Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

Andrew Wakefield: In it for the money all along?

One of the favorite attacks favored by advocates of pseudoscience, particularly advocates of the sort of pseudoscience favored by proponents of “alternative” medicine, particularly the more militant ones who really, really detest conventional, science-based medicine, is to poison the well with a pre-emptive ad hominem attack that implies that defenders of science-based medicine are somehow […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Quackery

The race to flee Andrew Wakefield

What does it take to get an advocate of pseudoscience to change his or her mind? Many are the times I’ve asked myself that question. Over the years, I’ve covered the gamut of techniques, going from what some might call “militant” or even insulting to being as reasoned and calm as can be–and probably everywhere […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine

The annals of “I’m not anti-vaccine,” part 5 (argumentum ad Nazium edition, 2011)

Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here. I realize I say these things again and again and again, but they bear repeating because together they are a message that needs to be spread in as clear and unambiguous a form as possible. First, whenever you hear […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Entertainment/culture Medicine Television

Dr. Oz: Looking for parents afraid of autism?

If there’s a single TV show out there that has the widest reach when it abuses science-based medicine, there is no doubt that it’s Oprah Winfrey’s show. If there’s a show that has the second-widest reach when it abuses science-based medicine, arguably it’s Dr. Mehmet Oz’s show. Whether it be his recent show featuring quackmaster […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Entertainment/culture Humor Medicine Television

A reason to watch The Colbert Report: Paul Offit

Of the two, The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, I tend to favor The Daily Show because there are times when I find Stephen Colbert’s schtick tiresome. True, Colbert can at times rise to the level of being brilliant, but there are other times when he gets on my nerves. In contrast, Jon Stewart […]