Mike the Mad Biologist

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And if a lot of people actually take charlatan Kevin Trudeau seriously, we’ll be seeing a lot of dead people. Stupid, dead people. Christopher Wanjek and Orac take down the fraud Kevin Trudeau’s new book More Natural Cures Revealed. Writes Wanjek:

Bacteria and viruses don’t cause disease, which is why you don’t “catch” cancer or diabetes; disease is caused by an imbalance of vital energy. Here Trudeau mixes the concept of communicable and non-communicable disease. First, Trudeau needs to visit Uganda with his balanced vital energy and avoid malaria. This denial of pathogens as the cause of many diseases is an insult to humanity. Second, it is possible to catch some forms of cancer; the human papilloma virus can lead to cervical cancer.’

Orac adds:

Quite a few of Tara’s readers couldn’t believe it when she discussed people who don’t believe that microbes are the primary cause of infectious disease, but here it is in bold for all the world to see in a book that will likely sell millions of copies, as its predecessor did. Disorders in the “humors” or “imbalances of vital energies” were what people believed to cause disease hundreds of years ago, before Pasteur postulated the germ theory of disease. Such “causes” are from pre-scientific societies that haven’t yet uncovered enough of the biology of diseases to learn their causes. The success of modern medicine derives from understanding as much as possible the mechanisms of disease.

This idiocy is worse than creationism, if such a thing is possible. If people actually take Trudeau seriously, and refuse medical treatment and vaccination, people will die. Because infectious diseases are involved, people other than the complete fucking morons who don’t accept the germ theory will also become sick or die. This could become a public health nightmare.

Comments

#1 natural cynic
July 30, 2006

If they die young enough, they will be recipients of a Darwin Award.
#2 mark
July 30, 2006

I saw that fraud’s face on the tv just today (I quickly changed the channel). Passing that channel later, there was some woman extolling the virtues of coffee enemas. Earlier in the day, I had read an essay in the 21 July issue of Science calling for a review of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, suggesting the agency funds dubious studies and is overly influenced by the Quacks. Those people who say “Where’s the harm?” in quackery do need to learn what happens when people forego credible medical treatment and go to the quacks and frauds instead.
#3 David
July 30, 2006

Those people who say “Where’s the harm?” in quackery do need to learn what happens when people forego credible medical treatment and go to the quacks and frauds instead.
Yes you are right!!
#4 Jennifer
July 31, 2006

Huh? That really may be more stupid than intelligent design. Hey, I’m taking a medical microbiology course this fall (really looking forward to it). Perhaps I should enlighten my professor right away by saying the whole course is a waste of time since bacteria don’t really cause disease (cough).
#5 Roger
August 1, 2006

Infectious disease and humors. That quackery is deadly. I’m old enough to have an uncle who died on the operating when heart problems caused by scarlet fever were being corrected. I’m old enough to have a cousin who underwent multiple operations to correct the affects of polio. Ask me if I’m in favor of mandatory vaccination and appreciate the work of scientists. You’ll hear something good. I’d rather not say what I think when I hear this sort of idiocy.
#6 Colin
August 1, 2006

This quack has already killed people who were fooled by his snake oil if this amazon review I found is to be believed:

I’m trying not to be emotional and flip out, but I hate this man! A friend found out she had breast cancer. She spent a year doing this jack*ss’s natural cure along with some other crap from some equally stupid quacks. Guess where she is now? Dead. When she finally went back to real doctor there was nothing they could do. The cancer had consumed her. I’m so angry… I’m angry at him for making money off hurting people and I’m sort of angry at her also. I don’t know what else to say.
#7 Cecil
August 2, 2006

My rant for the year: How would you classify this man’s actions? Involuntary manslaughter? Voluntary manslaughter? Negligent homicide? Consider the scale. His actions are as harmful any terrorist act. Is he more harmful than the IDiots? I’m not sure. It’s two faces of the same coin. It’s a blatant disregard of critical thinking and evidence resulting in harm to the general public. But then again, to me, relatively few things are more important than freedom of speech. Does this mean that people should never be held accountable for purposefully spreading lies and harmful misguided ideas? I guess it does. Then the only way to fight against these charlatans is equip the public with the ability to detect their idiocy. Educate the general public not only in the factual information in science, but more importantly, in critical thinking.
#8 dan
March 18, 2007

it is a side-effect of our “free” society. blame our societal laws and systems that permit anyone to say and sell most anything to anybody.

as this man is one among many who attempt to spread info combined with dis-info. to blame him alone fixes nothing…fix the system.
#9 dan
March 18, 2007

evidence of a failed public education and information systems…people crave validated info and solutions and guidance to apply solutions based on validated info.

Currently, this info, solutions, and guidance are provided similarly confused parents, the obsolete schooling systems, self-serving doctors and hospitals, religious institutions.
The corrupt govt cannot be trusted to accurately address health issues, yet they influence how our systems work.
So people are left guessing at whats right and wrong.

Mixing bad info in with validated, believable info is a common tool, as is discrediting others to gain trust in oneself. Without easily usable, scientific tools and the proper institutional background, this is a crap-shoot.
#10 Dan
April 30, 2007

did any of you fags actually read the book?
#11 mirc
March 18, 2009

thanks
#12 sex shop
April 15, 2009

thanks for all
#13 azdırıcı
May 2, 2009

thanks for all