the usage of excel and quickbooks), approaches and tactics that worked for a $1million dollar a year business, are not enough for $10 million dollar business or a $25 million dollar enterprise.

Scaling your enterprise requires constructing it in this type of manner that your enterprise version and systems can be rolled out and replicated on a far bigger playing discipline, based on extended product ordered/processed income quantity.

instance, choosing a database answer or a third celebration success must be primarily based on actual increase costs, not potential or forecasted projected income.

Financials

coins glide and economic Statements are your 'existence line'.

learn the way you're making and dropping money. recognize earnings and loss statements and what tactics and processes link to enhancing the 'earnings' of your business.
assets
The agency's financial wherewithal additionally, the size tools vital to control and music budget and property. Do you have got the understanding, competencies and skills vital to use the ones equipment to increase your income?

Small and mid-length organizations must grasp the capability to manipulate their operating capital and coins glide. each corporation has get right of entry to to profit and loss, stability sheet and coins float statements. management is either the use of accounting software or a person is getting ready the reports for management.

How well does senior control understand the organization's financials and it correlation to their approach? Do those managers understand which parts of the employer need investment, wherein cuts can be made on why?

Managers must take the time to research the relationships and interdependencies among their equipment and the reviews they use to maximise their sources.

Teamwork makes DreamWorks

You cannot do it by using your self. it's miles important to make certain that your commercial enterprise would not depend upon the presence of any person man or woman.

Even Steve Jobs and invoice Gates, needed a high-quality group to help them execute, deliver and do the whole lot behind the curtain to supply their imaginative and prescient to clients.

surround yourself with the excellent people you can locate. lease those who are smarter than you, then step back and allow them to do their jobs. do not forget championships are won through teams, now not athletes. personnel are hired both to boom sales or to lower charges as a way to improve income, no other cause.

humans

people aren't your greatest asset; the right people are. the wrong people are your best catastrophe. Mediocre human beings are your greatest drain on sources.

Leaders should attempt to create studying groups wherein the company is always pushing to improve. A enterprise in which personnel feel valued and are contributing according to their capabilities.

effective management will create an organization where private growth is expected and rewarded and employees are both challenged and satisfied.

personnel who're motivated through the corporation's imaginative and prescient and task will produce profitability, however frustrated personnel will lead to losses.

Why commercial enterprise Analytics Is important for going for walks a successful business


WHY IS enterprise ANALYTICS essential?
the foremost goal of any enterprise is profitability, and client satisfaction is a big aspect of the success of a business. when an agency innovates and stays beforehand of its competition, it fulfills and is going beyond consumer expectations. Many companies nevertheless depend upon ineffective, time-consuming conventional techniques for decision making tactics that cannot hold tempo with the opposition.

the use of "intestine sense" in taking strategic choices still performs an crucial function amongst commercial enterprise leaders. however does reliance on "gut feeling" and "conventional techniques" make for clever choice-making? what is the quality method?

The era increase has given upward thrust to improvements in how statistics is used. enterprise analytics is the answer and the fine circulate to ensure competitiveness in contemporary generation. To define the term: "commercial enterprise analytics, one of the rising fields inside the records technological know-how, refers back to the methods and numerous statistical and quantitative strategies utilized by an employer for knowledgeable decision making and business modeling".

Analytics is the alternate that helps you to get your commercial enterprise heading in the right direction. It assists the organizations to convert the humongous amount of generalized facts into remark, patterning and imaginative and prescient.

blessings OF commercial enterprise ANALYTICS
What changed into discussed above is just an educational definition. Now permit's talk why one wishes to undertake it in commercial enterprise operations:

rapid selections are easily taken, but what matters is smart decisions taken in a quick duration. It allows to inculcate faster and smarter decision making into enterprise lifestyle of your organisation. With the assist of business analytics, the employer can empower a group for statistics evaluation to extract targeted facts. while a corporation accesses accurate and critical facts, undoubtedly, it's going to take the right selections.
Analytics enables in quantifying commercial enterprise values.
most organizations provide training programs for fresh recruits or older personnel in which the core commercial enterprise values are imparted or refreshed. as an alternative, agencies should move a step further and adopt the help of business analytics to translate commercial enterprise values into numbers. that is a more cost and time green venture.
career direction OF A business ANALYST
A commercial enterprise analyst is one who assists businesses inside the system of business analytics. The career direction of a commercial enterprise analyst isn't always strictly defined as there are numerous options primarily based on industry, qualifications, pastimes, alternatives and so on.

training gives trainees with the capabilities and understanding needed for a proper information and interpretation of records.
schooling guides help college students in getting exposed to data structures and equipment like R, SAS, Python etc. making them eligible for numerous analytical jobs.
The fine incentive for present process a route is that the enterprise-excellent common revenue of a enterprise analyst is Rs 491,522 a 12 months. there are various abilities that can increase the pay scale of a commercial enterprise analyst like assignment control, SAS and so forth.
end

The role of a business analyst is often visible as one which bridges the distance between different departments in an corporation. there are various enterprise analytics guides which let you achieve all the blessings cited above. candidates with those talents can help an organisation to strategically improve operational performance.

Inductive Reasoning: generating knowledge





Chemistry Lab.

Many by no means took the course (possibly to their comfort). however for those that did, some loved it, others dreaded it. some delighted in their dexterity at titration (yes, a few did, and we should be glad given that with their lab skill they will find a new drug or create a leap forward chemical), while others pressed their lab companions into appearing that project.

Few, I recollect, enjoyed writing the obligatory submit-experiment lab record.

whether a supply of leisure or not, chemistry lab exemplifies our subject matter right here, inductive reasoning. In a lab, individuals report observations and gather statistics and, in mixture with facts and findings from prior experiments, generate new conclusions. That illustrates the essence of inductive reasoning, i.e. the usage of present and past records and understanding to go ahead to reach new conclusions.

So in our chemistry lab, we would check the acidity of rain water from extraordinary places, and draw conclusions about the impact of pollution sources on pH. we would pattern grocery shop red meat, and make conclusions approximately the accuracy of the fats content material labeling. we might examine garden fertilizer, and generate theories approximately how its components are blended collectively.

those examples illustrate inductive reasoning, going from data to end.

observe but a subtle, however essential, function of inductive reasoning - the conclusions are not assured to be real. Our conclusions may prove beneficial and productive and even existence-saving, however however beneficial our findings, inductive reasoning does not comprise enough rigor or structure for those conclusions to be guaranteed authentic.

Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning

So inductive reasoning doesn't assure authentic conclusions. this is interesting - and possibly unsettling. Inductive reasoning underlies our prediction that the Earth will rotate to create a tomorrow, and we would like to suppose day after today is a certainty.

So let's discover this specific trouble of fact of end, and inductive common sense in trendy, and do so through a evaluation with every other major type of reasoning, i.e. deductive.

Now, one often stated assessment among the two highlights popular vs. unique. mainly, deductive reasoning is stated to continue from the general to the unique, at the same time as inductive reasoning as proceeding within the opposite path, from the particular to the overall.

That contrasting does give insight, and might show proper in instances, many cases. but now not always. for instance, in geometry, we use deductive common sense to expose that the angles of all triangles (in a Euclidean area) sum to a hundred and eighty tiers, and we in addition use deductive logic to reveal that for all proper triangles (once more in a Euclidean space) the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides equals the rectangular of the longer facet.

For inductive common sense, we would take a look at our puppy, and note that sure ingredients are preferred over others, and consequently generalize as to what meals to shop for or no longer buy for our puppy. We make no claims or conclusions approximately the pets of others.

as a result, we used deductive good judgment to prove a widespread statement, and inductive logic to make a end approximately one particular pet. the overall and precise descriptions do not pretty provide a accurate delineation of deductive and inductive common sense. We need a extra rigorous characterization.

Deductive good judgment, extra fastidiously, involves use of reasoning structures wherein the fact of the premises logically generates the reality of the realization. In deductive reasoning, the development of the proof logic and the syntactic arrangement of the piece components assure that actual premises create real conclusions.

Why is that? In its most severe representation, deductive logic floats out in a symbolic ether, such as just variables, and statements, and logic operators. So in severe, deductive good judgment is not about something, as an alternative it's far a gadget of proof. Now in ordinary lifestyles we insert real-life items. as an example, we would construct a deductive proof as follows:

    Samantha is a person
    a person is mortal
    Samantha need to be mortal

This involves actual-lifestyles objects, but this is just a happenstance. We ought to have thoroughly written if "Xylotic" is a "wombicome", and "wombicomes" are "kubacjs" then "Xylotic" is a "kubacj". The shape of these sentences and the which means of the connective phrases like "is" entails that the belief is authentic if the two premises are real.

lower back to Inductive common sense

while in deductive reasoning the logical and syntactic shape inherently performs a vital role, for inductive reasoning, such systems are much less valuable. alternatively, revel in stands the front and middle, and especially our capacity to parent patterns and similarities in that enjoy, from which we extrapolate conclusions.

let's think about our instance of our pet and what food to feed it. In operating in the direction of an answer, we didn't approach the trouble as though in geometry class - we failed to begin constructing logical proof sequences. as a substitute, we targeted on amassing facts. We attempted different ingredients and exceptional brands, and took notes (perhaps simply mental, maybe written down) on how our pet reacted. We then sifted through our notes for styles and traits, and determined, for instance, that dry ingredients served with milk on the aspect proved the exceptional.

At a extra trendy level, we are able to photograph scientists, and designers, and craftsman, and simply plan normal people, doing the identical. we can picture them performing trials, conducting experiments, gathering facts, consulting professionals and using their knowledge of their field, to answer a question, or layout a product, or increase a process, or simply discern out how to do some thing the pleasant way.

Why does this paintings? it works because our international well-knownshows consistency and causality. We live in a universe which follows regulations and shows styles and runs in cycles. we can conceive in our minds a global no longer like that, a universe in which the legal guidelines of nature trade each day. What a large number that would be. regular could be a new undertaking, or more likely a new nightmare just to live to tell the tale.

Inductive reasoning as a result involves our taking records and teasing out conclusions, and such reasoning works because of the regularity of our universe.

but why doesn't this guarantee a true end? what is incorrect right here?

not anything in a practical feel. rather, the difficulty is certainly one of formal logical structure.

particularly, what assumption lies in the back of inductive conclusions? What do we presuppose might be proper? reflect onconsideration on it. Inductive logic presumes beyond styles will expect destiny patterns, that what we have a look at now tells us what's going to be the case in the future.

but that assumption, that presupposition, itself represents an inductive end. We count on beyond patterns will predict destiny patterns in a given case due to the fact our revel in and observations, each officially and in every day lifestyles, have led us to a meta-end that during wellknown what we study and recognize now gives a manual to what we have yet to have a look at and recognize.

So we've made a meta-end that our global acts continuously. And that meta-end isn't always a horrific aspect. Mankind has used it to make extremely good discoveries and good sized development.

however inside the international of common sense, we've created a round argument. we've attempted to show the logical soundness of inductive reasoning the use of a end based on inductive reasoning. this kind of proof method fails logically. Philosophers and people who look at common sense have dissected this trouble a better, attempting to build a logically sound argument at the truth fee of induction. Such an issue can also exist, or may not, or some assume they could have discovered one, however extra importantly the issue makes a speciality of the reality value inside the formal common sense sense.

The presence or absence of a formal proof about the reality price of inductive logic does now not undermine induction's usefulness. Your pet doesn't thoughts. it's miles simply happy you discovered what meals it likes.

Bases for ahead Extrapolation

So even as not formally imparting fact, inductive logic affords sensible conclusions. If the conclusions don't stem from a proper common sense, how do we attain inductive conclusions? allow's start with an instance:

whilst a person shakes a can of soda, the soda almost constantly gushes out when the can is opened.

How did we (and many others) attain that conclusion?

First, we extrapolated that shaking a can will cause the soda to gush out based totally on located styles. we've got found a great range of shaken cans, and nearly usually shaken cans gush out soda whilst opened. This repeating sample, gift regardless of the brand of soda, however nearly always present whilst the soda is carbonated, gives us self belief to expect future occurrences.

We can also reason by analogy. Even with out ever having discovered the outlet of a shaken can of soda, we may additionally have seen the opening of shaken bottles of soda. From our revel in and studying, we have an intuitive experience of when one state of affairs presents perception into comparable situations. We do not count on  humans comparable in that they are from the same metropolis to just like the identical ice cream. however we feel intuitively that a shaken can of soda is probably similar to a shaken bottle of soda, and thus conclude that both would show off the same final results when opened, i.e. the soda gushing out.

ultimately, we based our conclusion on causality. We recognize the linkages present within the world. So we recognize that soda is carbonated, and that shaking the can releases the carbonation, growing the pressure inside the can. as a result, although we in no way formerly experienced an opening of a shaken can or bottle of soda, we are able to step via the causal linkages to predict the final results.

some diffused reasoning steps exist here. as an instance, in using analogy, we first prolonged our base conclusion, on shaken bottles, outward. Our observations of shaken bottles generated a conclusion that shaken bottles of carbonate drinks gush outward whilst opened. when we concept approximately what might show up with a shaken can of soda, we re-examined our observations on bottles, and upgraded our end to country that shaken sealed containers of carbonated beverages will gush outward while opened.

In the usage of causality, we delivered in a myriad of previous conclusions. those blanketed that agitation liberates dissolved carbon dioxide from liquids, that the delivered carbon dioxide gas will growth the strain in a sealed box, that substances float from high to low pressure, and that full-size carbonation exists in soda. We then used a few deductive good judgment (be aware the interaction of induction and deduction here) to motive if all of those are genuine, shaking a can of carbonated soda will motive the liquid to gush outward whilst we open the can.

interplay of Inductive and Deductive logic

We should say some greater phrases about the interplay of inductive and deductive reasoning. In our chemistry class, as soon as we use inductive reasoning to formulate a end (or allow's use a greater particular terminology, i.e. formulate a hypothesis), we often use deductive reasoning to test the speculation. we'd have tested samples of meat categorized "low" fats from 5 grocery chains, and located that samples from one grocery chain measured better in fat than the samples from the alternative 4 chains. Our hypothesis then may country that this one grocery chain defines meat as "low" fats at a better (and maybe deceptively better) percentage fat than the other chains. We then deduce that if the definition causes the labeling result, delivered samples of "low" fats ought to have a quite excessive percentage fats, and similarly that samples no longer categorized "low" have to have a better fat content still.

shall we embrace but, that brought testing would not show these consequences. we discover with our wider introduced sample no relation among the labeling and the actual percent fat. The labeling appears as random as flipping a coin. We as a consequence take the added facts, discard our authentic concept and hypothesize that the grocery chain's measurement system or labeling technique might have troubles.

notice here how induction result in a speculation, from which we deduced a technique to check the speculation, after which the facts we amassed to verify or deny our deduction lead to a revision in our (inductive) speculation.

This once more speaks to the logical truth fee of induction. We shape a hypothesis A, which suggests we have to see end result B in our records. If we do not see end result B, we can usually finish "A" lacks validity, as a minimum in a few part. Why? If A calls for B, then the incidence of not B implies not A. however, if we do see results B, we have a demonstration A might be true, however warning is needed. If A requires B, the occurrence of B does not mean A. (If it simply rained, the grass may be moist. but the grass being wet would not guarantee that it rained - we may want to have just run the sprinkler.)

defective Induction

the world exhibits regularity, and thru inductive reasoning we informally and officially tease out findings and conclusions that (attempt to, however with precise realistic success) seize that regularity.

but we may be fooled. we are able to, and do, attain wrong conclusions.

Stereotyping represents a major form of defective induction. let's say we see a few times wherein younger adult males are caught rushing. We then take be aware of destiny such instances, preferentially, i.e. the primary few instances trigger a tentative speculation, and that makes us greater aware about examples that in shape the speculation. soon we start believing all younger male drivers velocity.

however, we've got nearly truly over reached. In making our conclusion we did not have any broadly gathered, statistically legitimate demographics of whether or not all young male drivers velocity, or even if extensive percentages do. as a substitute, we used selectively accrued anecdotal records, making our end too sweeping in comparison to our basis for making it.

Correlation with out causality also ends in defective induction. let's say we do have right demographic records and independent pattern statistics. That data suggests that a and B occur collectively at a statistically great degree. So A might be allergies in younger children, and B might be lung most cancers in a determine. We conclude a genetic linkage might be gift.

but, we overlooked issue C, whether or not or not the parent smokes. 459ac808c22b462a8bbea156c10866e7 take a look at the records exhibits that factor C is the purpose of A and B, and that after we manipulate the analysis for such commonplace causative factors (smoking, air pollutants, place of business asbestos added home via garments, and many others.) that we can't statistically display that a and B are associated.

In formal research, which include on fitness consequences, researchers have available and do appoint state-of-the-art techniques to weed out such false causality. but in our normal not unusual feel, we won't accomplish that as readily. We may also finish sure meals, or positive activities, result in contamination or discomfort, but overlook we devour the ones meals or do those activities in positive locations. The locations may be the reason, or as an alternative, we may want to blame the places while the foods or pastime may be the cause.

insufficient sampling scope can generate mistakes, or much more likely restrict the scope of conclusions. As telescopes and satellites enlarge our reach into the universe, and display finer information of planets and moons, astronomers have emerge as surprised on the range of celestial items. In element, this amazement stems from having best our solar gadget available for observe. It changed into the best sample available. And even though astronomers have and had the legal guidelines of physics to extrapolate past our solar gadget, precisely what extensions of those laws genuinely exist inside the form of planets and moons remained a calculation, till recently.

in addition, we've only lifestyles in the world as a foundation for extrapolating what existence might, or might not, exist on different planets and moons. Astrobiologists own a whole lot technological know-how from which to extrapolate, simply as do astronomers relative to planets and moons. however having a sample of one for styles of lifestyles simply limits the knowledge with which the astrobiologists' could make predictions.

other comparable examples of constrained sampling scope exist. we've got most effective one Universe to pattern when thinking about fundamental constants of physics. we've simplest the present and beyond while extrapolating what future technologies, and societies, and social advancement, may additionally occur. we have best our enjoy as spatially restrained, finite, temporal beings upon which to draw conclusions about the ultimate nature of the non secular.

accordingly, whilst "inadequate sampling scope" might also trigger pix of researchers failing to pattern huge enough, or our very own behavior of drawing short conclusions (e.g. say condemning a eating place primarily based on one meal), "insufficient sampling scope" also pertains to massive photo objects. a number of those massive photo objects may additionally have little on the spot effect (the variety of planets, as a minimum for the close to future, does no longer relate to paying our bills, or whether our team will make the playoffs), but the nature of the non secular possibly does imply some thing to a great many. And no doubt we've got restricted statistics and experience upon which to honestly recognize what, if something, exists within the religious realm.

An example of defective Induction: motion of the Planets

two fantastic titans of astronomy, Ptolemy and Newton, fell sufferer, in the long run, to defective induction. This presents a cautious to us, given that if those stellar minds can err, so can we.

Ptolemy resided in Rome approximately a century after the start of the Christian technology. He synthesized, summarized and prolonged the then present day statistics and theories at the motion of planets. His model changed into geocentric, i.e. the Earth stood at the middle of the sun device.

Why area the Earth at the center? Astronomers held a variety of reasons - we will cite one. at the time of Ptolemy, astronomers concluded the Earth couldn't be shifting. in any case what would circulate the Earth? Our planet turned into full-size. All revel in confirmed that transferring an giant object required big continuous effort. lacking an illustration of any ongoing effort or impact that could move the Earth, astronomers concluded the Earth stood nonetheless.

the mistake, an mistakes in inductive common sense, targeted on extending experience with shifting Earth-sure gadgets, out to planetary items. on the earth, essentially the whole thing stops if no longer usually pushed (even on ice, or even if spherical). Friction reasons that. Planets in orbit, however, do not experience friction, at least no longer full-size friction. for that reason, even as pretty much all and sundry, each day, with pretty much each item, would finish moving an item requires persistent force, that pattern does not amplify right into a frictionless surroundings.

Newton broke through all assumptions earlier than him (like that the Earth wouldn't pass within the absence of non-stop pressure) to formulate a brief set of concise, powerful laws of motion. tons fell into place. The elliptical orbits of planets, the impact of friction, the acceleration of falling items, the presence of tides, and different observations, now flowed from his legal guidelines.

but a small glitch existed. The orbit of Mercury did not in shape. That small glitch became one of the first demonstrations of a fixed of theories the outmoded Newton's legal guidelines, the theories of relativity. Relativity, boldly said, holds that gravity does no longer exist as we consider. as a substitute, gadgets don't vital appeal to, alternatively mass and strength curve area-time, and objects following the ensuing geodesics in curved space-time.

Why hadn't Newton conceived of whatever like relativity? In Newton's time, scientists viewed time and space as absolutes, immutable, unchanging, and similarly that the universe became basically a grid of straight lines. That view fit all the observations and evidence. Clocks counted the equal time, distances measured the identical everywhere, instantly traces ran in parallel. every scientific test, and the common enjoy of normal lifestyles, produced a conclusion that point acted as a regular and constant metronome, and that area furnished a time-honored, fixed lattice extending in all instructions.

but Newton erred, truly just about every person erred.

Einstein postulated that point and area have been no longer constant. alternatively, the rate of light stood as absolute and invariant, and time and space adjusted themselves in order that distinct observers measured mild at the identical speed. in addition, given a view that time and area had been no longer fixed, he theorized that gravity become not necessarily an appeal, but a bending of area-time by means of mass and strength.

Newton and his peers erred by way of extrapolating observations at sub-light speeds, and sun gadget distances, to the grand scale of the universe. We cannot blame them. these days particle accelerators mechanically stumble upon relativity. As these accelerators speed up debris, the loads of the expanded particles increase exponentially as particle speeds method the velocity of mild. Relativity predicts that, Newton's laws do not. however particle accelerators, and similar cutting-edge instrumentation, didn't exist in Newton's time, so the ones in Newton's era did not have that phenomenon available for consideration. And the glitch within the orbit of Mercury did no longer pose a wrinkle sufficiently massive to cause the concept manner that stimulated relativity.

Did Ptolemy and Newton have it incorrect? wrong would characterize their questioning too stringently. Their conclusions were limited. Ptolemy's Earth centered theory reasonably predicted the future place of planets, but might fail inside the layout of a satellite tv for pc trajectory to Mars. Newton's laws paintings on that satellite trajectory, but would not assist in knowledge the very subtle effect of gravity on GPS satellite timing.

Inductive Reasoning: the muse of technology

The culture of humankind now rests on our era. We cannot cross backwards to a easier time; the scale of our human populace and our expectations and workouts of every day existence rely on the considerable and complete array of generation with which we have surrounded ourselves.

even as generation has not been an unblemished improvement, maximum would agree it has delivered a good deal improvement. The easier beyond, at the same time as possibly nostalgic, in fact entailed many miseries and threats: diseases that couldn't be cured, sanitation that become substandard, less than dependable meals resources, marginally adequate shelter, difficult exertions, the danger of hearth, minimum services, gradual transportation, slow verbal exchange, and so on. technology has removed, or decreased, those miseries.

technology for this reason has ushered in, on balance, a better era. but in which did our generation come from? i might offer that, at a most foundational degree, our technology rests on mankind's potential for inductive reasoning. we've generation because the human thoughts can see styles, and extrapolate from the ones styles to apprehend the world, and from that expertise create era.

study different species within the animal state. some can master easy learning, i.e. hamsters can be taught to push a lever to get meals. some can master a bit more complexity, i.e. a few primate individuals can analyze symbols and control the symbols to acquire rewards. Many species, for instance wolves and lions, develop exquisite hunting talents. So sure other species can take enjoy, discover those behaviors that work, and extrapolate ahead to use those behaviors to gain fulfillment inside the destiny. we are able to consider that a level of inductive reasoning.

however the skills of other species for inductive reasoning rank as trivial in comparison to mankind. Even in historic times, mankind evolved fireplace, smelted metals, domesticated animals, raised crops, charted celestial actions, crafted cars, erected extremely good structures, and on and on, all of which, at the simple level, concerned inductive reasoning. To do these items, mankind collected reviews, discerned styles, examined processes, and constructed conclusions about what worked and what did not. And that constitutes inductive reasoning.

As we pass to the modern-day era, we discover mankind implicitly understood, and of route keeps to recognize, that patterns exist. understanding the blessings of finding patterns, and knowledge the boundaries of our innate senses, we evolved, and hold to broaden, techniques and gadgets to accumulate information beyond the capabilities of our uncooked senses. at the beginning, mankind crafted telescopes, microscopes, an increasing number of accurate clocks, mild prisms, weight balances, thermometers, electric powered measurement gadgets, and chemistry device. we are now numerous generations further, and we utilize satellites, particle accelerators, DNA sequencers, electron microscopes, scientific diagnostic system of all types, and chemical analysis equipment of all variations, to listing just some.

With the ones devices mankind collected, and continues to gather at astounding charges, data about the sector. And we have taken, and hold to take, that statistics to extrapolate the styles and laws and regularities in the international. And from those we expand era.

Take the car. just the seats contain dozens of inductive conclusions. The seats comprise polymers, and chemists over the centuries have gathered severa data factors and finished full-size experiments to extrapolate the practical and medical guidelines required for successful and monetary manufacturing the polymers. The polymers are woven into fabric, and machinists and inventors over the centuries needed to generalize from trail-and-blunders, and expertise of mechanical gadget, and the concepts of statics and dynamics, to finish what equipment designs might successfully, and economically, weave fabric. that would be simply the seats.

As we've said, inductive reasoning does now not with the aid of formal logic produce conclusions assured to be real. We highlighted that with the legal guidelines evolved by way of the luminary, Isaac Newton. Einstein's relativity corrected boundaries in the applicability of Newtonian gravity and mechanics. however, that the inductive reasoning of Newton proved much less than perfect did now not diminished the grandeur or usefulness of his reasoning within the scope of where his laws did and still by means of-and-huge do follow.

appropriate inductive reasoning stands as a hallmark of mankind's highbrow prowess, and even though it can't guarantee fact, inductive reasoning can do some thing maximum could locate similarly or more treasured, it is able to enable progress and know-how.

whilst the differing speed and gravity of the satellites impacts their clocks only by using nanoseconds, that effect needs correction for the GPS device to maintain sufficient accuracy. For added historical past on the Ptolemaic scheme for planetary orbits, see Astronomy of Ptolemy [http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/PtolemyAstronomy.htm]. at the same time as the Ptolemaic machine puts the Earth at the middle, the approach is nonetheless quite ingeneous in constructing a useable device of orbits.

The origin of cause





it is broadly agreed upon that purpose exist. The trouble is that you cannot defend cause by cause with out finding your self in a round argument. but the origin of our cause is an critical query to invite ourselves. whilst we study the animal kingdom it will become obvious that humans are the best species to apply reasoning at such a capacity to rule over the earth. Many other unique anomalies occur because of our reasoning e.g. humans have shown a tremendous proclivity for development, possess a moral code, and are self-ware.

while thinking about all that we've carried out in our onward march, the question arises, "How is all of this feasible?" it appears that evidently there are  popular positions in relation to how the human species has such an extraordinary potential to purpose: evolution and design. In this text, i'm able to in short discover those  positions.

EVOLUTIONARY REASONING

it's far often argued that evolution is a perfectly sound manner of accomplishing the depth of purpose that people have nowadays. The argument coincides with the overall premise of evolutionary advancement which claims that the fittest continue to exist and maintain to make development. And consequently, reasoning is genuinely an evolutionary trait that effectuates progress and human flourishing.

human beings have to be capable of cause with the intention to make selections which might be conducive to their survival. that is self-glaring and now not up for debate. The theist and the atheist agree upon this factor. The conflict arises when we start to discover the origins of purpose.

individuals who boast that the evolutionary process is the quality solution, declare that there's no need for an smart designer. but the theist sees a hassle with this line of questioning. In fact, even the father of evolution himself saw the same hassle. In an sincere and sobering moment of reflection about what herbal evolution in the long run suggested, Charles Darwin as soon as wrote:

however then arises the doubt, can the mind of man, which has, as I absolutely trust been developed from a mind as low as that possessed by means of the bottom animal, be relied on whilst it attracts such grand conclusions (Darwin, 443).

This lingering doubt is similarly expressed in a letter to a logician named William Graham:

however then with me the horrid doubt continually arises whether or not the convictions of man's thoughts, which has been advanced from the mind of the decrease animals, are of any value or in any respect straightforward. might any individual believe inside the convictions of a monkey's thoughts, if there are any convictions in the sort of thoughts? (To William Graham July three 1881).

This has emerge as called Darwin's Doubt and has profound implications for an evolutionary worldview. If one is to surmise that the origins of lifestyles did no longer require an wise dressmaker then the idea of reasoning have to be questioned. Herein are a few troubles worth thinking about.

Random Reasoning

How can humans trust a mind that has been shaped by way of random occasions without a purpose? If be counted came from not anything, then count thinks and feels nothing. but by some means, through nothing short of a miracle, the universe created itself and formed human beings who've the capacity to assume and experience. remember the fact that we as clever and self-aware sellers are able to doing what the universe cannot. we've got transcended our maker, in other phrases, by being able to information the universe round us-some thing the universe itself cannot accomplish. but we cannot accomplish developing something out of not anything despite the fact that a few human beings desperately hang to the perception that this kind of aspect is possible.

It seems to me that this is a philosophical function more so than a systematic role. And this philosophical role is grounded in contradictions that makes it untenable. The counter argument that an wise clothier created the orderly and affordable world around us appears extra doable.

Animal nation Reasoning

Why have to we expect that reasoning is an evolutionary trait? The nice declare is round reasoning. The premises are (1) evolutionary reason allows humans survive and (2) mankind has survived for hundreds of thousands of years, so consequently we will agree with evolutionary reasoning. The trouble is that the 2 premises anticipate the validity of each other. however a near study the animal kingdom explicitly reveals that sizeable reasoning isn't important for survival. this is why the evolutionary slogan is "Survival of the fittest" instead of "Survival of the maximum affordable."

it is genuine that wolves and lionesses will entice their prey into a state of affairs orchestrating the maximum opportune moment for a deadly strike. but maximum animals are absolutely making use of their instincts in preference to profound reasoning. Animals will be predisposed to live to tell the tale via facts they have inherited of their genes i.e. animals are programmed with an intuition for a proper eating regimen, procreation, migration styles and so on. alternatively, humans are the most effective species to reveal a unique and exceptional capacity for reasoning. Insomuch that there are numerous and nuanced levels of reasoning that we often use to understand reality and the arena around us:

    Abductive Reasoning: the manner of creating explanatory hypotheses.
    Analogical Reasoning: referring to things inside the shape of an analogy.
    cause and impact Reasoning: displaying reasons and the resulting outcomes.
    Comparative Reasoning: evaluating one aspect with any other.
    Deductive Reasoning: starting from a fashionable rule and shifting to specifics.
    Inductive Reasoning: beginning from specifics and moving to to a wellknown rule.
    Systemic Reasoning: thinking about the whole as greater than the sum of its elements.
    Modal logic: arguing about necessity and opportunity.
    conventional common sense: assuming that premises are correct.

This list is only a sampling of the diverse means and methods in which human beings motive. Any reasoning done within the animal kingdom is negligible in contrast. And but we see that many animals have survived alongside humans for millennia. those animals appear to live on quite well with out the intensity of reasoning that we own. It can't even be stated that we as people survive in a more peaceful and enjoyable way due to motive. we've got our very own problems and wars no matter this profound capability to suppose things via earlier than appearing. now not to mention that animals appear to be quite content with a easy existence of lack of knowledge.

unbelievable Species

some other hassle for evolutionary purpose seems to be how we as human beings are the only species to transcend into a kingdom of self-awareness and good judgment. nowadays taxonomists boast that we've got approximately 1.8 million recognised species on our little blue planet. every 12 months there are around 15,000 species stated. And if this isn't enough to affect upon you the importance of life around us, remember that researchers have now calculated that there can be 1 trillion species in the global while factoring in the unclassified micro and macro species. but we are predicted to agree with that human beings are the sole species to go beyond lack of understanding and attain the top of reasoning.

I locate it hard to trust that once hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, most effective one species has reached this type of good sized place in the animal nation. The very definition of miracle is something that transcends nature-it's far something supernatural. Mankind is virtually a outstanding species that transcends the natural order and thereby factors closer to an intelligent clothier.

cause FROM intelligent design

Now it is time to keep in mind reasoning from a theistic attitude. but I have to be honest and gift the argument in opposition to sensible design. much like Darwin considered whether he ought to agree with a mind that advanced from decrease animals, theists need to grapple with the perception that an all-effective God may want to create minds to assume and reason in a particular way.

If God created mankind with a mind hardwired to like and agree with in Him we would in no way be the wiser. We could assume that we've used logic and sought out the proof for God, however it can simply be a fantasy outside of our grasp just like the madman who claims to be Napoleon Bonaparte and is fully satisfied in his mind.

earlier I wrote that looking to shield motive by purpose is a circular argument that provides no solutions. What I mean via that is that we can't recognise for sure whether or not our minds had been compromised by using evolution or advent. The best way to derive the fact from this quandary is to follow the proof to the most logical and self-evident end. We do that each day while we make choices with out all the answers or information to insure that life is going on uninterrupted. We make the maximum rational conclusions viable and move on residing. this is the equal method the court docket systems use when jurors reach a consensus that is past an inexpensive doubt.

here I would like to spend a while imparting an accumulative case for the beginning of human reasoning by using shrewd layout.

loose-will and Denial

allow us to don't forget the results at the back of the present of free-will. Mankind has been blessed with the present to assume and make decisions on his or her very own. The Scriptures screen a loving God who wants human beings to come to Him on their own accord. whilst we keep in mind this biblical description of God and His plan for humanity, unfastened-will makes a persuasive case for motive being a reliable gift from God.

the first factor that wishes to be understood is that many people do not use their reasoning to just accept Jesus Christ as their savior. If God surely changed into pulling the strings to make humans think a specific manner then we would expect every person to bend a knee to God.

the second point is that the torture and sacrifice of Jesus Christ would were futile and pointless if God have been honestly manipulating the minds of humans.

The 1/3 point is that if God have been so inclined to control the minds of others, then He might have no reason to create lifestyles as we realize it these days. He should have truely created humans to like Him in His heavenly kingdom from the very starting.

I assume therefore i'm

in the 17th century, a truth seeker through the call of René Descartes wondered if he could recognize something for certain. He surmised that it turned into viable that he can be completely delusional about reality, or that something to the impact that a demon changed into manipulating his mind. And he turned into in the end able to reconcile this doubt by way of a philosophical formation known as Cogito ergo sum. this is Latin for "I assume, therefore i'm."

What Descartes got here to apprehend is that the capacity to question and doubt whether he ought to consider his thoughts, not less than, proved that he had a mind and did exist. I locate this critical concerning our trust in God as the Giver of motive.

If humans suspect that God can be deceiving them, then the so-known as deception is not entire. The inability to completely deceive a person might in addition bring into query the omnipotence of God. but we have to anticipate Him to have the energy to control the minds of humans if He were powerful sufficient to create existence and reasoning within the first area. And so, it's miles with this that I agree with the very means to impeach and doubt whether or not or now not God has hardwired our minds is obvious that He has executed no such factor. certainly, God has finished pretty the alternative through giving us free-will that is the muse for motive.

correct and moral mind

it's far worthwhile to recall the position reasoning plays in ethical mind. Mankind isn't always a sterile species that is unconcerned with the well-being of others and the planet. every day we are surrounded with situations in which we ought to make ethical decisions. it's miles like a proverbial crossroads wherein we calculate the professionals and cons and moral ramifications for the choices we make.

most people might agree that everybody makes moral choices. however the question we should ask ourselves is how that is feasible with an evolutionary foundation for purpose. herbal evolution has no need for a stringent ethical code to make certain survival. it may be argued that a morally grounded society is an evolutionary necessity to foster development. but from a naturalist angle what we name morality is merely a genetic disposition to propagate the human species and live to tell the tale.

recall a man taking walks alongside a dust avenue who hears a child yelling for help. He appears to the close by lake and notices that the child is not able to swim and therefore drowning. at once  mind rise up inside himself: do I put my lifestyles at hazard and save the kid, or do I preserve taking walks down the path to make sure my very own protection? Now allow us to say that this man comes to a decision to place his lifestyles at threat to store the child's existence.

Richard Dawkins explains any such principle as "The egocentric gene." The essence of this argument is that humans protect their groups to make certain human flourishing. however the very premise of this argument inadvertently destroys any belief of morality. the man who saves the kid from drowning is doing so out of a egocentric preference to bypass at the genetic shape of his species. the kid isn't always seen as someone of intrinsic worth, however simply a vehicle to propagate the species.

Admission to this naturalistic position gives license for more potent communities to overwhelm and takeover weaker communities. We see this take area in nature all the time. when assets grow to be scarce or territory is threatened, one network will eliminate some other and take what is theirs. If humans are to be constant with this function then there may be no argument in opposition to stronger nations killing off the citizens of weaker nations if you want to ensure the progress of their personal citizens.

ethical morality, on the other hand, requires a person to place themselves at hazard after they don't have anything to gain. It requires human beings to do the proper element regardless of any gain. it's far selfless, and is going towards any notions of survival of the fittest. The morally upright man saves the kid because he values the child for the individual they are, and if essential, is inclined to surrender his existence for theirs.

Morality inside the feel that we apprehend it these days isn't always well suited with a naturalistic worldview. If we are to champion the belief that people are moral creatures, then we must appearance beyond the natural order and in the direction of a writer who has made mankind in His image. it is most effective then that we can declare to have ethical reasoning. We definitely can not join evolution as the starting place of our reasoning if we claim to make ethical decisions.

EVOLUTION OR clever layout?

it is my opinion that there are too many issues with an unguided evolutionary worldview with regards to explaining the origins of our human reasoning. If mankind has evolved with out divine intervention then our intelligence has no nice trajectory and has developed from unintelligent animals. it's far similar to the announcement that the universe was created out of not anything and for nothing.

How am i able to accept as true with a thoughts that is born out of chaos? How am i able to consider a thoughts this is related to crude animals that don't seem to need such profound reasoning to continue to exist? And why are people the simplest species able to such questioning and good judgment with so many different species dwelling alongside us?

but, everything falls into location once I keep in mind the argument for an wise dressmaker. i'm able to trust my reasoning based totally on unfastened-will, the potential to impeach, and the way I study human beings making numerous and contrasting decisions around me. I also realize that mankind has exceptional moral capacity which isn't always feasible in a naturalist worldview. it's miles for a majority of these reasons that I propose that the origins of human reason derive from wise layout.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Good news from Brussels for cats, dogs and primates of all kinds


Guest post by HRA President, Dr Monika Merkes


The Netherlands were first with their plan for a transition to non- animal research. Now the Brussels-Capital Region, one of three regions in Belgium, has announced a ban on experiments on dogs, cats and non-human primates:


This is great news, and it shows it’s possible to phase out animal research. Of course, animal testing on cosmetics has already been banned in the 28 European Union countries, as well as in Norway, India and Israel. Several other countries are considering a ban.
Phasing out animal experimentation is not only possible, it is also necessary because the results vary for different species, strains and sexes. Transferability from animal to human studies can't be assumed.

A recent news item illustrates this: 11 babies died after their mothers were given a Viagra-like drug during pregnancy. The women were part of a drug trial in the Netherlands that tested whether the drug sildenafil citrate could help boost the growth of the baby. Sildenafil had been tested on several animal species, including mice, rats, rabbits and dogs, and the authors of a systematic review concluded that:

... no teratogenic or fetotoxic effects of sildenafil have been reported in experimental animal models at dose levels much higher than those used in humans.

The review also included reports about a small number of pregnant women who were treated with sildenafil as a treatment for premature delivery. The efficacy of sildenafil was reported as “limited” and “conflicting”.

Meanwhile, a Queensland study using sildenafil on pregnant women has been temporarily halted. The Queensland study is different to the study in the Netherlands, and so far has no negative outcomes.

But back to the “good” news. Phasing out animal research depends on the availability of non-animal, human-relevant methods and technologies.

This month, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that artificial intelligence is more accurate than animal testing in spotting toxic chemicals. Professor Thomas Hartung, one the researchers, wrote:

... we have now developed a computer method of testing chemicals that could save more than a US$1 billion annually and more than 2 million animals. Especially in times where the government is rolling back regulations on the chemical industry, new methods to identify dangerous substances are critical for human and environmental health.

Hartung's research group found that chemicals that are known to be toxic in humans are only proven so in about 70 % of repeated animal tests. The new computer software, however, identified toxic substances in 89% of 48,000 (toxic) chemicals that were tested.

Another area where fast progress is being made is organs-on-chips. The organs-on-chips market is expected to grow rapidly: from US $9.6 million in 2017 to US $45.6 million by 2022. (see also previous blog post from 25/04/2017)

Animal research is an inaccurate "science", and better, human-relevant methods and technologies have been and are being developed. Which country or jurisdiction will be next to start phasing out animal research?

This article has been republished with kind permission from Dr Merkes. Visit her blog OzSheba for more articles concerning animal exploitation.

For further information about animal experiments: Please visit www.HumaneResearch.org.au
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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Secret Monkey Business


An article appeared recently in Science Magazine regarding transparency of animal experimentation.

"'A cataclysmic wake-up call’: Can more candor win back support for animal research?” describes how US facilities, including the Oregon National Primate Research Centre, are giving the public more access to their animals in order to generate a better understanding of animal use.

In a similar vein, US-based (pro-vivisection) group “Speaking of Research” is “calling for increased openness about the important role of animals in health research.” Their initiative is backed by “almost 600 signatures, including four Nobel Laureates” and is hoped that it will “put pressure on institutions across the US to develop new and innovative ways to communicate their vital research with the American public.”[1]

Humane Research Australia also calls for increased openness. The two Australian primate breeding facilities (for research) are supported by Australian taxpayers through the National Health and Medical Research Council and we therefore consider it appropriate that the public is aware of this. Unfortunately however, according to a recent public opinion poll conducted by HRA, only 37% of the Australian population is aware that primates are still being used in this country for research purposes.

In the interests of openness and transparency, we therefore wrote to each of the breeding facilities – Monash University’s National Non-Human Primate Breeding and Research Facility in Gippsland Victoria and the National NHMRC Baboon Colony in Wallacia NSW - to enquire whether they might also consider allowing public visitors to access the facility to better understand how the marmosets, macaques and baboons kept for research purposes are housed.

I was not expecting a welcoming invitation and was therefore not surprised.

Monash University responded saying that the facility is “subject to controls specified by a number of both Commonwealth and State Government Departments.  Balancing all the requirements under each legislative instrument becomes very difficult and often conflicting.”
They also cited biosecurity risks, health of the animals, security arrangements, the need for costly structural and staff changes, public liability and lack of public amenities for visitors!

So, in short, no we cannot see the monkeys and how they are housed. So much for transparency!

As for the National NHMRC Baboon Colony, so far there’s just been crickets. And to be honest I’m not even expecting an acknowledgment of my request. (I will of course update this article if a response is indeed received.)

We already know from previous Freedom of Information requests and other reports that research involving primates is incredibly secretive. I had hoped, perhaps naively, that Australian researchers would see some merit in the logic of the US primate facilities, Speaking of Research (and their “almost 600 signatories including four Nobel Laureates”) calling for more openness, but I guess not. 
It seems to me that they are intent on keeping us all in the dark.

And so we continue to see our own tax dollars handed over to these facilities and they continue to subject hundreds of sentient and intelligent primates to highly invasive procedures, with no accountability to us the taxpayers. In the meantime, Humane Research Australia will continue with its Ban Primate Experiments campaign until this cruel, archaic and scientifically-flawed practice is consigned to the scrapheap of history.

For further information about animal experiments: Please visit www.HumaneResearch.org.au
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[1] https://speakingofresearch.com/2018/06/20/nobel-prize-winners-lead-the-call-for-greater-openness-in-animal-research/

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Science vs Legislation – a clash of logic


I’ve long been a fan of the work of Dr Ray Greek.  His writings opposing animals as models in medical research directly address the scientific arguments. He does not delve into the ethical debate. I have found his books - Specious Science, Sacred Cows and Golden Geese, and What will we do if we don’t experiment on animals? – to be incredibly informative but not overly technical for the average person to comprehend. I highly recommend them!

It was therefore with great interest that I read his recent paper, co-authored with Lisa A. Kramer: “Human Stakeholders and the Use of Animals in Drug Development[1]. Most significantly for me, it answered a crucial question that is often asked – if animals are not good models on which to base human medicine, then why do they continue to be used?

We cite hundreds of biomedical studies from journals including Nature, Science, and the Journal of the American Medical Association to show animal modeling is ineffective, misleading to scientists, unable to prevent the development of dangerous drugs, and prone to prevent the development of useful drugs. Legislation still requires animal testing prior to human testing even though the pharmaceutical sector has better options that were unavailable when animal modeling was first mandated.

In other words, science acknowledges that animals are not good models on which to base human medicine, but outdated legislation insists they continue to be used. This absurd conflict must be resolved.

The paper “document[s]the fact that animal-based research for drug development is grounded on a scientific paradigm that is flawed” and “present[s] voluminous evidence that this blind spot regarding animal modeling is depriving humans of promising treatments”.

It quotes from an article in Nature which says “The issue is crucial, as public opinion is behind animal research only if it helps develop better drugs.”

The paper also states “While the public (mis)perception of the use of animals in biomedical research might be succinctly characterized as an unfortunate but still necessary evil, we show that many experts in biomedical research across academia, industry, and government have come to recognize that use of the animal model in drug development is unreliable and ill-advised.”

Its conclusion is that the pharmaceutical industry continues to rely on data from outmoded animal-based research and animal-based tests – despite “decades of research that demonstrates the lack of predictive value of animal testing for determining the safety and efficacy of drugs”. The onus should therefore be on them, with their powerful influence, to lobby for legislative change.

The situation is somewhat different in Australia. After checking with some legal experts, and with the Principal Medical Advisor of the TGA, HRA’s understanding is that unlike other countries, Australian legislation does not specifically require animal testing. The problem is however, that any drug development would be capitalised for an international market, and would therefore need to satisfy the US FDA requirements. And FDA requires that potential drug candidates be tested on two different species – ironically because they expect different outcomes.

Drug development is only one area of animal experimentation, but it is the one which most people cite as a “necessary evil” to develop treatments and cures for human disease. We now know differently. It is not only unnecessary, it can be dangerously misleading, but also, it is diverting substantial precious resources away from methods that are far more likely to result in genuine outcomes for people with illness. (“the industry spends more than a hundred billion dollars each year building upon misleading results from animal tests to develop drugs that have little chance of being safe and effective for humans and, in fact, have a high chance of being harmful.”)

I’m sure you will be familiar with regular media reports on medical “breakthroughs” – giving hope to those suffering  from Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease or cancer, only to hear that the research has been based on animal data and will soon move to human clinical trials. Unfortunately that’s often the last you hear of them as they rarely pass the human trials and reach clinical translation. 

The paper is probably one of the most succinct arguments I have read against animal testing in some time. It did however, make me angry – angry that so much time and resources have been wasted over the years, so many potential cures have been discarded and so many people have died waiting for a miracle cure that never eventuated because the drugs were tested and only worked on mice, not in humans (or didn’t work on mice, hence were discarded when they could have worked on humans).

Despite the widely held faith among members of the public that animal modeling must take place in order to identify drugs that are safe and effective for humans, neither theory nor the empirical evidence supports the position. Moreover, many experts in the drug development process cite the failure of animal modeling as the main reason for high attrition rates and costly medications. Additionally, directing resources to animal models stands in the way of viable research that might have identified more promising treatments.”

This then, raises another concerning question. What do we tell our children and future generations that continue to lose loved ones through cancer and other diseases for which there is no cure? Yes, we knew we were doing it wrong, but we followed the law, and we didn’t challenge the law? It is imperative that the legislation catches up with the science – otherwise we will continue losing loved ones to insidious diseases that we constantly fail to cure.

For further information about animal experiments: Please visit www.HumaneResearch.org.au
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[1] Human Stakeholders and the Use of Animals in Drug Development, Lisa A. Kramer and Ray Greek, Business and Society Review 123:1 3–58