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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

June 12, 2006
Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that it's been a while since I've written a substantive post on the fear mongering and bad science that are used by activists to support the claim that mercury in the thimerosal used as preservatives in vaccines is the cause of an "autism epidemic." The…
June 11, 2006
A couple of days ago, I wrote about a megafestival of altie woo taking place in my favorite city. It just occurred to me right now: If I were in Chicago right at this very minute, I could be in Hulda Clark's workshop (which is starting right now) learning how to cure all cancers and cure all…
June 11, 2006
Janet started it. John and Mike picked it up. Afarensis used it to avoid working on a post. John and Bora quickly chimed in as well. Well, given that it's a Sunday and that I usually don't do any heavy duty science or medicine posts on Saturdays and Sundays, it looked like a perfectly good way for…
June 10, 2006
I'm probably going to catch some crap for this one, but it's kind of amusing. So what the heck? From Australia: Officials think the "Mandy" singer's music will keep teens from hanging out and revving their engines in parking lots. Officials in Rockdale, Australia will pump the music of Barry…
June 10, 2006
I've probably never mentioned it before, buy I'm 1/4 Lithuanian. Here's something one of my cousins sent me to make me "proud" of that heritage: VILNIUS, Lithuania - Lithuanian police were so astonished by a breath test that registered 18 times the legal alcohol limit, they thought their device…
June 9, 2006
Today is the day. Today is the day that Seed has decided to launch a revamped version of ScienceBlogs, complete with a spiffy new front page. It's long overdue, as the front page as it was had caused a number of frustrations, not the least of which is that bloggers whose posts are not as frequent…
June 9, 2006
From AppleInsider: But when it comes to battling for headlines, Leopard may have its work cut out for it -- sources maintain that around precisely the same time, Mr. Jobs will also take the wraps off Apple's most powerfully stunning Macintosh to date: the Mac Pro. Aside from speculation that the…
June 9, 2006
It's times like this that I really wish I were back in Chicago. Actually, it's times like any time that I wish I were back in Chicago, but this in particular brings out that feeling: The Health Freedom Expo is invading Chicago beginning today. Of course, whenever you hear someone advocating "health…
June 8, 2006
A slightly late plug, but big, brand new Tangled Bank is here. Enjoy the best science blogging of the last two weeks.
June 8, 2006
From The Examining Room, Dr. Charles, blog carnival afficianado and all around talented medblogger, comes the transcript of the 36th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle. It begins with a question: To readers who distrust science, knowledge found through experimentation, and the secular truths of reason…
June 8, 2006
A couple of days ago, on the Day of the Beast (6/6/06), Ann Coulter took the opportunity to unleash yet another spray of spittle-drenched attacks on liberals (Godless: The Church of Liberalism) into bookstores across the nation. As is her schtick, she's made quite the stir over the airwaves by…
June 7, 2006
First, the good news: Holocaust-denying, white nationalist, atheist nutjob Larry Darby lost the Democratic primary for Attorney General in Alabama. Now the bad news: He somehow managed to garner 43.53% of the vote. His opponent got 56.47%. It wasn't close, but it was a hell of a lot closer than I…
June 7, 2006
Via Stranger Fruit, here's a video that'll disturb U2 fans everywhere.
June 7, 2006
I really have to turn off my Google Alerts for this topic. I'm going to pull out my hair if I don't. As you may recall, I've been posting about two young victims of the siren call of quackery who will most likely pay with their lives for their trust in quacks. The first, Katie Wernecke, rejected…
June 6, 2006
Today is another anniversary besides my wedding anniversary and a silly day that happens, if you twist numbers enough, to coincide with the Number of the Beast (6/6/06). It's also the 62nd anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, the beginning of the end for the tyrrany of the Third Reich.…
June 6, 2006
I'm probably going to regret posting this article, as I normally don't venture much into these areas. Chalk it up to its being 6/6/06 and say that the Devil made me do it, but I plan on diving in. Besides, I feel the need for a brief change of pace. Regular readers of this blog know my low opinion…
June 6, 2006
Hell, Michigan, that is. The "Hellions" are planning one hell of a party today, 6/6/06, a.k.a. the Day of the Beast: HELL, Mich. - They're planning a hot time in Hell on Tuesday. The day bears the date of 6-6-06, or abbreviated as 666 - a number that carries hellish significance. And there's not a…
June 5, 2006
Via The Onion (where else): TALLAHASSEE, FL--Only months after abandoning a tenured position at Lehigh University, maverick chemist Theodore Hapner managed to disprove two of the three laws of thermodynamics and show that gold is a noxious gas, turning the world of science--defined for centuries by…
June 5, 2006
Doctor Charles is waiting. Yes, he's the host of the next edition of the Skeptics' Circle, scheduled to land on his blog, The Examining Room of Doctor Charles this Thursday, June 8. You only have two days until the deadline. Doctor Charles' contact information for submissions is here; general…
June 5, 2006
Perhaps you've seen it. Certainly if you've seen the "arguments" of Holocaust deniers, you've seen it. The desperate attempt to find one piece of testimony, data, or evidence that does not support conventional science or history. For example, a Holocaust denier will zero in on an eyewitness account…
June 4, 2006
Last week, I wrote about two teens (Katie Wernecke and Abraham Cherrix) who, sadly, had been duped by the siren call of quackery and were, with the acquiescence of their parents, on the road to extinction. It figures that more information would become available over the weekend (after I had written…
June 4, 2006
Doing the random Technorati search, I happened to come across a disturbing statement. Indeed, our intrepid colon cleanser was not pleased when I forwarded this to him: Eneman, real last name, Fleet, is an illegal immigrant worker. We know that there are dirty jobs to be done in the world, and the…
June 3, 2006
Compared to the usual topics discussed during the week, I normally like to try to keep the weekend fare on the ol' blog relatively light and fluffy (mainly because traffic usually falls around 50% and I like to post my serious material on skepticism and science on days when I tend to have the most…
June 3, 2006
A very unique date in history is fast approaching. Indeed, if you're Christian and religious, you probably already know what it is. 6/6/06. The Date of the Beast. (OK, you have to ignore the "0" to get "666," the Number of the Beast, but everyone seems to be paying little attention to that little…
June 2, 2006
Back in October, Jamie McCarthy and I castigated Bill O'Reilly for implying that at Malmedy in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge U.S. Airborne troops had massacred Nazis soldiers who had surrendered when in fact the Malmedy massacre was perpetrated by SS troops to whom U.S. soldiers had…
June 2, 2006
The time: last week, Friday evening. The place: Borders Books. As my wife and I wandered around our local Borders Books browsing, I came across something you don't see every day. In the Christian Books section of the store, there was a prominent display. In the display, not unexpectedly, were a…
June 1, 2006
All you need is this. Yes, it's the Jesus Pan. Who needs to wait for miracles to produce things like the Jesus grilled cheese sandwich? Now you can make them yourself! Prediction: Coming soon....The Virgin Mary Pan! Maybe you can think of other great products along these lines? Lenin, anyone?
June 1, 2006
Via a fellow SB'er , I find this video by the Protane Clan. It's so-well....--unusual that I thought my readers might find it interesting (and maybe even entertaining), even though the actual rapping is kind of lame. If you've already seen this thanks to The Daily Transcript, feel free to move on.…
June 1, 2006
About six months back, I wrote about Katie Wernecke, a 13-year-old girl diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last year, whose parents fought with Texas courts to let them take her to Kansas to receive high dose vitamin C therapy rather than the chemotherapy and radiation therapy that she needed to…
May 31, 2006
When I first saw this, I thought that it had to be a joke, but now I'm not so sure. I'm guessing you've all heard of ear candling, which can supposedly cure tinnitus, clean the ear canal of wax buildup, relieve vertigo, cure swimmer's ear, and provide a variety of other supposed health benefits?…