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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

The “toxin gambit” on steroids

After having been saddened (and distracted, at least from a blog standpoint) by the death of Steve Jobs for the last few days, I think it’s time to get back to the normal sorts of stuff I blog about. Not that discussing medical issues related to celebrities in the news isn’t one of the normal […]

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Paranormal Physics Pseudoscience Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Shhhh, be vewy, vewy quiet. I’m hunting ghosts…

Ever since starting my blog nearly seven (!) years ago, I’ve concentrated mainly on skepticism in medicine, in particular examining various implausible medical claims that proliferate on the Internet and in our media like so much kudzu choking out science and reason. The reasons are two-fold. First, it’s what I’m interested in. Second, it was […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

The fixed mindset of the anti-vaccine activist

One of my interests in skepticism and critical thinking has been the similarity in the fallacious arguments, approach to data, and general behavior of those who are–to put it generously–not so skeptical or scientific in their approach to life. I’m talking about believers in the paranormal, quacks, anti-vaccine activists, conspiracy theory mavens, Holocaust deniers, creationists, […]

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Bioethics Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery Surgery

Confidence, humility, and practicing science-based surgery

After having subjected my readers to all those posts about the antivaccination lunacy that was on display in Washington, D.C. last week, I think it’s time for a break from this topic, at least for a while if not longer. In the run-up to the “Green Our Vaccines” rally events on the antivaccinationism front were […]

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Anti-Semitism History Holocaust Holocaust denial

I hope you’ve washed the slime off, University of Oregon

I don’t know what’s going on here, but the University of Oregon got slimed last night. A truly odious little being slithered his way into the University grounds and left a stench that won’t soon dissipate. Sadly, David Irving, notorious Holocaust “revisionist” (translation: Holocaust denier) gave a talk last night at the University of Oregon. […]