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Category: Swift
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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 in medicine.  

The American Medical Student Association: On “integrating” quackery with science-based medicine (David Gorski) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/the-american-medical-student-association-a-corrosive-force/ The AMSA has various initiatives in “integrative medicine;” numerous examples of blatant quackery are included. It is unfortunate that medical students are embracing unscientific medicine. Not all students support it; some correctly take a dim view of it, and a majority (shruggies) think fighting it is not important.  

The War Against Chiropractors (Harriet Hall) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/the-war-against-chiropractors/ A chiropractor’s book claims that the AMA unfairly persecuted chiropractors in an all-out war against their competition, motivated only by money. The true history is very different. The book is a vicious screed filled with inaccuracies, poor reasoning, and insulting comparisons of doctors to Nazis; the author fails to make his case and degrades chiropractic.  

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Category: Swift
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Here is a rundown of the top stories in oddities and paranormal news from the past week courtesy of Doubtful News.

Psychics made some claims this past week. First, in a not-too-risky prediction, stars and "feelings" say Obama will win the election.

A pair of psychics say the police could have solved a murder sooner had they listened to their tips.

A popular Norwegian psychic who was asked but declined the Million Dollar Challenge claims his powers have diminished with age.

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Category: Swift
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Following the death of his mother, magician and escape artist Harry Houdini developed an interest in spiritualism. In an attempt to contact her, Houdini spent many years investigating psychic mediums and séances. He never discovered proof of the validity of these claims, although he certainly encountered many frauds.

Houdini met with a “timely” death on 31st October, 1926. Before he died, he had shared a secret code with his wife Bess. He would try to transmit this message to her from beyond the grave. Every year, on the anniversary of his death, Bess attempted to contact Houdini via public séances. Every year, her attempts were unsuccessful. In 1936, ten years after his death, Bess held yet another unsuccessful séance at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood. She announced that this would be her final attempt.

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Category: Latest JREF News
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If you missed The Amaz!ng Meeting 2012, you can still catch great talks, panels, and workshops on science and skepticism given live at TAM 2012 on our YouTube page. Today, we are happy to share two more exciting and challenging talks.

Brian Dunning - "Your Brain Sucks"

Brian Dunning from Skeptoid.com demonstrates how easily the brain can be fooled.

R. Elisabeth Cornwell - "Social Networks: Civilizing the Future"

R. Elisabeth Cornwell, Executive Director of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, explains the pitfalls of instantaneous communication.

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Here is a rundown of the top stories in oddities and pseudoscience news from the past week courtesy of Doubtful News.

There was a flurry of news related to skeptical personalities on Sunday. JREF fellow Dr Karen Stollznow reported that she received a death threat in reference to a piece she wrote for the SWIFT blog critical of Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo.

We mourn the loss of two great skeptics. Paul Kurtz, one of the founders of the modern skeptical and humanists movements passed away at age 86. Writer and editor Leon Jaroff, who wrote a column called “Skeptical Eye”, died at age 85.

  1. The Indiana Jones Of Tennessee
  2. The JREF Grieves At The Loss of Paul Kurtz
  3. Last Week At Science-Based Medicine
  4. What You Can Do to Fight Woo (in 5 minutes or less)