03 January 2012 by Marion Kilgour
I think that because water is so ubiquitous, and, let’s face it, pretty awesome all by itself (it expands as it freezes!) people like to use it as the basis for their made up chemistry. An ad for a co-worker selling his unused ScaleHammer recently appeared on the company classifieds. So, I looked up the [...]
Posted in Canada, Pseudoscience, Skepticism8 Comments
09 December 2011 by Marion Kilgour
Most of the cell phone / Wi-Fi hysteria seems to me like it’s been coming from the eastern provinces, although Edmonton has had some short-lived and ineffective campaigns to get Wi-Fi out of schools. But, this summer I got my first taste of local activism about cell towers. Initially, I was on board with the [...]
Posted in Alberta, Health Policy, Pseudoscience, Skepticism15 Comments
14 November 2011 by Steve Thoms
So, a little over a year ago, I wrote a piece about one particular anti-WiFi activist named Rodney Palmer. It was a bit of a snarky post, written with the piss-and-vinegar that comes from a long, aggravating day at work. The post caught the attention of Mr. Palmer, who promptly threatened to sue me over [...]
Posted in Conspiracy Theories, Featured, Pseudoscience55 Comments
24 August 2011 by Scott Gavura
Enjoy this oldie but still relevant PSA from the FDA. (Email readers may need to click through to see the video.) Of course in Canada, we’d call them “Zed Rays” not “Zee Rays”. And these days, some want to call it “Non-Allopathic“, instead of quackery. Source
Posted in Medical Conditions, Pseudoscience, Skepticism4 Comments
11 August 2011 by Dianne Sousa
Some time ago, Skeptic North reviewed an episode of CBC’s Marketplace that focused on homeopathy. The program featured a parent that opted to use homeopathic vaccines instead of real vaccines. I suspected that the parent was genuinely misinformed about vaccines and homeopathy, and noted in the comments that since as a result of the program, [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Canada, Featured, Health Policy, Medicinal Advertising, Pseudoscience, Skepticism12 Comments
09 August 2011 by Kim Hebert
Should governments spend health care dollars on naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy, all in the name of “integrative” cancer care? If you live in British Columbia, your government has answered “yes”. This past June the BC provincial government [pdf] announced new funding for five “integrative cancer care centres” in the province. The private provider, Inspire [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, British Columbia, Health Policy, Medical Conditions, Pseudoscience8 Comments
01 June 2011 by Steve Thoms
There is a video going around on facebook at the moment, and it caught my attention. Watch it now, but I ask that you hold off (for the moment) on the “Click Here to find out More” at the end of the video: On the surface, it seems like it has a great message: People [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Conspiracy Theories, Critical Thinking, Health, Media, Pseudoscience, Skepticism17 Comments
27 April 2011 by Dianne Sousa
Skeptics are not afraid to take promoters of pseudoscience to task. We are not afraid to direct criticism to those who deserve it or invite it. This is true whether they claim to be psychic, promote a conspiracy theory, or a doctor with a successful television program in a coveted time spot. Of course, here [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Critical Thinking, Health, Pseudoscience, Science, Skepticism8 Comments
11 April 2011 by Kim Hebert
Another year, another week to be made aware of homeopathy. This year’s theme is musculoskeletal well-being. The website is relatively unclear about their mission this year, but they do helpfully provide contact information for different countries that are involved in WHAW 2011. Their Canadian contacts are: Martine Jourde & Mathieu Bourbonnais S.P.H.Q. (Syndicat Professionnel des [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Pseudoscience9 Comments
03 February 2011 by Kim Hebert
Earlier in January, CBC Marketplace investigated homeopathy. Now that there has been some time for people to react, here is a summary of some coverage around the Internet. Please also feel free to share relevant links in the comments. Favourable Reactions Digital Journal’s opinion section covered the topic of homeopathy in several articles the week [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Canada, Pseudoscience9 Comments
Can Coconut Oil Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease?
Toronto Aetherius Society: His Master’s Voice, stuff that goes boom, and a lack of proof (Part 2)
Toronto Aetherius Society: Jesus, Venusians, and some bad astronomy (Part 1)
Skeptical Fails and Wins This Week
Acupuncturist claims cervical cancer is for prostitutes
