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An obvious case of devious advertising can misinform consumers in a big way. Two Chinese tech firms have clashed over a new wireless router with a special setting for pregnant women. Source: 'Pregnancy wi-fi' router causes controversy in China Qihoo 360 unveiled the device, an upgrade to an existing product, which has three settings it…
Alternative Medicine, Pseudoscience
Norwegian doctor loses her medical license, starts alt med practice
by Torkel Ødegård • • 6 Comments
When you can't be a legitimate medical doctor, you can always turn alternative… Dr. Anette Horstmann lost her medical license earlier this year after 23 different malpractice cases from colleagues and pharmacists (not patients) over a two year period. Most of the cases are about her lax prescription methods, where pharmacists and other doctors claim…
Media, Pseudoscience, Questionable claims
New York Post peddling diet cure for autism
by idoubtit • • 8 Comments
The NY Post featured this misleading headline: The miracle that cured my son's autism was in our kitchen. What a pile of BS. Susan Levin's son Ben was diagnosed with autism. She has now written a book that apparently credits an organic, gluten- and casein-free diet as a way to treat the symptoms of autism and…
Alternative Medicine, Pseudoscience, Skeptical activism
Not-a-doctor Clement in Ireland pushing treatment that cures "every known disease"
by idoubtit • • 7 Comments
You can probably imagine that someone who would make such a claim would be a target for skeptical activism. You'd be right. Recall back in January, the story of two Canadian girls with leukemia that were treated not with chemotherapy, which has an extremely high cure rate, but at a Florida clinic that serves up unproven alternatives…
Anomalies, Pseudoscience, Science
Soft tissue preservation in dinos is fodder for Creationists
by idoubtit • • 27 Comments
As usual, Bible literalists think a few anomalies can overturn our entire established knowledge about the earth. Ain't gonna happen, guys. Researchers have discovered what appear to be the remnants of red blood cells and connective tissue in 75 million-year-old dinosaur fossils. Source: 'Blood cells' found in dino fossils – BBC News The work could shine…
Alternative Medicine, Pseudoscience
Homeopathy STILL doesn't work – The Sequel. Sense a pattern?
by idoubtit • • 7 Comments
Royal Australian College of GPs also says pharmacists must stop stocking such products because there is no evidence they are effective in any way Source: Australian doctors told not to prescribe homeopathic items as 'they do nothing'. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has formally recommended GPs stop prescribing homeopathic remedies and says…
Critical thinking, Media, Natural disasters, Pseudoscience, Questionable claims
Some guy named Frank says "Earthquake". People panic. Don't.
by idoubtit • • 18 Comments
When even the "Esoteric Metaphysical Spiritual Database" says an earthquake prediction is nonsense, then you KNOW you should not panic. Planetary Alignment To Cause 9.8 Earthquake Prediction for California On May 28th, 2015? : In5D Esoteric, Metaphysical, and Spiritual Database By now, many of you have heard about the 9.8 Magnitude earthquake prediction for May…
Antiscience, Epic Fail, Evolution, Pseudoscience, Skeptical activism
What happened to the dinosaurs? They are used to indoctrinate children
by idoubtit • • 13 Comments
DN Reader David O'Hare passed along a tip to me yesterday to try googling: "What happened to the dinosaurs". Here is the surprising and highly misguided result: The top result is from Answers in Genesis, Ken Ham's fundamentalist, anti-science, Christian group who believes that dinosaurs existed with humans and they are really a means to fool…
Hauntings & Ghosts, money-making schemes, Paranormal, Pseudoscience
Indian "institutes" teaching people "ghost hunting"
by idoubtit • • 5 Comments
Ghost chasing is becoming a more popular hobby in India. People are paying to take courses from "institutes" to learn how to operate the equipment. It seems like India may be about 10 years behind the US in the popularity of fall for such stuff. An increasing number of urban Indian professionals are signing up…
A baaaaad news piece from Baaaaath
by idoubtit •
Local UK paper gives a crank and his preposterous idea exposure. The Bath Chronicle should sheepishly explain why this qualifies as news. Solar eclipse killed my sheep, says Gloucestershire farmer A farmer from Gloucestershire reckons two of his sheep were killed by the solar eclipse. Rob Taylor found two of his flock of around 250 ewes dead…
Antiscience, Evolution, Pseudoscience
Idaho to host another gigantic waste of money and space
by idoubtit •
There is delusion and there there is delusion that costs a heck of a lot of money. One Creationist museum is too many (in Kentucky) and it shows. The museum is short on visitors and has a floundering Ark project. Now, Idaho decides that it's more conservative than Kentucky and builds another monument to antiscience.…
Celebrities, Media, Pseudoscience, Questionable claims
Paleo diet book labeled dangerous for babies
by idoubtit •
Publishers of a fad diet book have postponed release of a book that suggests you can feed your baby a mixture of liver and bone broth as an alternative to breast milk. At least someone was paying attention to the nonsense. Why did the editors not notice this earlier? Pete Evans Paleo diet book for…
Consumer products, Pseudoscience
FTC cites melanoma apps and mosquito repellent wristbands as deceptive
by idoubtit •
The US Federal Trade Commission has lowered the boom on two deceptive consumer products. First, unsupported claims that a phone app could detect skin cancer. FTC Cracks Down on Marketers of "Melanoma Detection" Apps. The Federal Trade Commission has challenged marketers for deceptively claiming their mobile apps could detect symptoms of melanoma, even in its…
Critical thinking, Paranormal, Pseudoscience, Psychics, Questionable claims
Dowsing useless in finding missing girl
by idoubtit •
The "Find Me" crew is back in the news. And, again, not really helping. Private Investigator believes he knows who the suspects are in the Celis kidnapping The private investigator the family contacted said, "Whoever did this knows the family 100 percent guaranteed, and my suspect has a key to the house." Retired federal agent…
Books, Critical thinking, Paranormal Personalities, Pseudoscience, Psychics, Questionable claims
Sheldrake collaborating on children's book about psychic dogs
by idoubtit •
Sheldrake's idea that dogs know when there owner is coming home is unconfirmed and falls on the highly dubious side. But let's tell kids about it! Boy's Best Friend | Kate Banks, Rupert Sheldrake Kate Banks and world-renowned biologist Rupert Sheldrake collaborate on this novel about two boys who set out to prove that their dogs…
Astrology, Pseudoscience
The growing trend of confusing astrology with science
by idoubtit •
Astrology is the fatally-flawed idea that the location and movement of stars and planets influence our lives here on earth. It's the epitome of a NON-scientific idea that has been discarded centuries ago. No scientist studies it. However, a recent survey shows almost all population segments, especially young people, mistakingly think this field is considered…
Antiscience, Media, Pseudoscience, Skeptical activism
The Food Babe spends more time trying to piss off critics than doing research?
by idoubtit •
Vani Hari, "The Food Babe" (*gag*), has been repeated raked over the critical coals for her often terrible information that she passes to the public. She's attacked beer, airplane air and Subway bread. Though she often makes egregious mistakes and is great at fear mongering and getting media attention, she's is TRULY annoyed with any…
Perception, Pseudoscience, Questionable claims
Wisconsin budget cites hefty sum to study a nonexistent hazard
by idoubtit •
A Wisconsin-sized waste of money. Scott Walker's Budget Includes $250,000 To Study 'Wind Energy System-Related Health Issues'. The two-year, $68 billion budget proposal Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker unveiled Tuesday includes a request for $250,000 to study the health impacts of wind turbines. Page 449 of the budget proposal includes a recommendation from the governor "directing…
Alternative Medicine, Pseudoscience
Young Canadian dies after tea treatment in Peru
by idoubtit •
These stories seem to come up periodically – young adults head to the rainforest for an "experience" and they get way more than they bargained for. Jennifer Logan dies after drinking tea in Peru. She had been gone nine days when staff at a rainforest retreat where she was staying called her parents in Saskatoon…
Anti-vax, Antiscience, Critical thinking, Media, Perception, Pseudoscience, Science
Anonymous commenters undermining science have negative impact. We knew this.
by idoubtit •
This is further justification why we do not allow anti-science commenters on this site. It's not a debate but the reader often does not know that. Healthcare websites are attempting to educate about health risks but a new study shows, surprisingly, that readers may be influenced more by online comments than by credible public service announcements.…
Consumer products, Media, Pseudoscience, Science
Will TV be less worse from now on? We are skeptically optimistic!
by idoubtit •
We're seeing a trend. First, Cosmos does well. Then, SyFy announces that they will cut development on "reality" paranormal shows. Now there is news that Neil DeGrasse Tyson is getting his OWN TV TALK SHOW and the new Discovery Channel president is saying some very interesting and positive things. This may be something… As we linked…
Belief/Superstition, Pseudoscience, Questionable claims
Ancient interplanetary planes create disruption at Indian Science Congress
by idoubtit •
What a strange topic for "science" conference. This is possibly another indication of India's problem separating science fact from fiction. Or just rampant nationalism propaganda? 'Ancient Indian Planes Could Travel From One Planet to Another'. Aeroplanes existed in India 7,000 years ago and they travelled from one country to another and from one planet to…
Alternative Medicine, Pseudoscience
Teen treated for "environmental sensitivity" commits suicide, doctor reprimanded
by idoubtit •
On December 15, 2014, the Disciplinary Committee of the Ontario College found that a medical doctor committed an act of professional misconduct, in that she has failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession with respect to one patient. She treated her for environmental sensitivities when she instead had psychological problems. There seems…
Belief/Superstition, Media, Pseudoscience, Questionable claims
Water divining in Australia: A fictional portrayal does not make for fact
by idoubtit •
A mainstream Australian media outlet publishes a ridiculous, unsupported bunch of hooey suggesting water diviners have some special physical powers to detect water. There's a claim chock full of holes – like a leaky bucket, all the truth eventually streams out and nothing is left. Water diviners, dowsers, may have special sensitivity to electromagnetism. [M]y…
Astrology, Pseudoscience
There shall be no mocking of astrology in India!
by idoubtit •
I disagree fully. Therefore… commence mocking. Astrology is like astronomy, says BJP MP Ramesh Pokhariyal Astrology is like astronomy, claimed a BJP member in the Lok Sabha, drawing protests from some opposition members. While making references to traditional practices such as astrology and ayurveda, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank said that among others, concept of atom, was…