"A statement of fact cannot be insolent." The miscellaneous ramblings of a surgeon/scientist on medicine,
quackery, science, pseudoscience, history, and pseudohistory (and anything else that interests him)
Orac is the nom de blog of a humble pseudonymous surgeon/scientist with an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his miscellaneous verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few will. (Continued here, along with a DISCLAIMER that you should read before reading any medical discussions here.)
Orac's old Blog is archived at Archived Insolence.
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September 30, 2007
Category: Humor
Some of these are hilarious, and, no, it wouldn't be a good idea for these couples to do the hyphenated name thing. If you have any more real life examples, post 'em in the comments for the amusement of all!...
Posted by Orac at 2:45 PM • 23 Comments
Here's another item I saw at the local Barnes & Noble last night. I almost bought this calendar, so amused was I by it. In retrospect, maybe I should have bought it. I don't recall ever seeing a calendar like...
Posted by Orac at 12:45 PM • 19 Comments
Category: Alternative medicine • Humor • Medicine • Quackery
I think the title says it all. Perfect! Whoever wrote the book sure knows her potential readers!...
Posted by Orac at 9:03 AM • 15 Comments
September 29, 2007
Category: Entertainment/culture • Music
It's Saturday afternoon, time for a break from science as I attack the disaster that is our backyard. In the meantime, let's rock out for a few minutes: I'm not a huge KISS fan, but the above song is the...
Posted by Orac at 2:21 PM • 6 Comments
Category: Humor • Medicine • News of the Weird • Science
Science and medicine are beautiful things. The range of knowledge and research that can be encompassed under their rubric is truly astounding. Indeed, some scientists have all the luck. Some scientists seem to have all the luck. Some scientists seem...
Posted by Orac at 9:35 AM • 31 Comments
September 28, 2007
Category: Alternative medicine • Cancer • Medicine • Quackery
Because if you're going to make health claims and claim to treat patients, you should be held just as accountable as any physician: A Carson City "anti-aging" doctor has pleaded guilty to malpractice for failing to diagnose an elderly patient...
Posted by Orac at 3:00 PM • 19 Comments
Category: Alternative medicine • Friday Woo • Medicine • Quackery • Science • Skepticism/critical thinking
In looking back at all the various bizarre incarnations of woo that I've covered during the last year or so since I started doing Your Friday Dose of Woo, I was wondering if there was a form of woo...
Posted by Orac at 9:00 AM • 13 Comments
September 27, 2007
Category: Alternative medicine • Announcements • Blog carnivals • Medicine • Quackery • Science • Skepticism/critical thinking • Skeptics' Circle
Damn that Factitian! Now he's gone too far! In hosting the 70th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle, he's revealed some of the deepest darkest secrets of the Skeptical Atheistic Darwinist Scientific Conspiracy to Conquer All (SADSCCA), also known as The...
Posted by Orac at 3:10 PM • 0 Comments
Category: Alternative medicine • Antivaccination lunacy • Autism • Clinical trials • Medicine • Politics • Quackery
I'm almost beginning to feel sorry for the mercury militia. Think about it. They've been claiming for the past several years that the mercury in the thimerosal used as a preservative in childhood vaccines is a cause of autism. If...
Posted by Orac at 7:31 AM • 92 Comments
September 26, 2007
Category: Alternative medicine • Humor • Medicine • Pseudoscience • Quackery • Science • Skepticism/critical thinking
I hadn't thought of this possible consequence of global warming before if homeopathy were actually true, but it's frightening to contemplate. Fortunately, I think that even in this case the level of dilution wouldn't be enough....
Posted by Orac at 2:01 PM • 9 Comments
Category: Alternative medicine • Clinical trials • Medicine • Skepticism/critical thinking
Never let it be said that Orac doesn't give the people what they want. Well, most of the time, anyway. What I'm referring to is a recent German study about acupuncture for low back pain that's been making its way...
Posted by Orac at 9:02 AM • 61 Comments
Category: Humor • News of the Weird • Politics
Before moving on to discussions of alternative medicine (don't worry, there'll be one in the morning), I couldn't resist one last dig regarding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's claim in his appearance at Columbia University on Monday that there are no...
Posted by Orac at 12:01 AM • 4 Comments
September 25, 2007
Category: Anti-Semitism • History • Holocaust • World War II
While I happen to have found myself back on the subject of the Holocaust and Holocaust denial again today, I thought I'd mention this, something I've been meaning to blog about since I found out about it last week....
Posted by Orac at 2:37 PM • 27 Comments
Category: Anti-Semitism • History • Holocaust • Holocaust denial • Politics • World War II
Andrew Mathis gives his perspective. And an excellent analysis it is, too. One brief excerpt: ...I have to wonder exactly where a man who runs a police state gets off asking a question like this. The Constitution of the Islamic...
Posted by Orac at 12:31 PM • 7 Comments
Category: Anti-Semitism • History • Holocaust • Holocaust denial • World War II
Iranian President (and Holocaust denier) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad showed up at Columbia University yesterday to give a speech. Given my interest in Holocaust history and Holocaust denial I had debated whether to comment on it before it happened. Given my contempt...
Posted by Orac at 9:05 AM • 57 Comments
September 24, 2007
Category: Humor • Medicine • News of the Weird • Religion
While wandering through the medical center last week, I came across a rather unusual vending machine, one quite unlike any that I had ever seen before. It definitely hadn't been there the week before, but there it was now, around...
Posted by Orac at 2:50 PM • 39 Comments
