Posts Tagged Pseudomedicine
Jessica Simpson: Ear-Candling So YOU Don’t Have To!
Posted by Marsh in Ear Candles, Pseudomedicine, Quacks on December 23, 2009
As regular, sporadic or even accidental listeners to our podcast might know, our very own Mike recently discovered ear candles lurking in the murky, unforgiving depths of Chester town centre. Dragged away from the peddler of this particular brand of dangerous crazy before he’d had a chance to a) ask why ear candles are on sale when they’re proven to be ineffective and ludicrously dangerous and b) stop the stupid burning his brain, Mike was left with only one option – rant about it on Skeptics With A K. I suspect being on the show is actually far more beneficial to Mike’s mental health than it is to our listeners’ entertainment levels.
Still, it got me wondering – how many people actually know anything about ear candles? How many people know what they are, what they’re meant to do, what they actually do, and why they’re crazy crazy crazy? Canvassing opinion around colleagues and friends, it seemed to my (entirely un-scientifically-small) survey that the number of people who’d even heard of them was pretty low, and amongst those it was a mixed response on whether ear candles are any good or not. Which is a bit disturbing, because – as I mentioned – they’re actually crazy crazy crazy. So I found myself trying to explain to these lovely folk what an ear candle is, and the potential for harm that it can do. ‘If only’, thought I at the time, ‘I had some kind of video where a well-known yet annoying-enough-not-to-mind-seeing-them-in-discomfort celebrity had filmed themselves using an ear candle, so I could show people how woo this crap really is (and how crap this woo really is), and they could be in equal parts informed and grossed-out’.
Well, this is Christmas after all – the time of the year that wishes really do come true. They do. Ask anyone that’s been on Noel’s Christmas Presents and they’ll tell you. Oh, plus I can tell you they do, because lo and indeed behold what the intertubes have presented us with:
The Aids Denialist And The Homeopath
Posted by Andy in 10:23, Homeopathy, Pseudomedicine, Quacks, Skepticism on December 22, 2009
Associated Press writes:
“South Africa’s former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who gained notoriety for her dogged promotion of lemons, garlic and olive oil to treat AIDS, has died. She was 69.” - Source: AP
This woman leaves a mixed legacy. Despite being applauded for driving reform to get basic healthcare out to rural townships and her involvement in global anti-tobacco actions, she also was derided for her attitudes toward HIV/AIDS.
She denied the link between HIV and AIDS also resisting the use of antiretrovirals, famously culminating in the following quote at a 2005 media conference
“All I am bombarded about is antiretrovirals, antiretrovirals. There are other things we can be assisted in doing to respond to HIV/AIDS in this country.” Read the rest of this entry »
Miscellaneous Carols For Skeptical People #1: Simon Singh
Posted by Marsh in Libel Reform, Pseudomedicine, Skepticism on December 10, 2009
Everyone and anyone who’s anyone in the skeptical community seems to be going to Robin Ince’s upcoming Christmas spectacular ‘Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People’. I, however, am not. So, wallowing in my position outside of ‘everyone’ and ‘anyone’, I thought I’d put together a few of my own carols for skeptical people. What better and more topical a place to start, thought I (for I was preparing for writing by inverting my noun-verb structure to start feeling all cultured and that) than with skeptic of the year and upcoming speaker at Liverpool Skeptics in the Pub Simon Singh, and the libel ruckus kicked up by those charming chaps at the BCA.
So, without further ado and to the tune of ‘We Three Kings Of Orient Are’, I give you:
Simon Singh, Exposer Of Quacks
Simon Singh, exposer of quacks:
“Stay away from chiropracts
Curing colic this way’s bollocks
Ditch this bogus crap!”
So chiropractors started a war
Hid behind the libel law
“Oh Carter-Ruck him, Throw the book at him
Show this journo what for”
We the lawyers for the BCA
Wish to stop you having your say
You ask for proof, well here’s the truth
We’ll sue you anyway Read the rest of this entry »
Evidence Check Evidence Check (or; What The Papers Say)
Posted by Mike in 10:23, Government, Homeopathy, Pseudomedicine, Public Health on December 7, 2009
Over the last couple of weeks, the Commons Committee on Science and Technology held a couple of their “evidence check” sessions, looking at homeopathy. Sessions such as this are held to examine whether there is evidence to support government policy.
The oral hearings take the form of witnesses with relevant backgrounds being quizzed by committee members. Witnesses for the first of these sessions included the legendary Ben Goldacre, Edzard Ernst from the University of Exeter, and Tracey Brown from the charity Sense About Science. Speakers in favour of homeopathy included Paul Bennett from Boots, Peter Fisher from the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, and Robert Wilson from the British Association of Homeopathic Manufacturers.
The big thing that came out of this hearing, from a rhetorical point of view, was the admission by Paul Bennett that Boots did not believe homeopathy to be effective – but they sell it anyway because of consumer demand. This lead to us here at Merseyside Skeptics drafting An Open Letter to Alliance Boots, calling upon them to withdraw the product. If you haven’t done so already, or even if you have, please check out the letter. Digg it, tweet it, repost it, write about it. Help up make some noise!
Ahem.
The pro-homeopathy witnesses, when challenged, mentioned a number of studies which they claimed supported the idea that homeopathy has strong effects beyond placebo. So I thought I’d look up a few of the studies mentioned and see what those studies actually say.
An American Homeopath In Dentistry
Posted by Andy in 10:23, Homeopathy, Pseudomedicine, Skepticism on December 5, 2009
In a recent blog post, Marsh posed the question “is there anything homeopathy cannot do?” I think that the homeopathy fans must encounter a blank wall when it comes to physical defects such as cosmetic features and actual anatomy. Can you imagine anyone claiming, for example, that taking a sugar pill would improve your appearance? Perhaps stop you having to get that all important nose job, boob job, pecs whatever?
Well, ladies and gentlemen I give you Homeopathic Dentistry.
Yes with just a few little sugar pills you can, ironically, fix your teeth. Reduce cavities, toughen those canines up and even straighten them!
Fazs.com seems to be a collection of one guys favourite videos. So far so good. But residing somewhere on the same server is the most unlikely and twisted claim for homeopathy so far. OK one among many….but seriously are you expecting us to believe that taking these sugar pills will correct physical damage? Read the rest of this entry »
Question of the Week: Invent A Homeopathic Remedy
Posted by Marsh in 10:23, Homeopathy, Question of the Week, Skepticism on December 4, 2009
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but we don’t really like homeopathy here at the MSS. I know that shocking revelation will probably come as a surprise to a lot of our readers – I mean, it’s not like we make a big deal about it, do we? It’s not like we write lots of posts detailing how utterly implausible and ridiculous homeopathy is, or anything. And it’s not like we go around appealing to major high-street pharmacies to withdraw homeopathic products from their shelves. No, no – we like to be reserved. Under-played. Subtle.
So, with our subtlety and respect of homeopathy in mind, this week’s question of the week is:
What’s the weirdest and most ludicrous homeopathic potion you can think up? What’s ‘in’ it? And what does it treat?
Make us laugh and you’ll get a mention on our next podcast, plus non-homeopathic levels of our love and affection. Bonus points to anyone who actually manages to find their crazy homeopathic substance on the internet – because I’m pretty sure clause b) of Rule 34 that states ‘There is no homeopathic substance to stupid to already exist somewhere on the internet’. And just to let you know where the bar is set, bear in mind you can already get homeopathic Berlin Wall and homeopathic Milky Way…
Oh, and by the way, 10:23.
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