The Zika virus has been known for quite some time, but it gained notoriety recently due to its possible linkage to birth defects.
Science News has a summary report on Zika virus:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/special-report-heres-what-we-know-about-zika
A report on the studies of its possible linkage to microcephaly, a birth defect of babies with undersized and underdeveloped brains:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/how-zika-became-prime-suspect-microcephaly-mystery
In short, studies are continuing, evidence is mounting, but still not quite a confirmation.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 29 2016, @04:53AM
Double blind just minimizes inaccurate measurements due to researcher biases. Unless that is the only other explanation for some observation it doesn't help much. Definately a cheap and useful tool that should be used wherever possible though.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 29 2016, @05:00AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 29 2016, @05:17AM
As a group, biologists don't seem to put much effort into figuring out the consequences of their theories or designing studies to rule out as many explanations as possible. That is probably why.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Tuesday March 29 2016, @10:49AM
"Under the most carefully controlled conditions of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, and nutrient concentrations, the organism will do whatever it damn well pleases."
- every biologist ever.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 29 2016, @11:03AM
That is just because hey are bad at their jobs. My experience was very similar to this:
http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/51/2/CargoCult.htm [caltech.edu]
People in these areas do NOT want to do the necessary work, they prefer to come up with excuses about how it is all "so complicated".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 29 2016, @02:45PM
Infectious disease is easier to demonstrate than psychology studies.