Comments on: Evidence Check Evidence Check (or; What The Papers Say)

By: Developments in Homeopathy « The Not-Quite-So-Friendly Humanist

Developments in Homeopathy « The Not-Quite-So-Friendly Humanist — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:16:28 +0000

[...] The other studies cited by Robert Wilson have been most elegantly ripped limb from limb, also by the MSS, so go and read that if you like, it’s well worth [...]

By: Stu

Stu — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:10:42 +0000

Brilliant memo from Prof Colquhoun. And not one use of the word ‘allegedly’ which is how we all should be able to speak when discussing quackery.

I’ll make good use of the story from Australia when friends/colleagues keep coming out with the mantra-like assertion that complementary therapies are harmless.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:24:29 +0000

Have any of you read Professor Colquhoun’s memo sent in to the HSCoSaT? Here it is http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/memo/homeopathy/ucm0202.htm. Talk about scathing, it is well worth reading as he is the World No1 when it comes to evidence based medical trials (he invented the method used today).

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:13:52 +0000

Happy?

By: Andy Wilson

Andy Wilson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:42:29 +0000

Where’s my bloody photo gone webmaster?

By: Andy Wilson

Andy Wilson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:41:14 +0000

A T-shirt campaign. Hmmmm.

I think it might just work

Andy
10:23

By: Stu

Stu — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:04:09 +0000

I agree with Michael and AexMagd (what does that mean?) . We really should be a bit more vocal about quackery!

Why not try an open letter to the papers (Mail, Express?) that try to pass press releases off as science? At least if it’s published in a couple of them their readers might start to think a bit more . Pressure on the Press Complaints Commission in the form of open letters and block complaints by the sceptical community – a petition properly disseminated maybe – would be well supported. At least by the twenty people who’ll read this!

And if all that fails to raise consciousness then we hit them where it really hurts! An all out T Shirt campaign!!*

Just a thought.

*I know – nicked from Red Dwarf.

By: AexMagd

AexMagd — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:24:48 +0000

Oh I definitely agree that we – and all other critically thinking people – need to speak up about this kind of thing, but it’s not really a longterm solution. Not sure what is mind you – my own utopian dream is a world in which science journalism is based on facts and not sensationalism, thus creating within the public a desire to actually go and look at the science which will, of course, be available in open access journals. There will also be jetpacks and monkey butlers

By: Yorkshire Skeptic

Yorkshire Skeptic — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:55:08 +0000

Cracking take down of homeopathy!
I’d say it was impressive but the advocates for homeopathy seem to be doing everything they can to help skeptics poke holes in their already hole-filled case!

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:00:29 +0000

Isn’t that the reason for OUR existence then AexMagd?

We need to be in that public sphere to lay down the law in 3 second soundbites just like the flimflammers(?) do in a shouty way so they have no comeback.
I was talking to my GP tonight, he doesn’t think that any more money will be spent by the gub’mint on Homeopathy. And my GP is pretty ‘down to Earth’, however he didn’t know that Boots was selling their own homeopathetic (new word) witchcraft lotions. I went to Boots to get my prescription just after seeing my GP. The misses met me in there and we both scanned around for the homeopathetics and by George we found them. They had strengths between 6C and 30C. They were tiny little pills (the 30C belladonna were blue and about 2 mm diameter and 1 mm thick) and there were about 50 of these tiny sugar pills in a small tube with a price of £6.99(!!!!!!!!!!!!!). OK so what is the ‘mark-up’ on those then. Say packaging and manufacture works out at 10p per bottle. That is ‘laughing-all-the-way-to-the-bank’ money. Odd thing was that the 6C solution pills cost £4.99. So you pay more for less-just in keeping with the homeopathetic methodology. Why don’t we invent our own branch of medicines (with nothing in them-of course) and say that they are vetted by the infamous, non-medically trained, MSS? We could make tens of pounds in a year!