Mark Hanna • Dec 15, 2016 •
A decades old loophole in New Zealand’s patient protection legislation is letting quacks get away with what could amount to health fraud, right under the regulator’s nose. In New Zealand, patients are protected from “health fraud scams” by the Medicines Act. This legislation, which is enforced by Medsafe, only allows products making strong health claims to be sold … Read More
Mark Hanna • Dec 15, 2016 •
Steffan Browning will leave his role as an MP next year, which is a great opportunity for the Green Party to ditch their anti-science baggage. I have a love-hate relationship with the Green Party. I love their social policies, but as someone who dedicates a lot of my time to fighting pseudoscience I have a hard time justifying support for … Read More
Alison Campbell • Nov 03, 2016 •
I’ve written before about the so-called ‘miracle mineral solution’, aka MMS (here, for example), but I see that it’s hit the news again recently. MMS is essentially bleach1, but one Jim Humble has made quite a little empire (and a ‘church’) out of selling the stuff, and has previously claimed that it’s a preventative & cure-all for just … Read More
Ken Perrott • Sep 09, 2016 •
Tactics used in anti-science and pseudoscience propaganda are essentially the same as used in political propaganda. Everyone has their own ideological and political starting points – and none of us are really rational, even when we think we are. So we shouldn’t be surprised to find we are fully in agreement with some people on one issue but on the opposite sides … Read More
Peter Griffin • Jun 03, 2016 •
Many Sciblogs readers will know the work of Dr Ben Goldacre, the doctor, academic, Guardian columnist and author of the best seller Bad Science. Goldacre touches down briefly in Auckland in September for one event at the Mercury Theatre, which if his previous public appearances are anything to go by, will be a funny, enlightening and ironic affair. Read More
Helen Petousis Harris • May 23, 2016 •
There is a measles outbreak in the Waikato and folks are presenting certificates of homeopathic prophylaxis against measles as proof of immunity, to avoid exclusion from school. It is frightening to think that the holder of the certificate below is under the impression they have protection against the listed epidemic diseases. Certificate of immunity to infectious diseases Homeopathic … Read More
Eric Crampton • Jan 13, 2016 •
Jargon is good for two things. The first is a good one; the second, not so much. Let’s start with the good. Jargon is a convenient shorthand among experts, allowing them to convey a complicated and lengthy idea in a single word. Within an established community of experts, you don’t need to reconvey the whole parable or theorem each time. Read More
Ken Perrott • Dec 09, 2015 •
This is a spoof, of course – but a legitimate one. It’s a response to reports like this from The Ecologist – “Monsanto on trial for crimes against nature and humanity.” Some readers may have been fooled by this, but the so-called International Monsanto Tribune and the impending trial is nothing more than a publicity stunt by campaigners … Read More
Alison Campbell • May 03, 2015 •
I've heard it said more than once that complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) 'does no harm' - here's just one example. I suppose that could be true of a healthy person using something like homeopathy, where the only harm is... Read More
Alison Campbell • Apr 26, 2015 •
Today's Life/Style section in the Herald on Sunday brings us the latest 'beauty trend' to hit our shores: the snail facial. Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently one can (if one has a sufficiency of funds) already purchase Snail... Read More