Category: Science and Medicine
Everything old is new again
Since the pandemic hit, I've frequently said things like, "Everything old is new again", referring to the antivaccine movement in the age of COVID-19. As 2022 dawned, I thought I'd expand a bit on what I mean. Is there a term for déjà vu, but what I'm seeing now is amplified a thousand-fold? Proponents of science-based medicine have been warning us for...
The Great Barrington Declaration Was Silenced. So Why are They Silencing Me?
The head of the NIH owed the authors of the GBD a series of public discussions and dialogues. The authors of the GDB owe me a series of public discussions and dialogues.
Bioptron: Too Silly to Write about
Bioptron is a silly device claiming to work through unproven means, but basically seems to be an extremely colorful flashlight.
The Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study
In this study we have 300 patients with 47 different diseases subject to 7 experimental treatments among 3 treatment groups and no control group. What could possibly go right?
I Disagree With an Article Called “Vaccines Save Lives”
For contrarian doctors anchored to their ideas and sheltered from their consequences, it’s easier to erase 1,000 dead children, ignore overwhelmed pediatricians, and disparage an effective vaccine than to consider they could have been wrong. How sad.
As 2021 shambles to a close, the misuse of VAERS by antivaxxers continues apace
Misuse of the VAERS database to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about vaccines has been a favorite technique of antivaxxers for decades. Unfortunately, 2021 was the year when this particular antivax trope was turbocharged, and public health messaging seemed powerless to counter it.
Loud Silenced Doctors
When the history of this pandemic is written, contrarian doctors divorced from patient care won't be seen as its principal victims because YouTube removed their video, because someone called them "fringe", or because someone put up posters reminding them of words they said.
Why It’s Worthwhile to Debunk Shivambu
Richard Feynman famously said, "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool". This is the most important lesson skepticism has to offer.
A Journalist Asks if Your Child Needs an Energy Healer. The Answer Probably Won’t Surprise You.
A healthcare journalist writing for a respected source of news for millions of people has penned an article that endorses pure quackery in the form of energy healing for kids.