Categories
Medicine Politics Science Skepticism/critical thinking

The “myth” of basic science?

I’m a clinician, but I’m actually also a translational scientist. It’s not uncommon for those of us in medicine involved in some combination of basic and clinical research to argue about exactly what that means. The idea is translational science is supposed to be the process of “translating” basic science discoveries into the laboratory into […]

Categories
Clinical trials Medicine Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Choosing Wisely three years on

I like to point out from time to time that arguably the most striking difference between science-based medicine (and the evidence-based medicine from which we distinguish it) and alternative medicine, “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), or (as it’s called now) “integrative medicine” is a concerted effort to change practice for the better based on science […]

Categories
Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Public service announcement: No, drinking your own urine will not cure breast cancer

I consider posts like the one I’m writing now to be public service, an obligation. There are times when I don’t want to do them, when they become so sadly, depressingly repetitive in overall outline (and, unfortunately, likely outcome) that it takes an effort to begin. However, given that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

More antivaccine stylings from someone who is Dunning-Kruger personified

I was measured, science-based, and reasonable in yesterday’s post about the new American Cancer Society guidelines for screening mammography (which is obviously why that post garnered so few comments, thus teaching me my lesson yet again0, but regular readers know that I can be quite obnoxious and sarcastic and there’s a reason why this blog […]

Categories
Cancer Clinical trials Medicine

Once more into the breach: The American Cancer Society publishes new mammography guidelines

One of the things that feels the weirdest about having done the same job, having been in the same specialty, for a longer and longer time is that you frequently feel, as the late, great Yogi Berra would have put it, déjà vu all over again. This is particularly true in science and medicine, where […]