Skepticon

Defending The Term ’Anti-Vaccine’

Darcy Cowan • Oct 17, 2011

I have spent some time recently labelling the IAS as anti-vaccine. They themselves categorically state that they are not anti-vaccine. Who am I to say that I’m right and they are wrong? Well, nobody really. I can’t read their minds, although if I could would that change anything? All anyone can do is examine their [...] … Read More

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IAS Complaint Part 4: Anti-Vaccine Impact in New zealand

Darcy Cowan • Oct 14, 2011

Finally in the series of extracts from my IAS Charity complaint, I give a brief look at the impact of anti-vaccine information in New Zealand. I also bring together information from other parts of the complaint that have not been covered in the extracts so far. Impact of Anti-Vaccinationist Misinformation in New Zealand Maintaining a [...] … Read More

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IAS Complaint Part 3: Vaccine ingredients — Not so bad really

Darcy Cowan • Oct 13, 2011

Next up in our voyage of crank discovery, via extracts from my IAS charity complaint, is a breakdown of simplistic reasoning around vaccine ingredients. Again, I have reproduced elements of the original article here for your convenience. The following example was posted as a look at vaccine ingredients in two parts. I will not be [...] … Read More

IAS Complaint Part 2: Gardasil Horrors — Horrific Reasoning

Darcy Cowan • Oct 12, 2011

Continuing my series of extracts from the IAS charity complaint. This one focuses on the Gardasil vaccine and the paranoia that has arisen around it. I have included a link to the article but for convenience I have reproduced here the parts that I refer to in the complaint. Gardasil Horrors Posted April 6, 2011 [...] … Read More

Vaccines and Autism — Media Report Card Expanded

Darcy Cowan • Oct 12, 2011

A little while ago I posted a very quick report card for an article on the Vaccine/Autism debate. It was extremely summarised and a commenter asked for a more in-depth analysis. I obliged in the comments to that article but thought, given the vaccination centric posts that I’ll be putting out in the next few [...] … Read More

IAS Complaint Part 1: Thimerosal in Your Vaccine? No.

Darcy Cowan • Oct 11, 2011

As promised here is the first of the articles that I deal with in the formal complaint I made to the Charities Commission regarding the misinformation spread by the anti-vaccine charity IAS.  So, with out further ado (what is ado anyway?) here is the link to the offending piece and my rebuttal: Thimerosal in your [...] … Read More

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Anti-Vaccine Charities — Is there any Quality control on Charities?

Darcy Cowan • Oct 11, 2011

I haven’t really been writing much lately, for this blog at least. Much that is due to simple procrastination but earlier this year my free time was spent doing something equally stimulating. Back in July I submitted a complaint to the New Zealand Charities Commission, which they (allegedly) are currently investigating, about the Immunisation Awareness [...] … Read More

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Vaccines and Autism — Media Report Card

Darcy Cowan • Sep 15, 2011

Just got sent this link by the irrepressible Aimee, a “Not great” article about the Vaccines vs Autism “Debate”. Here’s my Media Score Card for this article: Much rubbish, a few good points. I give her a C-. ‘vaccinate at any cost’ = Strawman Court decisions =/= Science Incomplete knowledge = No knowledge = Fail [...] … Read More

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Are You Ready for the Faux-Zombie Apocalypse?

Darcy Cowan • Aug 16, 2011

The title of this post is a somewhat obscure reference to an episode of the Nineties Sci-Fi show “Sliders“.  The premise of the show was based on the Multiverse theory in physics, a favourite trope in science fiction. In “Sliders” a small group of individuals are accidentally set adrift in the multiverse, travelling from Earth [...] … Read More