Categories
Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

The Autism Omnibus: The difference between real scientists and crank scientists

The Autism Omnibus trial continued last week, which was devoted primarily to the government’s case. Consequently, there were a variety of real experts, as opposed to the pseudoexperts called by the prosecution last week. With only the occasional hiccup, they are taking serious bites out of the plaintiff’s case, as documented on a near daily […]

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Medicine News of the Weird

I have this syndrome!

Finally, there’s a word for a feeling that many people have no doubt experienced many times: Some call it “phantom vibration syndrome.” Others prefer “vibranxiety” — the feeling when you answer your vibrating cellphone, only to find it never vibrated at all. “It started happening about three years ago, when I first got a cellphone,” […]

Categories
Evolution Intelligent design/creationism Pseudoscience Religion Science Skepticism/critical thinking

“Darwinism”: A “marketing problem”?

Longtime readers of this blog may recall Pat Sullivan, Jr. He first popped up as a commenter here two years ago, when I first dove into applying skepticism and critical thinking to the pseudoscientific contention that vaccines in general or the thimerosal preservatives in vaccines cause autism. He’s a true believer in the mercury militia […]

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Entertainment/culture Humor Music

The role of the crotch in rock history

I can’t argue with this: An embodiment of the mystery, danger and freedom of the music itself, the crotch has occupied a central role in a stirring rock performance. Of course, the crotch today remains a valuable weapon in the rock arsenal, as exemplified by the current wave of tight pants bands rehashing the Kinks/The […]

Categories
News of the Weird

A sign of the times, part 2

This story’s being sent about as an example of stupid criminals, à la News of the Weird, but I just view it as a sign of the times: Bellacino’s Pizzeria closes at 9 p.m. That’s when one of the employees left work out a back door, where his car was parked. He was approached by […]