Health Canada is finally making (baby) steps toward better informing the public when it comes to homeopathy. As readers of the blog should know by now, homeopathy is based on really silly, counterfactual beliefs that, if true, would lead to a complete rewrite of biology and chemistry textbooks. Despite this, Health Canada routinely approves homeopathic … Continue reading
Tag Archives: homeopathy
I’m Majoring in Science, With a Minor in Wishful Thinking
The infiltration of pseudoscience in academia, either universities proper or academic health centres, is very real. Dr. David Gorski is doing a great job reporting on the American side of this disturbing inroad, but I thought it was time to tackle the Canadian (and more specifically the Quebec) perspective. The Prince Arthur Herald recently published … Continue reading
Watch: Journalists Get Health Canada License Number for Fake Remedy
If you have ever bought a natural health product approved by Health Canada, you must watch this 22-minute episode of CBC’s Marketplace. Do you have any idea how easy it is to get approval from Health Canada to manufacture and sell a natural health product? You will hear from me on this topic in a couple … Continue reading
Watch: Comedy and Skepticism… via That Mitchell & Webb Look
A recent exchange on Twitter brought back to mind a hilarious British comedy sketch show entitled That Mitchell and Webb Look, starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. If you are not familiar with it (or want to watch clips of it again), here are some skits of theirs that pertain to pseudoscience and medicine: Continue reading
Listen: Dr. Christopher Labos and I on the Rise of Integrative Medicine
This month, Within Reason tackles a scientific topic, so I can publicize it here! Woohoo! Would you like a side of magic with your chemo? Disproven folk remedies used to be the domain of snake oil salesmen; now, they are being integrated into university health centres. Jonathan speaks to Dr. Christopher Labos, a public science educator and … Continue reading
Homeopathy Awareness Day: Post-Mortem
Homeopathy is the low-hanging fruit from the perennial tree of irrationality. This year, in order to draw awareness to its ludicrous claims, I published an article in the Prince Arthur Herald and a video on this site. The response was predictable. While the content received plenty of positive feedback and dissemination, a couple of proponents of … Continue reading
Homeopathy Is Not Scientific
The Prince Arthur Herald, a McGill University student publication, has just published a short piece I wrote on homeopathy. Here is an excerpt: “In the mid-2000s, semi-isolated acts of “suicide by homeopathy” were performed as demonstrations of the lack of efficacy of this antiquated belief system, culminating in the Liverpudlian 10:23 challenge which extended this act … Continue reading
Cracked Science Video 3: Homeopathy
It’s October 23rd or 10-23, which has been suggested as Homeopathy Awareness Day, in homage to Avogradro’s number. Today is as good a day as any to investigate the claims made by homeopathy. Reading about homeopathy is one thing; seeing the dilutions is another. I hope this is graphic enough for you. I have also … Continue reading
A Cure for AIDS that Big Pharma Doesn’t Want! Sounds Familiar?
I was sent a link to the following story by someone who wanted my opinion on it. The article is in French but I will highlight its claims. “Son remède contre le sida, les labos n’en veulent pas” Translation: “Labs don’t want his AIDS remedy.” This is yet another David-versus-Goliath “news” report on a maverick … Continue reading
Listen: Dr. Brian Goldman’s Soft Take on Alternative Medicine
Dr. Brian Goldman (@nightshiftmd), host of a great CBC radio show called White Coat Black Art that dares to pull back the curtain on the hidden world of medical practice, seems to be the latest victim of integrative medicine (IM). This IM movement has been gaining traction with Western physicians and medical institutions: many North American hospitals … Continue reading
Cracked Science 
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