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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

Special pleading for “integrative oncology”

I don’t recall how many times I’ve said lately that I detest the term “integrative medicine.” As I’ve pointed out time and time again, it’s the preferred “successor,” if you will, to the term “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) (at least among the woo-friendly). After all, as I’ve pointed out before, it just won’t do […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine

You know what to do…

Sigh. Why, oh, why do news organizations do such ridiculously stupid things? In this case, the CBC decided to put up a poll regarding the chickenpox vaccine. Here’s the setup: The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) says children should receive two doses of the chickenpox vaccine to avoid losing immunity and developing the disease as adults. […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

Oh, no! There’s DNA in my Gardasil! Or is there?

Over the weekend, I chilled out a bit, at least as far as the blog was concerned. I won’t make too much of a secret of it, but thanks to the new policy of the new owners I have a decision to make. In the meantime, while I’m dithering, you, my readers, were deluging me […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Humor Medicine Quackery

The future of American medicine

This happens to be a holiday weekend. Believe it or not, sometimes even Orac needs a break from life, the universe, and every blog, particularly this one. I’ll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, I realize that I’ve posted videos like this before (in fact, I’m sure that at some point or another I’ve linked […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

The fixed mindset of the anti-vaccine activist

One of my interests in skepticism and critical thinking has been the similarity in the fallacious arguments, approach to data, and general behavior of those who are–to put it generously–not so skeptical or scientific in their approach to life. I’m talking about believers in the paranormal, quacks, anti-vaccine activists, conspiracy theory mavens, Holocaust deniers, creationists, […]