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David Gorski

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski. That Orac has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 30 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: oracknows@gmail.com

Posts by this author

September 30, 2008
After all the recent blogging about John McCain's health and whether his melanoma will recur or his left ptosis is anything other than from benign causes, probably relating to aging, you just know I couldn't pass this story up: WASHINGTON (AP) -- If John McCain is elected and goes on to win a…
September 30, 2008
Yesterday's post was a result of the feeling that I had been getting too snarky for too long a time without doing some serious science or medical blogging. Not that there's anything wrong with being snarky, but a continuous diet of snark eventually gets dull--and not just to readers. However,…
September 29, 2008
Ever wonder how it was determined that 98.6° F is the "normal" human body temperature? Ever wonder how that number was determined and how accurate it is? The Inveterate Persiflager explains. Not surprisingly, it turns out that "normal" body temperature is more variable and less clear-cut than is…
September 29, 2008
More than two-thirds of breast cancers make the estrogen receptor. What that means is that these tumors have the protein receptor that binds estrogen, which then activates the receptor and causes all the genes that are turned on or off by estrogen to be turned on and off. That's how estrogen acts…
September 28, 2008
At least when it comes to politics, Saturday Night Live has been pretty funny so far this season: The resemblance is uncanny. I have to admit, also, that SNL did a pretty good job parodying the first Presidential debate, too, given that the writers and comics had only a little more than 24 hours…
September 27, 2008
I realize I've been a bit remiss in my usual monthly feature, in which I have until recently featured a photo of our blog mascot from the infamous Fleet Pharmaceuticals calendar. This year's been the most bizarre one of all, a radical departure. One might wonder why I've missed August. Here's why…
September 26, 2008
You know, I'm really, really beginning to like this Dr. Rahul Parikh guy. Yesterday, he delivered an absolutely delicious smackdown of that chief propagandist for the mercury militia and antivaccine movement, David Kirby. It was at least seven kinds of awesome, and I was truly grateful to Dr.…
September 26, 2008
It figures. I know, I like to start posts with "it figures," and maybe I do it too often, but this time it really fits. For a moment I thought I was going to have a lot of egg on my face over this, but just for a moment. Yesterday, I wrote a rather extensive post about how some left wing bloggers…
September 25, 2008
It's finally here. Once again, the Skeptics' Circle has landed at another skeptical blog, to spread the joy of reason and critical thinking hither and yon throughout the blogosphere. This time, the 96th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle is at Endcycle, and it's another fine addition to the growing…
September 25, 2008
Less than a month ago, I got a bit perturbed by some vile rhetoric written by a left-wing blogger named Matt Stoller, who referred to John McCain as a "crazy, cancer-ridden dishonest madman." As you recall, I administered a bit of not-so-Respectful Insolence to him. It wasn't so much because I like…
September 24, 2008
I've written about their antics, both silly and vile, many times before. Animal rights activists in general and PETA in particular. In doing so, I've come to the conclusion that they are so far off their rockers that they are simply impossible to parody. Just yesterday, to reinforce that point,…
September 24, 2008
As you may have guessed, I'm tired of David Kirby. I've slapped down his nonsense so many times before, but, like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going and going, spewing his pseudoscientific antivaccine nonsense, all the while asking that we really, truly believe that he isn't "antivaccine…
September 24, 2008
Here we go again. Tuesday night and yesterday, you probably saw it, plastered all over the media, in the newspapers, on ABC, on the radio, in press releases, and around the blogosphere. Yes, it was another bit of science by press release, with news outlets practically falling all over themselves to…
September 23, 2008
Thanks to our "friends" at the Age of Autism, I've learned something interesting. I knew that antivaccinationist "mother warrior" and Indigo Child Supreme Jenny McCarthy was slated to appear tomorrow, September 24, on the television show that arguably serves as the most powerful and pervasive…
September 23, 2008
If there is one difference that defines scientific medicine compared to "alternative medicine" it is the application of the scientific method to health claims. Science and the scientific method require transparency: transparency in methodology, transparency in results, transparency in data analysis…
September 22, 2008
Every blogger encounters a post that he wishe he or she had written. Here's one such time, as Prometheus schools us on how alternative practitioners manage to be so persuasive and convincing: How they do the voodoo that they do so well - Part 1 How they do the voodoo that they do so well - Part 2
September 22, 2008
Oddly enough, I'm more tired this morning than I was on Friday. That's the sort of thing that happens when I actually do as much work over the weekend as I often do on two typical weekdays. The reason is that I've suddenly found myself with an unexpected promotion, and--oh, by the way--there's…
September 21, 2008
As hard as it is to believe, it's almost here: The 96th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle, which will be appearing on Thursday, September 25. This time around, it's set to land at Endcycle. If you're a skeptical blogger, don't forget to get your best stuff ready by Wednesday. Now, I've heard from a…
September 21, 2008
No, it's not Pink Floyd, but I needed surgery, I'd want these guys trying to wake me up after it was over: They don't have to sing about it while they're doing it, though. After I'm safely awake and in the recovery room would be fine.
September 20, 2008
When it rains, it pours (so to speak). Not wanting to be upstaged by that upstart Sarah Palin making an appearance on a piece of toast, prompting the observation that Sarah Palin is toast, the One True God has decided it is time to show who's really the King of All Pareidolia. I have to admit,…
September 20, 2008
We've had Jesus, Mary, and a variety of others make their holy presence known on blessed pieces of toast. Now it looks as though we have a new sacred image: That's right, Sarah Palin has proven her most sacred presence by appearing on a piece of toast! What more evidence do you need that her…
September 20, 2008
I know I don't blog about pure politics much, but it's the weekend, I'm too tired to do anything heavy-duty about medicine or science, and this depressed me. As much as I'd like to delude myself that things have changed, it turns out that they haven't changed nearly as much as I'd like to think, as…
September 19, 2008
Apparently, among some circles today is some sort of holiday. Its virus has apparently infected some of my fellow ScienceBloggers. I do not understand this holiday. I never really have. I tend to doubt that I ever will. Consequently, there'll be no "arrrrr" here today, nor, most probably, on any…
September 19, 2008
As a cancer surgeon, I maintain a particularly intense contempt for peddlers of cancer quackery. Although I've been fortunate enough not to have had to see the end results of it more than a handful of times in my career, women with bleeding, stinking, fungating tumors with widespread metastases…
September 18, 2008
This one's been floating around the intertubes, at least those parts of the intertubes I frequent, for several days now at least. But it's so good that I just can't resist posting it myself. I had no idea John Cleese had a video podcast...
September 18, 2008
I feel a bit bad this week. You see, since Tuesday I've been pretty much wallowing in some of the most outrageous woo, antiscience, and abuses of logic and reason I've ever come across, courtesy of the merry band of clueless antivaccinationists over at Age of Autism. I had thought that I should try…
September 17, 2008
Well, well, well, well. Sometimes science and ethics do win out after all: CHICAGO (AP) -- A government agency has dropped plans for a study of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an unethical experiment on children. The National Institute of Mental Health said in a…
September 17, 2008
Well, looky here: The ScienceBlogs Book Club is back! From October 1 through October 10, we'll be discussing Autism's False Prophets, by Dr. Paul Offit. Dr. Offit will be joined on the blog by a panel of experts, and we're inviting all of you to join in by reading the book at home, and contributing…
September 17, 2008
Forgive me, dear readers. I realize that I've already subjected you once to the contagious supernova of stupidity that is an Olmsted on Autism blog post. I broke my usual rule about not directly linking to the crank blog Age of Autism unless there is a compelling need. One reason is that I hate to…
September 16, 2008
Ah, science! In no other fields can we ask such amazing questions and, through rigorous experimentation, get the answers. Answers like this: A study commissioned by a phallically named insurance company proves beyond all doubt that the unbridled roar of an Italian supercar turns women on but the…