Grant Jacobs • Mar 05, 2012 •
For a little light relief, a short collection of talking points that I wrote some time ago but for some reason never published. (I’ve no idea why.) More genomes than you can shake a stick at This summary of a news report … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Feb 29, 2012 •
It’s a while since I’ve put homeopathy in my sights.[1] Most of what I’ve written in the past have been general observations. Let’s look at an actual product I’ve seen sitting on the shelves in a New Zealand pharmacy. Before looking at my chosen remedy, to recap on homeopathy briefly: repeatedly diluting the original … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Jan 20, 2012 •
In New Zealand we received news some time ago that well-respected physicist Paul Callaghan was trying vitamin C therapy for his cancer. Paul Callaghan is also well-known for his science communication efforts. News today is that he has reviewed his trial of this treatment. He has been reported as saying he found ’absolutely no evidence’ it … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Jan 14, 2012 •
In a blog post earlier this year, Orac asked ’Which [Republican] candidate is reiki or "energy healing"?’ It reminded of reading that Richard Prosser, a NZ First candidate in the recent elections in New Zealand and now a member of parliament,* was described as ’Having a life-long interest in alternative therapies, Richard qualified as a … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Nov 03, 2011 •
Trust science, not scientists says the title of an article written by virologist Professor Vincent Racanielo. It’s a great line. Vincent Racanielo was writing in the context of the continued saga over proposals of a link between the mouse XMRV virus (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). My interest … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Oct 08, 2011 •
Earlier this week the Otago Daily Times, locally known as the ODT, had on page nine an article titled Whooping cough vaccination ‘cocooning’ call. In New Zealand, at this time, we have a number of vaccine-preventable illness in the community. One is meningococcal meningitis (strain C). Rubella is another. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is yet another. Read More
Grant Jacobs • Oct 01, 2011 •
Having seen a run of posts on various ’bad science’ on sciblogs.co.nz–that’s us!–and being wildly short on free time –free time-what is that??–let me offer readers Britain’s Ben Goldacre giving a TED lecture, Battling Bad Science. Ben is the author of the well-known Bad Science blog, and writes the Bad Science column at The Guardian. Read More
Grant Jacobs • Jul 30, 2011 •
(Ruminating in the wee hours on google searches and echo chambers.) The echo chamber effect describes where a person or group who repeatedly (mainly) only hears their own views echoed back to them. My experience of this effect at work is what I have seen from groups touting anti-vaccine views, religious ideology, … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Jul 28, 2011 •
Not long ago I learnt of another former scientist I know of who has, apparently, fallen for pseudoscience or ‘woo’. It was a bit distressing. A lovely person, but you had to think ’good grief, why?’ With that in the back of mind my while reading blog posts and writing about this to others I got … Read More
Grant Jacobs • Apr 13, 2011 •
Three recent articles on scienceblogs.com feature a New Zealand connection, spanning genetic engineering, Middle Earth and an anti-vaccine campaigner. If you’re a New Zealander, or have an interest in genetic engineering, you might find Professor Ronald’s account of her visit to New Zealand to learn more about pastoral and crop research here and … Read More