Jump to content

Bad Science: the missing chapter...

bignumber5

By bignumber5
in The Lounge

 Share

Recommended Posts

bignumber5

bignumber5

Posted
Posted

I'm sure I'm not the only fan of Ben Goldacre on the forum, what with the high incidence of Guardian reading tendencies about these parts (and, I hope, some of the raw common sense that he alludes to the need for), and so I thought I'd share the good word, so to speak.



This is the ?missing chapter? about vitamin pill salesman Matthias Rath. Sadly I was unable to write about him at the time that book was initially published, as he was suing my ass in the High Court. The chapter is now available in the new paperback edition, and I?ve posted it here for free so that nobody loses out.


Although the publishers make a slightly melodramatic fuss about this in the promo material, it is a very serious story about the dangers of pseudoscience, as I hope you?ll see, and it was also a pretty unpleasant episode, not just for me, but also for the many other people he?s tried to sue, including Medecins Sans Frontieres and more. If you?re ever looking for a warning sign that you?re on the wrong side of an argument, suing Medecins Sans Frontieres is probably a pretty good clue.


Anyway, here it is, please steal it, print it, repost it, whatever, it?s free under a Creative Commons license, details at the end.



So here it is.

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/6057-bad-science-the-missing-chapter/
Share on other sites
Huguenot

Huguenot

Posted
Posted

Actually, I'm being flippant.


I'm sure that some guys might interpret some of my postings as being 'angry', but they're not, of course. Generally they're intellectual brigandry. I'm exploring ideas ;-)


This issue (Matthias Rath and vitamins) makes me really angry. I become verbally incompetent.


This kind of dishonorable behaviour (touting snake oil) is genocidal, and it takes a particular kind of psychopath to pull it off. Waterboarding is not good enough.


It is not reasonable to lay the blame for embracing thse ideas at the door of Africa. If you haven't been there it would be difficult to explain the desperation and lack of education that these guys face in making everyday decisions.


It was characterised to me once as 'these guys will follow a guy running down the street shaking a chicken', and whilst essentially a belittling generalisation, it says a lot about Rath. He was a guy running down the street shaking a chicken. Nevertheless, he had the knowledge and insight to recognise the error in his ways, and dismissed it when he chased his ego.


And then he killed millions. Many more than Reinhard Heydrich. It's right under our noses.


I share the frustration with mega-pharma that feeds his followers, but lemon juice is not the solution.

louisiana

louisiana

Posted
Posted

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Actually, I'm being flippant.

>

> I'm sure that some guys might interpret some of my

> postings as being 'angry', but they're not, of

> course. Generally they're intellectual brigandry.

> I'm exploring ideas ;-)

>

> This issue (Matthias Rath and vitamins) makes me

> really angry. I become verbally incompetent.

>

> This kind of dishonorable behaviour (touting snake

> oil) is genocidal, and it takes a particular kind

> of psychopath to pull it off. Waterboarding is not

> good enough.

>

> It is not reasonable to lay the blame for

> embracing thse ideas at the door of Africa. If you

> haven't been there it would be difficult to

> explain the desperation and lack of education that

> these guys face in making everyday decisions.

>


Yes, but... Mbeki was educated at the University of Sussex.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Advertise Here

  • Latest Discussions

    • NewWave
      Up date on Viet Flavour

      By NewWave · Posted

      was the price not displayed on the menu?
    • Lord Pencilton
      4+ Assessment Advice for Parents

      By Lord Pencilton · Posted

      It has come to this author’s attention that the world of 4+ admissions — that most enigmatic of educational rites — continues to bewilder even the most composed of parents. Fear not. For in a former life, I was not merely a humble observer, but a seasoned educator of over twenty years, and Head of Pre-Prep for a distinguished dozen. Now, with quill exchanged for touchscreen, I have taken to that most modern of salons — Instagram — to dispense guidance, answer frequently whispered questions, and illuminate the shadowy corners of school selection with clarity and calm. Each post bears my signature twist: a blend of insight, levity, and the occasional raised eyebrow. Should you find yourself adrift in the sea of admissions, I suggest you peruse my latest dispatch. It may well be the lifeline you seek. The Delicate Dilemma of the Summer-born 4+ Scholars Yours in solidarity and scholastic savvy, Lord Pencilton  🎩✏️
    • kiera
      GALA 2026

      By kiera · Posted

      Perhaps Gooseygreeny was not familiar with the wildlife before Gala was imposed on the park, since when its value to wildlife has deteriorated. The Park had never been disturbed before, as the council had respected it as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, so only the Common was licensed by them as a site for events. The first time Gala held their event, there was a tree with woodpeckers nesting in it right in the middle of the main field they used and thrushes, blackbirds and great tits nesting within the shrubs and trees immediately surrounding the field. The woodpeckers were thriving on ants from the anthills in the grass. To those of us who used to enjoy watching the wildlife, it was very obviously a Site of Importance for a variety of birds. Despite being accessed by the public and their dogs, it had been relatively undisturbed,  which was one of the main reasons why it was so special and why I have been opposed to the Gala festival being held during the bird nesting season.
    • Azalea
      Fireworks

      By Azalea · Posted

      So dangerous!    Can you be more specific about the road this was in and when you report it?  Maybe there’s some CCTV footage available

East Dulwich Forum

Established in 2006, we are an online community discussion forum for people who live, work in and visit SE22.

Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...