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Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

Even a pandemic doesn’t stop bad acupuncture studies

Earlier this month, a study claiming to have identified a neurologic mechanism by which acupuncture reduces inflammation was published in Nature. It does no such thing. it’s another bait-and-switch mouse study that likely would never have been published in such a high profile journal if it hadn’t rebranded electrical stimulation as “electroacupuncture”.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

Quoth an “integrative” functional medicine doc: “I’m not a quack, I’m an early adopter”

Functional medicine practitioner Dr. Melinda Ring thinks that she should be considered an “early adopter” instead of a quack. However, being an “early adopter” of quackery is not something to be admired.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking Sports

Dunking on a 7′ hoop, or: Refuting Dr. Vinay Prasad’s attack on medical skepticism

This week, eminent young rising star oncologist Dr. Vinay Prasad once again expressed his disdain for skeptics. To borrow Dr. Prasad’s own metaphor, Orac shows how the esteemed oncologist’s renewed attack on medical skeptics is like dunking on a 7′ hoop. Unfortunately, it needs to be done, and Orac does it, refuting a truly ignorant and misguided attack.

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Autism Bad science Bioethics Clinical trials Medicine

Duke U.’s stem cell program for autism: The dark(er) side of quackademic medicine (revised and greatly expanded)

Despite a lack of evidence Duke University is all-in on stem cells for autism, thanks to a billionaire benefactor and a Panama stem cell clinic. This is the dark(er) side of quackademic medicine.

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Bad science Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Quackademic medicine, COVID-19 edition, part 1: Magic amulets

“Quackademic medicine” is a term coined to describe the increasing infiltration of pseudoscience and quackery into medical academia. Unsurprisingly, we’re starting to see quackademic medicine turn its attention to COVID-19. In this case, traditional Chinese medicine is invoked to claim that magic amulets might prevent COVID-19,