American Loon #2302: Steve Stockman

Stephen Ernest Stockman was the U.S. Representative for Texas’s 9th congressional district from 1995 to 1997 and for Texas’s 36th congressional district (Texas “is becoming the last bastion” of freedom in the country,” said Stockman) from 2013 to 2015. He is currently in jail. His tenure was marked...

Read the full lunacy: #2302: Steve Stockman Encyclopedia of American Loons

31 January 2020, a day to contemplate: WHAT HAPPENED TO BRITAIN?

Today is a momentous and desperately sad day. Allow me therefore to deviate from my usual subject and write a very personal post (I promise, it won’t happen often). This post is not about SCAM but about something that is even closer to my heart. I first moved to the UK in 1979. The reason […]

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Hard to believe: dangerous GOVERNMENTAL advice regarding SCAM for the corona virus pandemic

I have recently reported that some homeopaths recommend homeopathics against the corona virus. Since I wrote last about this subject, numerous further sites have sprung up where homeopaths try to make a fast buck on the increasing panic of large sections of the population. Here is an apt example: We all know that in homeopathy […]

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Science or Pseudoscience?

What is pseudoscience and how can it be differentiated from science? This ‘demarcation problem’ has occupied many of our best minds and which nevertheless is largely unresolved. Two brave academics have recently published a paper aimed at providing organisations within the justice system with an overview of: a) what science is and is not; b) […]

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American Loon #2301: Susan Stevenson

Founder of the conspiracy theory, New Age quackery, anti-vaccine and anti-GMO site Gaia Health, homeopath Heidi Stevenson, has passed away. Susan Stevenson is probably not related, but she is at least just as crazy (though somewhat less influential). Stevenson is a hypnotherapist who...

Read the full lunacy: #2301: Susan Stevenson Encyclopedia of American Loons

How do proponents of so-called alternative medicine react to criticism?

Last week I was in Prague for a lecture which was great fun. On this occasion, I was interviewed by 5 different journalist. One of them asked a question that I had not often heard before: ‘how do they react to criticism?’ What he was inquiring about was the responses I get after publishing results, […]

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Do cancer patients need chiropractors?

In the Republic of Ireland, chiropractors are not regulated and there is no legislation governing the profession. That means anyone who feels like it can call him/herself a chiropractor and start treating or advising patients regardless of what condition they may be suffering from. The ‘CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND‘ (CAI) is the professional organisation that […]

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American Loon #2300: Deborah Stevens

Yes, she’s pretty obscure, but Deborah Stevens is at least some kind of serial conspiracy theorist with numerous webpages to her, and whose ravings occasionally make their way to various whale.to-style websites. According to her bio, her “mission is to stand up for the Constitution and The...

Read the full lunacy: #2300: Deborah Stevens Encyclopedia of American Loons

Netflix, Goop, and quacks in our post-truth society

To make it clear from the outset: do not watch Gwyneth Paltrow’s 6-part Netflix series. It’s not worth it! I could have guessed that too, of course. But the BBC had asked me to watch some of it and, wanting to help, I agreed and then joined a small group of scientists to discuss what […]

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Coronavirus epidemic: Why don’t they ask our homeopaths for help?

It’s not (yet) a global emergency, the WHO have announced. But 26 fatalities have today been reported, and soon we will have thousands of people infected with the new coronavirus, experts predict. A vaccine will take at least a year to become available, and experts are alarmed. But there is no need for panic! Let’s […]

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Are essential oils a con?

Consumer Advocacy is an organisation that say this about themselves: We want to make sure that you understand how we make money and who pays us. So we have taken proactive measures to ensure that any advertiser whom we have a paid relationship with is labeled as a “Partner” across our website. If you choose […]

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American Loon #2299: Richard Stephenson & the CTCA

Richard Stephenson is the founder of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), which is probably the most powerful backer of the quackery that is naturopathic oncology in the US. Stephenson founded the CTCA out of frustration with cancer care after his mother died of cancer, but...

Read the full lunacy: #2299: Richard Stephenson & the CTCA Encyclopedia of American Loons

Homeopathics can replace antibiotics! Yes, some deluded homeopaths believe this, but that does not make it true

Ever since the government in Bavaria has been misguided enough to agree to a research programme testing whether homeopathy has a role in curtailing the over-use of anti-biotics, the subject of homeopathics as a replacement of antibiotics has been revived. In this paper, homeopaths describe four female cases with recurrent urinary tract infections. The patients […]

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American Loon #2298: Karl Stephan

Karl Stephan is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Texas State University, San Marcos, and a thorough science denialist with regard to fields in which he has no expertise. Stephan is for instance a signatory to the Discovery Institute’s idiotic petition A Scientific Dissent...

Read the full lunacy: #2298: Karl Stephan Encyclopedia of American Loons

‘Good clinical effects’ of herbal remedies in paediatric patients?

About 85% of German children are treated with herbal remedies. Yet, little is known about the effects of such interventions. A new study might tell us more. This analysis accessed 2063 datasets from the paediatric population in the PhytoVIS data base, screening for information on indication, gender, treatment, co-medication and tolerability. The results suggest that the […]

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We all have misunderstood good old Gwyneth Paltrow. At heart, she is a true sceptic!

Even the NEW SCIENTIST seems alarmed about Gwyneth and her activities: Psychic readings, energy healing and vampire facials are just a few of the adventures had by actor and alternative health guru Gwyneth Paltrow and her team in her forthcoming Netflix series The Goop Lab. Goop, Paltrow’s natural health company, has already become a byword […]

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American Loon #2297: John Stemberger

John Stemberger is president of the Florida Family Policy Council – closely aligned with the Family Research Council – and affiliated with a number of other, similar groups (like On My Honor). As you’d expect from the name of his group, Stemberger is a fundie, denialist and all-round bigot,...

Read the full lunacy: #2297: John Stemberger Encyclopedia of American Loons

The extraordinary popularity of homeopathy = an extraordinary lie

I am beginning to think that a devotion to homeopathy is conducive to telling porkies. When I read texts by homeopaths, I almost invariably discover untruths. Take this article on the popularity of homeopathy, for instance: Worldwide Worldwide, over 200 million people use homeopathy on a regular basis.1, 2 Homeopathy is included in the national health […]

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Homeopathy has greater effects than placebo – BUT ONLY IF YOU CHEAT QUITE HEAVILY

An enthusiast of homeopathy recently posted an overview of systematic reviews of homeopathy concluding that the data we do have point towards homeopathy as having an effect greater than that of placebo: In recent decades, homeopathy has been examined via a number of clinical trials, the number of which now allow meta-analysis. As we can […]

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American Loon #2296: Jill Stein

A.k.a. Tofu Palin Jill Stein is the Massachusetts Green Party candidate and two-time U.S. Presidential candidate, poised to run again in 2020. She is also a medical doctor, which would make some of us naively think she would have something intelligent to say at least on healthcare policy. She does...

Read the full lunacy: #2296: Jill Stein Encyclopedia of American Loons

Chiropractic spinal manipulation for a newborn

Chiropractors have a thing about treating children, babies and infants – not, I suspect, because it works but because it fills their bank accounts. To justify this abuse, they seem to go to any lengths – even to extrapolating from anecdote to evidence. This recently published case-report, for instance, described the chiropractic care of a neonate […]

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‘Homeopathic treatment … synergise the effect of antibiotics’ – Really? Or is this a case of scientific misconduct or even fraud?

A 2020 review entitled ‘Prevention, Treatment and Management of Tuberculosis through Combinational Approaches of Different Indian Systems of Medicine’ stated that recent research suggests that Homeopathic treatment along with the antibiotics synergise the effect of antibiotics while reaching to its site of action. This is a surprising finding, if there ever was one. Therefore, I […]

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American Loon #2295: Sherry Hansen Steiger

You can sort of see how this could be a ripe topic for authors struggling with the fantasy/reality distinctionBrad Steiger was a legendary crackpot, conspiracy theorist and pseudoscience promoter particularly well known, perhaps, for promoting ancient astronauts and Atlantis nonsense...

Read the full lunacy: #2295: Sherry Hansen Steiger Encyclopedia of American Loons

Yes, conventional medicine is often deplorably bad

Proponents of SCAM like to think that anyone who is critical of SCAM must be a defender of conventional medicine or worse a pharma shill. One can point out the ridiculousness of this claim until the cows come home, it nevertheless pops up relentlessly. Personally, I am aware of (and have experienced) the many shortcomings […]

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Homeopathy: it’s time to stop the double standards

‘HOMEOPATHY360’ are fiercely decided to defend homeopathy, no matter what. They state that we promise to stand by your side always to fight against the critical attacks on Homeopathy… Therefore, I was not really surprised when, a couple of days ago, I received an email by them urging me to support US homeopaths against the […]

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American Loon #2294: Robert David Steele

Robert David Steele is a former CIA officer who has found a new career as a major league crackpot: given his background, paranoid conspiracy theorists are naturally inclined believe that Steele’s wild-eyed rantings carry some sort of authority, especially since Steele claims to have government...

Read the full lunacy:#2294: Robert David Steele Encyclopedia of American Loons

American Loon #2293: Anita Staver

Perhaps most familiar as the wife of deranged fundie Mat Staver, Anita Staver is a deranged fundie in her own right and president of Liberty Counsel, an anti-LGBT hate group (you’d never imagine, from their actions and arguments, that Liberty Counsel fancied liberty; that’s why they had...

Read the full lunacy: #2293: Anita Staver Encyclopedia of American Loons

The ‘bionutrient meter’ – is someone having us on?

Yesterday morning,  I was listening to the Today Programme on BBC 4 when a man called Matt Adams was given airtime to explain and promote his ‘bionutrient reader’. What he said sounded like pure quackery – but this is quackery outside my area of expertise. Therefore, I looked it up; here is what the website […]

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Neurolinguistic programming is being promoted by Prince Charles’ ‘College of Medicine and Integrated Health’

Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) was developed in the mid-seventies. It is a so-called alternative therapy (SCAM) that is not easy to define. Those who started it and those involved in it use such vague language that NLP means different things to different people. One metaphor keeps recurring: NLP claims to help people change by teaching them […]

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Homeopathy for chronic peridontitis? I have my doubts!

Hurray, homeopaths have a new study to be jubilant about! But how far can we trust its findings? Let’s have a look. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of homeopathy (H) as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) in individuals with  type 2 diabetes (DMII) and chronic chronic periodontitis (CP). […]

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American Loon #2292: Penny Starr

Penny Starr is reporter for CNSNews, employee of Brent Bozell’s Media Research Center – a group that barely even pretends to be a media research center – and conservative activist. In particular, Starr is vehemently and virulently anti-gay, and her main claim to fame is the uproar she...

Read the full lunacy: #2292: Penny Starr Encyclopedia of American Loons

Paediatric acupuncture?!? ‘One of the best complementary therapies in paediatrics’?!? The mind boggles

Every now and then, I come across a SCAM paper that is so ‘far out’ that, when reading it, my mind wants to boggle. This one (recently published in ‘Medical Acupuncture’) is about ‘paediatric scupuncture’ – no, not acupuncture performed by kids – it’s acupuncture for kids. The temptation to show you the full, unaltered […]

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American Loon #2291: Todd Starnes

A dominant feature of fundamentalism is the martyr complex. No matter what power and influence you have, and no matter that your religious convictions represent the majority of the population, you are a victim, standing defiant in the face of the the Satanic horde, your flag held high and your...

Read the full lunacy: #2291: Todd Starnes Encyclopedia of American Loons

Craniosacral therapy is effective for treating chronic pain … but only if one completely ‘forgets’ to think critically

I have been sceptical about Craniosacral Therapy (CST) several times (see for instance here, here and here). Now, a new paper might change all this: The systematic review assessed the evidence of Craniosacral Therapy (CST) for the treatment of chronic pain. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of CST in chronic pain patients were […]

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The ‘(NHS) NATURAL HEALTH SCHOOL’ in Harrowgate – an update

As reported previously the NHS NATURAL HEALTH SCHOOL in Harrowgate, is a service that offered a range of free complementary therapy treatments to patients and their relatives who are affected by a cancer diagnosis and are either receiving their cancer treatment at Harrogate or live in the Harrogate and Rural District. This NHS school offered […]

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Acupuncture/acupressure for cancer pain?

Yesterday, we discussed a paper concluding (amongst other things) that there are insufficient high‐quality RCTs to judge the efficacy of acupuncture for cancer‐related pain. Today, we are looking at one that overtly contradicts this verdict. This systematic review (published in JAMA Oncology) evaluated the existing randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for evidence of the association of […]

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Acupuncture for the Relief of Chronic Pain? A new, thorough synthesis fails to produce strong evidence that acupuncture works

The aim of this review is to synthesise systematic reviews (SRs) of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture to alleviate chronic pain. A total of 177 reviews of acupuncture from 1989 to 2019 met the eligibility criteria. The majority of SRs found that RCTs of acupuncture had methodological shortcomings, including inadequate statistical power […]

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American Loon #2290: Walter L. Starkey

Walter L. Starkey is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University, and a creationist. He does not appear to have done much scientific research at least since the 1950s, but since he has a degree he is nevertheless eligible for signing the Discovery...

Read the full lunacy: #2290: Walter L. Starkey Encyclopedia of American Loons

Now that you have paid through your nose for the ‘tox’, how about a ‘detox’ through your nose?

If you, like many of us, have heavily ‘toxed’, you might now consider ‘detoxing’. What I mean is that we have probably all over-indulged a bit over the holidays. Unless you were the guest of someone, you had to pay dearly for it (Champagne is not cheap!). And now, a whole industry of ‘detox’ entrepreneurs […]

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Alternative hangover cures

Are you hung over today? you will be pleased to hear that so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) has a lot to offer – at least this is what its enthusiasts think. Homepaths swear by Nux Vomica as the first remedy to think of with a hangover headaches, but it is also excellent for headaches from overwork, indigestion […]

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