Category: Science and Medicine

Chiropractic Care of an Infant with Erb’s Palsy: Another Worthless Case Report

A recently published case report claims that chiropractic care helped heal an infant's paralyzed arm. In reality, the chiropractor took credit for the natural course of a well-known medical condition and luckily didn't make things worse for the patient.

/ August 6, 2021

The CDC Should Do Better

The CDC's failure to report clear and accurate data about how COVID-19 is affecting children has opened the door to those who wish to minimize its impact by spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The CDC needs to do better.

/ August 5, 2021
Ivermectin repurposing

Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, take 4: Bret Weinstein misrepresents meta-analyses

Evolutionary biologist turned podcaster Bret Weinstein has promoted the anthelmintic drug ivermectin as a highly effective treatment for COVID-19 based on a massive misunderstanding of a meta-analysis. Here, we correct this misunderstanding and explain why ivermectin is unlikely to be effective against COVID-19.

/ August 2, 2021

Cognitive Illusions and How Not to Write About COVID-19 and Children

Many people minimize the deaths and damage COVID-19 has wrought on children because it is "worse in adults". While it is true that more adults suffer due to the disease, that does not make the harms done to children vanish in a puff of smoke.

/ July 30, 2021
Mercola versus flu vaccines and COVID-19

Joe Mercola: An antivaccine quack tycoon pivots effortlessly to profit from spreading COVID-19 misinformation

Joe Mercola is a physician whose nearly quarter-century of promoting quackery and antivaccine misinformation has garnered him a net worth north of $100 million. It is therefore not surprising that in the age of the pandemic, he has pivoted to fatten his bottom line promoting misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the COVID vaccines.

/ July 26, 2021

“We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April”: Reflections on a Failed Prediction

Surgical oncologist Dr. Marty Makary predicted in February that we would have herd immunity to COVID-19 in April. In late July now, it is clear that we do not, but Dr. Makary continues to make dubious and outright incorrect statements about COVID-19 on national platforms to which he has access. Why can't he just admit that his prediction had been in error?

/ July 25, 2021

A New Study Finds No Benefit from Chiropractic for Infant Colic, but They’ll Keep Doing it Anyway

A new study attempted to answer the question of chiropractic's potential benefit for infant colic. It was successful, but I don't think it turned out the way the authors' hoped. Sadly, I don't think that this will change the mind of any chiropractor who treats babies.

/ July 23, 2021

Long COVID: Alternative medicine sees a business opportunity

With vaccines transforming the risk and consequences of a COVID infection, the health burden of "long COVID" may become a lasting consequence of the pandemic. Alternative medicine senses a business opportunity.

/ July 22, 2021
Abigail Shrier vs. Transgender Youth

Irreversible Damage to the Trans Community: A Critical Review of Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (Part Two)

Part 2 of the review of Abigail Shrier's "Irreversible Damage" provides insight into her harmful beliefs about trans youth, along with evidence-based counterarguments.

/ July 18, 2021

COVID-19 is Deadlier Than the Flu for Children

While COVID-19 killed 500 children over the past year, the flu killed just one.

/ July 16, 2021