Melinda Wenner Moyer published an article in The New York Times arguing that fear of how antivaxers will react to scientific findings is leading scientists to indulge in self-censorship. I’m not convinced that this is the case.
Tag: pseudoscience
Jeff Noble and Kerry Bentivolio host a “vaccine choice” (antivaccine) roundtable at a local Republican office
Kerry Bentivolio, Republican candidate for Congress in the 11th Congressional District in Michigan (Orac's district), hosted an antivaccine roundtable with Orac's state representative Jeff Noble, three antivaxers, and the antivaccine group Michigan for Vaccine Choice. Orac attended and now reports the craziness.
The Dunning-Kruger effect, antivaxers, and the arrogance of ignorance
Thanks to the Dunning-Kruger effect, many antivaxers think they know more about vaccines than doctors, scientists, and other experts in infectious disease, immunology, and vaccines. It is this arrogance of ignorance that fuels their antivaccine activism and makes them resistant to disconfirming evidence.
Complementary medicine use and cancer survival: A negative correlation
We know that alternative medicine use is associated with poorer survival in cancer, but what about the use of so-called "complementary medicine," "complementary and alternative medicine," or "integrative medicine"? Bad news. There's still a negative correlation between the use of pseudoscientific and unproven medicine and cancer survival, even when used with conventional cancer therapy rather than instead of it.
The University of Northern Iowa promotes facilitated communication quackery
The University of Northern Iowa is hosting a conference on facilitated communication, despite multiple warnings from academics that it's quackery and overwhelming evidence that it is the "facilitators" who are actually producing the claimed "communication" from nonverbal people and a history of producing false cases of child abuse. Why is UNI being so dangerously irresponsible?
Just when I thought Dr. Oz couldn’t go any lower, he proves me wrong—with astrology!
I haven't written much about Dr. Mehmet Oz and his promotion of pseudoscience lately—or even paid that much attention to him. Unfortunately, this week, that changed as Dr. Oz went all in for astrology. Yes, astrology. The backlash was epic.
Orac basks in the adoration of Gary Null
Orac loves to bask in the adulation of his "fans." This time around, one of the old men of quackery, Gary Null, has decided that he really, really doesn't like science-based medicine. That includes Steve Novella, Susan Gerbic, and...Orac.
Only a homeopath has a belief system bizarre enough to defend a remedy based on spit from a rabid dog
Last week, naturopath and homeopath Anke Zimmermann made the news for using lyssinum, a homeopathic remedy based on saliva from a rabid dog, to treat a four year old boy with behavioral problems. This week, Zimmermann strikes back against her critics. Hilarity ensues.
Old guard antivaccine activist J. B. Handley loses his best platform to spread misinformation
J. B. Handley and Orac go way back (to 2005), when Orac first encountered Handley's brand of blustering, arrogantly ignorant antivaccine pseudoscience. Lately, Handley's been blogging over at Medium. A couple of weeks ago, Medium kicked him off its platform for violating its TOS. Schadenfreude ensues.
#SaidNoMother: Combining dehumanization of autistic people with antivaccine pseudoscience in time for Autism Awareness Month
Autism Awareness Month is nearly upon us again. Unfortunately, the antivaccine movement has found a new way to ruin it by hijacking autism awareness to promote their antivaccine pseudoscience and quackery, along with contempt for autistic people. Behold #SaidNoMother and #SaidNoFather.