The Skeptical OB

Ignorance is not merely an absence of knowledge. Sometimes it’s the product of a deliberate effort to replace knowledge with doubt or even lies. Classic examples come from business. The opioid crisis was triggered when Purdue Pharma lied to doctors about the addictive potential of OxyContin. We were told that it was not addictive so […]

First they refused to wear masks to protect themselves and prevent the transmission of the deadly coronavirus. Now they’re refusing to take a vaccine that will both protect them and reduce transmission of the disease. Why do they refuse? – In part it’s conservative Republican political motivations and the desire to signal loyalty. – In […]

Hi folks! Pucker Carlson here, reporting on the so called ‘Zombie Apocalypse.’ Why the air quotes? If you listened to the mainstream media and their hero Dr. Phony Fauci you’d think that hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country are shambling undead, and millions more have been harmed by them. But we here at […]

COVID anti-vax is unlike the anti-vaccine movements that came before it. Traditional anti-vax is about fear of side effects. Moreover, traditional anti-vaxxers oppose vaccines for diseases that are under control. The average person is unlikely to see a case of polio or diphtheria so they imagine that if they haven’t seen a disease, it can’t […]

Since time out of mind human beings and microorganisms have been engaged in an accelerating arms race. Diseases have found novel ways to infect us and we have found novel ways to fight back. First we evolved genes that help us resist disease; much later we learned to use natural antibiotics produced by other living […]

Yesterday I posted a link to a piece about “doing your own research.” Unless you’re an expert in the field you’re “researching,” you’re almost certainly not able to fully understand the nuance and complexity of the topic. Experts have advanced degrees, published research, and years of experience in their sub-field. They know the body of […]

I’ve been writing for more than a decade about babies and mothers whose lives have been sacrificed on the altar of the British midwifery’s “Campaign for of Normal Birth.” Radical midwifery theorists believe “normal” birth is birth without pain relief or interventions of any kind, even interventions designed to ensure safety. Parliament has now issued […]

In the 21st Century United States we speak disparagingly of superstition. Superstition is supposedly a feature of backward, primitive cultures, not our culture. According to Wikipedia: Superstition is a pejorative term for any belief or practice that is considered irrational or supernatural: for example, if it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, […]

What’s wrong with anti-vaxxers? Why do they cling to absurd and nonsensical conspiracies despite the fact that they’ve never been right in the entire 200 year history of the anti-vax movement? The dirty little secret: They’re psychologically weak and emotionally needy; anti-vax eases their sense of powerlessness and fills a desperate desire to feel both […]

I recently posted a series of memes on my Facebook page. They’re united by the theme: Conventional Medicine Wins! For example: No one calling 911 begs for a chiropractor of a homeopath. No one treats a venous snake bite with essential oils. Alternative medicine cannot cure fractured bones. In an effort to dispute my claims, […]