A study was published linking vaccine acceptance to intelligence. Whatever the validity of the study, it irritated an antivaxxer, who called it the “midwit” effect.
Author: Orac
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 this particular surgeon 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 35 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: [email protected]
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work with pseudouridine, which allowed the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. Antivaxxers are losing their minds over it, and I’m here for it.
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Misinformation and conspiracy theories about health had long been a growing problem before the pandemic, but it took COVID-19 to get the government and researchers to take it seriously. Now, a new report in The Washington Post adds to previous reporting from multiple sources describing how allies of misinformation—and not just health misinformation—are striking back under the guise of defending “free speech.”
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Tech bro turned COVID-19 conspiracy theorist and antivaxxer is back spreading more misinformation about vaccines and SIDS.
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This year, cancer quack Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski turned 80. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down charging patients with advanced cancer huge sums for false hope.
