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Bad science Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Quackademic medicine, COVID-19 edition, part 1: Magic amulets

“Quackademic medicine” is a term coined to describe the increasing infiltration of pseudoscience and quackery into medical academia. Unsurprisingly, we’re starting to see quackademic medicine turn its attention to COVID-19. In this case, traditional Chinese medicine is invoked to claim that magic amulets might prevent COVID-19,

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Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

AIER likens anti-“lockdown” cranks to abolitionists. Hilarity ensues

Cranks love a heroic persecution narrative, and the climate science-denying right wing think tank American Institute of Economic Research (AIER) has a doozy: COVID-19 “anti-lockdown” cranks like Scott Atlas and those behind the Great Barrington Declaration are the new abolitionists! This is a page from the antivax playbook.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Dr. Carrie Madej: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are transhumanism!

There’s a new quack in town. Dr. Carrie Madej is making waves with the message that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are “transhumanism.” Too bad she fails Biology 101 in her fevered ramblings.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

Barbara Loe Fisher: Using COVID-19 to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about all vaccines

Barbara Loe Fisher, never missing an opportunity to demonize vaccines, is using the COVID-19 outbreak to spread fear about all vaccines.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

No, the rush for a COVID-19 vaccine is not turning provaccine advocates into antivaxxers

There is already widespread distrust of a COVID-19 vaccine, even before a vaccine is approved. Contrary to claims from antivaxxers, that doesn’t mean provaxxers are becoming antivax.