Category: Science and the Media

Turbo cancer?

And so 2026 begins…with a resurrection of the myth that COVID vaccines cause “turbo cancers”

I had hoped to let this cup pass, but, after a week and a half, I found that I couldn't. Eminent oncologist and cancer researcher Dr. Wafik El-Deiry is back and doubling down on the unproven claim that COVID vaccines cause "turbo cancers," this time with an added dash of conspiracy theory. What happened to him?

/ January 12, 2026
Debate

Revisiting the question of debating science deniers

Wealthy tech bro turned antivax crank Steve Kirsch attacked Paul Offit for refusing to debate antivaxxers, while Dr. Mike was "surrounded" by MAHA stans. These recent events led me to revisit the question: Is it ever a good strategy to publicly debate cranks?

/ January 5, 2026
Detox Your Body (sign)

Detox 2026: What Big Wellness Wants You to Believe

Detox trends come and go. Modern “detox” claims, from microplastics to microbiome resets are marketing, not science.

/ January 2, 2026
A sunlit brick alley is lined with ivy-covered buildings, potted plants, and leafy trees, creating a peaceful, green atmosphere on a clear day.

The Murray Hill Declaration

It's the responsibility of our medical establishment to protect the vulnerable and keep schools open.

/ January 1, 2026
Charlton Heston as George Taylor in The Planet of the Apes.

It’s a madhouse! Public health under the heirs to Lysenko (and Dr. Zaius) in 2025

As 2025 barrels towards its depressing conclusion, I look back at the damage federal science and medicine have sustained thus far under Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. through the lens of a classic film. Truly, it's a madhouse, in which our federal science apparatus is run by Lysenko's heirs.

/ December 29, 2025
Graffiti art of a man wearing a judge's wig and crown, holding a scepter and a briefcase, striding confidently. The mural is painted on a wall next to wooden boards and stones.

Read the Comments: “Just Do the Opposite of Whatever This Administration Recommends!”

It's obviously not good that people have lost trust in the FDA, NIH, and CDC. However, since those once vulnerable institutions are now lead by naked emperors, it's good that the American public, at least those that read the news, has uniformly recognized they have no clothes.

/ November 29, 2025
A person in a yellow shirt stands closely in front of a mirror, touching the glass and looking intently at their own reflection, which appears thoughtful.

If The Atlantic Wishes to Honestly Understand the Origins of MAHA, They Need to Investigate The Atlantic.

The Atlantic has some of the best writers around. But they were also eager to launder right-wing talking points under the guise of a being liberal, reasonable, and moderate publication, able to see all nuanced sides of complex issues.

/ November 28, 2025
Charles Dickens sits thoughtfully at a large wooden desk by a window, surrounded by bookshelves and writing materials, with an outdoor scene visible through the glass.
Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK Jr.)
A YouTube error message on a dark background reads: "Video unavailable. This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated.

I am a Private Citizen Seeking to Hold My Government Accountable. Dr. Vinay Prasad, a Government Doctor, Killed My YouTube Channel.

Americans do not need our government's permission to remember the words of our public officials, and I refuse to let them be silenced or censored.

/ August 31, 2025