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Medicine Politics Popular culture Quackery

The DSHEA and supplements made Alex Jones

As the HBO documentary The Truth vs. Alex Jones shows, Alex Jones promoted the conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax to sell his supplement line. It’s a model that many Internet conspiracy theorists use, like Mike Adams. Did the DSHEA help create Alex Jones and the modern conspiracy industry?

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Popular culture Quackery

The FDA just handed quacks a massive propaganda victory on ivermectin

Last week, quacks were crowing that the FDA had “lost its war” on ivermectin. Ivermectin still doesn’t work against COVID-19. but by settling a lawsuit the way it did, the FDA did hand quacks and antivaxxers a massive propaganda victory that they will regret for years to come.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

The Brownstone Institute embraces old antivax lies about measles

The Brownstone Institute long ago went full anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Now it’s embracing old antivax tropes about the measles vaccine. This was inevitable.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

“Poor, poor pitiful me”: Was Martin Kulldorff fired by Harvard?

Martin Kulldorff, co-author of the eugenicist Great Barrington Declaration that advocated a “let ‘er rip” strategy to address the pandemic to achieve “natural herd immunity,” laments being “fired” from Harvard. Is it possible to know what really happened? Orac provides educated speculation. (NOTE ADDENDUM.)

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

Physicians are their own worst enemies with respect to misinformation

A recent study found that physicians and scientists who are perceived as “experts” are prevalent within the antivax community and more influential because of their status as physicians and scientists. Why do physicians continue to tolerate antivax quacks within our ranks?