Categories
Evolution Medicine Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Dichotomous thinking, uncertainty, and science denial

There is a defect in thinking that is arguably at the heart of much of science denial, dichotomous thinking. We all do it to some extent, but science deniers do it in spades.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

The Ohio statehouse has an antivaccine problem

Ohio, you have a definite antivaccine problem in your statehouse. Unfortunately, Ohio is not alone. Antivaxers have outsized influence in too many state legislatures.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine

Molecular mimicry: The new old antivaccine abuse of science

Antivaxers are nothing if not persistent and sometimes creative abusing science. This time it’s molecular mimicry, because of course it is. Anything to blame vaccines for autoimmune disease!

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine

Autism and brain inflammation: A study by Theoharis Theoharides used and abused by antivaxers

Prof. Theoharis Theoharides of Tufts University published a study claiming to have found neuroinflammation in autistic brains, and antivaxers go wild. Surprise! Surprise! The study is less impressive than you would think.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Bioethics Medicine Pseudoscience

False analogies and pseudoscience as “moral arguments” against the use of fetal cell lines to manufacture vaccines

Antivaxers frequently object to the use of fetal cell lines to manufacture vaccines on “moral” grounds. Über-quack Joe Mercola lays down some astonishingly bad moral arguments based on pseudoscience.