Categories
Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery Religion

“Licensing” faith healers?

Of all the forms of quackery out there, the “energy healing” methods and “faith healing” methods have to be the most ridiculous. After all, the claims of “healers” using such modalities, when boiled down to their very essence, are nothing less (and nothing more) than claiming the ability to do magic. Indeed, “energy healing” involves […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Entertainment/culture Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking Television

Run, don’t walk, away from these Doctors

I’m happy to say, I’ve never watched an episode of The Doctors, at least if the episode segment I’ve just been sent is any indication of the quality of the science and medicine discussed on the TV show. The episode, which aired on December 11, featured a segment on autism featuring an old “friend” of […]

Categories
Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

Battlefield acupuncture revisited: Only the thinnest of gruel will do

The zombie has arisen once again to eat the brains of the Air Force. I’m referring to so-called “battlefield acupuncture,” a topic that I wrote about last week for this very blog. I didn’t think there’d be a reason to revisit the subject again so soon, but I was wrong for three reasons. First, I […]

Categories
Complementary and alternative medicine Entertainment/culture Medicine Movies Popular culture Quackery Television

Two actors and their woo

Why does anyone listen to actors when they pontificate about health and medical issues? Think about it. What is it that actors do? They read lines given to them. True, some have a talent that goes beyond that; they can actually write or direct. But few of them have any more abilities when it comes […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Entertainment/culture Medicine Popular culture Quackery Television

Did Larry King learn his lesson?

As much as I’d love to take credit, the postponement of the appearance of Jenny McCarthy and J.B. Handley on Larry King Live! originally scheduled for last night had nothing to do with me. Really. The cancellation was apparently announced shortly after my post appeared, leaving no time for it to have had an effect. […]