Tag: pseudoscience

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

Whatever happened to Dr. Daniel Neides, a year after he was forced to leave the Cleveland Clinic because of his antivaccine rant?

Vaccine study by Brian Hooker

A year ago, a prominent Cleveland Clinic “integrative medicine” doctor named Dr. Daniel Neides published an antivaccine screed. At the time, he was the Acting Medical Director of the Tanya I. Edwards Center for Integrative Medicine, Vice Chair and Chief Operating Officer of Cleveland Clinic Wellness, as well as the Associate Director of Clinical Education for The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM), where he oversaw all clinical activities during years three through five of the medical school. As a result of article, he was dismissed from all his leadership positions. What’s happened to him since then, now that it’s been a year? Surprise! Surprise! He’s let his antivaccine freak flag fly high.

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Movies Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Religion

The Pathological Optimist: When “not taking sides” over Andrew Wakefield means taking a side

Andrew Wakefield
Yet another picture of Andrew Wakefield looking soulful and pensively staring off into the distance. Gag me with a spoon.

The Pathological Optimist is a recently released documentary by Miranda Bailey about Andrew Wakefield that I got a chance to see. In interviews and in the film’s promotional materials, Bailey takes great pains to emphasize that she “doesn’t take a side” about Wakefield. Unfortunately, her film demonstrates that, when it comes to pseudoscience, “not taking a side” is taking a side, and that a film’s bias is often more evident in what is not shown and told than in what is.

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Antivaccine nonsense History Medicine Pseudoscience

The annals of “I’m not antivaccine,” part 26: “No, I’m not an ‘vaccine safety’ advocate”

Vaccines: The Greatest "Lie" Ever Told
Vaccines: The Greatest "Lie" Ever Told

Many are the antivaxers who claim they aren’t antivaccine. Few are the antivaxers who are honest enough to openly proclaim they are antivaccine.

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Antivaccine nonsense Pseudoscience Quackery

“Vaccine Awareness Week,” misinformed consent, and, of course, Nazis and eugenics

Because to Dr. Prasad public health interventions will lead to another Hitler.
Nazis. It's always about Nazis.

Orac is back, and what does he encounter upon his return? Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the Orwellian-named antivaccine propaganda organization, the National Vaccine Information Center, pontificating about “informed consent” and vaccines. What she really means is misinformed consent to refuse vaccines, as in consent based on misinformation, pseudoscience, and fear mongering about vaccines. Naturally, she can’t resist bringing in Nazis as well.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Friday Woo Medicine Paranormal Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop: Psychic Vampire Repellent as female "empowerment"

Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop is continuing to sell snake oil promoted as the “empowerment” of women. Yes, that even includes a psychic vampire repellent, reiki charged.