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, Skepticism9 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
17 January 2011 by Kim Hebert
As it was last year, and likely will be again next year unless the Reptilians get us, it’s December. Unsurprisingly, psychics in late 2008 made their various predictions about 2009 and I examined the claims of two: self-proclaimed psychic Sylvia Browne and Nostradamus fanboi John Hogue. I wonder if they did any better for 2010, [...]
Posted in Paranormal, PseudoscienceComments Off
14 January 2011 by Kim Hebert
Benefiting from the Atlantic Time Zone, I got to be one of the first to watch CBC Marketplace on Friday night (darn you, Newfoundland!) where they covered the topic of homeopathy. Here are my impressions. First, I want to praise Marketplace for not offering false balance on the issue. Homeopathy is not something about which [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Canada, Health, Media, Pseudoscience, Reviews40 Comments
14 January 2011 by Mitchell Gerskup
Tonight at 8pm, CBC Marketplace will air a review of homeopathic medicine entitled “Cure or Con?”. This hotly anticipated episode is expected to critically examine the practice of homeopathic medicine, in the name of consumer protection. As a skeptic, I know it can be dangerous to get my hopes up over stories of this nature [...]
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Canada, Culture, Health Policy, Media, Pseudoscience, Skepticism15 Comments
08 December 2010 by Michael Kruse
*Update: See Michael Shermer and Bernard Leikind’s post in eSkeptic this week. They are responding to the boat-load of email they received about their articles in Scientific American and Skeptic magazine concerning the lack of evidence to cancer to cell phone use.* On Monday, we published the first half of a critique of a new book by [...]
Posted in Critical Thinking, Pseudoscience, Skepticism76 Comments
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
