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Anti-Semitism Antivaccine nonsense Holocaust denial Medicine Politics Popular culture

Juneteenth and Naomi Wolf: Antivaxxers co-opt another symbol to portray themselves as “oppressed”

Antivaxxers love to claim the mantle of the oppressed, even going so far as to use the Yellow Star of David to liken their “oppression” to that of the Jews under the Nazis. Now they’re trying to top even that by co-opting Juneteenth.

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Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture

The “lab leak” hypothesis is becoming a conspiracy theory

Scientists have generally concluded that evidence points to a natural origin for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, as a far more likely explanation for the pandemic than a laboratory origin. Recently, there has been a lot of media chatter about the “lab leak” hypothesis. Is there new evidence? Nope. The “lab leak” hypothesis is fast becoming a conspiracy theory.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics

Mike Adams is forced to walk back his violent rhetoric about executing those promoting COVID-19 vaccination

Antivaccine rhetoric opposing COVID-19 vaccines has become more violent, so much so that Mike Adams has now had to walk back his call to execute scientists.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Pseudoscience

The Centner Academy: A private school run by wealthy COVID-19 conspiracy theorists

David and Leila Centner run an expensive private school in Miami. Unfortunately, it’s a microcosm of what happens when antivaxxers and COVID-19 conspiracy theorists educate children. It’s not good.

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Clinical trials Medicine Politics Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

WTF happened to John Ioannidis?

John Ioannidis is one of the most published and influential scientists in the world, someone whose skewering of bad medical research we at SBM have frequently lauded over the years. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Since then, Prof. Ioannidis has been publishing dubious studies that minimize the dangers of the coronavirus, shown up in the media to decry “lockdowns,” and, most recently, “punched down”, attacking a graduate student for having criticized him. What happened? Did Prof. Ioannidis change, or was he always like this and I just didn’t see it? Either way, he’s a cautionary tale of how even science watchdogs can fall prey to hubris.