Category: Science and Medicine

The Wisdom of Third Molar Removal

In the Olden Times (ten or so years ago), the indication for third molar (aka “wisdom teeth”) removal was the presence of wisdom teeth. Now, oral surgeons are rethinking things.

/ April 24, 2020
Hydroxychloroquine

“Miracle cure” testimonials aside, azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine probably do not work against COVID-19

Here we go again. Didier Raoult has published another uninformative study looking at the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to treat COVID-19. Unfortunately, recent data examining these drugs have been trending in the direction of the conclusion that these drugs probably don't work against COVID-19 but do cause harm. Sadly, the lack of evidence hasn't stopped the hucksters from promoting hydroxychloroquine as...

/ April 13, 2020

The CDC Releases New Data on COVID-19 in Children

Another large data set, this time from the CDC, supports the anecdotal observations that pediatric COVID-19 cases tend to be mild and that a very small percentage of children are requiring intensive care. The absence of obvious symptoms increases the risk of spreading the virus, so social distancing and proper hygiene are key when it comes to kids.

/ April 10, 2020

More Pseudoscience for COVID-19

The science and pseudoscience of COVID-19 are being tested in the real world.

/ April 8, 2020
5G tower

COVID-19 conspiracy theories: Vaccines and 5G (along with Bill Gates) are responsible!

The COVID-19 pandemic will almost certainly wind up being by far the worst pandemic we have experienced in a century. Given a huge pandemic with tragic death tolls, it's not surprising that conspiracy theories are popping up. Here, we look at two of the most common kinds of COVID-19 conspiracy theories. One blames 5G. The other blames—of course!—the flu vaccine.

/ April 6, 2020

Tampon: Our Closest Enemy vs. The Vagina Bible

On SBM's first ever Fight Night, we have the good book for all vagina inquiries, The Vagina Bible, facing off against Tampon: Our Closest Enemy, a conspiracy thriller masquerading as a documentary aiming to inform women of the "hidden dangers" of tampons. Who will win? Find out.

/ April 3, 2020

England’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year: Mumps and the “Wakefield Cohort”

It may not be the most worrisome virus out there these days, but England has just had its worst year of mumps infections in a decade thanks in large part to their "Wakefield cohort".

/ March 27, 2020

Lipogen for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Lipogen PMS-Free is a dietary phospholipid supplement marketed as a remedy for PMS. The evidence for its effectiveness is less than convincing.

/ March 17, 2020
COVID-19

COVID-19 update: What you need to know now that it’s officially a pandemic

On March 11, the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 to be a pandemic. The causative virus, SARS-CoV-2 is spreading through the population. What can be done? Social distancing is the only hope of slowing down spread of the disease.

/ March 16, 2020

Science-Based Satire: Kinesiology Masks Revolutionize Coronavirus Prevention

Can colorful elastic tape applied to your face by certified practitioners reduce your risk of catching the novel coronavirus? No. And that's a hard no. This is satire.

/ March 13, 2020