Why do people embrace alternative medicine?
Why do some find alternative medicine quackery more attractive than well-proven mainstream medicine, and what can be done to address that?
psychology
False memories and Fake News
Study reveals that exposing people to fake news creates false memories if that fake news panders to their preexisting biases and beliefs.
Is the Placebo a useful medical intervention?
Alternative medicine is tagged “alternative” because it an intervention that has been demonstrated to not actually do anything medical beyond the placebo effect. Examples abound and include things such as Homeopathy, Reiki, etc… Let’s briefly review those. Examples of Alternative Medicine Homeopathy, dreamed up in 1792. It involves giving you a diluted substance to supposedly … Read more
Climate Change – should we be worried?
It is very human for many of us to worry about things in our daily lives such as job prospects, relationships, and political concerns. Why should we also worry about climate change when the impacts from it are centuries away? Yes, sea level is rising, and that rise is accelerating … but it is only … Read more
Should you Trust the Wisdom of Malcolm Gladwell?
Malcolm Gladwell has a new book coming out this month (Sept 2019 – Talking to Strangers). If you are not familiar with who he is or his books, then perhaps a quick summary is appropriate. If you are also into behavioral economics, then the news of yet another of his books just might be motivating … Read more
A skeptics guide to supernatural occurrences
Sometimes when something that is so improbable and outlandish happens we might be tempted to conclude that a supernatural event has taken place. “It can be the only explanation” we might think, because the odds of it actually happening by chance are simply too great for it to have been a coincidence. I have a … Read more