This week in Doubtful News for March 4, 2014
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- Written by Sharon Hill
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Here is a rundown of the news stories of the week, fueled by archaic thinking, courtesy of Doubtful News.
Two of the best known Creationists are made waves this week with some rather dubious claims. Did the Ken Ham/Bill Nye debate provide the impetus to fund the boondoggle Ark park? If you believe Ham it did. But would you believe Ham? The numbers don't add up.
JREF Gets Mail: Randi's Response to a Catholic Priest
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Read more: JREF Gets Mail: Randi's Response to a Catholic Priest
Spirits in the Pub
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- Written by Dr. Karen Stollznow
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Bar staff at one of Britain’s oldest pubs believe they have captured a ghost on their surveillance cameras. The footage, which shows flickering lights and a shadowy figure, was filmed at the Ye Olde Man and Scythe in Bolton. The pub dates back to 1251, and is reputedly haunted by the Seventh Earl of Derby, James Stanley.
Manager Tony Dooley checked the CCTV one morning and discovered that they had stopped recording at 6:18am. “I came down and saw a glass smashed on the floor so I was instantly suspicious and went to check the CCTV and found it has stopped working. We checked the footage and it revealed this figure,” he said to the Manchester Evening News. “To be honest I was a bit concerned - I'm a bit of a sceptic when it comes to ghosts but you become more of a believer when you see things like that.”
Unfortunately, the article doesn’t investigate the video; it only retells the history of the pub in an attempt to support the haunted claims. Here is the video of the alleged ghost.
That old time religion: This week in Doubtful News for February 25, 2014
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It was a really rough week to be a true believer. Here is a rundown of the faith-based and fantasy news courtesy of Doubtful News.
A deranged woman attempts to kill her mother thinking she is the anti-Christ.
Another deranged woman tells police she killed 22 people as a member of a Satanic cult. The Satanists disavow all connections.
Read more: That old time religion: This week in Doubtful News for February 25, 2014
Last Week In Science Based Medicine
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- Written by Harriet Hall
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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-woo in medicine.
The Canadian National Breast Screening Study ignites a new round in the mammography wars (David Gorski) - This large study compared mammography plus clinical breast exams to usual care in women aged 40-49 and mammography plus clinical breast exams to breast exams alone in women aged 50-59. It found that mammography did not reduce breast cancer mortality; the benefits were offset by overdiagnosis. Nevertheless, Dr. Gorski thinks it would be prudent to stick to current guidelines with perhaps more of a personalized approach to women between the ages of 40 and 49.
Tylenol May Not Be As Safe and Effective As We Thought (Harriet Hall) - Britain’s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued a 600 page report analyzing the published evidence about Tylenol (acetaminophen or paracetamol) for the relief of pain in osteoarthritis. They initially warned that it should not be used because of serious side effects and low efficacy. After clinicians protested that eliminating acetaminophen would mean using more dangerous drugs, they revised their draft to recommend it as a first-line treatment for osteoarthritis. Tylenol is safer than other pain relievers, but this controversy is a good reminder that all drugs can have side effects.
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