Aporkalypse: Don’t Panic, Peter Chappell Has The Answer
Recently, the World Health Organisation formally declared that “the swine flu outbreak is now a global pandemic; the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.” (BBC World Service) Within the last 24 hours, the BBC has also reported that “A further 83 new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Scotland – the highest daily increase so far” (BBC News) and that “A further six cases of swine flu have been confirmed at a primary school in Sheffield after a pupil tested positive for the disease” (BBC News). Apparently, the race is now on to produce a vaccine (“Drugmakers rush to produce a swine flu vaccine”; AP). Read the rest of this entry »
Targets: Aids, Cancer, Autism and Dyslexia
Some fields seem to attract quackery. Energy production is an obvious one (I predict that the idea of perpetual motion machines will never die – the idea is too attractive and there will probably always be sufficiently gullible/ignorant people in the world), but there are certain fields which seem to attract medical quackery more than others. I thought I’d list a few of the apparent similarities between some of the areas that I see as attracting quackery or, at best, dubious claims. Read the rest of this entry »