November 27th, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in bad science | 110 Comments »
Here is a place to discuss alternative therapies in general, ask basic questions about science or stats, share wacky theories about MMR, anything. This is until I get the bigger discussion forums built.
November 26th, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in alternative medicine, bad science, homeopathy, references, statistics, telegraph | 64 Comments »
Ben Goldacre
Saturday November 26, 2005
The Guardian
The moment I saw the press release for the new Bristol Homeopathy study, I knew I was in for a treat. This was a fabulously flawed “survey”, no more, in which some doctors asked their patients whether they thought they’d got better a while after having some homeopathy. Not meaningless data in itself, but the action, as ever, is in the interpretation, and the interpretation was Read the rest of this entry »
November 21st, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in bad science, bbc, homeopathy, media | 106 Comments »
Here’s an interesting exercise. For once, the actual academic paper behind a news story is available for free online…
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/acm.2005.11.793
Which means you can see for yourself whether Read the rest of this entry »
November 19th, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in MRSA, PhDs, doctors, and qualifications, bad science, evening standard, media, onanism, scare stories, very basic science | 27 Comments »
Ben Goldacre
Saturday November 19, 2005
The Guardian
I realise this is starting to look like some kind of dirty protest, but here is a window on to how the media sees itself in relation to scientific expertise, and how it copes with criticism, which just happens – entirely by coincidence – to involve the MRSA scandal.
To recap: bloke with no microbiology qualifications in unaccredited garden shed “laboratory” finds MRSA on Read the rest of this entry »
November 18th, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in alternative medicine, bad science, homeopathy, statistics | 61 Comments »
Ben Goldacre
Time Out, London
November 16-23 2005
I feel a bit mean, since you’re all having so much fun here, but let me quickly point out a couple of things about homeopathy. First, it doesn’t work. Second, it’s old fashioned and paternalistic. And third, that’s what they say about us: how weird is that?
We’ll do them in order. Stick with me here: at least if you disagree, you’ll disagree with a whole lot more panache by the end. So how do we know homeopathy doesn’t Read the rest of this entry »
November 12th, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in alternative medicine, bad science, bbc, references, very basic science | 156 Comments »
Ben Goldacre
Saturday November 12, 2005
The Guardian
I know you’re all looking forward to my fifth consecutive week writing about the tabloid’s favourite MRSA “laboratory”, but my Deep Throat keeps teasing me, so the latest explosion will Read the rest of this entry »
November 5th, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in MRSA, bad science, mirror, scare stories | 71 Comments »
Ben Goldacre
Saturday November 5, 2005
The Guardian
There are times when it’s just great to be alive: you’re running through the archives, the wind’s in your hair, suddenly you stumble on a gem from last year’s Sunday Mirror and it just makes you bless the day you decided to become a sarcastic and hateful campaigning science Read the rest of this entry »
November 2nd, 2005 by Ben Goldacre
in MMR, bad science, mail, media, references, scare stories, statistics | 132 Comments »
Comment: Research is all about error. Either learn how to interpret data yourself, or trust those who can do it for you
Ben Goldacre
Wednesday November 2, 2005
The Guardian
Whatever you have been told, science is not about certainty. And this creates problems for those health professionals who are charged with interpreting and relating Read the rest of this entry »
