Month: December 2020

Conversion therapy is pseudoscience

Federal appeals court strikes down conversion therapy bans

A recent federal Court of Appeals decision struck down local governments' conversion therapy bans on First Amendment grounds, characterizing licensed mental health therapists' advice as a "viewpoint" and regulation thereof subject to strict scrutiny by the courts, a standard that, historically, is rarely met. This decision carries disturbing implications for the regulation of the practice of medicine as well as the government's...

/ December 31, 2020

Meet the Psychologists

In this book, you will meet 16 of the most prominent people in psychology in conversational interviews that reveal their thoughts about the current state of psychology and its future. Enlightening and entertaining.

/ December 29, 2020
Doctors behaving badly

2020 and the pandemic: A year of (some) physicians behaving badly

Looking back on 2020, if there's one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it's that crises reveal character. Unfortunately, the character of too many physicians has been found wanting, as they spent 2020 denying the pandemic, peddling quack cures, or spreading misinformation in the service of defying public health interventions. What can be done?

/ December 28, 2020

The Guardian and the “Cult” of Online Chiropractic

Over the past few years, a handful of chiropractors have gone viral because of aggressive neck adjustments that make a loud crack and provide a quick thrill for viewers of their YouTube videos. A recent article in The Guardian discussed the phenomenon, but it doesn't go far enough.

/ December 25, 2020

2020 – The Good and the Bad

What 2020 has taught us about the power of science and the harm of pseudoscience.

/ December 23, 2020

Salonpas

Salonpas is an over-the-counter topical NSAID used to treat pain. It's probably safe and might be worth trying for minor pain, but the effect is small and the advertising is more hype than substance.

/ December 22, 2020
Dr. Gorski gets the COVID-19 vaccine

Syncope and Bell’s palsy: Distinguishing correlation from causation for adverse events observed after COVID-19 vaccination

The FDA has approved emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for two COVID-19 vaccines, and the largest mass vaccination program in history has begun. Look for antivaxxers to attribute reactions to the vaccine that the vaccine very likely didn't cause. We'll examine the example stories of vasovagal syncope and Bell's palsy that were reported by the press last week.

/ December 21, 2020

COVID-19 vaccine rollout creates new scamming opportunities for crooks

As new COVID-19 vaccines become available to the public, swindlers are adjusting their cons to fit the moment, even going door-to-door to peddle their scams.

/ December 17, 2020

Homeopathy Declining in Germany

Homeopathy is on the decline in Germany and elsewhere, partly due to the dedicated action of skeptics.

/ December 16, 2020

Melatonin

Melatonin supplements are increasingly popular, but the evidence is weak and mixed.

/ December 15, 2020