TAM 2013!
- Details
- Written by Jamy Ian Swiss
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 6283
Yes, folks, it’s just about that time again. Time for my favorite skeptic gathering, JREF’s annual The Amazing Meeting, aka, TAM! Are you coming?
I sure hope you are! I’ve spoken or performed at every TAM save one, and I was the first person who ever got on stage and said, “Welcome to our very first The Amazing Meeting!” back in 2003. TAM is many things: it’s educational, provocative, entertaining, and sociable. With well over a thousand attendees, every year we get a healthy mix of veteran TAMers and welcome newcomers, and a TAM doesn’t go by that people don’t make great and lasting friendships – folks who reunite every year, and who continue to engage and enlarge their skeptical social circles through local activism and other regional and national gatherings. Scientific skepticism is indeed a social movement, and that fact, and its ever-growing success, is joyfully reflected in the enthusiasm we see reflected every year in the TAM culture of speakers and attendees alike.
This Week In Doubtful News
- Details
- Written by Sharon Hill
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 4378
It's been a vacation week for Doubtful News.
Surprisingly, even in this silly summer season, the weird news has been relatively tame. But, we found a few zingers to share with you in this week's summary. Enjoy and come and visit Doubtful News every day for lots of stories on alt med, anti-vax, anomalies and actual awesomeness.
Last week, we told you about Psychic Sally Morgan's libel settlement with the Daily Mail. It sparked some controversy among the skeptic crowd regarding whether calling Sally out for alleged cheating was the right thing to do.
Last Week In Science-Based Medicine
- Details
- Written by Dr. Harriet Hall
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 4047
Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo-woo in medicine.
On humility, confidence, and science-based surgery (David Gorski) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/on-humility-confidence-and-science-based-surgery/ Cranks and quacks lack humility and have confidence without knowledge. Surgeons must balance confidence in their ability with humility in the face of disease and uncertain science. Humility can become halting indecision and confidence can become reckless arrogance. An exploration of how hard it is to strike the right balance.
Meet Your Microbes: uBiome Offers New Service (Harriet Hall) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/meet-your-microbes-ubiome-offers-new-service/ The microbial cells on and in your body outnumber your own cells 10:1. uBiome offers to test their genome: your microbiome. At our current state of knowledge, we don’t know what that information means: its value as a personal medical test is questionable. They plan to do use the information for research, but that’s problematic because data-gathering is unsystematic, limited to volunteers with money to spend.
It's time to shake your tail feathers!
- Details
- Written by James Randi
- Category: James Randi
- Hits: 6041
I hope you're planning on joining me at The Amaz!ng Meeting in less than two weeks, and this is your last chance to register before prices go up to late registration rates. Don't miss out!
Leading thinkers, science communicators, and best-selling authors like Susan Jacoby, Dan Ariely, Susan Blackmore, Jerry Coyne, Sanal Edamuruku, Faye Flam, Susan Haack, Marty Klein, Michael Mann, Cara Santa Maria, and so many more, are joining us for the first time this year, all focusing on scientific skepticism, and how to "fight the fakers." Happily for us all, many of our old friends like Penn & Teller, Steve Novella, Todd Robbins, Michael Shermer and Jamy Ian Swiss will be joining us again, as well.
As I've said so often before, TAM is unique, exciting, and memorable, and I can't point to any other such event that's as truly amazing. And don't forget that if you book before June 30, you will save $125 off of the late registration rate!
I hope to see you in Las Vegas in just less than weeks from now. Remember, I want to meet each and every one of you in person. Please don't disappoint me, okay?
- James Randi.
The Chronic Lyme Conundrum
- Details
- Written by Dr. Steven Novella
- Category: Swift
- Hits: 8629
One of the major exports of the US, unfortunately, is pseudoscience. In fairness, we import a fair amount of pseudoscience as well. The nonsense of other cultures can seem exotic.
A recent report from Canada indicates that one of the major medical controversies from the US, alleged chronic Lyme disease, is now a controversy in Canada as well.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (primary cause of Lyme in North America with other related species dominating in Europe). Similar to syphilis, which is also caused by a spirochete, Lyme has three phases: a localized primary infection stage which may cause a diagnostic rash called erythema chronicum migrans (this is the classic bulls-eye rash), an early disseminated secondary phase which can cause flu-like symptoms or meningitis and then a late disseminated tertiary phase that can cause chronic infection of the nervous system, joints, or heart.
Page 46 of 408