If you’ve been hanging around the skeptic community over the last couple of years, then you’ll already know Tim Minchin‘s beat poem Storm. But unless you were at last year’s TAM London you probably won’t have seen the official animation of it which was premièred there. For nearly six months I’ve desperately wanted to be… Continue reading Storm
Tag: homeopathy
Homeopathy Petition Response
A year ago, the House of Commons science and technology committee published the results of its evidence check on homeopathy. The committee’s findings were unequivocal and the report strongly recommended against the NHS continuing to waste money on treatments that did nothing. Soon after that I set up a petition asking the government to implement… Continue reading Homeopathy Petition Response
Greens and Science
At the time of the European election last year, there was some debate in the blogosphere about the Green Party’s attitude to science. Holfordwatch picked up on a report which said that the Greens supported the continued use of “alternative medicine” in the NHS. Rational people, of course, gave up all idea of voting for… Continue reading Greens and Science
Government Ignores Science
Section 47 of the Government Response to the Science and Technology Committee’s Evidence Check on homeopathy: We note the Committee’s view that allowing for the provision of homeopathy may risk seeming to endorse it, and we will keep the position under review. However, we do not believe that this risk amounts to a risk to… Continue reading Government Ignores Science
Petition Closed Prematurely
Earlier this year, I created a petition on the (then) government’s petition web site. The petition called for the government to fully implement the recommendations of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s Evidence Check on Homeopathy – basically calling on the government to stop wasting money on homeopathy. The petition was due to be… Continue reading Petition Closed Prematurely
On the Intelligence of MPs
It’s easy to make cheap cracks about how stupid MPs are. The problem is that many of them seem determined to do nothing at all to counter this impression. Indeed, they often seem keen to reinforce it. David Tredinnick (Con, Bosworth) is a particularly good example. He is a proponent of “complementary and alternative” medicine.… Continue reading On the Intelligence of MPs
Homeopathy Petition
We’re all, of course, very happy about the results of the House of Commons Science and Technology committee’s evidence check on homeopathy. But it’s important to realise exactly what has happened. This is a House of Commons committee which has produced a list of recommendations. The government is under no obligation at all to take… Continue reading Homeopathy Petition
Homeopathic Dilutions
Like many press outlets, the Daily Mail pre-empted the publication of the Science and Technology committee report and published a story yesterday summing up the MPs’ findings. Of course the Daily Mail is the home of the gullible reader and a good number of the comments on that story are attempting to defend the woo-mongers.… Continue reading Homeopathic Dilutions
NHS Money Wasted on Homeopathy
Don’t have time to go into the detail that it deserves, but the House of Commons science and technology committee has published the results of its evidence check on homeopathy. The results won’t, of course, come as any surprise to anyone who has been following the debate. But I have to admit to be impressed… Continue reading NHS Money Wasted on Homeopathy
Defending Homeopathy (Or Not)
Neal’s Yard Remedies are purveyors of the finest magic water. Water that remembers magic ingredients that have been dissolved into it and diluted until no memory of the ingredients can possibly remain. Yes, they sell homeopathic treatments. Someone in their PR department decided it was a good idea to get involved in the Guardian’s “You… Continue reading Defending Homeopathy (Or Not)