Categories
Biology Evolution Intelligent design/creationism Politics Science Skepticism/critical thinking

How much science matters to the average American?

Heard on the radio this morning, a commenter responding to a radio talk show host’s pointing out to him that Mike Huckabee doesn’t accept evolution as valid. This is as close as I can remember what he said, but the gist is correct: We disagree on that. But not believing in evolution is something I […]

Categories
Blogging Medicine Science

Congratulations to Abel Pharmboy at Terra Sigillata…

…for reaching a milestone in blogging. One thing that’s always puzzled me is why Abel’s traffic isn’t much higher (and mine lower, to be honest). True, I post much more frequently than he does, but that alone doesn’t explain it. (Maybe it’s EneMan.) Whatever the case, Abel deserves a much larger readership. There’s a disconnect […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Open-minded to the point of brains falling out: Antivaccinationists appointed to federal autism panel

We’ve had one example this week of people with minds so open that their brains fell out at the Oxford Union, which invited Holocaust denier and British National Party leader Nick Griffin to “discuss free speech.” Now, sadly, I see another, this time it’s the United States government, which has invited die-hard antivaccinationists to be […]

Categories
Anti-Semitism History Holocaust Holocaust denial World War II

For another view on the David Irving fiasco at the Oxford Union

Max Hastings apparently disagrees with the disgust that I and many others expressed over Holocaust denier David Irving’s recent appearance at the Oxford Union. I’d almost agree with him, except that (1) I highly doubt, from reading the accounts, that any real “debate” occurred and (2) I don’t think the Oxford Union exercise did anything […]

Categories
Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Surgery

Preventing injuries during surgery due to technical mistakes

You’ve probably heard the oft-repeated charge of “alternative” medicine advocates. If you get into a debate or conversation with one, you can almost count on seeing or hearing it before too long. Indeed, we heard a variant of this very claim yesterday coming from über-woomeister supreme Deepak Chopra. I’m referring, of course, to the rant […]