Although this may be more up Abel Pharmboy‘s alley than mine, there was an article in the New York Times yesterday that indirectly demolished one of the favorite claims of advocates of “natural” medicines and cures. Appropriately enough, it appeared in the Business section. It also demonstrated just what a big business finding natural compounds […]
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]
Regular readers of this blog may remember that I’m a bit of a music critic wannabe. This pretension began very early in the history of this blog and persisted every year. Usually, sometime around the end of the year or the first day of the new year, I’ll compile my list of my favorite CDs […]
It’s a new year. Overall, 2007 was a good year for Respectful Insolence. When I first started this whole blogging thing, I had no idea that I’d still be at it three years later. Moreover, I had no idea that I’d still be able to produce posts good enough that people still want to read […]
Perhaps I spoke too soon when I said that 2007 finished on a good note. I never would have chosen mercury militia recruit Jenny McCarthy as a “woman who inspires us.” Let’s see. Just because she decided to make claims that she could “cure” her son of autism and that vaccines caused it does not […]
What better way to finish off 2007 than to look at a most amusing judicial ruling on the admissibility of some of the favorite “expert” witnesses trotted out to try to demonstrate a link between mercury in vaccines and autism. It was issued on December 21 in the case of Blackwell v. Sigma Aldrich, Inc. […]
