Denialism

Month: July 2007

  • Skeptic’s Circle #65

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    Skeptic’s Circle #65 is up at Neurologica. I think I have to do it next time, is that right Orac?

  • Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    New Scientist has an interesting article by Patrick Leman on the psychology of believing in conspiracy theories. Belief in conspiracy theories certainly seems to be on the rise, and what little research has been done investigating this question confirms this is so for perhaps the most famous example of all – the claim that a…

  • How to live longer – eat less protein?

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    This article in PLoS caught my eye today. It’s entitled, “Calories Do Not Explain Extension of Life Span by Dietary Restriction in Drosophila”, and is an extension of the body of science showing that caloric restriction in a variety of animals, from fruit flies to non-human primates, may dramatically extend life-span. Currently the mechanism is…

  • Shoot first, ask questions later

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    Is it just me or is Tom Coburn recommending a policy of shoot first ask questions later for our borders? The patrol’s deadly force rules were questioned at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing concerning the conviction of two agents who shot a fleeing, unarmed drug trafficker and covered it up. “Why is it wrong to…

  • Two articles on Wakefield and Anti-vax denialism

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    Two Guardian articles appear today on Andrew Wakefield and his associates. The first is a discussion of his unethical and invasive methods used in his now-debunked study that purported to show a link between autism and the MMR vaccine.

  • Casey Luskin asks “Did Darwinism Hinder Research Into Understanding Cancer and Diabetes ?”

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    No. It’s the same tired junk DNA argument from the ID creationists. But I find this one particularly funny – you’ll see why. Luskin says: It’s beyond dispute that the false “junk”-DNA mindset was born, bred, and sustained long beyond its reasonable lifetime by the neo-Darwinian paradigm. As one example in Scientific American explained back…

  • Orac finds some super-cranks

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    I thought the denial of the link between smoking and cancer had gone out of style. The link between smoking and cancer is so thoroughly established that I thought no one could continue to defend cigarettes with a straight face. Well, all Orac has to do is write a piece about the evidence for a…

  • Check out my sciblings

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    Two posts on the scienceblogs today that shouldn’t be missed. Orac on second-hand smoke and those who deny it’s health effects. And Kevin Beck on Penis Pills. It’s a great example of the failure to teach critical thinking skills that people can sell tiny doses of ginseng to insecure males and actually make a profit.

  • Perverting Conservation

    —

    by

    Chris
    in

    Getting “buy-in” from an industry is crucial when attempting to regulate in favor of consumer protection or environmentalism. If the industry fundamentally does not accept the values embodied in the effort, it finds ways around it. After all, these companies have the brightest lawyers and engineers on their side, and if some public policy is…

  • Is Michael Moore headed for 9/11 Troof?

    —

    by

    MarkH
    in

    The troofers seem to think so and based on the interview they have a video of after a screening they may be right.