Categories
Biology Cancer Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Does chemotherapy work? Chemotherapy vs. “spreading” cancer.

Earlier this month, cancer quacks everywhere were touting a study that suggests that chemotherapy administered before breast cancer treatment can stimulate the spread of cancer, pointing to it as evidence that chemotherapy doesn’t work and even makes cancer worse. In reality, the study was far more nuanced. It didn’t show that chemotherapy doesn’t work (quite the contrary) but does point to ways we can make chemotherapy more effective.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

The Mawson “vaxed/unvaxed” study retraction: The antivaccine movement reacts with tears of unfathomable sadness

In the course of just a couple days, a pair of atrociously incompetent studies by Andrew Wakefield fanboy Anthony Mawson were published and retracted by a predatory open access publisher. Surveying the reactions of antivaccine activists, I can’t help but conclude that their tears of unfathomable sadness are delicious.

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

The New York Times publishes fake news false hope in the form of a credulous account of dubious alternative medicine testimonials

It’s been a bad week for the Gray Lady in the science department. Hot off the heels of hiring a climate science denier for its op-ed section, it’s published a credulous article that uncritically touts a book full of dubious alternative medicine testimonials.

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

Quoth an antivaxer: DNA vaccines are contaminating our DNA in the name of transhumanism!

Transhumanism is the idea that one day humans will merge with machines, to the betterment of humankind. Antivaxers have a thing for transhumanism too. They think that somehow the real purpose of DNA vaccines is to prepare the human race for transhumanism.

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

In the era of Donald Trump, will the states save us from antivaxers?

There might be an antivaxer in the White House right now, but it’s at the state level where vaccine policy and school vaccine mandates are decided.