The English (Bulldog) Patient: What A Travesty of Canine Health Teaches us About Cognitive Dissonance
Bulldogs are cute, loveable, and borderline an abuse to breed. Their adorable faces are the result of intense selective pressure that is accompanied by a large number of misery-inducing health conditions for the pet, and cognitive dissonance for the owner.
COVID-19 and Excess Deaths
Excess deaths during the pandemic help tell a more complete picture of the impact of COVID-19.
TENS for Pain Relief: Does It Work?
TENS units are used to relieve pain and for other indications. The evidence is not impressive.
COVID-19 “super-spreaders” and “super-spreading events”: The controversy
Evidence is emerging suggesting that COVID-19 does not spread equally. A minority of infected individuals seem to spread the virus easily to many people, while most infected individuals spread it to few others or no one at all, likely through a combination of circumstance, environment, and possibly biology. Why is this, and what does it mean for coronavirus containment strategies?
A Poorly Conceived Study Fails to Prove Ayurveda Works
Quackery is alive, well, and government-supported in India, as demonstrated by a terrible study of Ayurveda.
Expert review warns against compounded bioidentical hormone therapies
A National Academies report finds widely-marketed compounded hormone replacement therapies lack evidence of safety and effectiveness, and recommends restriction of their use.
Another Broken Meditation Study
Another study shows meditation does not work, but the authors manage to conclude that it does.
Juvent: Space Age Technology to Achieve Total Health?
Juvent is a small vibrating platform that is advertised to provide all kinds of health benefits for everyone by just standing on it for 10 minutes a day. They have no convincing evidence and the price is exorbitant.
COVID-19 parties: Urban legend or real thing?
You've probably seen breathlessly scolding stories in the media about young people holding "COVID parties", in which attendees intentionally try to become infected with COVID-19. Are these parties really a thing, or are they an urban legend? The answer is not entirely clear yet, but current evidence (more specifically, the lack of evidence) for them is much more consistent with the latter...
The Questionable Ethics of Medical Grade Nonsense: Chinese Herbal Medicine and Kawasaki Disease
A toddler in China with Kawasaki disease was treated with herbs and potions rather than science, and is extremely lucky to have survived without serious complications.