Category Archives: skepticism

Mahlon Hoagland: 1921-2009

He worked with James Watson and Francis Crick. He discovered transfer RNA and amino acid activation. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. His name was Mahlon Hoagland, he passed away last week, and you have never heard of … Continue reading

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Thinking About Rethinking Autism

“Autism. It’s all over the media. The conversation is focused on causation and cure. It’s time to change the conversation toward hope, support, respect and understanding. The facts are not sexy. So, we got someone who is to explain them.” … Continue reading

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Singh for Your Science

Simon Singh, British author of Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book, and Big Bang, is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association for daring to suggest that there is no evidence supporting the use of chiropractic to treat childhood conditions. … Continue reading

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Don’t Listen to Jenny McCarthy

Oprah Winfrey (I won’t refer to her by just “Oprah;” one-name status is reserved for Dylan, Miles, Stravinsky, Joyce, and others who will be remembered by history.) has chosen to sign Jenny McCarthy for a talk show deal. It’s not … Continue reading

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Correlation is not Causation

I can’t say it any better than Kathleen Seidel at Neurodiversity Weblog: This morning, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Office of Special Masters released decisions in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) claims, Cedillo v. HHS (Case No. 98-916V), … Continue reading

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Irresponsible, Criminal Behavior

I have written previously about the nonexistent link between vaccinations and autism, and the harm that has been caused by the acceptance of this variety of magical thinking. Yesterday, the Times of London reported the results of an investigation into … Continue reading

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What’s the Harm?

As a parent of a child with Asperger’s syndrome, I pay particular attention to the debate over whether vaccinations cause autism – an issue that has been settled scientifically time and time again.  (Short answer: Vaccines don’t cause autism.) The … Continue reading

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