Tag Archives: skepticism

A Brief Career in Science Journalism

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David

Like Howl’s moving castle, Chez Belm houses a collection of autonomous processes over which I have little control. In the (almost) sixteen years that I’ve lived in the house, I have noticed that books and other printed matter eventually collect … Continue reading →

Posted in science, skepticism, writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Bent Out of Shape

Posted on December 7, 2010 by David

He Who Will Not Be Ignored came home yesterday with another reading comprehension homework assignment, the usual “read the story and answer questions” exercise that bores him to tears. Sometimes the story is just that – a short piece of … Continue reading →

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I Didn’t Buy a Lottery Ticket Today

Posted on October 8, 2010 by David

Lest you think the title implies that I buy lottery tickets on other days, let me disabuse you of that notion: I don’t buy lottery tickets. Ever. I shouldn’t have to elaborate the usual statistical arguments, because this isn’t really … Continue reading →

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The Downfall of Vaccine Denial

Posted on March 30, 2010 by David

If you thought the vaccine denial movement was immune to the Downfall video meme, you’re in for a surprise. As you can see here, der Führer had a rough time of it after learning about a Danish study demonstrating no … Continue reading →

Posted in autism, science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

“Scientifically Unsupportable”

Posted on March 16, 2010 by David

Last Friday, special masters of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims released their findings on the second phase of the Omnibus Autism Proceedings, and found no evidence of a causal link between autism and thimerosal in vaccines. (The first phase, … Continue reading →

Posted in autism, science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Try Reason, Not “Everything”

Posted on March 5, 2010 by David

Last week Time magazine published “The Autism Debate: Who’s Afraid of Jenny McCarthy?” As much as I’d like to rant about her, as I’ve done before, instead I’ll call your attention to this paragraph, buried halfway into the article: There … Continue reading →

Posted in autism, science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Irresponsible and Dishonest

Posted on February 2, 2010 by David

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote about Andrew Wakefield’s falsification of data linking vaccines and autism, calling his behavior “irresponsible and criminal.” Last week the General Medical Council, the British medical licensing body, arrived at the same conclusion: In … Continue reading →

Posted in science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Chocolate, or Shinola?

Posted on October 21, 2009 by David

Taza Chocolate sent me an email today announcing the availability of this year’s Special Edition Stone Ground Chiapan Chocolate. I’ve tasted last year’s edition (is “edition” really the appropriate description for a short-run foodstuff?), it’s definitely good chocolate, but the … Continue reading →

Posted in food & cooking, science, skepticism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Science and the Deity

Posted on October 20, 2009 by David

Not the Deity, Mr. Deity. If you haven’t heard of him, visit his web site and get caught up on his doings. Recently he’s been looking for a science advisor, and may have found one in PZ Meyers, biologist and … Continue reading →

Posted in science, skepticism | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Mahlon Hoagland: 1921-2009

Posted on September 25, 2009 by David

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 →

Posted in design, influences, science, skepticism | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments