Category: Neuroscience/Mental Health

Psychological Placebos

New research shows the importance of carefully separating real therapeutic effects from psychological placebos.

/ February 6, 2019
Quackery duck

Pseudoscience invades Social Work

Acutonics, aura infusions and angelic channeling: pseudoscience has invaded the practices of social workers.

/ January 31, 2019

Antivaccine pseudoscience disguised as autism advocacy in the Minnesota legislature

Recently, Sen. Jim Abeler of Minnesota created the MN Autism Council, an advisory panel tasked with advising the legislature on autism policy. A closer look at the story reveals that Sen. Abeler is a chiropractor, two of the members are antivaxers, and one of them was a founding member tasked with forming the council. This is how antivaccine activism is disguised as...

/ January 28, 2019

Critical Thinking in Medicine

Cognitive Errors and Diagnostic Mistakes is a superb new guide to critical thinking in medicine written by Jonathan Howard. It explains how our psychological foibles regularly bias and betray us, leading to diagnostic mistakes. Learning critical thinking skills is essential but difficult. Every known cognitive error is illustrated with memorable patient stories.

/ January 15, 2019
Autism-brain-lead

Autism Revisited

Is there an autism epidemic? Why was autism rare in the past? This book tries to answer those questions with a historical and sociological approach and suggests deinstitutionalization was a key factor.

/ January 1, 2019

Leaky Brain, Leaky Gut: Are They Real?

First there was leaky gut; now there’s leaky brain. These questionable concepts are being promoted by practitioners of so-called “functional medicine.”

/ November 20, 2018

The Pseudoscience of Kelly Brogan

Kelly Brogan sells an impressive array of pseudoscience wrapped in the standard alternative tropes.

/ September 19, 2018

Rapid-onset Gender Dysphoria and Squelching Controversial Evidence

A flawed study suggested that rapid onset gender dysphoria around the time of puberty might be a result of peer pressure and media influence. It raised some important questions, but Brown University succumbed to pressure from activists and removed it from its website

/ September 18, 2018

Gender Dysphoria in Children

Gender transitions are becoming more and more common. Adults can make informed decisions about hormone treatments and gender reassignment surgeries, but what about children?

/ September 11, 2018

How We Believe

James Alcock's new book about belief is a masterpiece that explains how our minds work, how we form beliefs, and why they are so powerful. It amounts to a course in psychology and an owner's manual for the brain.

/ June 26, 2018