03 June 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the Fails and Wins you sent me this week. Liberia proves the power of prayer Yep, it’s proven folks. Actually, I think they have proven the power of organization, protest and political action. Why do we give so much credit to the supernatural? Thanks to Lorne for this link. Canadian [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and WinsComments Off
13 May 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the Fails and Wins you sent me this week. Cutbacks Hurt a State’s Response to Whooping Cough Washington state has been feeling the effects of a pertussis outbreak, and cutbacks to the healthcare system have not helped. Thanks to Anna for this link. We’ve also seen an outbreak north of [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and Wins2 Comments
06 May 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the Fails and Wins you sent me this week. 3 reasons to reconsider vitamin pills Thanks to Lorne for this Win. It seems that almost everyone takes some form of vitamin supplement. According to the common sense, vitamins are always good and more is better. But what is the evidence [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and Wins5 Comments
22 April 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the Fails and Wins this week. Herbal remedy used to treat kidney ailments causes kidney ailments What’s the harm in using untested natural remedies? They may have side effects, and sometimes even cause the thing you’re trying to cure! Birthwort (AKA aristolochia) is an “ancient” treatment for all kinds of [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and Wins2 Comments
08 April 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans! You may have noticed that the Fails and Wins have not been coming on a weekly basis. I apologize, life has been a bit busy for me lately. Thankfully, this hasn’t stopped you from faithfully sending in your links, and I want to thank all of you for keeping my inbox full! [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and WinsComments Off
18 March 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the media Fails and Wins you sent me this week. Baby On Bed Anna sent in this win from Slate, discussing bed sharing with infants. Actress and PhD Mayam Bialik released a parenting book encouraging the practice, but Slate points out the risks associated with it. Parenting is one of [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and Wins7 Comments
05 March 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the media Fails and Wins you sent me this week. Study suggests smelling rosemary aromas can boost brain performance Art sent in this fail. Apparently smelling rosemary boosts your “brain performance”. What exactly does this mean? Well, the article won’t tell you. It only mentions researchers saw improvements on “speed [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and Wins9 Comments
26 February 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the media Fails and Wins you sent me this week. Botox injected by unlicensed practitioners Would you trust just anyone to inject a deadly toxin into your face? The CBC exposed unlicensed clinics that were injecting botox ordered on the internet. Hopefully there will be swift action against these people. [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and Wins1 Comment
15 February 2012 by Ethan Clow
Recently I was watching the History Channel when a commercial for Brad Meltzer’s Decoded came on. At first I found the commercial enraging and further eroded my lingering embers of hope that the History Channel had a legitimate interested in promoting actual history and not bunk dressed up to look like a Dan Brown book. [...]
Posted in Conspiracy Theories, Critical Thinking, History, Media, Reviews, Skepticism, Social Sciences3 Comments
12 February 2012 by Melany Hamill
Hey there skeptifans. Here are the media Fails and Wins you sent me this week. Study Debunks Ionic Footbath Detox Claims Scott spotted this win in the Epoch Times. You may have heard of these ionic footbaths that claim to suck toxins out of you through your feet. The water turns brown as you use [...]
Posted in Skeptical Fails and WinsComments Off
Crack Your Back instead of a Vial of Vaccine?
Toronto Media, false balance, and the lack of evidence for claims about MIA vet John Hartley Robertson
How Western journalists in Vietnam and POW NGOs were not fooled by tales of MIA Vet back from the dead
Did a Canadian filmmaker find a left behind Vietnam vet or did credulous Toronto media give new life to an old scam?
How I cured my gout without medication
