And thus it came to pass that Cracked Science was no more. This is not a dead-end; the road, once gravely, makes way for a paved highway. In the summer of 2013, a former graduate student with a craving for bad-science denouncing and public education started a blog. There are over 150 million blogs on … Continue reading
Health Canada is finally making (baby) steps toward better informing the public when it comes to homeopathy. As readers of the blog should know by now, homeopathy is based on really silly, counterfactual beliefs that, if true, would lead to a complete rewrite of biology and chemistry textbooks. Despite this, Health Canada routinely approves homeopathic … Continue reading
One’s acting talent does not always correlate with one’s scientific literacy. Or even one’s critical reasoning skills. An article from the Toronto Sun quotes Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal as saying the following: “I believe deeply in the unconscious. That you literally accumulate the molecules of the space that you’re in. We’re like 90% water, so naturally we are … Continue reading
What do you think is the best beauty product out there? The one that science has shown has the greatest impact on your health? The one with tested rejuvenating powers? The one the evidence says, “Buy it, use it, and you will see the difference”? Is it Retin-A? Coconut oil? Kakadu plum? Listen to this … Continue reading
The State of Vermont officially says “no” to philosophical objections to vaccination: “Like most states, Vermont currently offers parents an exemption for medical conditions and one for religious beliefs. It has been one of about twenty states that allow for philosophical exemptions, and the majority of exemptions in Vermont have been for philosophical reasons.” Vermont’s … Continue reading
A few months ago, a fellow skeptic told me he was considering personalized genetic testing and wondered what my opinion was on the service. The idea is that any consumer who desires can send a DNA sample to a company, like 23andMe, and get a report back on various genetic risk factors. Sounds like a … Continue reading
Antibodies are used a lot in research labs around the world and scientists tend to trust what’s on the label. But antibodies aren’t as reliable as researchers may think, with some scientists now arguing that “due diligence” in their use should include considerable time and money. I remember comparing my own experimental results to published … Continue reading
Exercise has many virtues but, contrary to popular belief, it is not an efficient way to lose weight. So what is? “The idea that our obesity epidemic is caused by sedentary lifestyles has spread widely over the past few decades, spurring a multibillion-dollar industry that pitches gadgets and gimmicks promising to walk, run and kickbox … Continue reading
The infiltration of pseudoscience in academia, either universities proper or academic health centres, is very real. Dr. David Gorski is doing a great job reporting on the American side of this disturbing inroad, but I thought it was time to tackle the Canadian (and more specifically the Quebec) perspective. The Prince Arthur Herald recently published … Continue reading
Finally, two items of good news come out of this dreadful affair in which Aboriginal families stopped chemotherapeutic treatment for their leukemic daughters and sought nonsensical pseudoscientific treatment in Florida. While one of the children passed away this winter, the other, known in the media as “J.J.”, is being reported as feeling well. Could it … Continue reading
Cracked Science 
You must be logged in to post a comment.