Category: Science

Categories
Biology Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Science

The “interstitium”: Interesting science versus PR spin and pseudoscience

Interstitium

Last week, the media were awash with reports of the “interstitium,” which was dramatically described as a hitherto undiscovered “organ,” a narrative that was definitely a triumph of PR over science that went beyond what even the investigators claimed in their paper. Worse, the investigators themselves even speculated that their discovery could “explain” acupuncture and other kinds of alternative medicine, thus providing an opening for quacks to run wild with their discovery, something I expect to see very soon.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Science

Children with autism are less likely to be fully vaccinated. Thanks, antivaxers!

Vaxelis
Vaccine in vial with syringe. Vaccination concept. 3d

One of the central myths of the antivaccine movement is that vaccines cause autism. Consequently, researchers looked at vaccination rates in children with autism spectrum disorder and their younger siblings and found both groups were significantly less likely to be fully vaccinated. Thanks, antivaxers.

Categories
Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

The World Health Organization: Integrating quackery into the ICD-11

World Health Organization and ICD-11 (and Mao)
World Health Organization and ICD-11

ICD-10 is a standardized system of alphanumeric codes for diagnoses maintained by the World Health Organization used throughout the world for billing, epidemiology, research, and cataloging causes of death. Its successor, ICD-11, is nearing completion, and unfortunately appears to be taking the “integration” of traditional medicine to a whole new level by integrating quack diagnoses with real diagnoses.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Popular culture Science

Why do cranks favor ad hominem attacks over scientific arguments? They work!

Ad Hominem
Ad Hominem

Cranks, quacks, and pseudoscientists favor ad hominem attacks against scientists over arguments based in science. Unfortunately, new research suggests that ad hominem attacks against scientists making a scientific claim can be as effective as attacks based on science and evidence.

Categories
Clinical trials Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Quackademic medicine triumphant (yet again): A defense of acupuncture on the Harvard Health Blog that misses the point

Acupuncture
CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 9: (CHINA OUT) Chinese man Wei Shengchu displays acupuncture needles in his forehead during a self-acupuncture performance on January 9, 2007 in Chongqing Municipality, China. Wei inserted 1,200 needles into his head skin during the show. According to local media, the sixty-year-old acupuncturist is a cosmetic doctor from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, who has the Guinness World Record for self-acupuncturing at 1,790 needles in his face. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

If you want yet another piece of evidence that quackademic medicine, where once science-based medical schools embrace quackery, is triumphant, is needed, look no further than a fallacy-filled blog post on the Harvard Health Blog in defense of acupuncture.