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Antivaccine nonsense Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Evolution Medicine Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Selective pressures and the evolution of alternative medicine

I wish I had thought of this one, but I didn’t. However, I never let a little thing like not having thought of an idea first to stop me from discussing it, and this particular idea is definitely worth expanding upon because (1) it’s interesting and (2) it combines two of my interests, alternative medicine […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Friday Woo Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Your Friday Dose of Woo: Wands imploding, sort of

Now this is unexpected. Normally, I find my victims/targets/subjects for my usual end-of-the-workweek bit of fun and skepticism from one of two sources. Either a reader sends a link to some woo or other that desperately deserves a little bit of Orac’s loving attention, or in my wanderings across blogosphere I find some little (or […]

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Announcements Complementary and alternative medicine Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The 73rd Meeting of the Skeptic’s Circle: Click on the boxes

It’s Thursday, and I can hardly believe that it’s time for the Skeptics’ Circle again. Time flies between these every other week exercises in critical thinking. This time around, it’s Holford Watch that’s hosting the 73rd Meeting of the Skeptics’ Circle. However, before you can enjoy skeptical bloggy goodness submitted to the carnival, you’re asked […]

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

One last update (for now) on the youth who “cured himself” of melanoma, Chad Jessop

I hadn’t intended to write about this again, at least not for a while, but curiosity got the better of me. About a month and a half ago, I discussed a highly dubious story that was going around by e-mail about a 17-year-old boy with melanoma whose mother supposedly “cured” him with “natural” treatments. As […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Humor Medicine Quackery

A vision of the future of medicine

Along with Dr. R. W., I’ve become known for my rather vociferously expressed dismay at the ever increasing infiltration of unscientific and non-evidence-based woo in the form of “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) into academic medical centers. Well, thanks to a reader, I’ve seen a vision of the future of American medicine, and it’s frightening. […]