Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Paul Thacker amplifies antivaccine messaging by attacking science communicators

In his eagerness to attack skeptics for what, in the wake of reports of blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, he sees as “vaccine cheerleading,” anti-GMO hack Paul Thacker has inadvertently amplified antivaccine messaging. Or was it inadvertent?

Categories
Bad science Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Stephanie Seneff: Blaming glyphosate in biofuels and e-cigs for COVID-19

Stephanie Seneff, who is antivaccine and anti-GMO, is a computer scientist who fancies herself an epidemiologist. Yesterday, she wrote a post blaming glyphosate in biofuels and e-cigs for COVID-19. Hilarity ensued.

Categories
Medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Biodynamic farming: Like anthroposophic medicine, only on the farm

Rudolf Steiner had a farm, and on that farm he had some woo. It is called biodynamic farming, and what woo it is!

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Popular culture Science

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

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
Anti-Semitism Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine News of the Weird Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience

Out for signatures: A California ballot initiative by Cheriel Jensen that sounds as though it were written by Mike Adams

Last week, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla approved a ballot initiative to collect signatures that would, if passed, reverse school vaccine mandates, ban GMOs, and demonize chemicals. It sounds like something Mike Adams would have written. Fortunately, 365,880 signatures of registered voters are needed, which makes it unlikely that this will pass.