Author Archives:
The TGA calls for increased transparency, but won’t reveal recalled products.
Tweet In the same week that the TGA has removed over 400 alternative medicine products from the Australian Register, they are calling for submissions into how they can better improve their transparency. In a spot check on about 400 products, 9 out of 10 — or 26 per cent of newly listed medicines last financial year — were found to … Read on »
Power Balance admit to misleading claims
In a move that has been welcomed by skeptical groups all over the world, an Australian consumer watchdog group, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has instructed Power Balance to cease making misleading claims about their silicone bracelets. The performance sports bracelets, which have gained considerable popularity via high profile athlete endorsements, have become an essential … Read on »
The Wakefield-in-the-room.
On a fine Saturday afternoon, I attended a seminar from Pediatric Chiropractor, Nimrod Weiner, entitled Vaccinations: Make an Informed Decision. Sounds like a loaded title doesn’t it? And it was, as you’re about to find out. To set the scene, the audience consisted of about 20 people, mostly women (several pregnant) and assorted couples with very young … Read on »
2010: The year in science, skepticism and woo.
What were your highlights for science and scepticism in 2010? There were some big “wins” for critical thinking in 2010, but sadly alternative medicine and scams continued to abound, with the explosion in popularity of Power Balance bracelets a very good example of the continuing gullibility of the general public. On the plus side, the anti-vaccination movement … Read on »
Uri Geller cops a bollocking on UK TV
Remember Uri Geller, the spoon bending “psychic”? Geller made his fortune in the 1970s bending spoons and stopping watches on television sets all over the world. It was a simple magic trick, but many people fell for his claims of “bending spoons with his mind”. Our own resident spoon bender Richard Saunders has been often … Read on »
Homeopaths offer cures for whooping cough
With many parts of Australia in the grips of a whooping cough epidemic, homeopaths are making claims they can cure or treat the illness. An article from Adelaide Now describes homeopathic remedies including belladonna and phosphorus are being recommended for whooping cough. The article incorrectly describes homeopathic remedies as “herbal” which is a common misconception, given that … Read on »
Tragedy as another child dies from whooping cough
Warning: imagecreatefromjpeg(/var/www/vhosts/skeptics.com.au/httpdocs/http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5000664690_e91313c6d1.jpg) [function.imagecreatefromjpeg]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/vhosts/skeptics.com.au/httpdocs/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/jb-thumbnail-for-excerpts/thumbnailforexcerpts.php on line 132
Warning: imagesx(): supplied argument is not a valid Image resource in /var/www/vhosts/skeptics.com.au/httpdocs/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/jb-thumbnail-for-excerpts/thumbnailforexcerpts.php on line 133
Warning: imagesy(): supplied argument is not a valid Image resource in /var/www/vhosts/skeptics.com.au/httpdocs/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/jb-thumbnail-for-excerpts/thumbnailforexcerpts.php on line 133
Tragedy in Adelaide this week as a 5 week old boy died from pertussis. South Australia is currently in the grip of a pertussis epidemic, with a 65% increase in the number of notifications for the period January 1 to June 15 2010, compared to 2009. This is first death from pertussis since 2001. Tragically, … Read on »
Wakefield “erased”
Dr Andrew Wakefield, the researcher at the centre of the 1998 Lancet paper which outlined a supposed link between the childhood MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine and autism, has been found guilty of “serious professional misconduct” and his name will be “erased” from the UK medical register, pending any appeal. The UK General Medical Council, which made the recent … Read on »
Uniting Church cancels AVN seminar
The Uniting Church in the City of Perth has taken a stance against the misinformation put forward by the Australian Vaccination Network. At short notice, the Church cancelled a booking the AVN had made to speak at a Church venue, citing that “the message promoted by the Australian Vaccination Network is not in line with the … Read on »
Flu Vax Reactions; Bad Batch Ruled Out, the Search for the Cause Continues
One of the criticisms being leveled at the government for the recent adverse flu events is the question of how thoroughly the current 2010 seasonal flu triple antigen has been tested. This year’s vaccine contains three viral components, A/California/7/2009 (NYMC X-181) (A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) – like) 7.5 µg haemagglutinin per dose, A/Wisconsin/15/2009 (NYMC X-183) (A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2) – like) 7.5 µg haemagglutinin per … Read on »
Subscribe to the world’s second oldest skeptical magazine! Released quarterly and packed with fascinating stories of a skeptical bent.
