Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery

Thank you, Chelsea Clinton, for speaking out against Andrew Wakefield and driving antivaxers crazy

Earlier this week, Chelsea Clinton spoke out against Andrew Wakefield and in support of vaccines. Hilarity ensued as antivaxers lost their mind in rage and faux disappointment in her.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Computers and social media Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Old guard antivaccine activist J. B. Handley loses his best platform to spread misinformation

J. B. Handley and Orac go way back (to 2005), when Orac first encountered Handley’s brand of blustering, arrogantly ignorant antivaccine pseudoscience. Lately, Handley’s been blogging over at Medium. A couple of weeks ago, Medium kicked him off its platform for violating its TOS. Schadenfreude ensues.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Quackery Religion

Quoth antivaccine “warrior mamma” Brittney Kara: If vaccines are so great, why aren’t they mentioned in the Bible?

Orac has heard some really silly arguments by antivaxers against vaccines in his time blogging. Indeed, he thought he had heard them all. He was wrong. Did you know that the Bible didn’t mention vaccines? And that pharmaceuticals are sorcery? Brittney Kara tells us so!

Categories
Cancer Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

True believers and scammers in alternative medicine

In the online echo chamber promoting alternative medicine, there are varying degrees of deception. There are true believers (who are often victims), entrepreneurs (who are often true believers who found a profitable business), and scammers. The categories are not mutually exclusive.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Popular culture Science

Why do cranks favor ad hominem attacks over scientific arguments? They work!

Cranks, quacks, and pseudoscientists favor ad hominem attacks against scientists over arguments based in science. Unfortunately, new research suggests that ad hominem attacks against scientists making a scientific claim can be as effective as attacks based on science and evidence.