Cochrane Reviews of Homeopathy
Is there enough evidence in favour of homeopathy for it to be used for ADHD, asthma, or dementia? The best way to find out is probably to conduct a systematic review. Fortunately, someone has already done this for each of these conditions – and for others. Read the rest of this entry »
Cultural Bias in Scientific Research
This paper is a systematic review of controlled trials that asks the question “Do certain countries produce only positive results?” The authors conclude that: Read the rest of this entry »
Boosting Your Serotonin or Exploiting Your Depression?
What do Big Pharma, Patrick Holford, and Homeopaths all have in common? Well, apart from any other similarities, they all claim to be able to “boost your serotonin”, “remedy your neurotransmitter imbalance”, or help you to “overcome depression.” Read the rest of this entry »
Andrew Wakefield: Misleading and Irresponsible
The GMC have today found that the man who began what became known to some as the media’s MMR hoax was “misleading and irresponsible in the way he described research later published in The Lancet.” Read the rest of this entry »
Homeopathic Confusion
There are likely to be many reasons why consumers choose to buy homeopathic remedies. The marketing of homeopathy as “natural and gentle” probably helps. I suspect that ignorance and confusion also play a part. Read the rest of this entry »
Freedom Of Speech, Not Freedom From Criticism
Here, there is a list of Internet Argument Techniques. Number Eight is referred to as the “First Amendment Reinterpretation.” It seemed to me to be relevant to this article by Catherine Bennett: Say what you like, as long as it meets with the mob’s approval. Read the rest of this entry »
Unsung Heroes
In science and pseudoscience, some figures are much better known than others – but fame is not necessarily closely related to merit. I think the balance needs to be redressed somewhat. Read the rest of this entry »
The 10:23 Campaign and Boots
The 10:23 campaign, organised by the Merseyside Skeptics Society, “aims to raise awareness about the reality of homeopathy.” The campaigners have penned an open letter to Alliance Boots in which they point out that “in evidence given recently to the Commons Science and Technology Committee, [Boots] admitted that [they] do not believe homeopathy to be efficacious.” This prompted some thoughts around informed consent and medical treatments. Read the rest of this entry »
Vaccines: Shiv Chopra And Joseph Mercola
Swine flu exists. Flu vaccines are protective against influenza. The benefits of vaccination against seasonal flu and swine flu probably outweigh the risks of vaccination. Every year many people suffer and die from seasonal influenza, particularly the elderly, children younger than age 2 and people with other medical conditions or weakened immune systems. These are just some of the things you might like to bear in mind as you read the following. Read the rest of this entry »
Looks Like You Need Some Omega 3
Here, Principle Healthcare exhort us to “WISE UP WITH OMEGA 3!!!!” and ask “CAN OMEGA 3 HELP OUR BRAIN HEALTH???” Read the rest of this entry »
