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Complementary and alternative medicine Friday Woo Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Your Friday Dose of Woo: Serious woo from Down Under

I’ve said it once before, but this week’s woo compels me to say it again: I happen to love gadgets. I’ve been a bit of a technogeek since very early on in my life, with a lot of the things that go along with it, including a major interest in science fiction, awkwardness around the […]

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Evolution Intelligent design/creationism Religion Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Now this ought to be unintentionally hilarious

On May 5 New York City will witness what will perhaps be the most unintentionally hilarious spectacle of two fundamentalists making utter fools of themselves: MEDIA ADVISORY, April 26 /Christian Newswire/ — After ABC ran a story in January about hundreds of atheists videotaping themselves blaspheming the Holy Spirit, best-selling author Ray Comfort contacted the […]

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Medicine Surgery

A transvaginal gall bladder operation?

When I saw this, I thought it had to be a joke. But it’s not: Doctors in New York have removed a woman’s gallbladder with instruments passed through her vagina, a technique they hope will cause less pain and scarring than the usual operation, and allow a quicker recovery. The technique can eliminate the need […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

“Woo-omics” at NCCAM

Just when I start to think that maybe, just maybe, I could stop worrying and learn to love the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM, with apologies to Stanley Kubrick and Peter Sellers), damn if it doesn’t go and do something that renews my cynicism about the entire Center. This time around, Dr. […]

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Announcements

The 59th Meeting of the Skeptics’ Circle: Untitled skepticism

Well, it’s that time again, time for another foray into battle against the rampant credulity that permeates the blogosphere. This time, your host is a veteran who has hosted two previous Meetings of the Skeptics’ Circle and produced some of the most memorable Circles we’ve had. After two abortive attempts at a format, he’s come […]