Pacifica's Graduate Research Library News

Prozac works only on severely depressed?

Erin

According to a recent UK Guardian report, Prozac, used by 40m people does not work. Here's an excerpt (click on the link above for full article):

The study examined all available data on the drugs, including results from clinical trials that the manufacturers chose not to publish at the time. The trials compared the effect on patients taking the drugs with those given a placebo or sugar pill.

When all the data was pulled together, it appeared that patients had improved - but those on placebo improved just as much as those on the drugs.

The only exception is in the most severely depressed patients, according to the authors - Prof Irving Kirsch from the department of psychology at Hull University and colleagues in the US and Canada. But that is probably because the placebo stopped working so well, they say, rather than the drugs having worked better.

a logophile's delight . . .

mck

Now available online to Pacifica students and faculty

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New eBooks added to the Gale Virtual Reference Library

mck

Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature: A Handbook
Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism (2 vol.)
Encyclopedia of Mental Health (2 vol.)
Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender (4 vol.)
Encyclopedia of Shamanism (2 vol.)

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World's Oldest Ritual Discovered?

Erin

Check out this news break from EurekAlert Science News -- Click Here

A startling archaeological discovery this summer changes our understanding of human history. While, up until now, scholars have largely held that man’s first rituals were carried out over 40, 000 years ago in Europe, it now appears that they were wrong about both the time and place.
Associate Professor Sheila Coulson, from the University of Oslo, can now show that modern humans, Homo sapiens, have performed advanced rituals in Africa for 70,000 years. She has, in other words, discovered mankind’s oldest known ritual.

The Librarian is Walkin'

Erin

Pacifica will be a sponsor in Santa Barbara's 2007 Memory Walk on Aug. 24th, to raise awareness (and funding) for Alzheimer's Disease and related research. If you have an extra buck or two (every little bit helps), you are welcome to sponsor Erin the Librarian <hint, hint>. Click right here to visit her donation page.

To see a list of Pacifica employees participating (or to sponsor someone else) click here.

Your sponsorship, whether in monetary form or as moral support, is much appreciated.

Research suggestions

Erin

Lifehack has offered students 10 Steps Toward Better Research. I agree heartily with Know Your Resources.

Most importantly, you should start out with a working thesis that changes, morphs or is supplanted entirely by your final thesis which will develop as you carry out your research. Make sure you allocate time for this process; sometimes it's the most critical step.

Librarians Describe Life Under FBI Gag Order

Erin

How important are librarians? So important they can be a threat to national security! Next time you're on campus, thank one of your librarians for protecting your intellectual freedoms, your privacy, and your right to read...