My mother had a favorite saying that rhymed: “All you need from dawn to dawn is someone else to blame it on.” WiFi involves mysterious emissions that you can’t see and that sneakily permeate our environment, and they have become a popular target for blame. A lawsuit has been filed… read more "Lawsuit Alleges School Wi-Fi Harmed Child with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity"
The Science of Mom: A Science-Based Book about Baby Care
From the author’s website: “Shameless use of cute baby to promote book” When a baby is born, parents are often awed and alarmed to find themselves responsible for this tiny new person, and they desperately want to do their very best to keep their infant safe and healthy. New mothers… read more "The Science of Mom: A Science-Based Book about Baby Care"
Taxpayers Fund Scientology Research on Gulf War Veterans
The “Hubbard protocol” is Scientology’s religion-based, pseudoscientific “detoxification” treatment used in its Narconon program to treat drug addiction. It was dreamed up by a science fiction writer with no medical training. Now it is being studied as a treatment for veterans suffering from Gulf War illness. Our limited public money for… read more "Taxpayers Fund Scientology Research on Gulf War Veterans"
Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules: A Chemist Separates Fact from Fiction
“Dr. Joe” (from the title of his radio show) has done it again. He keeps putting out books faster than I can take them in; this one is titled Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules. It is packed with pithy analyses of health-related subjects that should be of particular interest to SBM readers. Dr. Joe… read more "Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules: A Chemist Separates Fact from Fiction"
Is Homeopathy Unethical?
“A gentle ethical defence of homeopathy” by Levy et al. was recently published in an ethics journal. A full-text preprint is available online. They say: Utilitarian critiques of homeopathy that are founded on unsophisticated notions of evidence, that adopt narrow perspectives on healthcare assessment, and that overstate the personal, social and ontological… read more "Is Homeopathy Unethical?"
ASEA, ORMUS, and Alchemy
I got an e-mail from a woman who had read my article on ASEA, a multilevel marketing diet supplement that I characterized as an expensive way to buy water. She had not tried ASEA products but was applying for a position as an accountant with the company, and she chastised me… read more "ASEA, ORMUS, and Alchemy"
“Hands On Learning Solutions”: Untested Solutions for Problems That May Not Even Exist
Hands On Learning Solutions, a business in Gig Harbor, Washington, evaluates and treats children for learning disabilities and claims to identify the underlying causes and help eliminate the symptoms. Much of what they do is questionable, and at least one of their methods is clearly bogus. Their program is reminiscent… read more "“Hands On Learning Solutions”: Untested Solutions for Problems That May Not Even Exist"
How To Listen to Chi
You will need flat shoes and a bottle of vitamins, herbal formula, or prescription medicine. Step 1: Hold the bottle with both hands, touching your chest Step 2: Stand up straight and get your balance Step 3: Close your eyes and feel what is happening to your body. Results: If… read more "How To Listen to Chi"
Un testimonio decepcionante sobre la crioterapia de cuerpo entero
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for the Spanish translation] Como suscriptora del Reader’s Digest desde hace mucho tiempo, me encantan los chistes y disfruto de las historias, pero no confío en sus incursiones en la ciencia. Me molestó particularmente la sección “Lo probé” sobre crioterapia de cuerpo… read more "Un testimonio decepcionante sobre la crioterapia de cuerpo entero"
Cryotherapy: A Layman’s Attempt to Understand the Science
[Este artículo está disponible en español. La traducción al español apareció por primera vez en la revista Pensar.] NOTE: I get a lot of emails asking me whether treatment X is evidence-based or a scam. This one was different. Zachary Hoffman had done his homework and had already answered the… read more "Cryotherapy: A Layman’s Attempt to Understand the Science"