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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Quackery

The Mercola tapes: A wealthy antivax quack scammed

Dr. Joe Mercola embraced “alternative health” in the late 1990s, including quackery and antivax, and has since become very wealthy. Lately, he’s fallen under the spell of a psychic grifter and declared himself to be the “new Jesus.” What will happen to his business empire?

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

Jay Bhattacharya’s attack Chihuahua smears Orac for criticizing him and the Great Barrington Declaration

Hack conspiracy “journalist” and attack Chihuahua Paul Thacker defends Nominee for NIH Director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and his Great Barrington Declaration by rehashing the same old attacks on its critics. I appear to be living rent-free in their heads.

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Cancer Clinical trials Medicine

Is it safe to watch DCIS rather than remove it?

Ductal carcinoma in situ is a precursor of breast cancer that is usually treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and estrogen blockade. A new study (COMET) suggests that watchful waiting might be safe for low risk DCIS.

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History Medicine Science

The frequent crank fallacy of the appeal to Semmelweis

A proponent of the Great Barrington Declaration is comparing rejection of its “natural herd immunity” approach to the pandemic to the rejection of Ignaz Semmelweis and his findings (and Galileo, too). It’s a deceptive comparison beloved of all manner of scientific cranks.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture

Dr. Vinay Prasad gaslights his readers about RFK Jr. ‘s role in the deadly Samoa measles outbreak

One of many shameful incidents in the life of antivax activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was his promotion of anti-MMR fear mongering during a measles epidemic in Samoa. Now that he could become HHS Secretary, his apologists are frantically trying to gaslight you. Here’s how.