oracknows

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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

March 23, 2006
I forgot to mention in my comment policy yesterday a couple of things that people commenting here should know. Because of our comment spam problem, filters at most of the blogs at ScienceBlogs are set up such that putting more than two hyperlinks in a comment will automatically trigger a filter…
March 23, 2006
This just in: Doctor Who has been nominated for three prestigious Hugo Awards this year, according to an announcement made yesterday by the award's administrators and the 64th World Science Fiction Convention, L.A. Con IV. Taking three of seven slots in the "Best Dramatic Presentation: Short Form"…
March 23, 2006
Longtime readers of this blog may have noticed that, since my move to ScienceBlogs six weeks ago, I haven't written nearly as much about evolution or intelligent design as I used to on the old blog.. There are probably at least several reasons for this. For one thing, lots of other topics have…
March 22, 2006
At the time this post is scheduled to appear, I should be somewhere over the Midwest on my way to California to attend a surgical meeting for a few days. Don't worry, though, Orac-philes, I haven't left you in the lurch, without that Respectful Insolence that I like to dish out and that you (well,…
March 22, 2006
Just yesterday, I commented about an article that analyzed President Bush's penchant for using rather artless straw man fallacies when answering his critics. By an almost amazing coincidence, that very day he was busily engaged in doing more of the same in a press conference. For example, when…
March 21, 2006
evolgen reports that that Specter-Harken amendment to restore some of the cuts to the NIH budget and provide a modest increase necessary to prevent the our biomedical research effort from slowly eroding. Support was broad, and it was bipartisan. (No doubt it doesn't hurt that this is an election…
March 21, 2006
Recently, the BBC posted an article soliciting opinions about whether African traditional or alternative medicines have a role in combatting AIDS. Not surprisingly there were a lot of credulous responses saying yes, but one response was more on target: BBC, this question "Can herbal medicine…
March 21, 2006
Now here's something you don't see every day: a news analysis article pointing out a politician's love of a logical fallacy: WASHINGTON - "Some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day," President Bush said recently. Another time he…
March 20, 2006
American soldiers are still fighting and dying in Afghanistan. It's not nearly as many as in Iraq, and there aren't nearly as many news stories about it, to be sure, but we are still spending blood and treasure to "stabilize" this supremely dysfunctional nation. The reason, we are told, is to bring…
March 20, 2006
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated film of the summer is Snakes on a Plane, starring Samuel L. Jackson. Very little is known about the plot of this movie, other than that it will involve--well--snakes on a plane and Samuel L. Jackson. Here's a trailer: Too bad it's unoffical. I almost wish it…
March 20, 2006
Those of us who are fans of 24 have noted that there seems to be a higher body count this year. True, 24 has always had a high body count, but this year seems different. Here's a convenient summary of the major characters killed thus far, and the season's only slightly more than half over.
March 20, 2006
You may have noticed that I haven't been paying as close attention to the ol' blog as usual over the last three days, leading to a bit of hyperbole in the comments section of at least one post without my responding until today. Indeed, here's a secret: Most of the posts that have appeared since…
March 19, 2006
As many have pointed out, Isaac Hayes, who happens to be a Scientologist, quit his role as Chef on South Park last week, unhappy that the show had produced an episode that made fun of Scientology. Apparently, it's OK with him if South Park makes fun of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, but say…
March 19, 2006
A couple of weeks ago, I lambasted Mark and David Geier for their irresponsible proposal to treat autism by using Lupron to lower testosterone levels, in essence chemically castrating autistic children, because, they claimed, it would make the mercury that supposedly caused the autism in the first…
March 18, 2006
Trek Passions, anyone? The sad thing is, if I had discovered such a site before I met my wife, I might have been seriously tempted to join, even though I suspect that the male-to-female ratio is very unfavorable--to males.
March 18, 2006
Based on some comments on my previous post complaining that the first episode of the new Doctor Who was a bit uneven and the stories not so great, I thought I'd mention my overview of the season. I have one thing to say: Patience. I agree that the first couple of episodes were uneven and realize…
March 17, 2006
Ever since I started blogging 15 months ago, I had always wondered if this day would come, if my blog would ever become popular enough for this day to come, something that was hard to imagine back when I was averaging less than 50 visits a day to this blog. Finally it has. I can no longer respond…
March 17, 2006
Woo-hoo! The new Doctor Who is appearing on the SciFi Channel tonight, with a two-hour, two episode premiere. I've already seen all the episodes, thanks to my mother's proximity to the Canadian border and her willingness to send me videotapes from Canadian TV, but those of you who are (or were)…
March 17, 2006
Last week, I reported about arson at the offices of The Holocaust History Project (THHP), posted one update, and was gratified to see how many bloggers responded to my call to link to THHP as a big "screw you!" to whoever did this. An article about the arson at the Holocaust History Project has…
March 17, 2006
EoR reports that in Australia, legislation has been passed that allows people other than doctors to issue medical certificates for absences from work, including pharmacists, nurses, acupuncturists, and physiotherapists. Quite naturally, he wonders when the "the reikiists, the homeopathists and the…
March 16, 2006
Here's an appropriate one for St. Patrick's Day: You Are Guinness You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't…
March 16, 2006
The latest History Carnival has been posted at History:Other. Enjoy.
March 16, 2006
MarkCC is really making a name for himself pretty fast with Good Math, Bad Math, a blog dedicated to "shredding bad math and squashing the crackpots who espouse it." (And to think that a post of mine had a small role in getting him going and promoting him in the blogosphere; it almost makes me tear…
March 16, 2006
Since I've found myself drawn into blogging about vaccines and the antivaccination movement so much, I was interested to learn of a new project dedicated to discussing the ethical issues involved with vaccination being launched at the University of Pennsylvania: The Center for Bioethics at the…
March 15, 2006
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a link to a rather humorous video that asked what would happen if Microsoft had designed iPod packaging. (The old link seems to be dead, but the video can be found here.) It turns out that the Microsoft was responsible: Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla on Tuesday…
March 15, 2006
It's that time again! The 30th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle has been posted over at Paige's Page, and it's a big one, chock full of skeptical bloggy goodness, delivered in a straight-up style: Welcome to the 30th Skeptic's Circle, the first one with a theme song! Come and listen to my story…
March 15, 2006
Evolgen and I both wrote about this earlier, when the Genetics Society of America urged people to contact their Senators. Now the biggest organization dedicated to cancer research, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), has weighed in. Received in my e-mail today: To: All AACR…
March 15, 2006
Excerpts from an e-mail to Professor Deborah Lipstadt criticizing her for taking Holocaust denier Arthur Butz to task during an interview on FOX News: Although I am not anti-semitic, your Jewish greed is overbearing and crippling. The world is beginning to see the collective Jewish attempt to…
March 15, 2006
A new Tangled Bank is up at fellow ScienceBlogger grrlscientist's Living the Scientific Life. Time to catch up on the world of science as reported in the blogosphere over the last two weeks. While you're perusing the science, you might also want to wander over to Evolgen and join him and the…