Matharu's Rants and Raves » QuackWatch

Damning article on Doctor’s Data and Bogus Tests

Kulvinder Matharu — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:04:00 +0000

Quackometer has written a well-thought and damning article on Doctor’s Data and Bogus Tests:

Doctor’s Data and Bogus Tests
http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2010/07/doctors-data-bogus-tests.html

Carl Sagan said:

We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces.

And those who perpetuate known falsehoods, fraudsters if you will, drag society, drag science, drag progress and drag humankind into cesspool of darkness, ignorance and superstition. We need candles in the dark; resources such as QuackWatch and Quackometer provide that light.

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010

Quack Attack!

Kulvinder Matharu — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:10:16 +0000

The excellent QuackWatch is being sued by Doctor’s Data after QuackWatch exposed Doctor’s Data as a scam.

Attempted intimidation by a quack
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/07/attempted_intimidation_by_a_qu.php

QuackWatch offers a rich resource on all matters related to fighting nonsense, scams and other quackery. Well worth visiting. Their mission statement:

Quackwatch is now an international network of people who are concerned about health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud (Allentown, Pennsylvania), it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors. Our activities include:

Investigating questionable claims

Answering inquiries about products and services

Advising quackery victims

Distributing reliable publications

Debunking pseudoscientific claims

Reporting illegal marketing

Assisting or generating consumer-protection lawsuits

Improving the quality of health information on the Internet

Attacking misleading advertising on the Internet

Consumer Health Digest, a free weekly e-mail newsletter

The healthfraud discussion list, which has about 600 members

Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010

Alliance of Registered Homeopaths – more than stupid

Kulvinder Matharu — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:49:24 +0000

gimpy’s blog calls the ARH press release stupid. I would go further. The Addenbrooks Hospital work referenced has nothing to do with homeopathy and for ARH to claim that it does is very clearly a lie. In fact, it has been known for a long time now that homeopathy is based on ideas that are demonstratably false, so it is no real surprise that homeopaths continue to mislead.

QuackWatch is a good place to get started on what homeopathy really is. Despite the fact that homeopathy is based on falsities, does the treatment alleviate a patient’s symptoms? Yes, to some degree…the famous placebo-effect. The Skeptic’s Dictionary has a a nice explanation for homeopathy and placebo, and also attempts to understand why even intelligent people are attracted to it. You may ask what’s the harm? Well, check out What’s The Harm?. And do we really want to base our society on lies? A return to magic and witch-doctors? I don’t think so.