Category: Politics and Regulation
How conspiracy theories like COVID-19 “lab leak” harm science and public health
Ever since COVID-19 first emerged in 2020, evidence-free claims that it had arisen due to a "lab leak" have proliferated. A recent paper argues that this conspiracy theory has been very harmful to science. I argue that it's more than just lab leak that is harmful.
Donald Trump bragged that “right-to-try” has saved thousands of lives. It hasn’t.
Former President Donald Trump bragged in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that "right-to-try" had saved "thousands of lives"? What's the real story? (Hint: Nowhere near that.)
Heritage Covid Commission Wants China Accountable… What About Trump?
The Heritage Foundation’s COVID-19 Commission Calls for Chinese “Accountability” for US Pandemic Damage
Did I Lie About My Conference Invitation? How Bad Faith Engagement Functions As A Distraction and Silencing Technique.
It's important to honestly and explicitly call out bad faith engagement for what it is and recognize how it functions as a common, but powerful rhetorical device.
The Decaf Wars
We can add decaffeinated (decaf) products to the list of things you probably shouldn’t worry about but someone wants to make you worry anyway. You may have read recently that some decaf coffee and tea brands have “chemicals” in them that may be a health risk. The real story, as you might imagine, is more complicated. The cause of the recent headlines...
I’ve Been Silenced, Censored, and Cancelled. The Reason Why Matters.
When conference organizers told me not to make my talk "political", they were really saying there were certain people and ideas I wasn't allowed to criticize. I didn't get it at the time. I get it now.
Generic Drugs: Are they different?
Standards in place for generic drugs should give consumers confidence that these products are just as effective as their brand-name equivalent.
SARMs Harms
Selective androgen receptor (SARMs) are sports supplements marketed to teens via social media influencers.
Dr. Vinay Prasad vs. a VAERS study finding more reports of vaccine injury in red states
Dr. Vinay Prasad attacks an epidemiological study published in JAMA Open Network reporting that people in red states are more likely to report vaccine injuries, claiming that a more rigorous study would "not be difficult," when he knows that it would be very difficult.
The Biopolitics of Quackademic Medicine in Iran
The problem of quackademic medicine in a place we in the US don't often consider.