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Clinical trials Medicine Politics Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

The 21st Century Cures Act: Old vinegary wine in a new bottle

The approval of new drugs and medical devices is a process fraught with scientific, political, and ethical landmines. Inherent in any such process is an unavoidable conflict between rigorous science and safety on the one side, which tend to slow the process down by requiring large randomized clinical trials that can take years, versus forces […]

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Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery Religion

The Kenyan Catholic Bishops are at it again, this time spreading fear of the polio vaccine

There’s a delightful meme going around Facebook right now, featured above, that portrays five African women, fists raised, all wearing aprons proclaiming “Kick out polio!” Accompanying the meme is a message from the American Academy of Pediatrics celebrating that yesterday marked one full year since the last case of polio was recorded on the continent […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

On alternative medicine, “labels,” and evidence

Alright, alright already! I get the message. Over the course of the day yesterday I was bombarded by e-mails with a link to a New York Times article that shows a rather shocking lack of understanding of the science—more specifically, the lack of science—behind alternative medicine. Whenever something like this happens and I get so […]

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Clinical trials Medicine Politics Science Skepticism/critical thinking

A tribute to Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey: A woman who made a difference

I learned over the weekend that a historic figure in science-based medicine has died. If you know anything about the history of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), you will know this woman’s name, Frances O. Kelsey, MD, PhD. It turns out that Dr. Kelsey died on Friday at the age of 101. Somehow I […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

12 lies about “12 mainstream vaccine lies” refuted

Listicles. I hate Listicles. I don’t do them. Yet, as much as I hate them, I can’t deny that in this brave new world of click bait, listicles bring the clicks, which is why so many blogs and websites post them. Indeed, there’s a website, Thrillist, that is dedicated to pretty much nothing but listicles. […]