Is that ringing not in your ears? Can it be cured? Recently I have written about several really stupid marketing videos for dietary supplements e.g. here. They suck you in by promising to reveal a secret, but you have to watch the entire video to learn the secret. One says “5… read more "Another in a Pattern of Really Stupid Marketing Videos, This One Claiming Tinnitus Has Nothing to Do with the Ear and Is 100% Curable."
¿Qué es la hipnosis?
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for the Spanish translation.] ¿La hipnosis es real? ¿La gente realmente entra en trance o es solo una cuestión de imaginación y juego de roles? Algunas personas lo juran. Un sitio web proclama que el poder de tu mente es ilimitado: “El… read more "¿Qué es la hipnosis?"
¿La fluoración del agua corriente hace que los niños sean menos inteligentes?
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for the Spanish translation.] Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades nombraron a la fluoración del agua comunitaria como uno de los diez mayores logros de la salud pública del siglo XX. En una declaración reciente, la… read more "¿La fluoración del agua corriente hace que los niños sean menos inteligentes?"
Does Public Water Fluoridation Make Children Less Intelligent?
[Este artículo está disponible en español. La traducción al español apareció por primera vez en la revista Pensar.] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. In a recent statement, the American Dental Association (ADA) stressed that it is… read more "Does Public Water Fluoridation Make Children Less Intelligent?"
A New Medication to Combat Obesity
New study in The New England Journal of Medicine finds impressive evidence that weekly semaglutide injections produce clinically significant weight loss as well as many other benefits, approaching the improvements seen with weight loss surgery. Not a definitive answer to obesity, but a very encouraging step in the right direction. Science works.… read more "A New Medication to Combat Obesity"
Lose Weight without Diet or Exercise? Where’s the Proof?
Can obese people lose weight without diet or exercise, by just taking this pill? Yeah, sure! Pull the other one! I’ve been getting emails with “Confirmation numbers” in the Subject Line, numbers like 711, 526, 95311. One even says “Your order is pending”. The numbers don’t confirm anything; they are… read more "Lose Weight without Diet or Exercise? Where’s the Proof?"
Access Consciousness: A New Version of Phrenology?
Phrenology assigned meanings to bumps on the skull. Access Consciousness claims to have located 32 points on the head that store thoughts, emotions, and memories. Is this a new version of phrenology? A March 16, 2021 article on the Canadian Broadcasting Company website (CBC Investigates) reported “How a client-therapist relationship left… read more "Access Consciousness: A New Version of Phrenology?"
¡No, no, no, no! ¡Los testimonios no son evidencia!
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for the Spanish translation.] Estamos programados para responder a testimonios. Échale la culpa a la evolución. Durante la mayor parte de la historia de la humanidad, solo teníamos dos formas de aprender sobre el mundo: nuestras propias observaciones y lo… read more "¡No, no, no, no! ¡Los testimonios no son evidencia!"
Who Is Amy B. Scher?
Amy B. Scher is a proponent of energy medicine and things like astrology and homeopathy. She claims to be a “science geek,” but how could anyone who understands science think that tapping on the breastbone will fix the thymus? Is the thymus the master gland for the immune system and… read more "Who Is Amy B. Scher?"
No, No, No, NO! Testimonials Are Not Evidence!
[Este artículo está disponible en español. La traducción al español apareció por primera vez en la revista Pensar.] We are programmed to respond to testimonials. Blame evolution. For most of human history, we had only two ways to learn about the world: our own observations, and what other people told… read more "No, No, No, NO! Testimonials Are Not Evidence!"