All posts by Steven Novella

Founder and currently Executive Editor of Science-Based Medicine Steven Novella, MD is an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine. He is also the host and producer of the popular weekly science podcast, The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, and the author of the NeuroLogicaBlog, a daily blog that covers news and issues in neuroscience, but also general science, scientific skepticism, philosophy of science, critical thinking, and the intersection of science with the media and society. Dr. Novella also has produced two courses with The Great Courses, and published a book on critical thinking - also called The Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

RFK Jr On Obesity

We have been giving a lot of attention to RFK Jr recently, with good reason. He is poised to be put in charge of the federal institutions that regulate health and medicine. This is beyond problematic, as he has a long list of antiscience opinions. Part of the problem is that he lacks topic expertise (he is not a health care professional...

/ December 18, 2024
A group of five elderly people, three women and two men, walk on a path in a park. Two women are using Nordic walking poles. The group is smiling and wearing casual, sporty clothing. Trees and greenery surround the path.

Health Benefits of the Weekend Warrior

I tend to view skeptically science reporting that leans heavily on simplistic concepts and flashy titles. However, “skeptical” does not mean “dismissive”. Mainstream reporting may focus on click-bait terms but that does not necessarily mean anything about the underlying science. I have seen lots of recent headlines about the benefits of being a “weekend warrior” and decided to look at the primary...

/ December 11, 2024
A man in a suit stands in front of two American flags, removing a face mask. He is looking to the side with a serious expression. The background shows a building with large windows.

Questions About Pandemic Preparedness

The theme at SBM this week is questions for Trump’s nominees for key health positions within the federal government. David got the ball rolling with an excellent summary of the nominees and questions for each. Jonathan followed up with his own list of questions. I would like to continue the theme, focusing on our preparedness for the next pandemic. It is arguably...

/ December 4, 2024
An astronaut floats inside the International Space Station, surrounded by equipment, cables, and storage bags. The setting appears to be a lab module, with various devices and panels on the walls and ceiling.

Your Brain In Space

Amid all the shocking and depressing news regarding the future of American healthcare and medicine, at least over the next four years, I thought I would tackle something a bit lighter today. What happens to the brains of astronauts aboard the ISS? Space medicine is a field of study, if fairly niche, and will likely have increasing implications as humanity increases its...

/ November 20, 2024
A doctor in a white coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, types on a keyboard at a desk. Behind him is a medical examination room with a blue bed and an IV stand. The room is well-lit, highlighting the doctor's focused expression.

Physician Misinformation

When physicians spread medical misinformation, the potential harm to health is far greater than their direct patient care. And yet, in a recent study, medical boards rarely discipline physicians for spreading misinformation. The JAMA article looked at 3128 medical board disciplinary proceedings involving physicians. Spreading misinformation to the community was the least common reason, at 0.1%. Direct patient misinformation and inappropriate advertising...

/ November 13, 2024

Some Data on Fluoride

David Gorski wrote yesterday about the threat that a second Trump term holds for American health, specifically if he keeps his promise to give RFK Jr. some high level position over public health. Unfortunately, we have seen this movie before, although the sequel promises to be much worse. Putting a pseudoscientist, crank, conspiracy theorist, anti-vaxxer in charge of the organizations that are...

/ November 6, 2024
A woman and a man sit facing each other, both with their hands raised towards a bright, glowing light between them. Large, ethereal hands hover above, enhancing the glow. A small plant is visible to the side. The scene suggests healing or connection.

EMDR Is Still Dubious

A recent meta-analysis of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy concludes that the evidence “confirms” EMDR is effective in treating depression. It is a great example of the limitations of meta-analysis, and how easy it is to create essentially a false narrative using poor quality research. EMDR was “developed” by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987. It is the notion that bilateral...

/ October 23, 2024
Close-up of a hand performing acupuncture, carefully inserting thin needles into a person's skin. The background is softly blurred, emphasizing the focus on the acupuncture practice.

Latest Acupuncture Pseudoscience

JAMA Internal Medicine just published an article titled: Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture for Chronic Sciatica From Herniated Disk, A Randomized Clinical Trial. In an accompanying editorial comment, Jerard Z. Kneifati-Hayek and Mitchell H. Katz write: “This was a methodologically rigorous study; there were multiple experienced acupuncturists, the comparison group used a well thought-out sham control, and patients were followed up for 1...

/ October 16, 2024
Diagram showing the worm C. elegans with focus on nervous and muscle systems (A), genetic differences in lin-4 and lin-14 mutants (B), and research contributions by Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun on microRNA lin-4's interaction with mRNA (C).

microRNA – 2024 Nobel in Physiology or Medicine

The 2024 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine goes to two researchers, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, for their work on microRNA. They began their research in the same lab in the late 1980s as postdoctoral fellow, and then continued to collaborate after they each started their own labs. Their research involves a key question about multicellular life. Every cell in the...

/ October 9, 2024

Conspiracy Thinking And Alternative Medicine

Just recently, in casual conversation, someone commented to me that “they” already have a cure for cancer but are hiding it. This is a claim I frequently encounter. One survey, from 2005, found that 27.3% of those surveyed endorsed this belief. Another survey from 2014 found that 37% of people believe the FDA is suppressing natural cancer cures on behalf of “Big...

/ October 2, 2024