The other day, I wrote about how several of the suspects arrested in the attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow were physicians or in training to be physicians. At the time, I expressed dismay at what I viewed to be a betrayal of the very basis of our profession, that we try to help people and make them better, not kill them. The post engendered a lot of discussion (and the expected amount of doctor-bashing based on my supposed naivete in stating that most physicians go into medicine to help people, a statement that I stand by). Now, via Kevin, MD (who apparently got this by way of…
Here we go again. After falling for such claims enough times, you'd think that journalists would go back to the physics textbooks and read up on the basics, you know, like the Three Laws of Thermodynamics. You'd especially think that a techy website like Engadget would know better than to hype this stuff without a bit more of the appropriate level of skepticism. You'd be wrong. Here we go, after months of doubt over claims of a magnetic machine promising "infinite clean energy," Steorn will be putting their wares on display for public scrutiny in London. A physics defying perpetual machine,…
It should come as no surprise that I'm a bit of a rock critic wannabe and have been for a long time. Indeed, very early on in my blogging, I did a "top ten" list for the best music of 2004. As far back as high school, I wrote a couple of music reviews that, in retrospect, weren't very good. Fast forward over 25 years later, and what makes me think I could do better now? Nothing, really, but it's my blog and I feel like indulging my rock critic fantasies today. Besides, if I totally suck at it, you know that tomorrow I'll just go back to doing what I do best--until the next time the critic…
Happy 4th of July to all my American readers! For more serious ruminations about the 4th by yours truly, check out posts I've done on the topic before: Fourth of July thoughts One last fourth of July thought In the meantime, I'll be rounding on my partners' patients all morning, as I drew the 4th of July as one of the holidays that I have to cover on call. I'll also be dreading tonight's fireworks display. Now don't get me wrong; I like a good fireworks display as much as the next guy. The problem is that our town's display is close enough to our house that the explosions reduce our brave…
One of the things that I found most disturbing about the recent failed bombing attempts in London and the car attack in Glasgow, aside from the terrorism and potential for huge losses of life, is this: GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- British police focused Tuesday on at least four physicians with roots outside Britain - including a doctor seized at an Australian airport with a one-way ticket - in the investigation into failed car bombings in Glasgow and London. At least four of the eight suspects were identified as doctors from Iraq, Jordan and India. One of the doctors from India, 27-year-old…
One thing that's become obvious to me over the last few years that I've been engaged in dealing with various forms of pseudoscience, alternative medicine, and conspiracy theories is that people who are prone to credulity to one form of pseudoscience, the paranormal, or other crankery tend to be prone to credulity towards multiple forms of crankery. For example, Phillip Johnson, one of the "luminaries" of the "intelligent design" creationism movement is also a full-blown HIV denialist who doesn't accept the science that demonstrates that HIV causes AIDS. Another example is Dr. Lorraine Day,…
I thought I knew all the good websites to get information about cancer research and research funding opportunities. Perusing Medical Writing, Editing, & Grantsmanship, I found I was wrong. Check out the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Research Portfolio. It lets cancer researchers search quickly for funding opportunities, what cancer-related projects are already funded, and peruse a number of other resources. It even has a link to the International Cancer Research Portfolio, where you can search for funded projects and research opportunities covered by the American Cancer Society, the…
Some people just have too much money and too much time on their hands. I mean, why on earth would you do this after purchasing an iPhone, the cheapest of which is $499? This is just sheer stupidity; it doesn't even show very well how the thing is put together because they basically just destroy it. These guys must be either really loaded to the point that throwing away $500 means nothing to them or they're just plain dumb. (Via Gizmodo.)
About a month ago, I did a facetious throwaway piece about "homeopathic enchantments" being used by one of my favorite comic characters (who, alas, no longer has his own comic series), namely Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. Given that it was not intended as anything other than a lark, I was rather surprised when it generated a long discussion thread fueled by a homeopath named Dana Ullman, who showed up in the comments and argued with me and several of my best regular commenters. He kept the discussion thread going far longer than the average thread on this blog, provoking annoyance on…
Speaking of skepticism and critical thinking, recall that I mentioned earlier today that I had been interviewed for The Skeptics' Guide for the Universe. Despite branching out into a different medium, rest assured that I haven't forgotten about my primary responsibility, blogging. Nor have I forgotten that the latest edition of the blog carnival that's been entrusted to me, The Skeptics' Circle, is fast approaching. In fact, it's less than four days away and due to land on Thursday, July 5! That means that you--yes, you! (if you're a blogger, that is)--have only three days to submit your best…
For your Sunday afternoon edification, the latest version of Pediatrics Grand Rounds has been posted over at Breath Spa for Kids. In addition, Change of Shift, the blog carnival for nursing-related blogs, has also been posted at NursingLink. Enjoy!
I often joke that Orac is my alter-ego, regardless of how effective or ineffective the pseudonym is at protecting my "true" identity. I also, with some justification, joke that I'm a lot less interesting in person than I am on the blog as a means of inoculating people that I meet who know me only through my blog from serious disappointment at the man behind the curtain. This has led to a reluctance on my part to accept requests to be interviewed--until now. When Steve Novella, President of the New England Skeptics' Society and the driving force behind my favorite skeptical podcast The…
In keeping my (temporary), retreat from medical blogging for the weekend, I thought you might enjoy as much as I did this list of the 100 Worst Cover Songs. I do have a few objections, though. For one thing, I kind of like Marilyn Manson's cover of Personal Jesus, which clocks in at #90. I don't know why; I just do. It's also just a travesty that the Lemonheads' cover of Mrs. Robinson and Ugly Kid Joe's cover of Cat's in the Cradle are on the list. And how on earth could they put William Shatner's cover or Rocket Man on the list? It was sheer genius! Just look: I know I've posted this…
I love these old ads. Remember, keep fresh batteries in your house or you might poison your baby! The tag line sounds almost like the reaction of an antivaccination loon to the polio vaccine.
I wrote about this classic crank gambit a bit about a week and a half ago, emphasizing that no amount of studies will convince a crank. Now, MarkH at denialism.com takes on the same issue in more detail so that I don't have to bother with David Kirby's latest spew. Thanks, MarkH! The point is that, for people who've already made up their mind to take a position that already contradicts what large amounts of available evidence says, no amount of other studies is ever enough. The "just another study" gambit should be recognized for what it is: a delaying tactic designed to buy time and distract…
Here's something I've wanted to try for a while now. It'll either be wildly successful and popular, along the lines of You Might Be an Altie If..., or it'll be an utter failure, sinking into oblivion. Which one it ends up being will be up to you, O faithful readers of Your Friday Dose of Woo. The beauty of blogging, of course, is that if it fails next week I can pretend that it never happened and move on to (hopefully) greener pastures, my utter humiliation at publishing crap quickly forgotten, except, of course, living forever on the web.There are two other reasons that today is the perfect…
Yesterday, I did a deconstruction of Generation Rescue's dubious "study" (in reality an automated telephone poll) that claims to show that vaccines increase the rate of autism and other "neurologic diseases." Now skeptical blogger extraordinaire Prometheus has posted his own excellent deconstruction at his blog A Photon in the Darkness. I said it before, if I were J. B. Handley, I'd want my money back.
Pity poor Deepak Chopra. I've abused him on this blog many times, even coining a word ("Choprawoo") for the silliness that emanates from his keyboard every time he posts his inanity to the Huffington Post or his own IntentBlog. I even wrote the only response ever needed to Choprawoo. Of course, he richly deserves the abuse heaped upon him, given his idiotic meanderings in which he misrepresents evolution and neuroscience willy-nilly in his attempt to argue that we are infused by the "consciousness of the universe." It also doesn't help that he's a credulous woo-meister who sells non-evidence-…
Once again, I was going to post about the amusing homeopath that I've come across, and once again something came up with the whole Autism Omnibus came up, leaving our poor homeopath to wait a little while longer for the loving application of a bit of Respectful Insolence⢠that she so clearly craves. If you're getting tired of hearing about the lunacy of antivaccinationists, I apologize and sympathize. I plan on taking a break from the subject for a few days unless some truly new news comes to light, as once again I don't want any one topic to dominate this blog for too long. However, before…