A problem began to come into existence a few decades ago and in the polarized climate enabled by instant access to partisan spin, it's only going to get worse.The problem isn't always that people are anti-science, though documenting the numerous instances of global warming deniers on one side and anti-science hippies on the other is always fun, it may be that people accept science too much - and...
read moreYesterday I linked to an article in Discover stating the marketing for the HPV vaccine for boys was a lot stronger than the evidence.Here are snippets from the follow-up (obviously go read the whole thing for proper context):There are many, many instances in which researchers have promised cures and interventions that were expected to work based on eminently reasonable logic, but did not pan...
read moreFor as long as I can remember, I have wanted to read like the dead. Not just to read dead authors—something a little bit creepier. Yes, I am aware that recapturing the actual experiences of long-ago readers is impossible, like visiting Mars or traveling in time. Still, I can’t help reading inscriptions, plucking out old bookmarks, decoding faded marginalia. I catch myself wondering who was...
read more"Merck’s promotion of Gardasil, its vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV), has a complicated history. First there was the exuberant claim about its reputedly great effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer. Now comes the recommendation last month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that all 11- and 12-year-old boys should be given the vaccine...Merck says that in...
read moreDespite the claims of numerous apologists, revisionists and relativists who insist the EU commission did not say what it said, the European Commission has now retracted what it said they claimed they never said - water is allowed to claim to be good for...
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