It sounds like the script of a science fiction/fantasy movie: the class dunce takes a pill and suddenly becomes smarter than everyone in the class including the teacher; an elderly Alzheimer’s patient takes a pill and his memory is instantly restored – Alzheimer’s dementia cured! Don’t you wish? If only… read more "Beware the PIED Piper"
Cómo creemos
En el clásico artículo de James. E. Alcock, que se publicó en el Skeptical Inquirer en 1995, The belief engine (La máquina de creencias), el autor escribió: “Nuestros cerebros y sistemas nerviosos constituyen una máquina generadora de creencias, un sistema que evolucionó, no para asegurar la verdad, la lógica y la razón,… read more "Cómo creemos"
Reader’s Digest Promotes Prevagen
Reader’s Digest is advertising a memory aid, Prevagen, that has been tested and shown not to work. Shame on them! I am a long-time subscriber to Reader’s Digest. I enjoy the jokes and some of the human interest stories, but I have become increasingly disturbed by some of the questionable health information… read more "Reader’s Digest Promotes Prevagen"
How we believe
In James Alcock’s classic 1995 article “The Belief Engine,” he said, “Our brains and nervous systems constitute a belief-generating machine, a system that evolved to assure not truth, logic, and reason, but survival.” Now he has expanded that thesis into a book, Belief: What It Means to Believe and Why… read more "How we believe"
Genius Java: Memory Boosting Coffee
My local newspaper is an unending source of amusement in the form of ads for questionable health products—ads that demonstrate clever marketing tactics aimed at scientifically illiterate and gullible readers. Perhaps it is a waste of time to critique them, but I like to think that consumers can be educated… read more "Genius Java: Memory Boosting Coffee"
Psychology and Psychotherapy: How Much Is Evidence-Based?
Despite all those Polish jokes, Poland has its share of good scientists and critical thinkers. A superb new book illustrates that fact in spades: Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Side of Science and Therapy, by Tomasz Witkowski and Maciej Zatonski, http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Gone-Wrong-Science-Therapy/dp/1627345280 Witkowski is a psychologist, science writer, and founder of… read more "Psychology and Psychotherapy: How Much Is Evidence-Based?"
Procera AVH: A Pill to Restore Memory
At the recent Amaz!ng (no, the ! is not a typo) Meeting in Las Vegas, Dr. Gorski, Dr. Novella, “Dr. Rachie” (Rachael Dunlop of Australia) and I participated in a workshop on “Dr. Google” about how to find reliable health information on the Internet. In my presentation, I described step… read more "Procera AVH: A Pill to Restore Memory"