Yes, I know it is almost impossible to fathom such depravity, but some pharmaceutical advertisers make unsubstantiated claims in medical journals! (/SARCASM OFF) Such is the conclusion of Ben Goldacre of the Guardian, writing on the Bad Science Blog. Goldacre is writing about a recent research article in the Netherlands Journal of Medicine “Are claims of [...]

The recent stunt by the New Zealand Skeptics Society might be very amusing, but it fails to add much to the debate on homeopathy. The skeptics swallow large amounts of homeopathic remedy to attempt to show its overall uselessness. Unfortunately, this demonstration is no more significant than an atheist demanding that God strikes him dead [...]

Scientists have shown that a patient in a persistent vegetative state can actually understand  and “answer” questions. Use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging has shown very specific brain activity in response to questioning. Activity that can be interpreted in no other way than as a response to a question. This would tend to indicate that [...]

The Lancet has finally withdrawn the paper on MMR and autism that it published 12 years ago. The study: “Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children” consisted of a series of 12 children all of whom had been referred in to a paediatric gastroenterology unit with a triad of autism-like symptoms, abdominal [...]

Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article.
Thanks to Crusader Rabbit for pointing me to this lovely bit of medical spam at News.com.au:
Energy drinks’ ’serious’ heart risk
JUST one energy drink can cause “serious heart conditions”, a world-first study has found.
The report, according to Adelaide Now, has [...]

It is good to see that NIWA is now going to publish all it’s data and calculations on the web to allow proper scrutiny. Good on them for taking the initiative and not waiting until they were forced into it (a much less attractive look). I am vastly amused that James Renwick, the principal climate [...]

If ever there was a good example of why health journalists should seek to gain a proper understanding of the material they are writing about it is this:
Study finds vitamins boost mental health
People with mental illness made “remarkable” improvements by taking a daily dose of nutritional supplements rather than conventional medicines, a trial has found.
The [...]

It was interesting to see two articles on alternative energy sources today, outside of a “series” on such things. One on the approval of the new tidal power generators at Kaipara Harbour and one, a bit more “blue sky” on the realistic possibility of the first practicable fusion generators. Both of these may be realised [...]

Yesterday’s Weekend Herald contained a couple of articles on Bisphenol-A, otherwise known as BPA. BPA is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics – the commonest plastic used to make drink bottles and linings of cans. There have been studies in rats and mice that show that BPA causes altered sexual development, aggression and obesity. [...]

After all the scare stories about the dangers of cell phones the Herald carries an article today that is a delicious irony.
Mobile phones may improve memory – study
The headline is, of course, the usual media hyperbole. The study they are “interpreting” is one on mice that have been genetically engineered to develop a disease that [...]