Month: March 2019

Vape Nation: Vaping Is Bad, Kids

The Surgeon General declared youth e-cigarette use to be an epidemic, but many vaping communities online downplay the risks. What does the evidence show?

/ March 29, 2019

Australia’s Chiropractic Board bans spinal manipulation for children under two pending evidence review

Chiropractic Board of Australia interim policy prohibits spinal manipulation of children under two years old pending expert review of evidence by health authorities. Given the lack of evidence supporting chiropractic treatment of children, it should be banned.

/ March 28, 2019

Statistical Significance and Toxicity

Researchers propose to get rid of the use statistical significance in science reporting. The idea has merit.

/ March 27, 2019

An HBO Documentary about the Theranos Fraud Raises Concerns

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos to develop a device that could do 200 tests on a single drop of blood in a minute. She lied; it failed; she is being tried for fraud and conspiracy. The HBO documentary The Inventor tells the story but has some flaws. We can learn lessons from what happened.

/ March 26, 2019

Shots Heard: When the antivaccine movement swarms and harasses on social media, what can we do?

Of late, antivaxers active on social media have been ramping up their attacks on their perceived enemies, up to and including attacking even mothers who have lost children to vaccine-preventable disease. A new study looks at the characteristics of this group, even as two doctors form a group to help those who are victims of antivaccine harassment on social media, Shots Heard...

/ March 25, 2019

Science-Based Satire: American Academy of Pediatrics Releases New Guidelines on Corporal Punishment

In December of last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated their policy statement on effective discipline. Did it include an algorithm to help caregivers safely dose corporal punishment? No, that's actually pretty absurd. Offensive even, if you think about it. Don't though. Look...a squirrel!

/ March 22, 2019

Are those “inactive” ingredients in my medicine really inactive?

Drugs and supplements contain dozens of inactive ingredients. Is this a concern to those with allergies and sensitivities?

/ March 21, 2019

Fighting Online for SBM

Physicians are being harassed offline by antivax and other trolls. We can't let that happen.

/ March 20, 2019

For Discussion: Should I Only Write About Fake Stuff If It Is Well-Known?

Does writing about questionable topics that are not well-known do more harm or good? There are arguments on both sides.

/ March 19, 2019
Quackery duck

The Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians publishes Principles of Care Guidelines. Not surprisingly, they aren’t science-based.

Last week, the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) published "principles of care" guidelines. Try as they might, naturopathic oncologists tried to represent their specialty as evidence-based. Unsurprisingly, they failed.

/ March 18, 2019