Exercise has many virtues but, contrary to popular belief, it is not an efficient way to lose weight. So what is? “The idea that our obesity epidemic is caused by sedentary lifestyles has spread widely over the past few decades, spurring a multibillion-dollar industry that pitches gadgets and gimmicks promising to walk, run and kickbox … Continue reading
Tag Archives: education
Read: Dr. Labos on Natural Health Products (in the National Post)
If the first episode of Dr. Labos’ and my new podcast, The Body of Evidence (also available on iTunes) failed to quench your thirst for knowledge on natural health products, I can now direct you to an article five months in the making that Dr. Labos finally managed to publish in The National Post: “The response in … Continue reading
Read: What? WHAT? I’M DAMAGING MY WHAT?
My podcasting buddy and general thorn in my side, Dr. Christopher Labos, has published something for the CBC and we’re supposed to, I don’t know, stop everything we’re doing and read it because it’s so great. Here’s an excerpt: “He points out that most of us are slowly damaging our hearing without realizing it. “But the … Continue reading
Food and Health Through the Lens of Entertainment: Funny You Should Think That!
A little plug for the show I’m hosting in a week. It’s all about science… and entertainment! A show of comedy, reason, and alcohol. FUNNY YOU SHOULD THINK THAT! is a monthly event (intelligently) designed to make you laugh and think. Moutons No More takes to the stage with amazing guests to talk pseudoscience, lambast … Continue reading
Read: Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science?
This is required reading, folks. “The ‘science communication problem,’ as it’s blandly called by the scientists who study it, has yielded abundant new research into how people decide what to believe—and why they so often don’t accept the scientific consensus. It’s not that they can’t grasp it, according to Dan Kahan of Yale University. In … Continue reading
Book Review: Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? by Timothy Caulfield
“Evidence-based entertainment” is the motto and mandate of the production team under whose banner this blog exists. It expresses a desire for subversive education in light of growing apathy, for using the tools of entertainment to foster skepticism. The pill is always easier to swallow in a scoop of ice cream. I love stumbling upon … Continue reading
Darwin Day 2015: Refute Erroneous Arguments
On February 12, 1809, Charles Darwin was born. Along with Alfred Russel Wallace, he formulated the theory of evolution, according to which the struggle for life leads to the survival of the species most fit to their environment. If you are skeptical about evolution (“it’s just a theory!”) or if you know people who are … Continue reading
Watch: How Vaccines Work
The Patient Education Office of the McGill University Health Centre has just released a video to educate the public on the importance of vaccination. And who guides us through the mechanism of action of one of our most effective public health measures? Dr. Christopher Labos… in cartoon form. If … Continue reading
Read: Why Fight a Losing Battle (Using a Faded Sweater Instead of a Cape and Cowl)
I have interviewed Dr. Christopher Labos on the topic of integrative medicine for my podcast, Within Reason. A cardiologist by training, he is studying to become a medical journalist. Like me, he has a passion for bringing scientific facts to the public in spite of the tidal wave of misinformation that washes us all up every … Continue reading
Read: What Is the Gap Between Evidence and Its Acceptance?
It is one thing for scientists to agree on the evidence, but what is the gap between scientific consensus (or near-consensus) and public acceptance of these same facts? “Asked whether genetically modified food is safe, 88 per cent of the scientists say Yes, but only 37 per cent of the public agreed. That’s a gap … Continue reading
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