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Bad science Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Quackademic medicine, COVID-19 edition, part 1: Magic amulets

“Quackademic medicine” is a term coined to describe the increasing infiltration of pseudoscience and quackery into medical academia. Unsurprisingly, we’re starting to see quackademic medicine turn its attention to COVID-19. In this case, traditional Chinese medicine is invoked to claim that magic amulets might prevent COVID-19,

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Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

AIER likens anti-“lockdown” cranks to abolitionists. Hilarity ensues

Cranks love a heroic persecution narrative, and the climate science-denying right wing think tank American Institute of Economic Research (AIER) has a doozy: COVID-19 “anti-lockdown” cranks like Scott Atlas and those behind the Great Barrington Declaration are the new abolitionists! This is a page from the antivax playbook.

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Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Did James Randi “destroy skepticism”?

Mitch Horowitz argues that the late James Randi “destroyed skepticism.” Unfortunately his arguments are not what I’d call…skeptical.

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Cancer Entertainment/culture Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Mike Adams: Why doesn’t Rush Limbaugh try “natural” treatments for his lung cancer?

Mike Adams has long used celebrities with cancer to claim “natural” treatments could cure them. Now he’s doing the same with Rush Limbaugh, although, compared to prior celebrities with cancer on whom he’s pulled this routine, this time Adams’s attack is muted.

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Computers and social media Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Oblivion Agenda: Mike Adams’ COVID-19-inspired update to his alien vaccine holocaust conspiracy theory

There’s nothing new under the sun in conspiracy theories. That’s why Mike Adams “Oblivion Agenda” is just an antivaccine “depopulation” conspiracy theory updated for the era of COVID-19.