¿El mundo se está volviendo más loco? Parece que sí, pero quizá es que yo estoy más consciente de la estupidez. He aquí solo unas pocas cosas estrafalarias con las que me he cruzado recientemente. This article is available in English. La adivinación usando espárragos En enero de 2019 The Mirror y… read more "Un exceso de tonterías"
A Surfeit of Silliness
Is the world getting crazier? It seems so, but maybe I’m just more aware of the silliness. Here are just a few of the outlandish things I’ve run across recently. Divination by Asparagus The Mirror and several other news sources reported in January 2019 that a woman in Bath, England, named Jemima… read more "A Surfeit of Silliness"
Beware Stem Cell Clinics that Offer Untested Treatments
Stem cell treatments are all the rage. Since they’re mostly illegal in the US, patients have been going to other countries for treatment (stem cell tourism). The claims are grandiose, but the evidence to support those claims is thin gruel. What are stem cells? Embryonic stem cells are the cells… read more "Beware Stem Cell Clinics that Offer Untested Treatments"
Announcing: Video Lecture Course on Science-Based Medicine
A couple of years ago, the James Randi Educational Foundation commissioned me to develop a series of 10 video lectures on Science-Based Medicine. After a lot of work and many vicissitudes, it is now available. The lecture titles are: Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine What Is CAM? Chiropractic Acupuncture Homeopathy Naturopathy and… read more "Announcing: Video Lecture Course on Science-Based Medicine"
Turmeric/Curcumin: The “Natural Remedy of the Century” or a Waste of Money?
Turmeric is a yellow spice used in Indian cuisine; its active ingredient, marketed as a dietary supplement, is curcumin. It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is said to balance vata, pitta, and kapha, to kindle agni, and to help reduce kapha and ama. It allegedly supports the… read more "Turmeric/Curcumin: The “Natural Remedy of the Century” or a Waste of Money?"
Power Balance Technology:Pseudoscientific Silliness Suckers Card-Carrying Surfers
Carrying a Power Balance card in your pocket will supposedly improve your athletic performance and cure what ails you. The alleged mechanism (“frequencies” in an embedded hologram) is laughable pseudoscientific bunk. Remember when professional golfers were wearing Q-ray bracelets to improve their game? The Q-ray folks recently had a run-in… read more "Power Balance Technology:Pseudoscientific Silliness Suckers Card-Carrying Surfers"
Australian Mum Singlehandedly Defeats Sex Magnet Advertiser
Sandra Quincy writes from Australia to tell us about her successful anti-quackery activities “down under.” I thought that you might be interested in the success that I have had with getting a magnetic product removed from sale in Australia. It all started when a Century Mail booklet fell out of… read more "Australian Mum Singlehandedly Defeats Sex Magnet Advertiser"
Anion strips in sanitary napkins?
Anion strips in sanitary napkins? Just another far-fetched marketing gimmick. The pseudoscientific claims on that website are ludicrous. “In certain types of environment (such as the mountainous area), the inhabitants are free from troubles of inflammation and generally live longer. This is obviously related to the fact that the air… read more "Anion strips in sanitary napkins?"