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Bad science Integrative medicine Medicine Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

UC-Irvine update: Quackademic medicine continues its takeover

Over two years ago, UC-Irvine announced a massive $200 million donation from Susan and Henry Samueli, to be used to “integrate” quackery into its entire structure. The fruits of that donation are now apparent.

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Antivaccine nonsense Homeopathy Medicine

Dr. Tess Lawrie expands from ivermectin quackery to homeopathy

Tess Lawrie has been promoting ivermectin for COVID-19 for two and a half years. Of late, she has become more of a general multipurpose quack, promoting ivermectin to treat cancer. Now she’s promoting homeopathy for COVID and long COVID while a Research Fellow at St. Mary’s University Twickenham. What does this tell us about medicine?

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Bad science Bioethics Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

China is forcing people to use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) quackery to treat COVID-19

There is no evidence that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is effective against COVID-19. That’s not stopping China from forcing people to use it to treat coronavirus.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Quackery

Homeopathy at UC-Irvine: The administration can run but it can’t hide from its history of embracing quackery

Last week, UC-Irvine announced a $200 million gift from Susan and Henry Samueli to create a new integrative medicine center. Since then, UC-Irvine has tried to scrub any evidence of homeopathy use on its website. It didn’t work. Unfortunately, thanks to the Samuelis, homeopathy and other pseudoscience are deeply embedded in UC-Irvine, which has become the new epitome of quackademic medicine.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

John Weeks accuses Orac of having "blood on his hands" for criticizing the Samuelis’ $200 million gift to UC-Irvine. Orac responds.

Like many advocates of science-based medicine, I was dismayed at the $200 million gift given by Susan and Henry Samueli to the University of California, Irvine in order to vastly expand its integrative medicine offerings. John Weeks, a noted promoter of integrative medicine, was not pleased at how the mainstream press covered this gift, and in particular he was most displeased that skeptics were heavily quoted in the reporting. In response, he launched a spittle-flecked, spelling-challenged broadside against his perceived enemies, full of misinformation and logical fallacies. Naturally, Orac can’t resist applying some not-so-Respectful Insolence to it.