Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA10165 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 20 Jan 2002 19:53:19 GMT Message-ID: <001901c1a1ec$7d8b00a0$4301bed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <Kennethvanoost@myrealbox.com> References: <LAW2-F116QpFjipBLGY00007c85@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: CRASH CONTAGION Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2002 20:55:23 +0100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Grant, you wrote,
> Has anybody tried to compare the number of people who saw this event in
the
> media and the number of people who supposedly copied it? And how many
> people out there were already contemplating killing themselves or their
> families? A certain number of these events happen every year, regardless.
> If the rate increases significantly beyond normal, there might be a case
for
> transferrence. Otherwise, all I can see is coincidence.
<< Exactly my point !
In Belgium each suicide which is succesful stands for 10 not- succesful
ones.
That means, atleast for my country that a 100 people a day try something to
end their lives !
Those 100 cases are by no means mentioned in any news- bulletin, so the
contaigon rate is zero ! But each day, 365 days on the trot, 7 to 10 people
succesfully commit suicide, without any influence of any media whatsoever !
IMO, I think coincidence is for that matter mush to simple to explain such
high rates, but yes there is yet not found any trace of transferrence.
Regards,
Kenneth
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